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Amuro1X
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 191
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Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2024 3:41 pm
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Quote: | On the surface, Serie fails Friren because she's not the type of mage that Serie believes Frieren should be. However, there's something much deeper at work here: insecurity. Serie's ego can't accept that Frieren did what she could not—i.e., defeat the Demon King. Objectively, she's superior to Frieren in every way—even mastering the ability to suppress her mana better than Frieren. Yet, despite having thousands of years to do so, Serie was never able to defeat the Demon King. She simply sat eternally alone on her throne of stone. |
Um, that's kind of a hot take. Serie is 100% correct about Frieren not being the mage she could be, and Serie hates wasted potential more than anything in the world. The argument of whether Serie could have beaten the demon king or not is kind of moot since it wasn't really in her nature to do so. So I really wouldn't call Serie insecure. A tsundere grandma, yes, insecure, no.
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Thesarum
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Joined: 25 Mar 2022
Posts: 478
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Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2024 3:48 pm
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Key wrote: |
Jabootu wrote: | Or I'm talking out of my own butt. |
No, I think you're on the mark with all of this. That her First-Class Mage selections don't work together well is very telling on how she regards great mages: they must be powerful on their own. This leads to the great irony that her philosophy on magic is much more similar to that of demons, which may well be part of the reason she wasn't able to defeat the Demon King herself.
The other great irony here - one which had been constructed since the early stages of the series to build to the momentous payoff this episode - is that the key to saving the world from the Demon King was not some great spell, but a simple, peaceful one. The revelation here about why Himmel specifically sought out Frieren puts a much bigger layer of extra meaning on events as far back as the statue maintenance in episode 2.
I'm going to miss this series dearly when the season is over. |
I agree. Like demons Serie is proud of her power. She fears being surpassed by those under her care, and therefore could never teach them to do so. Frieren is the opposite, she takes no particular pride in the power she has amassed, she pursues magic for its own sake. For the joy of discovery. And she is positively excited by the prospect of someone taking magic even further. And she's so, so proud of Fern.
I love the through-line of the flower field spell too. From Flamme, to Frieren, to a young Himmel and back to Frieren and onward to Fern.
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Dr. Wily
Joined: 09 Nov 2007
Posts: 359
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Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2024 6:05 pm
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Amuro1X wrote: | So I really wouldn't call Serie insecure. A tsundere grandma, yes, insecure, no. |
Bingo. Serie is like a disappointed parent/grandparent who knows you could be so much better at [insert here] if you simply applied yourself a little more, sweetie...
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ScruffyKiwi
Joined: 25 Oct 2010
Posts: 698
Location: New Zealand
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Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2024 9:35 pm
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Dr. Wily wrote: |
Amuro1X wrote: | So I really wouldn't call Serie insecure. A tsundere grandma, yes, insecure, no. |
Bingo. Serie is like a disappointed parent/grandparent who knows you could be so much better at [insert here] if you simply applied yourself a little more, sweetie... |
She’s 100% insecure. It will probably show it in the next episode but she bans Frieren from entering the award ceremony so she can’t see Fern being given her mage certificate. Not only that she bans her for life from entering any of their facilities!
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MFrontier
Joined: 13 Apr 2014
Posts: 13081
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Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2024 10:54 pm
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So is that old dude just learning new stuff about martial arts so he can always teach Stark everything he knows?
I love how the first time Fern sees Stark she's pouting and upset and needs him to play peacemaker and make food.
Denken is always a great mentor and grandpa even off the clock. Richter is lucky to know him. And he's practically officially Laufen's grandpa.
Frieren doesn't always get the value people place in objects, but if someone she cares about is upset, she'll do what she can to make things right.
Richter always standoffish and surly but he takes pride in his work and knows a well-maintained mages' staff when he sees it.
For someone who acts emotionally closed off and reflects on the pointlessness of human apprentices, Serie sure seems mindful of their personalities and achievements and even lightly praises them. What a tsundere!
Well, now both Kanna and Lawine can commiserate and headpat each other over failing! I guess it's probably for the best that neither passed so as to not lord it over the other (and they work best as a pair and probably individually were not ready to be 1st Rank Mages).
Ha ha, all that work and Serie fails most of them in a quick montage!
To think the Demon King was defeated not because of OP magic but because of simple flower magic that was used to comfort a child and in turn made that child seek out an elven mage who was there for him...an the rest was history. Oh, and Himmel having a childhood encounter with Frieren that began his interest in her is as much a tragic romance red flag as his blue hair.
Frieren never needed validation from Serie, she got that from Flamme and Himmel, but she knows how much potential Fern has and knows Serie can't deny it. Just like Fern could never have anyone but Frieren as a master.
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Orturi
Joined: 19 Mar 2024
Posts: 3
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2024 5:42 am
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MFrontier wrote: | So is that old dude just learning new stuff about martial arts so he can always teach Stark everything he knows?
I love how the first time Fern sees Stark she's pouting and upset and needs him to play peacemaker and make food.
Denken is always a great mentor and grandpa even off the clock. Richter is lucky to know him. And he's practically officially Laufen's grandpa.
Frieren doesn't always get the value people place in objects, but if someone she cares about is upset, she'll do what she can to make things right.
Richter always standoffish and surly but he takes pride in his work and knows a well-maintained mages' staff when he sees it.
For someone who acts emotionally closed off and reflects on the pointlessness of human apprentices, Serie sure seems mindful of their personalities and achievements and even lightly praises them. What a tsundere!
Well, now both Kanna and Lawine can commiserate and headpat each other over failing! I guess it's probably for the best that neither passed so as to not lord it over the other (and they work best as a pair and probably individually were not ready to be 1st Rank Mages).
