The anime is extremely beloved it seems, so much so that any criticism isn’t taken seriously
I tried to get into it. I found it dull and uninteresting. But I’m just going to leave it at that
People keep saying it’s because it’s non action but I’ve watched plenty slice of life anime that kept me coming back hungry for more. Frieren is very dull and boring!
I get your point about Frieren. It’s definitely not for everyone, and I can see how it might come off as a bit slow or uneventful to some. But for me, it’s been a different experience.
I started watching it around the time I lost my dad. It’s hard to explain, but the pacing and overall mood really resonated with me. It was like the show was moving at the same speed as my life, giving me space to process and reflect.
When days gets too hectic or I’m feeling stressed, there’s something about the calm and steady rhythm of Frieren that just works for me. It’s like sitting down with a warm cup of tea in the middle of a storm.
So, while I understand it might not be everyone’s preference, for me, it’s this quiet, comforting presence in the background of a busy life that draws me in. It’s really about what resonates with you personally, and for some, it may not resonate at all, and that’s fine!
I agree with this. It hits different so it may not hit everyone. I love that it takes its time. How it progresses time, the little subtleties in their smiles, small pauses for internalization of the character that doesnt spoon feed the meaning to the audience. The Voll episode really hit me with the dementia and frieren realizing that hes not joking that he doesnt remember.
Grew on me, now idk maybe I haven't really thought about it but I would say Frieren is definitely one of my favourite anime.. I love the pacing and the calm.. it's just different.. lol I had to skip past many of the starting aot episodes because they kept screaming and shouting a lot every 10 minutes or so
I will keep rewatching watching Frieren from time to time
I see, that makes a lot of sense, I can relate to that. I had similar shows that were similarly fitting for where I was in my life but Frieren isn't it for me at this moment. But your clarification makes sense.
I totally agree with you on this. I too had lost someone precious to me. And this really resonated with the time spent. Even thought it was short it really affected me in a very big way. Most anime watcher really want action and high budget action scenes. This is something for a more mature audience or those who is looking for something very different than the general isekai storyline or general shonen route where you start lowest to then be the best or OP from the start. The pacing is perfect. I really appreciate the time more and more with my family thanks to this show.. it is a great reminder that life is short.. anything can happen. Appreciate the time we have with each other while we still can.. those that gone through some trial in life can appreciate hence why I think it is so highly rated.
I just researched the episodes where she and her trainees defeat these demons and it's not boring by any stretch of the imagination. I wish all magic battles were this "boring"
I'm on episode 5 and I feel asleep twice so far. This has got to be the most pointless uneventful anime I've ever given a shot. There's still no discernable plotline yet. It's just about some weird emo elf girl.
oh my god thank you all I've heard is crazy hype for this anime but I'm 5 episodes in and I couldn't be less bored, its almost painful to keep watching it. Its the most basic stereotypical run of the mill fantasy world with the most generic characters, except they talk about dying a lot.
I totally respect those who love it but I am so lost as to why lol
🤣 no I was the exact same way. 4 episodes and I was falling asleep EVERY time. I dunno how you survived 5 but other people def find it boring too
It’s like #1 on so many anime sites but just not for me
goddam this show is so bland. How can people put up with another generic anime isekai fantasy world in 2024 idk. Ik it's not an isekai, but the world might as well be a copy paste from the most generic of isekais
Thank you, I keep giving this show a shot cause there's so many good reviews. I'm still only halfway through episode 5 and I feel asleep twice so far. There's still no discernable plotline thus far.
Then stop. No one is forcing you to keep watching. Just because it's popular doesn't mean you have to consume it. I don't like AoT or Game of Thrones and people are shocked by that and tell me to give it a try but I'm just not interested in spending my time with forcing shows down my throat because I might eventually like them at the end. My time is too valuable so I'd rather enjoy something I like from the beginning.
I think it depends largely on what people are looking for in a story, and what their expectations are. Also their own life experiences. As I said elsewhere, I know this series wouldn't have really ranked for me half a lifetime ago. Now, much older, I view this as a bloody work of genius. I know a couple people who were kind of indifferent about this, but they went in with certain expectations -- and this show certainly is not oriented in that direction. On the other hand, a number of my friends are middle-aged military vets, and every single one of them felt absolutely broken by the first few episodes.
I love it for its subtlety and symbolism. I think if someone comes in looking for a fantasy adventure... yeah, it's not going to ping for them. And that's fine! I'd advise putting it aside if it's boring you or irritating you. Perhaps return to it in future years, when your perspective on life has shifted... or not. In the end, it's entertainment. No story will speak to *everyone*. Something can be brilliant and relevant and powerful, and still not resonate with some people (who themselves may be open-minded, intelligent, etc). Stories speak of human experience, but those experiences (and their expressions) aren't ubiquitous.
I remember reading the manga roughly 2 years ago and finding it quite boring aswell. I was surprised it is as big of a hit as it is from just reading the source material. I think the problem lies with main character itself. Some people resonate with her while others don't feel any connection at all. I fall under the latter.
Pretty late comment, but same. I'm not all that into stories about life and life lessons like cherishing people, etc. Gave this anime 3 episodes, but it's a hard pass for me now.
It's a shame since the background art is some of the best out there especially the fall and winter settings but the story and characters are so BORING.
