Review of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

The beginning 1/4th of the entire anime is an enormous slog; it is very, very slow paced. I understand some of it, as world building requires a certain level of dedication, exposition, and setting, but Frieren goes beyond that. There is incredible tediousness to the point if I hadn't promised a friend to watch the entire thing, I'd have checked out. That being said, when it shines, it really shines. The battles, although brief, are top notch, tense, and exciting. The characters are reasonably fleshed out. The world is gigantic and inviting. Speaking of characters, there's nothing particularly ground breaking here. Frieren is the classically overpowered maincharacter, Stark is the dim witted warrior with a heart of gold, Fern is the uppity girl boss who gets annoyed at everything. Honestly, the characters from the past are infinitely more interesting, and thankfully the anime focuses on them time and time again as Frieren relives experiences that directly tie into the present time. Although it becomes predictable, it's welcome.

Fern, however, quickly became the bane of my viewing pleasure. I can't remember disliking an anime character more. Her only saving grace came in the form of her abilities as a mage and tactician. Personality wise, I couldn't stand her.

Overall, it's a series of extreme highs and lows. When it hits the heart, it does so well. When it wants you to feel the weight of a fight, it does so well. It's too bad there's so much time spent slogging through with literally nothing happening, because this could have been an excellent show.

If you have more patience than I, go for it and you'll be rewarded. The ending episodes are the best of the season. If you can't handle the mundane, stay far, far away.