Review of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Goodness, where do I even start? This anime is a fantasy anime masterclass. I've never seen a show explore the concept of time so well, especially considering that the MC is 1000+ years old. The themes and characters are relatable, yet existing in the world of magic and dragons. What makes this show stand apart the most is the way this show uses its characters. Characters like Frieren, Fern, Stark and Serie all seem like people we know; people that struggle with time differently. They aren't characters with an elaborate back story, they're people we'd see day to day, albeit in a fantasy setting. The animation isgorgeous. The music from start to finish is also amazing. This is a show that has love poured into it, in every direction.

Personally, I preferred the first half of the season, as apposed to the latter half. The latter half wasn't bad, but the character exploration wasn't as good, as the first part. The show leaned more into it's action and animation, which are amazing, but I do prefer a more character-centeric show.

My only real gripe with the show is that it doesn't have a clear end. When will the show end? What is the objective of the show? I can only see this show ending when someone dies, or when the author is just tired of writing the show. Maybe that's the point, that there's no end goal, and that time keeps moving, with or without you. We'll only know the quality of the ending when it happens, but that is a slight worry of mine.

Nonetheless, this is a very good show, which I would recommend to anyone mature anime watcher.