Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

Episode 15

At first, the opening story of this episode seems to be about Sein and what he brings to the party—he's more a vehicle for the story than anything else. The real point of what we see is some solid world-building. We learn about Goddess Magic and how it differs from Frieren's magic and that of the demons. We also learn that the word “curse” is just shorthand for monster-made magic that humans have yet to understand enough to replicate or counter. With this all laid out for us, we understand why having a priest in a party is so important in the long run.

At the same time, this story is yet another look at what it means to be an immortal elf. While it may be nearly impossible to understand how Frieren thinks due to the nature of how her kind perceives time, that doesn't mean she is untrustworthy. Her very existence as a mage may be a lie to deceive demons but that doesn't mean she isn't truthful to a fault—especially with her allies. It may be dangerous to assume she will act and think like a human but if she says she'll do something, you can believe she will do it. After all, she promised to do the impossible—to kill the Demon King—and did so.

The second half of the episode is a rare story focused on Stark. In this three-month-long side quest, Stark helps cover up the death of war hero Wirt Orden by pretending to be him. While a lot of it is played for laughs (as first Stark and then Fern have to learn how to be nobles) there is a deep and emotional story about Stark and how he has evolved as a person at the core of it.

Stark's past weighs him down—and makes him see himself as a coward. In this episode, he is given the chance to gain all he ever dreamed of as a neglected kid in his warrior village. By joining Count Orden's family for real, he could become a big brother and help raise a little kid who reminds him of how he used to be. He could have a supportive father and be loved by the people—he could be seen as a hero just like his own big brother. It would be living a lie but not an unpleasant one.

However, thanks to his journey with Frieren, Stark has chosen not to let the tragedy of his life define him. Rather it is his relationship with Eisen that he has decided is the most important thing in who he is. After all, it was Eisen who took in a “cowardly” kid and raised him to be a warrior so strong that he could be the front line that protected one of the heroes who saved mankind.

Stark could tell that the few years Eisen spent with Himmel, Heiter, and Frieren were the best of his long life. Thus, Stark made it his goal in life to have his silly adventures and return with tales of his own to tell Eisen since the dwarf is now too old to travel himself. And most of all, since they parted on bad terms, Stark doesn't want to repeat Count Orden's tragedy and let that be their last conversation as “father” and “son.” Because of all this, he turns down the offer and continues with Frieren.

All in all, this is another solid episode of Frieren. Sein, once again, adds to the party dynamic in interesting ways. Meanwhile, having Stark take the spotlight while Frieren does nothing but read books and eat doughnuts is both a fun little change and a great chance for Stark's development as a character. As always, I can't wait for what new things next week's episode has to offer.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• Do you think Fern makes Sein cast “awaken” on Frieren every morning?

• Good for Sein—getting thanks from two different “onee-sans” this episode.

• We see time much as Frieren does in this episode: Three months feels like 15 minutes.

• It would be interesting to see how the party would evolve with a thief thrown into the mix.

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