(CR) Sousou no Frieren (Frieren: Beyond Journey's End)

[Frontier]

I dunno, it feels different enough from what Yoasobi usually does that I think it works. Still not exactly what I would've gone with, but I don't think it's completely ill-fitting.

[scififan]

The choice of music is not by artistic evaluation. It is more like which music label is available to sponsor the music part of the franchise. Unless you are the big names as Toei and Ghibli, who also have better employee benefits, your funding is usually limited.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by scififan

The choice of music is not by artistic evaluation. It is more like which music label is available to sponsor the music part of the franchise. Unless you are the big names as Toei and Ghibli, who also have better employee benefits, your funding is usually limited.

That doesn't mean it can't have artistic merits to the series itself .

[Kazu-kun]

To begin with, anime productions is headed by a Production Committee, not by the studio doing the animation. The Production Committee is a group formed by different companies. Generally, there's a publishing house if the project is an adaptation (Kadokawa, Shueisha, etc), a toy maker (Bandai, Takara Tomy, etc) a music production company (Pony Canyon, Sony, etc) and others. They aren't just "sponsors." They actually control the whole thing. Usually, they start the project. They pull together the funds and contract an studio to do the animation. The studio might be added to the Committee but has very little sway in it.

Needless to say, the ones choosing the artists who's gonna do the opening and ending is the Committee, not the studio. They choose artists that already signed to the music production company that is part of the Committee. And they choose based on what's the best business decision for them, as you would expect.

[Alchemist007]

From having heard a bit about this beforehand, Frieren's character is about what I expected, which is fine. I find the soundtrack reminiscent of LOTR, it adds a lot.

[magnuskn]

This was pretty fantastic. Pretty chill overall, but a good character study of someone who has trouble relating to others, but still cares inside. Definitely picked up.

[Shadow5YA]

Originally Posted by Nachtwandler

I can understand why some people hate the opening but I still don't agree with it. I find both the song and video pretty fitting.

I have no doubt Yoasobi did their best to make their song match the work, but I think their characteristic electronic synth and semi-fast tempo is still there and clashes with Freiren's fantasy nature genre.

The OP should have stuck to mostly orchestral string and woodwind instruments like what Evan Call did for the music in the actual episode.

I wouldn't go so far to say I hate it though; I'd just skip the opening and enjoy the rest of the music in the show.

[scififan]

Originally Posted by Frontier

That doesn't mean it can't have artistic merits to the series itself .

You might not think YOASOBI's music fit the anime. However, YOASOBI music could be the good promotion for the anime, besides promoting their music. YOASOBI's last anime song, IDOL(Oshi No Ko) was phenomenon in Japan. The song also reached number one on the comprehensive song chart "Billboard Japan Hot 100"' for seven consecutive weeks. Last time, anime songs were recognized by Japan's mainstream music industry when NHK invited Mizuki Nana and Guren No Yumiya singer.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Shadow5YA

The reason why the first episode is a 2 hour special is the same reason why Oshi no Ko had an extended first episode: this was only the prologue in the manga.

I disagree. There isn't really a difference between before and after Frieren decided to go to Aureole.

[Guido]

The Journey's End

I waited with anticipation this anime to start the fall season.

I absolute loved both the art and the music, but the Frieren's new journey is the cream of the crop.

A journey that will span across eras for Frieren trying to decipher what is to live, what is to die, what it is to let go of regrets, what it is to be afraid of not having truly known the person you cared for dying on you, etc.

A journey for Frieren that will open new doors for her meeting with all brand-new faces along the journey.
I do love this kind of stories where focus is put on an immortal being as the protagonist, and how (in Freiren's case) perceives and lives through the flow of time differently from her human counterparts.

The joy and pain that she will be experiencing with each meeting coming with an inevitable departure eventually.

Himmel and Heiter made it through alive for the first reunion with their former comrades for all to gaze together once again the meteor shower 50 years later after their first adventures. And, it truly bursted my heart watching Freiren regretting in tears not having know enough about Himmel when he was alive and both were comrades in the same party throughout all the 10 years that they were together.

Heiter will soon join him leaving Eisen to make through the passing of time to once again joining Freiren for their second reunion to watch the meteor shower but very likely would be Eisen's last reunion when that moment comes and goes.

[Mad Pierrot]

Talk about important themes. Spend more time with the people you love. Kinda reminds me to To Your Eternity but it took Fushi more time to understand human life due to his alien-like origins. By any chance is this series gonna take two cours? I'm surprised by how many characters the opening has yet episode 4 didn't obtain that many

[Last Sinner]

Originally Posted by Mad Pierrot

Talk about important themes. Spend more time with the people you love. Kinda reminds me to To Your Eternity but it took Fushi more time to understand human life due to his alien-like origins. By any chance is this series gonna take two cours? I'm surprised by how many characters the opening has yet episode 4 didn't obtain that many

2 consecutively airing cours.

[Shadow5YA]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

I disagree. There isn't really a difference between before and after Frieren decided to go to Aureole.

Sure there is. Both Himmel and Heiter passed on, Freiren has an objective now, and Fern has fully grown from being a child to being a full fledged member of Freiren's party.

