I know how the title sounds. Just bear with me on this one, okay? Also, in case it wasn’t obvious…
*Warning: this rant will contain spoilers for season two of Frieren. Please watch the show for yourself before reading.*
The first season of ‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ is one of my favorite anime productions ever. I’ve watched it half a dozen times by now. Everything I love about fantasy storytelling, wrapped up in a beautiful and heartwarming package. It’s a comfort in dark times, as well as a fun adventure to share with my family.
So you’d better believe I was excited for season two. No reading the manga for me; at least not yet. So long as it’s the same team at Madhouse, I’m remaining an anime-only. Good things come to those who wait and all that.
When season two finally started airing, I was a happy little camper. I was getting everything I wanted. Every Friday was a treat for me to look forward to.
Then it ended, and the problems began.
Our journey picks up right where season one left off. Now that Fern is a first-class mage, she, Frieren, and Stark can continue their journey north to Heaven. To get there, they must first cross the Northern Plain, a dangerous, frozen landscape occupied by deadly monsters and demons. The road ahead is dangerous. But the adventure promises to be an unforgettable one.
Most of the episodes fall into a simple formula. Frieren and the gang are given a job to do in exchange for a strange and mostly useless spell. They’ll fight monsters, restore failing infrastructure, collect a rare and precious resource, etc. When all is said and done, they’ll enjoy a fruitful reward, and maybe a beautiful vista. It’s a strong formula that makes for some fun adventures.
The real draw of this series is the characters. In that regard, Frieren is as strong as ever. There are some wonderful character beats this season, both for the main trio and for many new additions to the cast.
My favorite of all of these is the Hero of the South. This was lightly foreshadowed back in season one, when Eisen mentions his death, which makes his appearance a nice pay-off to an incredibly subtle detail some viewers might miss. It adds so much more history to the world; Himmel and co may have defeated the Demon King, but he was not the first hero to have tried. Many others paved the way for him with their lives, and they all made their own marks on the world, though none so large as Himmel’s. His story is beautiful, tragic and inspiring all at once. And the music is just *chef’s kiss* perfection. It was only seven minutes long, and it is my favorite part of the whole season.
With Frieren’s temper-tantrum coming at a very close second.
One thing I see a lot of people criticize is Fern and Stark’s first date. They’ll argue that it’s dull, awkward, and disappointing. I felt the same, when I first watched the episode. However, upon retrospection, I realized something: that’s the point. We wanted this to be some ultra-romantic outing, the satisfying pay-off to all the tension leading up to this point. The characters wanted the exact same thing.
But that’s not how love works. Dating is awkward. It’s all about being clumsy and making mistakes. What matters is being open and honest with your partner, and trying your best to make them happy. Fern and Stark are not perfect, but they are certainly earnest. In that regard, their first date was a knock-out success.
Then again, I’ve been single for well over a decade now, so who am I to talk?
In terms of animation, this season was fantastic. There were a few low points, but nothing as egregious as, say, the early episodes of ‘Dragon Ball Super’. Compared to the generally high quality of the rest, those few lows are small blemishes. Sometimes, the animation is unnecessarily good; something rather mundane could be happening, and the animators flexed their muscles anyway.
The same can be said for the music. Most of it is recycled from the first season. But those few new tracks are absolutely beautiful. My main problem is that it doesn’t always fit the tone of a scene. Why does a montage of building a bridge share the same OST as Stark facing his fears and confronting a dragon?
On that note, let’s talk about why the word ‘disappointing’ is in the title.
The ending was extremely anticlimactic. In large part because there was no climax. We had a few excellent adventures and some wonderful slice-of-life. And then the season was just… over. No bang, not even a whimper. We got another standard Frieren adventure, and then the show just stopped. I haven’t been so disappointed with an anime in a long time.
It’s not just me, either. I watched the whole season with my brother. When the credits rolled on the final episode, we both looked at each other with baffled expressions. Neither of us could comprehend that it was already over.
Part of this is due to the episode count. Season one was a five-course meal at twenty-eight episodes. Season two, on the other hand, only has ten. It’s little more than an appetizer and some hors d’oeuvres. Those morsels were delicious, make no mistake. But I’m still hungry, dammit!
Now, I can understand why it is this way. We left off on a tantalizing cliffhanger, and season three has already been announced for October next year. Madhouse is obviously putting all their effort into what is to come. But that’s like telling a starving man he’ll have a feast in a week; doesn’t do much to fill his belly now, does it?
Again, I have to stress: this is not a bad season. There are a lot of wonderful narrative beats. Every character in the main cast get some fantastic development. The voice cast is firing on all cylinders. The animation had some lows, but the highs were absolutely gorgeous. And the music! Oh my god, the music! By all accounts, this is a fantastic slice of anime!
My problem is, that’s all it feels like. A single slice. The rest of the pie won’t leave the oven for another year and a half!
I gotta stop with all these food analogies. Or at least save them for the JJK rant.
Season two of ‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ is definitely a step down from the first. There’s some rough animation. The music, while exceptional in quality, doesn’t always fit. And there’s just not a lot of it to sink your teeth into.
Despite these issues, Frieren is still a wonderful show. It’s a wonderful blend of wholesome slice-of-life and epic fantasy adventure. After finishing the first season, all I wanted was more. And I certainly got that. Even if there wasn’t a lot of it.
See y’all again in 2027, I guess…
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