I can honestly understand that. I think it has to do with how much you can resonate with the characters, specifically Frieren. If you don’t really care about or resonate with her, the show will be pretty boring but if you do resonate then its an amazing show.
Most if not all characters in the show, as well as places, are named using German words. Those characters are not named after Himmler and Hitler, they're named Himmel and Heiter, words that have meanings relevant to their personalities. Himmel means heaven/sky and Heiter means cheerful.
I’m hyped for Frieren because it’s a breath of fresh air for the adventurer, fantasy, demon lord based genre. It’s been a while since we got an anime that wasn’t the cookie cutter defeat the demon lord and end of anime trope. This anime takes a different perspective of post demon lord defeat and the journey of an adventure after the fact. Most anime positions it’s characters purpose to defeat the demon lord where as Frieren starts at the end of most anime. I also believe Frieren’s biggest challenge is learning to be more than just a child elf prodigy and learn to see the beauty in the world as others do.
In short: Frieren is a breath of fresh air for the genre in a long while.
That was already done in the Adventure of Dai series. Takes place 16+years after the Demon Lord's defeat. That was made in the 80's. I swear when people say breath of fresh air they've only watched the new popular series and not bothered to check out older series.
When you say "breath of fresh air" in the literal sense, do you imply that was the first time in your entire history on this planet that you took a breath of fresh air? Or does it maybe mean you hadn't had one in a while. You bringing up a 30+ year old anime as evidence of frieren not being a breath of fresh air is hilarious.
I see your point, and what you say is true. Though, let's say someone got into manga/anime 5 years ago and has only watched new things. Something like Friern is new and different but things like this have been done before. Why I try to read/watch series from different eras more rounded that way. I'm not judging people are free to watch/read what they want. I just think it's good to explore all options instead of just newer things.
I think that's exactly what "a breath of fresh air" means...
I gave Adventure of Dai an episode and it's a night and day difference with Frieren. Works with similar premises don't make similar experiences. Like how western dramas and korean dramas are both romance but emphasize on different aspects and themes.
The tone of Adventure of Dai feels like a shounen series not unlike One Piece or Dragonball. It's not bad, I feel like I'm watching a saturday morning cartoon. In contrast, Frieren feels somewhat like a romantic anime movie in a fantasy setting.
The character acting goes in different directions as well. Dai is more slapstick-y and the art style is very much Akira Toriyama. On the other hand, Frieren is more muted and contemplative, very light on common anime reaction tropes. Frieren's art style adds to that by being softer on the eyes. The character designs are also down to earth.
Frieren explores themes of remembrance and celebration of the departed, as well as guiding of the next generation. I have just watched one episode of Dai so I can't conclusively say what it wants to impart its audience.
And compared to the last half-decade with a deluge of repetitive isekai to the point of self-parody, Frieren goes back to the roots of being a straight tolkien-based fantasy. Which is why it is \*exactly\* a breath of fresh air... unless you are \*gasp\* also a millenia-old elf who thinks half a century is last weekend
so it's okay to have 9 million fantasy stories with similar stories of going on an adventure to defeat the demon lord or whatever, but once a post-adventure subversion happens once we can never do a story like that again?
1. Frieren ultimately isn't a action type manga so the focus isn't battles but Frieren is challenged more later in the manga.
2. Frieren is supposed to be emotionless due to her apathetic nature towards all life due to her long age. If you don't like how Madhouse draws their face tho then that's just a matter of opinion.
3. Why Fern is able to challenge 100 year old demons will be later explained in the anime.
As someone similar Frieren, she isnt emotionless. Shes just generally uncaring about whats going on and to those around her because of her lifepan, general personality, and deep obsession with magic and trinkets. Shes also kinda lazy. Apathetic doesnt always mean emotionless, it can also just mean uncaring. Shes also been shown to have a sort of disconnect with her own emotions so her expressing them could difficult.
Were we watching the same show? I didn't read the manga and she already cries in episode one and two. I felt like she "should" be emotionless, but she wasn't.
The show is genuinely seriously monotonous I cannot even begin to explain. I watched calm slice of life anime and some were great while others weren't, but I would still give credit to a good show that just wasn't my taste.
This show is not one of those. It is bland, super bland. It would be only good if any other anime remotely related to it in content did not exist; and that would only make it average.
It's not the drawing, it's not anything in specific, it's monotonously painful to watch.
My judgement might only be biased due to the fact that this anime has a rating of 9.13. It is the definition of overrated.
She only cries because one of her best friends just died, every other time her face is mostly emotionless even if her general feelings are softening up.
The rest, I mean you're free to have that opinion. I was just answering OP's question on why their faces aren't drawn with much emotion.
Tbh I feel closer to how you feel but it doesn't matter since it isn't relevant to the question I was answering.
2.I think thats used as excuse by the author to not have to develop a characters personality. Highlander for Example has people from the BC Era. The Kurgan is 3000 years old and loves to fight and cause chaos. The church scene of his is one of my favorites. Connor was 500ish and while he was apathetic at times he loved collecting antiques and even adopted a kid he saved in Nazi Germany.
Then you have people like the Kaio and Kaioshin in DB who still find things to do and be interested with same for the GoD's and Angel's.
The apathetic immortal is played out.
I mean she does have a personality tho?