Also while the passage of time is still faster than most other series, it's slowed down significantly from the beginning.
We've gone from skipping 50 years when Himmel was alive, to just a few years passing when she when training Fern, to now just some several months passing when Freiren and Fern are traveling and fulfilling quests together.
It should be clear that traveling with Fern is her life now and her sense of time is settling down, at least for now.

[frubam]

Just finished the first episode. Great art style and animation. I was impressed at how well the show managed to show the bonds between the main heroes and Frieren in just a single episode. I had an inkling that Himmet was in love with Frieren, but never managed to take that step forward, but that's just the romanticist in me. When Himmet passed away, and Frieren started crying, I actually teared up a bit; they really built that moment up really well, despite there being a time skip and not having a lot of time to show their relationship. However, with what little time they did show, was all that I really needed to see how the dynamics of the party played out. Honestly, I think its a miss that we won't be seeing their adventures, even irrespective to how long their journey actually was; even if it was 'not-as-emotional' Frieren, I think it still would have been an enjoyable story to watch, but I digress...

The end looks like she'll have an apprentice. I immediately think of Mushoku Tensei, due to the master mage/gifted student dynamic, but other than that, I'm not sure where the story is headed. I'll be fully on board nonetheless =03.

[Guardian Enzo]

Non-manga reader, I felt like Himmel was in love with Frieren but didn’t want to pursue because he didn’t want her to suffer even more pain when he died.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Non-manga reader, I felt like Himmel was in love with Frieren but didn’t want to pursue because he didn’t want her to suffer even more pain when he died.

Just from these episodes alone it's pretty clear that he cared about Frieren a lot and wanted her to open up more or be "in" with the group (or him).

The implications of wanting her to see the flower of his homeland is also pretty significant. And that he wanted to see up her skirt, although I guess that could just be a guy being a guy .

[Twi]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

I disagree. There isn't really a difference between before and after Frieren decided to go to Aureole.

If they followed the same pacing before she went to Aureole afterward, then the next montage we got would be her attending Fern's funeral after she lived to a ripe old age.

[Shadow5YA]

Originally Posted by Frontier

Just from these episodes alone it's pretty clear that he cared about Frieren a lot and wanted her to open up more or be "in" with the group (or him).

The implications of wanting her to see the flower of his homeland is also pretty significant. And that he wanted to see up her skirt, although I guess that could just be a guy being a guy .

There is no way to tell because we mostly see things from Frieren's perspective, who did not and still does not understand emotions that well.

Also keep in mind that Himmel showed compassion toward everyone, not just Frieren. All the older people that Frieren helped thus far remember Himmel very fondly for a reason.

[Guido]

Originally Posted by Shadow5YA

Sure there is. Both Himmel and Heiter passed on, Freiren has an objective now, and Fern has fully grown from being a child to being a full fledged member of Freiren's party.

Also while the passage of time is still faster than most other series, it's slowed down significantly from the beginning.
We've gone from skipping 50 years when Himmel was alive, to just a few years passing when she when training Fern, to now just some several months passing when Freiren and Fern are traveling and fulfilling quests together.
It should be clear that traveling with Fern is her life now and her sense of time is settling down, at least for now.

I think this is because the flow of time is managed by inflection like, for example, riding a roller coaster.

It slows down to mere months passing by so the current arc builds itself up so as to allow the viewers witnessing how relationships amongst Frieren with the other characters are fleshed out and developed organically in order to setup the paid-off, resolving the characters' current goals in a satisfactory manner that feels both personal and immersive to the viewer.

Then, once the plot reaches an inflection point the pacing of time will speed-up in a matter of years or even decades as a plot device to whisk us the viewers into Frieren's next destination; a voyage that spans not only places around the world but periods across time.
Remember that the story is setup so as we the audience are following Frieren and keeping track of her journey all along the way.

Lastly, to coment upon the second episode.
When asked by Fern why Frieren was seemingly wasting time taking on a pointless errand to search for the Blue Moon Weed?

She replied she was doing it for herself because, as the episode revealed later towards the end in the flashback, the young Himmel inspired her to have a passion to cling to in order to truly enjoy the small shards that life tosses in our way to truly appreciate the meaning of what is to live.

While the original conditions changed, nevertheless, the goal remained the same as Frieren and Fern finally found the Blue Moon Weed, and she delivered on her promise to Himmel from long ago.
She saw it firsthand the beauty of the field and seared that memory so as never to forget the moment.

Frieren can ease and bring conclusion to her past regrets by fulfilling the previous promises her comrades made to her in the past, although it is no longer possible for them to be physical present due to aging and death that comes with the passage of time.

On a final note, R.I.P. Heiter. Freiren made sure on her promise to take Fern on her journey, and Fern paid him back by becoming self-sufficient in her magic skill so as to become a reliable partner for Frieren.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Shadow5YA

There is no way to tell because we mostly see things from Frieren's perspective, who did not and still does not understand emotions that well.

Also keep in mind that Himmel showed compassion toward everyone, not just Frieren. All the older people that Frieren helped thus far remember Himmel very fondly for a reason.

I get that, but I feel like we can also read into Himmel's behavior and actions in the flashbacks even if Frieren herself didn't understand at the time what those meant.

I totally get Himmel was a very compassionate and caring person, but I don't think he told Heiter or Eisen that he wanted to show them the flower of his homeland (that carries a lot of romantic connotations).