Review of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

"Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" is one of the most mature stories ever written in anime. Anime as a medium is usually aimed at younger audiences, so usually only the flashiest, intense, and in-your-face shows become popular (your Chainsaw Man's, Demon Slayer's, My Hero Academia's, etc.). Frieren instead is a show that takes its time and hits you with it's own unique message and philosophy to life. It is one of the only shows that has the guts to start after the (probably exciting) main journey ended. To be honest, due to the very nature of this show, I'm very surprised "Frieren:Beyond Journey's End" got so popular, much less #1 ranked on MAL. While other popular anime are coming to the metaphorical anime potluck with local take-out pepperoni pizza, Frieren is showing up with some hearty homemade cabbage rolls.

For a normal show, it would be a lot more interesting for it to be about the journey, but that would defeat the very esoteric message this show is trying to convey. It really feels like the point of Frieren isn't about bringing you into some grand adventure like with most action anime, but instead putting you in the mind of an old, mature war veteran. If you have an older family member who has been through combat in a pre-1980s war, it's pretty safe to say a few things about them that are the same for Frieren:
1. Had fellow comrades pass away without fully knowing them, which creates this sense of longing to know them better that will go forever unfulfilled
2. Probably only cried at a fellow comrades' funeral
3. The more time passes, the more civilians will forget and feel less indebted about the importance of the war fought in. Even though permanent memorials are put up, they are vastly ignored
4. The same evil that was fought to be destroyed leeches back into society (communists/nazis. Demons in the case of Frieren)
5. Can only really have long and engaging conversations with people who fought/served during the same era (shout-out to Voll)
6. Has to deal with the emotional problems and immaturity of the newest generation (Fern and Stark fit these rolls quite well)
7. Has to deal with modern government bureaucracy to get benefits they deserve, even when they were the ones who are the reason said government still exists (ex: Joe J. Foss trying to bring his Medal Of Honor, which is the highest possible medal to receive, though TSA security or anything the Department of Veteran's Affairs does)

Just like listening and dealing with your +80 year old war-veteran Grandpa/Grandma, it can be boring for people, but can also be very insightful to others. Although very unorthodox for most stories, the only real antagonist to Frieren isn't a character. It's the very concept of TIME. Time is what made some of Frieren's friends impossible to converse with again, because they passed away. Time is what is making civilians forget about the sacrifices made for their freedom and safety. Time is what is allowing the demons to come back once again. Time is the only thing Frieren truly struggles to have an understanding of. When there is a massive time-skip in the show, that is because Frieren didn't even perceive that time as passing. Although "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" is technically labeled as a "shounen" anime (young men being the demographic), this is the first anime I watched where it really seemed like the real demographic was +50 year olds (men or women). It feels like you would have to have lived a long life and suffer the death of a loved one or friend to truly understand this show and have Frieren be a relatable character.

If you are looking for a very insightful and thoughtful look into what an older character would perceive as the passage of time, this is a rare show that meets that criteria. Just be prepared for a story that is told as a while unlike any other anime.

PS If it's something Himmel would have done, do it. Also, secret similarity between Frieren and an old war veteran #8: they also both probably have at least 1 item of explicit nature that they have stowed away somewhere that they can joke about if you know them long enough (Frieren's "Potion", or a veteran's pin-up gal collection).