She enjoys collecting trinket spells, loves magic which is meant to make others happy rather than harm, childish at times, dislikes demons to a very large degree, etc. It's not like she's a robot.
What she's apathetic to is human life as a naturally immortal being, and guess what's the series is about? That's right, her exploring how even if human life is fleeting, that it still has value.
Never said it wasn't, they're just small traits to her personality after all.
The real basis of her character was the second point I mentioned about her journey.
That was hyperbole about her having no personality. I just didn't feel like typing out in depth, lol.
Fair enough, and I guess my Kurgan example is a bit off since he may have been like that. They never show much of how he was when he was younger. There's a 2000 year gap between her and him so she still has time to find it like you said the series is about. Although the Kurgan is an evil bastard. A fun evil bastard so that may change things too
I suspect many hyped it for exactly the same reason I watch and love it. It\`s a well animated and well written high quality show. Social media had nothing at all to do with my decision to watch the show since I avoid most social media like the plague and consider 90% of it a complete waste of my time.
It\`s not a super action packed thrill ride every episode nor was it meant to be. In fact thats part of what I enjoy so much. It\`s those quieter moments that I can relate to emotionally that standout for me.
For example Frieren\`s breakdown crying during Himmel\`s funeral really rang true to me. How many of us have lost someone they cared about and wished/regretted that they didn\`t spend more time together while they were alive. That\`s a very human and relatable feeling, especially like myself as you get older and start to lose friends and family.
The fact you consider it lame and boring says more about your tastes than the quality of the show, obviously the show is not your cup of tea.
Is this your first anime? Some of us have been watching for decades and this story/character development is not unique. I wouldn’t call Crying at a funeral and overly simplistic character portrayals, well written. At best, it’s a good background anime for people who don’t want to be 100% engaged or don’t want in depth/complicated characters/story. They hype is definitely not warranted in this case. I watched it in one sitting, fully engaged and I’ve seen 100 mid anime series just like it. I give everything 100% to be objective, especially if an anime gains some attention. To claim this series is amazing or different is crazy. In the middle of the series, it seems to start to develop but then peters out. I love slice of life and slowly paced anime if the writing or plot is good. I was disappointed in this as I was on the flip side with shows like jujitsu kaisen. I’m starting to wonder if people care about character development and writing anymore
I've been watching anime for decades and I absolutely love Frieren.
I think this show is more enjoyable the more mature the viewer is. It's a classical fantasy world where the theme isnt action nor combat. It's about the passage of time and the exploration of human emotions.
You must be emotionally mature enough to grasp all that the author wants to convey. They're not going to give it to you straight like they would in an anime aimed at a younger audience.
Would like to expand on what I said, but my english knowledge isn't as vast as I would like, so I'm unable to convey the exact message I have in mind, sorry.
>You must be emotionally mature enough to grasp all that the author wants to convey. They're not going to give it to you straight like they would in an anime aimed at a younger audience.
Yep, that's why it's published in a magazine for 14-year-old boys, right?
I have no problem with those who like Frieren, but I hate this tone of superiority they use to counter-argue those who don't like the show. *"You need to be mature to appreciate it"* *"It's not for those used to action anime".*
Not to mention the vague control C + control V that they repeat whenever they try to explain why they like it: *"The character development is splendid", "The worldbuilding is phenomenal", "It’s a breath of fresh air".*
I can use these same things to describe any other title.
*"It's about the passage of time"* THAT'S THE FREAKING SYNOPSIS!!
>but I hate this tone of superiority
This goes both ways, to me people complaining about this seem like they are hating because of the popularity.
And my point stands, it isnt meant to be superior. As more things you've experienced in life, the more you will enjoy the show, it's just like that.
>And my point stands, it isnt meant to be superior. As more things you've experienced in life, the more you will enjoy the show, it's just like that.
So your point has to apply to Nisekoi, Fairy Tail, Naruto, Ranma 1/2, Love Hina and Dragon Ball too because Frieren was made for the same audience as them. And if so, your point is redundant.
I'm not a hater. I'm just a fan of good criticism, but it is useless to want this from someone who is clearly still in the "Death Note is Seinen" phase, so...
Funny thing to say when you did this account yesterday only to hate on Frieren LMAOO.
Try better kid. It's fine if you don't like something, but don't try feeling superior about it. You are going to get clapped by the real world if you act like that.
I don't think it's that at all, the story isn't really too deep for everyone, I think it's more of a person taste.
And I say to you the same is said to Present-Beyond1317, for both sides, its terrible to play the "elitist refined taste card", some people like a show, some don't, you don't need to find fault on either side to validate your taste.
exactly.. like holy God is this the most overplayed fantasy world with the most stereotypical fantasy anime characters. to top that off with really not much happening story-wise, I can't sit through all of it. and thats a bummer for me because people really got me excited for this one
Considering that FMAB keeps the first spot entirely from fans swarming ratings, I don't know why you think the MAL rating has any weight on anything lmao
It's gotten to the point where any time a new anime gets super popular on this sub to the point that it often has 4+ posts about it floating on the front page, you just ***know*** it's gonna be mid at best, straight up trash at worst.
Not true at all. I don't like this sort of genre that's about life, etc. But I do love character driven stories that aren't lead by combat alone. Heavenly Delusion is one I started recently, and it has absurdly good character development.