Ha ha, all that work and Serie fails most of them in a quick montage!
To think the Demon King was defeated not because of OP magic but because of simple flower magic that was used to comfort a child and in turn made that child seek out an elven mage who was there for him...an the rest was history. Oh, and Himmel having a childhood encounter with Frieren that began his interest in her is as much a tragic romance red flag as his blue hair.
Frieren never needed validation from Serie, she got that from Flamme and Himmel, but she knows how much potential Fern has and knows Serie can't deny it. Just like Fern could never have anyone but Frieren as a master. |
How is the "Blue" color related to the theme?
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Jabootu
Joined: 17 Jan 2024
Posts: 226
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2024 8:25 am
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Quote: | I'm going to miss this series dearly when the season is over. |
So will we all, I assume. The good news is that the anime is doing tremendously well in Japan, thus all but guaranteeing it a second season and hopefully a complete adaptation. I remember a while ago being startled that Mix, a slice of life baseball anime that apparently no one in the West watched (much less loved) besides me, was getting a second season. Then I learned it was far more popular in Japan and it made sense. Firefighter Daigo seems to be this season's Mix.
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Jabootu
Joined: 17 Jan 2024
Posts: 226
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2024 8:33 am
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Quote: | How is the "Blue" color related to the theme? |
It's an anime trope that blue haired characters never get the guy / girl. Rem from Re:Zero is probably the most prominent example. Obviously this is most prevalent in harem anime.
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Key
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Joined: 03 Nov 2003
Posts: 18362
Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2024 8:50 am
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Jabootu wrote: |
Quote: | I'm going to miss this series dearly when the season is over. |
So will we all, I assume. The good news is that the anime is doing tremendously well in Japan, thus all but guaranteeing it a second season and hopefully a complete adaptation. |
"Tremendously well" may even be an understatement; I think it's practically unheard-of for a late-night series to camp in the anime top 5 on Japanese TV, but Frieren has been doing just that most of this season. Seen vastly more fan art for it than for any other new series debuting in the past year, too.
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Amuro1X
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
Posts: 191
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2024 11:25 am
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ScruffyKiwi wrote: |
Dr. Wily wrote: |
Amuro1X wrote: | So I really wouldn't call Serie insecure. A tsundere grandma, yes, insecure, no. |
Bingo. Serie is like a disappointed parent/grandparent who knows you could be so much better at [insert here] if you simply applied yourself a little more, sweetie... |
She’s 100% insecure. It will probably show it in the next episode but she bans Frieren from entering the award ceremony so she can’t see Fern being given her mage certificate. Not only that she bans her for life from entering any of their facilities! |
That's pettiness, not insecurity, lol
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danpmss
Joined: 30 May 2015
Posts: 775
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2024 10:22 pm
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Key wrote: | "Tremendously well" may even be an understatement; I think it's practically unheard-of for a late-night series to camp in the anime top 5 on Japanese TV, but Frieren has been doing just that most of this season. Seen vastly more fan art for it than for any other new series debuting in the past year, too. |
Demon Slayer is the only other example as far as I'm concerned, so yeah, that tells anyone something haha
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Shay Guy
Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 2242
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2024 10:23 pm
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Finally watched this episode. You can tell where my priorities have been lying, between this and TAD.
Quote: | While Serie's overly pragmatic take on magic may have been necessary in an age of endless war |
Even "overly pragmatic" might be overgenerous. It's a shonen manga take, a dominance-obsessed take, a philosophy that sees Hunter Exam levels of casualties for the gates that bar the way to the top ranks as a feature and not a bug. Serie hungers for Proof Of Better-Than; Frieren loves magic. (And to paraphrase David Foster Wallace, whatever you worship will never be enough.)
If Serie valued pragmatism, I think she would've changed by now. Hell, maybe she'd be putting that encyclopedic knowledge of Every Spell Ever to good use now and compiling the 43rd vigentennial edition of Spells Every Mage Would Do Well To Know.
ScruffyKiwi wrote: | It will probably show it in the next episode but she bans Frieren from entering the award ceremony so she can’t see Fern being given her mage certificate. Not only that she bans her for life from entering any of their facilities! |
IIRC, she didn't ban her for life, just the next 1,000 years. Which is frankly funnier.
Key wrote: | I think it's practically unheard-of for a late-night series to camp in the anime top 5 on Japanese TV |
Unless you're Demon Slayer, but, well, none of the rules apply to Demon Slayer.
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Stelman257
Joined: 26 Jul 2013
Posts: 301
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Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2024 11:30 pm
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Key wrote: | I'm going to miss this series dearly when the season is over. |
Yee, especially the last 2 episodes have done a lot to really stick the landing for the first season finale. Great ride and I hope so much that we get more.
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Nojay
Joined: 20 Jan 2016
Posts: 112
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Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2024 1:36 pm
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Serie is looking for something special in any mage she would give a pass to hence the interviews (which of course, aren't really interviews, more like confrontations). Frieren, despite her capabilities as a mage and mentor to Fern didn't appear to have the spark that Serie thinks the pinnacle of magehood must possess. She thought the same of Flamme too, even back when she mentored her -- consider her treatment of Flamme's last will and testament presented to her by Frieren a thousand years ago. In contrast Fern had the audacity to correctly criticise Serie's mana control and that "spark" convinced Serie to pass her.
The parade of candidates getting told "You fail" were all good mages but they were followers, not leaders in the two practical tests, support characters at best. Serie wants something better than just-good mages at the top of the tree, people who stand out.
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Dr. Wily
Joined: 09 Nov 2007
Posts: 359
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Posted: Thu Mar 21, 2024 11:04 pm
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Fern is only a few more temper tantrums away from achieving her true form and becoming Kirby
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