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Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (TV) (w/ index).


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ACxS



Joined: 03 Aug 2019
Posts: 1226
PostPosted: Mon Mar 25, 2024 2:27 am Reply with quote
Blood- wrote:
I really don't think Serie "failed" Frieren out of spite. Banning Frieren for a thousand years from entering any Continental Mage Association buildings - THAT was spite. Look, the whole notion of Frieren taking the exam in the first place was ridiculous. She was part of the party who defeated the Demon Lord for Pete's sake. As Serie pointed out, the only reason why so many mages even made it to the third stage was because of her. Serie knows that Frieren has zero personal investment in becoming a first class mage, so she knows that "failing" her isn't going to bother her. If she truly wanted to act out of spite, she would have failed Fern. She knows THAT would have gotten up Frieren's nose, but she didn't. Frieren is so far beyond "first class" it's laughable. It'd be like Serie taking the exam.

Fair point.

This is why the crux of the previous episode was Frieren relying on Serie's "intuition" to take the bait and pass Fern. Serie could have failed Fern, but Frieren banked on Fern to notice Serie's fluctuating mana and on Serie to recognize that.

I believe Frieren gambled on Serie prioritizing a *rare talent over pure pettiness. A part of me believes that Serie will not involve other mages just to spite Frieren, even if that mage is Frieren's student (she is petty, but she is level-headed enough not to be that petty).

*Lernen was the only other one we learned that could notice a fluctuating mana. That's a testament to his powers as well. Like Serie, I also find it tempting to see how he would fare against someone like Frieren, especially when he came from a more hostile era.
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Barciad



Joined: 11 May 2004
Posts: 146
Location: St Andrews
PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:55 am Reply with quote
I don't know what it was. Something about Frieren rubbed me the wrong way. Too many fantasy animes? Too much isekai? Or just too much of that 'Faux-European' look. Regardless, it's been up until now that I've avoided the series. The series every fan and their dog has been raving about.

Yes, it is that good.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2025 12:27 pm Reply with quote
Better late than never.
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Barciad



Joined: 11 May 2004
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 23, 2025 3:21 pm Reply with quote
Finally finished it. Absolutely superb. Roll on Season 2.

And give Wirbel his own show.
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Tony K.
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2025 10:42 pm Reply with quote
Original discussion started here.
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Episode 01: The Journey's End
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Comments:

Given all the screen caps I want to take for a bunch of different shows that are getting sequel seasons in the winter, the Summaries and Comments for a lot of these review posts will have to be retroactively edited once I finish the caps (and there are a lot I want to take). So if you actually do enjoy any insight I try to give; one, thanks for reading; and two, please randomly check back, or just wait for me to post something about any kind of updates. But in the meantime, enjoy some the artwork of this masterpiece series!
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Tony K.
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 05, 2025 10:46 pm Reply with quote
Original discussion started here.
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Episode 02: It Didn't Have to Be Magic...
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Tony K.
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 2:49 pm Reply with quote
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Episode 03: Killing Magic
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Tony K.
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PostPosted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 4:25 pm Reply with quote
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Episode 04: The Land Where Souls Rest
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Tony K.
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2025 7:08 pm Reply with quote
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Episode 05: Phantoms of the Dead
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Tony K.
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PostPosted: Fri Nov 07, 2025 7:18 pm Reply with quote
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Episode 06: The Hero of the Village
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Tony K.
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 12, 2025 2:22 pm Reply with quote
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Episode 07: Like a Fairy Tale
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Tony K.
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 12, 2025 2:36 pm Reply with quote
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Episode 08: Frieren the Slayer
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smurky turkey



Joined: 30 Jan 2022
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 12, 2025 2:54 pm Reply with quote
I wonder if the second season will have more encounters with the demons. I liked that the show does not make the nature of them something up for discussion, demons and the other races simply do not mix (thus far).
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Tony K.
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 12, 2025 4:07 pm Reply with quote
I actually had a thought during this arc when it was still airing: what if there's actually a "good" demon out there? Or at least, one that's closer to neutral and not just outright "evil" that also happens to understand, both, demon and human social psychology?

With the whole "evolution of magic" idea they had going by the end of S1 and implying humans, namely Fern, would be the next step in the hierarchy of magic, I had also wondered if that same concept would be applicable to other races. By S1's end, we know there are humans, dwarves, elves, and demons who are all speech-capable races in that world. We really only see one dwarf and a small handful of elves and demons.

By definition, demons have, pretty much, always been stereotyped as "bad" in the majority of fictional works, especially Western-based ones. Although, it wouldn't surprise me if this franchise decided to tweak that trope a bit; maybe not to the point of having a demon join the hero party, but at least something the audience wouldn't expect that could possibly show a little more cultural perspective or ideological representation.

If you look at a lot of fiction with different races of people, each race basically represents some kind of group/community with a certain set of beliefs. Through character interaction and/or storytelling, we explore those beliefs as a journey into the unknown or as a reflection of ourselves and the rest of humanity. You just change the skin from human to non-human, then throw all those races into a story and see what happens.

Anyway, with only 14 volumes of manga out, and given the happenings of S1, I think the franchise has established a pretty straightforward formula: long-lived elf is finally learning to enjoy life and cherish time with humans, demons are bad, what dwindling number of elves remain are all a bit quirky, and while the new group journeys to the north, adventures, drama, and fun SoL times will be had in-between.

Hopefully the manga doesn't drag out too long, or at least maintains a good enough pace that we don't have to wait 10 years for a full adaptation like Attack on Titan did. But yeah, while the "good demon" thing sounds like a cool theory, depending on how that idea was executed, I think it could possibly over-complicate the current formula, possibly writing itself into a proverbial hole. But if the execution were as unexpectedly concise, yet entertaining as the Aura arc was, then I'd be all for that little detour.
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WatcherZer



Joined: 29 Dec 2016
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PostPosted: Wed Nov 12, 2025 6:36 pm Reply with quote
I think your missing the point, there can never be a 'good' demon, they are magical rather than biological creatures that evolved from monsters that mimicked human voices to catch their prey. When they die they dissolve like all creatures borne of magic rather than nature do. While they mimic human emotions, speech and friendly interactions it is purely camouflage, they do not actually experience emotions or genuine social interaction even towards other demons, they merely exhibit wolf pack like survival where the weaker ones will submit to the will of the alpha rather than be destroyed, while planning to overthrow them if they get the chance.
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