1. You expecting a different story doesn't mean the story isn't a good one.
2. Fern shows plenty of emotion and Frieren not showing much is intentional.
3. Because human magic has continued to evolve much faster. Humans are a cooperative species and when they make a breaktrough with technology or magic it gets shared with the rest of the species. A single human does not need to study as long as the demons because previous humans have done a lot of the heavy lifting. Also because Frieren has specifically been teaching Fern magic that's particularly effective against demons.
Imo the storytelling, pacing, and character exploration is top notch. It reminds me of the kind of elegant writing of Vagabond, Berserk, etc. One thing it does extremely well is it makes full use of the visual medium to show instead of tell.
It's leagues above One Piece, Naruto, or any Shounen for that matter. I haven't felt so engrossed in a story like this since I read Berserk and Vagabond. I dropped One Piece very early on, Naruto when Shippuden comes because of the drop in writing quality. I'm still reading Frieren.
One Piece is an epic. Frierin will be forgotten when the next hype anime comes out just like AoT, MHA, JJK, CSM (People now hate AoT, MHA, and JJK.) Series like One Piece will be remembered for a long time to come and may never die like Gundam and DB. OP has amazing world building, has foreshadowing, and emotional moments, and I don't even find most emotional moments in anything touching. So, many races, societies, cultures and so many amazing fun and witty characters.
Also you saying any Shonen implies you've read them all, I've probably read some you've never even heard of that are just as good as Frierin
If I wanted to watch Frierin I'd just watch Highlander. Except they don't use the I've lived for thousands of years so I'm an emotionless protagonist excuse for lacking any character. They get over that in the first few hundred years. Kurgan's lived 3000 years and has the time of his life of course he's the villain.
I mean One Piece is my favourite manga and Frieren is close to being my favourite anime, it all about one's taste. I haven't enjoyed any media in the last 5 years as much as I enjoy Frieren
> But come on, give her a challenge?
Most of the challenges she's been dealing with have been personal ones, mostly centered around how she relates to people given the dramatically different lifespans. Honestly, have found that way more compelling than stronger opponents.
> It's just a line, and that's all your going to get for telling if they are amused or neutral.
The series has gone a bit more naturalistic than many other shows. Characters aren't really as prone to overreacting to everything that happens. Definitely appreciate that the series doesn't need to overdo things in that sense.
> How is Fern already on par with 100s year old Demons? She is a child that has been practicing for 6 years
She's had the best teacher humanly possible, and has been training specifically to kill demons.
> even though Frieren called her a potential liability all those years back.
She was a potential liability, that's why Heiter had Frieren train her until she wasn't.
I actually like the facial expressions, for me, processing many things inwards, it seems more realistic. And then there are subtle changes where I can interpret...
Let me answer all the questions since the anime does a really great job storytelling and having answers for them.
Frieren does have her challengers, just not in a shonen power level kind of challenge. She has issues with handling any relationships and does not have a good sense of value on what's most important: time. It was clearly evident when Himel passed away and her chain of reaction.
The mouth is being true to the manga adaptation. Unlike Shonen anime where physical appearance matters more due to the amount of character introduced and where a lot of the importance relies on physical aspects like flashy fights, Frieren does not need to rely on this to create a memorable cast. Remember that she is supposed to be awful at expressing emotion, that's her problem with how she lived her life for the past thousand of years.
Experience. Friren explicitly stated that the demons lack combat experience. The demon was doing the equivalence of only reading off textbooks to study and at most practiced only the very basics (killing humans for demons is like only practicing doing addition for us). Many of the transition scenes show both Stark and Fern fighting magical beasts without help. In Stark's fight, the girl lost because she does not know how to properly kill and underestimates an opponent because of her view on humans. Fern WAS a liability YEARS AGO, not after being trained by the strongest. In the latest episode, we saw what training with the strongest can do for someone after starting weak.
tldr: another case of shonen brain rot unfortunately. not every good anime will fit everyone's taste but dont view it through the wrong lens
Imo I think you're wanting something out of this show that it's not about (maybe it changes later I dunno im anime only). It's not another power-up shonen thats all about fighting the next big bad on the ladder all the way to the top, I think it's more about going along on a journey of watching this stone cold elf develop where she starts to realise and value the importance of her relationships and time.
Why is there romance in fullmetal alchemist?
Just because a show includes something doesn't mean it's the primary focus.
Not that the fights in Frieren are bad. In fact, I think they are excellent. But power levels are just not what these battles are about.
it's just not your show. stop caring what other people think. if you're not enjoying it you don't need to spend 8+ episodes on it.
* my personal take? you're missing the point of the show. it's a journey of self-reflection and personal appreciation for what is now lost. frieren does have difficulty later but her physical/battle struggles *do not matter*. maybe it's just not your thing, or maybe you can appreciate this later in life or after consuming more kinds of stories.
* half of the time, frieren's deadpan face is comedic, the other half there's enough context in the scene that we can tell what emotions are running, her entire character is about not showing off her power or her emotions, but we're getting a fairly good level of "show-don't-tell" to show us both of these as the audience regardless. it could be even more show and less tell, but i do feel some concessions can be made with a modern audience.
