The Growth That Comes Beyond Journey's End
An examination of the virtues extoled by Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
Let it never be said that I’m not fashionably late to just about any party.
Frequent eaters at the table of anime have been sampling the flavors of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End since autumn of 2023. Well, here I am in spring of 2024, and I’ve only just gotten around to watching this show regularly. Truth be told, this is better than my usual track record of keeping up with something new that seems interesting. Doubly so for something new that’s popular. Those closest to me know that I’ve got a sizable backlog of highly recommended media to watch and read, so the fact that I’m getting to Frieren a scant few months after its peak of seasonal relevancy is an achievement in and of itself. I also consider it to be indicative of the show’s quality, as it takes me considering something to be in the realms of greatness to hold my attention the way this anime has.
But that’s enough beating around the bush. Today’s subject is a recent fantasy anime titled Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, and it’s quite safe to say that it’s taken anime lovers by storm, skyrocketing to a high degree of popularity. Why this happened is something we’ll explore, but before I start digging into the show I want to make something clear from the outset - this essay is not going to be a review of Frieren. As it stands, I’m just about halfway through the current 26 episode run at this point. I don’t know if those episodes will cover the entirety of the manga, nor do I know how accurate the series is to the manga as I’ve not read it, but none of that matters for what I’m going to talk about today.
The point is, I shan’t be reviewing the show because firstly, I’ve yet to finish it, and secondly, I wish to spoil as little as possible. Instead, I’d like to opine a bit on the core messages and values put forth by Frieren, aspects of the story which I believe are partly responsible for its runaway success. Naturally we’ll have to touch briefly on story beats and themes for this to come across properly, but if you’re looking for a more traditional review on the quality of the anime as a whole, you’re not going to find it here. Suffice it to say, I’m thoroughly enjoying it so far, and I can see why it became so popular.
Now then, in order for me to give a clear idea of the type of message Frieren extols, I first need to give a little bit of an idea about what the show is. Earlier I mentioned that Frieren is a fantasy anime, and I’m sure that statement brings with it many ideas about what type of show to expect. After all, there’s no shortage of fantasy anime out there, and most of it is highly action oriented. From classics like Berserk, Claymore, One Piece, Record of Lodoss War and the expansive Fate series; to newer contemporaries like Overlord, The Eminence in Shadow, Konosuba, Castlevania, and Demon Slayer; you’ll find the genre is heavily loaded with either shonen or distinctly adult animated action, with a peppering of comedy, romance, or slice-of-life in there, too.
Frieren, in some ways, falls into that final category, presenting us with a slice of life adventure story. In it, we follow the titular elf on her life’s journey, seeing how she grows and interacts with the people she meets along the way. However, where Frieren differs from your typical shonen battle fantasy is that her story doesn’t begin at the start of a grand adventure with an epic quest. That element is present in the story, but it’s part of Frieren’s past. In fact, the show begins at the end of that quest, as she and the party of adventurers she’s been traveling with for the past decade - the dwarven warrior Eisen, the human priest Heiter, and the human warrior-hero Himmel - are making their journey to a major city to receive accolades for having just killed this setting’s Demon King.
I’m quite certain that anyone and everyone who reads manga or watches anime regularly immediately recognizes the trope Frieren just turned on its head. The “Demon King” itself is one of the most classic tropes in fantasy manga and anime, the ultimate evil bad guy that you’d normally expect to see the heroes you’ve been following face off against at the story’s conclusion. It’s a trope that’s actively being used by the world’s most popular contemporary manga today, Demon Slayer, though Muzan, the demon in question, isn’t explicitly labeled as a Demon King. Even so, it presents an inversion of our usual expectations, and quickly primes us for a very different kind of show.
Across the story so far, we find ourselves exploring the world with Frieren at a fairly leisurely pace. After she and the rest of her party go their separate ways, they all make a promise to visit each other again soon. Himmel and Heiter keep close during the following years, and the dwarf Eisen is also noted to have visited them relatively frequently. However, Frieren stands apart from them as the only elf among their number. If you understand the usual approach to elves in fantasy, then you generally understand Frieren. There’s nothing really new and groundbreaking being done with her story - it’s the tale of a creature who lives for thousands of years failing to fully understand the importance of a few decades to creatures that live a fraction of that time. Thus, when she finally comes to visit Heiter and Himmel on the anniversary of their victory, a full fifty years have passed, and both of them are old men.
