Review of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

After viewing the latest episode, I feel compelled to share my honest thoughts on the entirety of the series. Overall, it was great. The animation stands out as some of the best I've seen, rivaled only by Mushoku Tensei. However, there's a peculiar aspect that struck me: the characters seem strangely lacking in expressiveness. Even those who are meant to be aggressive don't quite convey that emotion convincingly. It's as if the show aimed for a more "realistic" portrayal by giving characters mature and stable expressions rather than childlike ones, but it doesn't quite work. They appear too passive, almost idle, in their movements and dialoguedelivery. Despite this, it remains one of the best anime I've seen. I'm not sure if it's due to heavy dialogue or intentional tonal choices, but the actions depicted are commendable. While the show did portray emotions like sadness and others, they didn't quite land as impactfully as in other, more emotionally resonant anime. The production quality was good, but there's a lingering feeling of emptiness throughout.