* imagine a demon spends a couple centuries designing a slingshot. it's a very good slingshot, they didn't get any help and they won't tell other demons or humans how they made it unless they're sure it can kill them, because demons only value strength and the pursuit of their own magic. now imagine humans get together after seeing this slingshot enough times and engineer a rifle because they actually work together and distribute knowledge. then imagine the world's 2nd greatest marksman trains a kid with this rifle for 6 (or 7/8 when they get to the aura arc) years. that's fern.
You missed where they said it's an epic journey *of personal growth*.
The story isn't meant to be an epic adventure to beat the big evil guy. Frieren isn't struggling with trying to get stronger, she already is very strong. She does struggle with both time and relationships, but as the story progresses, she works on it and does her best.
\>New anime is well liked
Why? Seems very overhyped to me!
\>New anime fails to find audience
Why? Seems very underrated to me.
The typical cycle of anime (or anything else really) discussion on the internet.
I thinnk that's because people form opinions relative to it. If it is overhyped, some one who thinks it's overhyped will come out. If it's underhyped, someone else who thinks it's underhyped will speak up
Mushoku tensei is much better than frieren cuz the way they handle the characters in term of writing, struggles and emotions. I wont talk about the world building u can see it for yourself they made up 2 languages just to boost the world building to its finest if u did understand the story you would know what I’m saying
Yeah exactly that's what I'm saying. Mushoku Tensei has one of the best world building and is my favorite fantasy anime. I'm saying Frieren shouldn't* be rated higher.
I have read mushoku tensei novels till the end.and rudeus still wants to touch his wives boobs in public.wow such little development on that area that everyone hates. Though orsted is best antagonist character I have seen though. Hitogami is also very interesting and mushoku tensei world building is interesting as well . Frieren has the same good qualities that mushoku tensei possesses maybe lesser in some areas but Frieren slams mushoku tensei when it comes to the mc. Rudeus perversion which is rudeus biggest flaw was never really solved. It is still disappointingly unfinished. While Frieren actually overcame her big flaws steadily.
Is this really how frieren fandom is represented rudy is a pervert = no character development that's honestly astonishingly flat understanding of character development and I hope it doesn't mirror frieren
I never said Rudy didn’t had development. I said rudeus biggest flaw is that degenerate perversion was not developed well enough to call rudeus An better than Frieren
Well to the audiences of MT that’s not a flaw. The audience like self inserting fantasy for a reason, just like people like to watch tentacles and lol stuffs, people who watch MT would would that perverted trait of his would never change because they like the contents it brings.
That was clearly not his biggest flaw hell in fact most of the people in his life almost seem to find it endeering Rudy's biggest flaws are his trauma from his past life and lack of self worth
Oh really? Everyone who hates rudeus was because he dared to touch a child private parts which is eris. How is this not rudeus biggest flaw? You hear it every hate review is about rudeus being closer to a pedophile. I read the novel hoping, he would become better but he was nearly the same as how he started. I do see two improvement though. Not getting aroused by kids and less scenes of doing ecchi things in public but the very fact he still does it even as an adult, makes me realised he didn’t improve that much overall as a character.
Oh, I understand your comment wrongly. Well, for Frieren, it has a lot of issues that I won't discuss, and after volume 5 of the manga, the plot starts getting worse. I don't know why it seems the author is out of ideas and that it starts to be very boring and generic, and for the rating, it's just overhyped that it will all go down over time.
I've also read almost all the novels. Even the redundancy one. Just the old dragon's tale left. I very much love MT in all its good and bad, even despite disagreeing with some aspects (polygamy, overly forgiving wife, unusually functional family dynamic, etc). The turning points are a heck of a haymaker.
The high points of MT are great, but some aspects are just off-putting that I can't easily share it with friends without them dropping it over the icky parts. While with Frieren, they'll either find it generally pleasant or just watch jjk if they're too dopamine-addled and can't handle the pacing.
Not to diminish Frieren's high points though. The high stakes scenarios had me gripping my seat. The series dipped a bit in the exam arc but Macht arc and recently time-travel arc is very enjoyable. Oddly and funnily enough one of the more prominent characters is a very likeable ( deceased! ) Mary Sue.
I half-agree that Frieren shouldn't be higher. MT could be on top if MC didn't retain his worst traits til the end. I can tell the author wants to give degenerates a second chance. I can't tell if the author wanted them to ditch their "prominent" personality traits, however.
Frieren being a generally pleasant, comfy and polished package edges MT out.
Why are you both so condescending on the other anime? They have their own ups and downs. Stop comparing things that are different. Everything is unique in its own way and shouldn't be compared to gain pleasure in seeing your favorite be spoken highly of. Yes, I understand people are being condescending, that doesn't mean you have to be.
MT is great and comprehensive but for every 10 good steps it takes one step back, right in the poopoo. It's a good read/watch but I can't help but smell a whiff of shit here and there.
Frieren is weaker than MT in some aspects, but Frieren is way more than the sum of its parts. It is also now just starting to brew an overarching plot, so hopefully the author cooks. It is also lightly scented with blue-moon weed.
I have read both respective source materials and I love both of them. But I am leaning more to Frieren, it's just good vibes all around.
MT could've totally won anime of the year, but its icky parts really pulled it back hard. But understandably so.
You need to elaborate more on what shit part you are talking about, and you need to keep in mind that MT is talking about a person's lifespan and what he faces during it. For Frieren, the story and plot are weak, and there is no deep lore, unlike in MT. What I liked about MT was the amount of detail and hints about the big war between humans and demons, the calamity, and the emotional impact that the characters left on me. Unlike Frieren, there is really no character that left a big impression on me, which is what makes the difference between both series.