I’m sure you can piece together where this introductory chapter goes from there. Aged well into his 80’s, Himmel the Hero passes very soon after seeing Frieren again. At first, she’s cold and distant, coping with the death of a comparably short lived person that she hadn’t realized she’d come to truly care for in the same way as usual. This is normal for her, she’s used to this sort of thing. Elves live for thousands of years, so they outlive nearly every other species around. They’re also rare to find, so they often live solitary lives. We soon see that this reaction is so standard for her that it causes numerous attendees of Himmel’s funeral comment in hushed voices, which she can hear of course because elf, just how cold and callous she is.
However, before long, that sense of normalcy breaks. As she listens to the public attendees whisper about her and remembers the kind of man Himmel was, Frieren has a realization: she wasted the brief time they had together. For the first time since we’ve been introduced to her, she breaks down, and shows us the recognizable emotions of grief and regret for the loss of a friend she only just realized is dear. A decade is the blink of an eye to someone who can live for up to six thousand years, an amount of time so miniscule to Frieren that their entire quest registered as almost akin to a playdate in terms of time passed. The same is true of fifty years, at least until she sees the human cost of that in a manner that hits close to home.
Part of the reason I didn’t want to review Frieren, other than not being finished with the current season, is because its story is admittedly rather predictable. It doesn’t really do anything new with the story it’s telling. We’ve seen tales like this spun about nigh immortal beings before. Tolkien himself touched on these ideas with the love between long lived but mortal Aragorn, and the immortal elf Arwen. However, predictability isn’t necessarily a bad thing in fiction, and I’d argue that’s true in the case of Frieren. Just because you can generally see the direction the story is likely to take doesn’t mean the story won’t be satisfying. It’s all in the quality of how that story is told. Personally, at least from where I’m at currently, this is where Frieren has excelled.
Despite the fact that the premise is present right in the series subtitle, “Beyond Journey’s End”, a large part of why I think Frieren excels is because of the fact that it begins by subverting your expectations. Now, I know how a good many people will react to that phrase. Many of us are acutely aware of the tendencies within Western media over the last decade and change to destructively subvert audience expectations. The Last Jedi - I know, I’m sick of hearing about it, too - is probably still the single most glaring example of this, due in part to how writer/director Rian Johnson bragged about it.
Frieren, however, takes a constructive approach with this idea. Instead of giving us the kind of action filled adventure story we’d expect of an anime with a party of classic fantasy tropes - Hero, Warrior, Priest, and Mage - that go on a quest to slay the evil Demon King, we’re given something far more introspective to chew on. While it does have its share of action sequences and the scant lewd joke once in a great while, (very tame ones, too, I must say) at its core, Frieren is a character driven story that’s fueled by the journeys of personal growth taken by its cast. In other words, it’s a story about people discovering who they really are and what they value most, and in these respects it showcases a great many virtues along the way.
The part about Frieren that I find to be genuinely fantastic, outside of its excellent storytelling, is the manner in which it presents the positive virtues of its characters. It doesn’t present us with flawless people. During the story’s current day, we see various flaws with the way Frieren lives her life, as well as the things she chooses to do and the way in which she communicates with people. The same is true of the girl Fern, who eventually becomes her apprentice, and the young warrior Stark who’s introduced about a fifth of the way into the season. Even the Party of Heroes is shown to have their flaws, though since much of their story is in flashback form, many of those flaws can be admittedly one-note. Even with this being the case, though, the anime puts its best foot forward in contrasting the flaws and vices of Frieren and her companions against their more virtuous traits.
I struggle to stress just how important and impactful this is to the characters, the story as a whole, and for the audience. Through this active choice to present us with characters who have their vices; make poor decisions; can be brash, naïve, overly harsh, or fearful to the point of near cowardice; the story leaves room for the positive aspects of who they are to shine that much brighter when we’re shown these contrasts. As a point of reference, let’s look at the young warrior Stark. Minor spoilers ahead. If you’d like to avoid them, skip past the italicized section.
