Review of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Frieren is a breath of fresh air in the world of shonen and in the world of fantasy anime/manga. Frieren is unique in its rather feminine approach to fantasy anime, its reflective and introspective rather than forward looking and goal-orientated, its not an action series, its not about strength but its about emotions, bonds and coming to terms with our own lives. And this works to give Frieren a interesting feel, whilst watching, I couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of nostalgia for things I’ve never known or experienced. The characters are a real strength of this show, including the side characters like Denkan. Theyare complex and have a great deal of depth which makes them very easy to invest in, and they are also very fun, which makes this show incredibly watchable. I will say, I’m not as in love with Himmle as most people and some of his dialogue with Frieren doesn’t always hit for me.
The world building is good, especially when it comes to magic. This world feels real as the magic is presented as an evolving component of the real world, with magic tactics and doctrine having changed over time, which is something I haven’t really seen in fantasy but it makes such sense. The political world building is lacking but also not the focus, so it gets a pass.
The plot is not really the focus, it’s a journey, its not really about an end point or a goal, but the plot is absolutely fine in what it is.
Frieren also has superb production values. Great animation, great voice acting, wonderful music and good direction.
The less masculine action “got to be the best” approach to fantasy, really worked for me personally and that is why Frieren is great.