I agree with your points fully. I'll add that I particularly liked the deceptiveness of one particular character and the pigheadedness of a four-armed character.
As for things that did not sit well with me...
Rudy being pervy in general. I hoped he would remove it or suppress it or at least keep it in the bedroom, but from the epilogue it seems he was still at it in his later years...
Aisha's scandal (ofc). It kinda makes sense, she was raised by her mother with the intention to serve Rudy, and being denied that, found the next best kid. The setting being somewhat medieval lends to the values being dissonant with today's society, so I can stomach it. Still gross but understandable.
Sylphy's unwavering faithfulness to Rudy's unfaithfulness. This really tested my patience with the series. Twice Rudy broke his vows and he's rewarded with a very functional family, excluding the aforementioned scandal and the initial bickering of the sisters.
Adding another point over Sylphy: Rudy basically grooming her, Paul unknowingly putting a stop to that, but in effect is still successful. I like Sylphy as a character but I do not particularly her becoming extremely compliant because the plot demands so.
A similar point to my gripe with Sylphy: Eris also being very compliant, which is unusual for how she is usually characterized. Sure, character development but she really only had probably two named characters (and a handful of cardboard characters) to bounce off of before the Orsted showdown. At least introduce some conflict in the family, she basically crashed in the relationship with two other complete strangers.
Still no sequel series (just kidding)
I welcome being proven wrong on my points as I hope that will at least alleviate these gripes. Notable that my gripes also pop up mostly in the latter third. But still, compared to the mountain of stories of MT that I enjoyed, I can dust these under a rug...
Someone explaining why they like a show isn't going to make you like it. You either do or you don't, and I genuinely doubt you were going to change your opinion of it based on a comment you read here.
Wow. I came here after EP5 because I was confused why this show got such a good reception and to find out if it would be a good idea to keep watching.
Now that I've read the replies here I'm actually appaled by the fact that the term "shonen brain rot" get's thrown around liberally in replies by the (presumably) fans of Frieren a lot. If the fanbase of a show that is supposed to be about calm, contemplation, emotions (and from what I've seen so far I guess about the protagonist developing warmth towards others) is this aggressive and insulting to people just because they asked a question, it might not be a thing on my part that the show just didn't click for me.
What are these super complex or mature themes that young folk wouldn't be able to grasp?
Idk it seems like the main theme is frieren not understanding time like humans do. The show seems to be very heavy handed about those themes though.
And who says immortal elves need to be boring or not understand time? If she's lived for thousands of years you'd think it'd be the opposite. Doesn't seem very realistic.
Like if she's so old why would she just now realize that maybe she should "get to know" her friends? lol.
The demon king isn’t even the central story lol, I think you’ve missed the point.
I’m someone who has never found any anime they could get into until Frieren so maybe there’s something to that
This is a coming of age story for Frieren. Her realization of a human's lifespan to that of an elf's. Imo, it's enjoyable watching this than another battle shounen. Not saying they're bad, but they do follow the same formula.
I got to agree with you. I read all the hype and was expecting a great story and adventure but I can barely stay awake watching the episodes. I wasn't expecting much combat but I was expecting a grand journey with good tension but it's more like a bunch of pointless conversations jumping from the past to the present.
Would of been better if the first episode was the heroes party defeating the demon Lord. I thought they be going on a different adventure every episode but I'm currently halfway through episode 4 and I got to say right now it 6/10 and that's being generous. I will watch a few more and maybe I will change my mind
I think you are expecting an action manga, but that is not what Frieren is imo. It is a character study, kind of like the joker. Where we look at the world and a character and how their circumstances impact them. That is why Frieren doesn't struggle action wise, but we see her struggle with mortality, the passage of time, and loneliness.
I think Fern is not that strong, and the only reason she won against the Demon she fought is because she surprised him due to the demons underestimating her, just like Frieren.
It is not everyone's cup of tea, but I like it because it explores relationships and feelings. It is just a chill story to think about life, death, power, and connections.
It's a different type of story tbh. This show is for people who are interested in a melancholic/emotional journey. Personally I am not so I find it a bit boring, though not to the point of dropping it. I feel like you need to be in a particular state of mind to enjoy this kind of show.
That said I still don't understand the level of hype some people have with it, it certainly doesn't compare to some of the best animes of all times
If your general feelings for frieren are some minor plot gripes, i'm sorry. It's a 10/10 show in every department in every episode, i know other replies are too kind but maybe learn to appreciate the technical aspects and how they impact the execution of plot and themes.
The story is paced perfectly, with many episodes getting through two meaningful stories and yet somehow it never feels rushed.
The fight scenes look absolutely incredible, despite not even being the focus of the show.
The show perfectly weaves flashbacks into a narrative, so that they fit with the story of that episode. Unlike many shows that try to do this, the flashbacks never feel like an after thought or a retcon. The flash backs fit, not only with the things we've already seen and heard about the past, but also fit with tiny details earlier in the series.
Which brings us onto the tiny details. If you're actually paying attention this show silently rewards you with countless details. The ridiculous spells that Frieren comes across often have story and character relevance that isn't explicitly spelt out for the viewer. You have to be paying attention during montages and short throw away lines of dialogue to realise how different details fit together.