We’re introduced to Stark in the anime’s fifth episode, after he’s rumored to have driven off a dragon that’s been haranguing a large village. This also comes on the heels of learning that Eisen has requested that Frieren find his apprentice and let him travel with her and Fern. The initial reason for this suggestion is a recognition of the fact Fern and Frieren, as a pair of mages who prefer to use magic to deal with threats from a distance, don’t have anyone to support them by taking on more direct threats. However, though he doesn’t look it, age is getting to Eisen as well, and he’s no longer as capable as he was. Thus, he feels his runaway apprentice is a better fit.
It takes no time at all to guess that Stark is said apprentice, and it’s not long before Frieren and Fern have their first encounter with him and learn the truth of his standoff against the dragon. The villagers believe Stark to be their stalwart young hero. In reality, he was so petrified with fear that he couldn’t bring himself to move, and it was pure luck that the dragon decided to leave. He set up his own meeting with Frieren to try and get her to kill the dragon, which already hasn’t gone well. His desperation for her aid, as well as the way he’s been keeping the truth a secret from the villagers, (he does it in part to help them feel safe, but that doesn’t change the fact he’s lying to them about something quite serious) has Fern call him out as a coward.
We soon learn, as we often do in Frieren, that the truth isn’t as clear cut as it seems. Stark shows the hallmarks of a great warrior in the making, signs which Frieren herself can see. She agrees to help him, and the three of them hatch a plan which has Stark distracting the dragon for an extended period so Frieren can ready her spell. Despite his fear, which is enough to make him almost faint, Stark agrees. Trembling with axe in hand, he faces down the dragon, and they fight. He performs well in the face of his fear, taking hits and dealing strong blows back to the monster. Eventually he subdues it and calls for Frieren to finish casting her spell so they can kill it. What Stark doesn’t realize was that he already landed a killing blow, which we learn was Frieren’s plan from the start. Just as Eisen did when he agreed to train Stark, Frieren recognizes just how strong, resilient, and stalwart Stark really is, even though he can’t see it for himself.
Okay, spoiler time over. Through Stark’s introduction, we’re given a sharp contrast between the young man’s feelings and his actions. He’s terrified to face off against strong enemies, particularly monsters, and shows this regularly. We often see him begin to tremble when it comes time to fight. He doubts himself, questions his worthiness and his worth, and on a few occasions becomes convinced that he’s going to die fighting some of these enemies. Yet, despite that, he always gets up after being knocked down. He’s afraid of dying, but shows he’s willing to lay down his life to protect not just those he’s come to care for, but innocents as well. He frequently feels the urge to run away, something that he’s often very hard on himself for, but when the time comes he draws his axe and stands firm. His words and doubts may paint him as a coward, but his actions paint him as stalwart and courageous.
Similar contrasts exist for Frieren and Fern as well. Despite her age, education, and wisdom, Frieren is shown to be quite immature sometimes. She enjoys teasing and goading people close to her from time to time, and this can sometimes backfire on her. Usually that backfire comes from her apprentice, Fern, a girl orphaned by war who was forced to grow up quickly due to her circumstances. Fern has learned some of Frieren’s outward coldness, but shows herself to be someone who’s quite sympathetic to the struggles of others. However, this also makes her judgmental of those who behave in a manner that doesn’t meet her standards. She doesn’t scream at them or scold them harshly, but she’s not above cutting remarks and backhanded comments to Frieren or Stark if she perceives them as failing to meet her expectations of what’s right and proper.
However, this is contrasted by the understated ways in which she shows compassion to others. Fern may come off as a bit cold and harsh, much like Frieren herself did and still does, but she’s always the first to speak up when people need help. She’s the conscience of the trio, reminding them of the importance and value of helping others not for gain, but simply because it’s the right thing to do. This isn’t to say she and the party don’t accept payment for their services. Adventuring and giving aid is how they make their living on the road. But when difficult situations make themselves known and Frieren shows a desire to just avoid the issue entirely in favor of the new journey they’re on, Fern is the one who reminds her why she should help. She’s honest, compassionate, and arguably the most caring member of the group, though it may not be obvious from the outset.
