Watching the credits begin to roll on the final episode was a surreal feeling, knowing this journey I'd been taken on was over (until season 2), and now it is time for reflection. Where to begin? From beginning to end, this has been a great anime, and I would say it has the potential to become one of the greats if future seasons can maintain this quality.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End begins at a point where most shows have already ended. The big evil is gone, the heroes have returned home, and many years have passed; it is now a time of peace. Yet here we find ourselves with the main character, Frieren, an elf who has been alive for a countless number of years, coming back to meet the group of heroes she traveled with many decades ago, yet to her, it feels like yesterday. What follows in the remaining episodes is another journey but one of a different kind, one of self-realization, one of learning to cherish time, because even though things feel like they will last forever, they never do.
To begin with, one of my favorite aspects of this anime is its vibe. It's so chill and wholesome, and it's not afraid to stop and smell the flowers. With the main theme being time itself, this anime really drives home that fact and doesn't rush things for the sake of it. It spends time on the little moments, and that really helps it feel fleshed out. I have seen some people complain about this very thing, and to that, I can only say to watch something else, because while the second half of the season does ramp up, that will still continue to be a core theme of this anime, and rightfully so.
The characters in this anime are simple but effective. Frieren herself has a lot of depth to her that we've only seen the surface of, and seeing her start to reflect on her past while learning to treasure her present is something really amazing to see. She also is just everything you could want all in one: funny, cute, yet when she needs to be, an otherworldly force of raw power, and I can't wait to see how her character progresses throughout the series. Then there are the other main characters, Fern and Stark. Fern is a cool head in a tense situation but also a good form of comic relief. Her dynamic with Frieren is one for the books and leads to some great moments. Stark is the muscle, yet also a lot of times the stepping stool. His dynamic with Fern is awesome, and I can't wait to see how they end up. I can't end without mentioning Übel; she's crazy, please give me more.
The animation in this anime is some of the best I've seen, and it came very unexpectedly. The scenery and day-to-day animation in this are really beautiful and have some wonderful scenes. It's never too much but it's also never too simple, always maximizing its effectiveness. Then there are the fight scenes in this anime, and they pack a serious punch. While there's not a ton of combat, when there is, they don't hold back, and one fight in particular left me in awe. It was really nice to see the passion the staff had, and you could really tell they were invested in what they were making.
All in all, this was definitely a standout anime and not something we get too often. It feels like one of those anime that will go down as a classic. I can't help but draw some comparisons to The Lord of the Rings, another fantasy series that also takes its time in almost the same way and in doing so elevates itself to new heights. I can't wait for season 2 (and I might not, debating starting the manga), but I can only hope for the best, and I'm sure they will deliver.