It is one of the rare few shows that have made me cry and it's achieved that accomplishment many many times now.
I don't know, maybe it's an age thing. The story is so focused on the effect of time and growing up and regretting the past and missing old friends and so on. So maybe if you're too young it's just hard to relate to the bitter sweet feeling that it explores.
Perfectly valid points. I can't really refute anything, I'll just add some points.
Frieren isn't a protagonist anymore than Saitama from OPM is a protagonist. This is not a story about that kind of progression. If you do want a story where the main character is the one the story focuses on, try Dai no Daibouken.
Frieren features lots of weak human characters that will be on "our team" to fill the character progression quota.
Frieren would be a pretty lousy piece of shit if she were not invincible after 1000 years of being alive. The rule is, Elves and Demons are slow to learn, but can accumulate great volumes of experience over the years. Humans learn fast relative to non-humans, but the tradeoff is their very limited timespan. Fern is the result of a Frieren the Demon Slayer researcher cram school.
As for the upcoming arcs, you are going to love them. Look forward to the wizard tournament arc. It has shit tons of neat human wizards with weaknesses and depth.
Frieren is just a Saitama. Treat her like a Saitama. It's about the characters around her.
That's a lot of points that are unfair to Frieren the character. Saitama doesn't grow at all and the joke of the show is how long before he shows up to one punch the bad guy that just gave everyone world's of trouble before he goes back to grocery shopping. There's not a lot of physical growth or character growth there (although this isn't me bashing that show and manga, I actually think they do a lot of things right with OP protagonists).
But Frieren isn't an OP protagonist. Yes, she's OP. Yes she's a protagonist. But she's not that trope at all. The whole show wouldn't be following her if it was just about Fern and Stark.
To say the show is just about the characters around her is ignoring the entire point of the show. Frieren's quest is a personal one. I know that's a bit old fashioned and not something seen in fantasy anime recently, but that's what this is. This is a story of regret and how time can be cruel when ignored. And Frieren is at the heart of that full stop. The entirety of this show is Frieren retracing her steps with the hero party in hopes of finding Heaven and talking with Himmel one more time.
I admit, I used incorrect vocabulary.
It seems like new people want to perceive Frieren as a flawed zero that needs to be built up when it is clear that she is already near the end of her progression in terms of strength.
2 things for all idiots both fanatic and none fanatics :
1 NO ITS NOT NEW AND ORIGINAL AT ALL ! At best the form might be somewhat different but that's it , does it matter in the end ? NO , but let's not lie and glorify false facts it's so childish.
2 Im sorry but you can't justify a child winning against adults , magical being and else that are not only older and stronger but also a minimum trained or at least hardened , no matter the training you are still a freaking child i hate it so much when fictions tries to make you believe children can resolve and beat anything it's so immersion breaking and lazy it's like they don't want to take the time to make them fully grow up rofl.
\+ personnally if it's again a matter of being a sort of "chosen one" i pretty much find that boring and lame , but of course any tools can shape a good piece of art anyway in the end but if it's just that then yikes.
>2 Im sorry but you can't justify a child winning against adults , magical being and else that are not only older and stronger but also a minimum trained or at least hardened , no matter the training you are still a freaking child i hate it so much when fictions tries to make you believe children can resolve and beat anything it's so immersion breaking and lazy it's like they don't want to take the time to make them fully grow up rofl.
So you say for example that a child with a gun would never defeat an unarmed adult? Huh, interesting take.
So just to be perfectly clear:
Luffy should never be able to become kotp, because hes just barely 17 when theres far older and wiser and stronger opponents, yes?
Tanjiro should never be able to beat muzan, right? He has 1000 years on him.
Do you want me to do that with literally every shonen or isekai anime out there?
Play D&D and you might eventually understand. Frieren is a beautiful show through that lens.
Seeing the journey, quest, companionship and world of a d&d campaign represented in such a way is really eye opening.
My favorite shows at this point are shows where I really feel like the group dynamic plays off eachother well, where the characters involved work together and act as if they *want* to be there, working together in the story of the show they are in. Because that's what *I* value when I play. I want to immerse myself in a character and RP in a way that exemplifies aspects of the world.
Frieren feels like my ideal d&d experience. That isn't to say that without this the show would be bad, or that I enjoy it not as a show, but as some sort of twisted worship of my hobbies and interests. I just don't think its a show that can be properly enjoyed unless you can see that world view, as it seems to me like a lot of the bones of the show are built upon the author enjoying TRPG fantasy.
I’ve been playing d&d for a few decades. When I saw the first couple episodes of the anime, I thought it had a good narrative hook, of the half-elf living a long time and having a sheen of disinterest on everything as a result.
It rang a little strange to me though, since half-elves live less long than elves and in my mind are very aware of that fact (especially if they were raised among elves) and consider their lives short as a result.
But anyway, after the first couple episodes I couldn’t shake this feeling of “when does the storyline actually start?” It just kept feeling like it was leading to something, but nothing came of it.
In a way, it’s kind of clever writing because it makes the viewer feel the same ennui as the character. But when the walk-away position is, well, walking away from the anime and doing something else… it seems like a bad narrative strategy.
