Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2

Episodes 6-7

When it comes down to it, beneath the massacre and the hunt for the demons, these episodes are about a single question: What makes someone a “good person.” Genau and Stark are under the impression that they are not good people—that they can't possibly become good people.

For Genau, this is based on the fact that he is generally emotionally detached from the people around him. He doesn't make fast friends nor is he weighed down by the deaths of strangers—be they those killed by the demons or mages killed in the exams he proctors. However, what makes him see himself as a bad person is the comparison to his former partner—someone who connected with and cared about people in a way he could not. The man even gave his own life to save a random child. In Genau's mind, that is what being a good person is all about.

However, Genau is unable to see himself objectively—see all the good he is doing in the world and its value. Just by fighting the demons at Serie's behest, he is saving countless lives. But even on a personal level, he's going beyond what the mission demands. There is no reason for him to carry his dying acquaintance on his back, promising him that he'll be okay, along with the rest of the village people. Yet, he gives this hope freely and without thought—kindness for its own sake.

Likewise, we know from Frieren that, on the inside, he is enraged by the destruction of his village. He also refuses to let the demons defile the remains of his people. He may not have been close to them—been an active part of their lives—but there was still a connection there. That is what makes him want to give them a proper rest.

The ironic thing about the burgeoning friendship between Genau and Stark is that, in Genau's eyes, Stark is the ideal of a good person. He is friendly to all, well-liked, helpful, and more than willing to put himself in harm's way for others.

Yet, we know Stark sees himself as anything but good. In his mind, he is a coward who left his family to die—who saved himself at their expense. The things he does for others do nothing to offset this. In fact, what he does is simply so natural to him that it doesn't even factor into how he sees himself.

But regardless of how Genau and Stark view themselves, we as outsiders see them as good people. They even seem to see each other as such. Perhaps through their interactions, they will see that people aren't born as good or bad—that their actions define them. And even if someone has done things that are selfish or cowardly, that doesn't make the good they put out into the world any less meaningful.

Aside from the personal introspection in these episodes, there is an important bit of world-building done as well. As far as we have seen so far, Demons are universally psychopaths—beings with no empathy who kill the humanoid races for food and sport. Their own pseudo-society only exists for personal gain—utilizing the strength of others for the sake of their own survival.

Demons are fundamentally unable to understand humanity, and most don't even care to try beyond using it as a way to get an edge in battle. They are just mimicking what they've seen humans do in their last moments when they beg for their lives or call out for their mothers—and know doing so may give them the moment they need to strike and win the fight.

But in this episode, we see our first demon, Jung, who is actually interested in why humans act the way they do—and not just because she wants to kill humans better. She finds their odd way of acting legitimately fascinating. But even more importantly, we learn that there is another, far more powerful demon who has the same inclination to study humans. Can such a demon actually come to understand humanity, not only logically know about but also feel empathy? If so, this would completely overturn Frieren's view on demonkind. However, there is also the looming possibility that this desire to understand humanity may have created a monster far more twisted than any Frieren and friends have yet to face. We'll just have to wait and see when this seed eventually bears fruit.

Episode 6 Rating:

Episode 7 Rating:

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Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Season 2 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.