Naturally, it’s Frieren who undergoes the biggest changes, as this is primarily her story. From the cold and aloof personality we’re introduced to, aspects which are still very much part of her character throughout the story, we get to see her grow into someone who values the comparably short time she spends with companions from the lesser lived races of humans and dwarves. This is built up both by her decisions and interactions with Stark and Fern, and the glimpses we get of her memories from her time adventuring with Himmel, Heiter, and Eisen. As we go through the story, we’re given the chance to have the same revelations Frieren does in time with her. Is the approach predictable? Yes, but its efficacy as a device for character growth and emotional resonance serve to outweigh the issues of predictability this creates within the story.
I’ve seen some critics of Frieren say that its story is overhyped and pseudointellectual. The argument I most often hear as to why seems to hinge on the idea of predictability in the story that’s being told, particularly in regards to Frieren’s arc. As I mentioned from the outset, the idea of a story that sees a nigh immortal creature start recognizing the value of the time they spend with lesser lived creatures isn’t anything new. Many stories have touched on this idea, particularly with elves. The main thrust of the criticisms seems to be that because it’s predictable, the impact of those moments miss the mark. At the same time, I’ve also seen many of those same people say that events in the story “just happen for the sake of it.” The expectation here seems to be that we’ll see every step of Frieren’s new journey, thus the argument is that only showing the key moments makes things feel like they’re disconnected and happening at random. Similar complaints have also be levied about the stakes of combat, claiming that it never feels like there’s a real sense of peril.
I think these complaints partly miss the goal of the story, though. Frieren isn’t meant to be an action adventure fantasy. It’s a slower, introspective story that focuses on the internal conflicts of the central cast based on their growth as individuals. Stakes in combat and the smaller random moments of the journey (which are, in fact, touched on through brief montages) aren’t the focus. The personal arcs the characters go through are, seeing how they change, grow, and mature as individuals. Seeing how they learn to live with one another despite their differing lives, worldviews, and perspectives based on past experiences. Frieren is, fundamentally, a story about different people coming together and learning more about who they are.
Frieren is predictable, and that’s going to turn people off. Pseudointellectual, though? I don’t think so. Perhaps this isn’t true of the manga - again, I’ve not read it so I can’t say - but at least where the anime is concerned, great care has been put into presenting the characters in a way that feels very natural and gives them a good amount of depth and relatability. This alone is enough to help explain why Frieren took firm hold of people’s attentions and imaginations the way it did, but I don’t think it’s the only reason. Putting aside the other artistic elements like the gorgeous visuals, the smooth animation, and the fantastic choreography that goes into its few action scenes, I think there’s a very simple reason why Frieren became as popular as it did.
It’s a wholesome story.
We see this in the virtues the characters display, which showcases their moral strengths. Be courageous in the face of your fears. Lend a helping hand to those around you. Have patience with the people in your life. We see this in the story’s core message - treasure the time you have with those you love. Don’t take them for granted, they won’t be around forever. Frieren doesn’t shy away from melancholy, and I’ve seen a couple of people turned off by that fact early on. However, that melancholy is balanced by a pervasive sense of hope, love, and respect which has become all the more clear as the story progresses.
I’m looking forward to seeing if that remains the case through the rest of the series. I hope and suspect that it will, just as I suspect that this is the true underlying cause for why this show is as popular as it is. I don’t know if the fanbase fully realizes this fact. From what I’ve seen discussed about the show, it seems like some do, and many don’t. Most who enjoy it do recognize that there’s something about it which makes them feel good, even if they can’t pinpoint exactly what. It’s a general feeling of positivity in the face of the things which can make life hard for us to cope with, that undercurrent of hope and love that runs throughout the story. This, I think, is the beating heart of what makes Frieren special: it’s a wholesome story that quietly presents us with complex but ultimately virtuous people at a time where destructive subversion and deconstructionist narratives have become the norm.
That it does this while following a charming and occasionally mischievous elf is just the icing on the cake.
Halfway through season one and I am enjoying it. Thanks for talking about it.
I have not read the manga, but I can confirm that it is ongoing - a new chapter released through the online Viz subscription just yesterday. So this season will not cover all there is. And, given its popularity, I suspect we will get more.