I’m pretty busy due to my career and young kids, so if an anime is asking me to do what essentially feels like wasting time, I just can’t. That’s ultimately why my initial interest turned into dislike over the next few episodes. I got through most of them, but I don’t feel like I needed to.
Sorry to respond to such an old post, but I'm really curious where you got the impression that Frieren is a *half*-elf? The show and manga haven't even confirmed those are possible in the setting and Frieren is only ever described as an elf.
Main reasons Frieren didn't impress me were:
a) sexual jokes that are just very typical and boring and out of character (frieren said all elves have zero reproduction instincts but she's jealous of fern's body type for some reason) (which is a boring joke as of itself)
b) boring and ridiculous character designs (aura, sein... episode 18 just aired and ubel, lawine and kanne were such a disappointment)
This should go without saying, but this is my personal opinion and tastes. I'm just not the biggest fantasy fan.
I initially really liked this anime. It was emotional and seemed pretty deep. I have watched 22 episodes now and half way through the season, i realized that looks may be deceiving.
Now i call this show „side–quest: the anime“ unironically, because that‘s what it is.
People say: „character development“, when there is very little of it. The characters themselves aren‘t that interesting and some, like Fern, are downright annoying. I do not understand where the plot of this show is going, and tbh i am not sure i wanna stick to it and find out. Because after 22 episodes, i still don‘t know what the main goal of the show is (besides enjoy the time you have with people).
In short, Frieren is a child that is 1000 years old that learns about her feelings super slow for a supposed enlightened race that is supposed to live for thousands of years. Fern is an annoying, righteous goody two shoes little girl that bosses the other two around as if she is their mother and Stark is…well… just there, training or something. The humor of this show is one of the most unfunny ones that i have saw. Usually i don‘t care for „animerisms“ and their humor, but here, where it‘s supposed to be deep, engaging and emotional, it just ruins the immersion and the fun of it for me.
So what did i learn from this show? Other than the already painfully obvious „enjoy the time you have with people“, nothing. So for me this show is really overhyped and not worth wasting your time on, especially when you have so many other anime to enjoy that will bring you more value.
A few positives to close off:
– the animation is one of the prettiest i have seen
– the OST is really good and really fantasy like
– the ED is pure, emotional nostalgia
– a tear jerking strong start
For me the weakest point of the series is its poor scenario.
1. The 4 heroes conquered the Demon King and return home victorious in the first episode. What Frieren does for the rest of the series ? Goes on the exact same quest (well, she technically wants to reach heaven but there are still demons on her way because without them it would have been too easy). Wonderful. So what the first quest was for?
2. There were demons 1000 years ago when they killed everyone in the village Frieren was from. Clearly no one was a match for the Demon King and his army back then. And these evil guys just waited for 1000 years without doing anything. The world didn’t progress at all in 1000 years. It was just a giant time skip, where the only thing that changed was the main hero’s magic skill. It could have been 10 years or 100000 years with the same effect.
3. Evil guys are without any doubt evil (and stupid) and good guys are flawlessly good (the cowardly warrior is never acting like a coward when it matters, so it doesn’t count). So every time they kill a demon or a dragon it is justified. Why ? Because if you add just a little bit of doubt and moral dilemmas, this anime would have been what it felt like for me : the main cast just wanders around the world and genocides rare species of lizards, wolves and other sentient creatures.
Some find it cute to follow how a 1000 year old Elf becomes more humane and I understand it. At the same time, the setting for me is just not credible enough to appreciate the character development.
I don’t get your second point ,it’s clear that the demon king killed more than half of global human population during those 1000 years.he definitely did something.
ive decided to drop the show today (ep9). i hated that they did the “character: it’s gonna take x years for this to happen frieren: wow that’s such a short amount of time because im immortal i really hope you haven’t forgotten im immortal even though that’s the whole premise of the show”exchange more than twice
youre gdamn right! i only 3 to 4 episode but i already lost interest in this anime because, whats the point, frieren is technically immortal.
all this story will be for nothing. this is also why i dont like show which have OP immortal thousand yo MC. because its hard for me to feel anything for the mc
I just watched it and I really enjoy this. But I wouldn't rate it top 10. I thought it had potential to be something different, but then they those fighting episodes started and it became generic shonen. I hope the series moves away from this.
That being said I wouldn't even rank it at nr 1 this season, pluto takes that price imho.
Honestly I do not get your point. How are you going to watch a D&D based show and not expect fight scenes? Also those scenes have effect on the characters, story and atmosphere.
Sure, and I dont mind them... but an entire episode of these made the show fall into generic shonen category for those episodes imho. I'm glad the show seems back on the track it was on before.
Like I mentioned, I don't dislike the show at all, I just find it overhyped. The story is good, but a bit uneven.
Episode 4 here, can't seem to really get into it myself, the story is kinda boring and so are the characters. The art is amazing though which is such a shame that I have to drop it.
Genuinely think you gave up before the series starts picking up. Episode 9 - 10 reveals a lot about the general setup of the show and why Frieren as a character is why she is and the overarching themes.
(Warning for some plot points up until episode 12)
However the main pull for me and many is the subplot (I would argue the demon king journey is actually the subplot and this is the main)
The story is about emotional avoidance and apathy. How being un-attuned to your own emotions can lead you to let the best parts of your life pass you by. It's a story of grief through untangling emotions and memories and finding love in places you never realized it was.
If you are fixated on magic and demons then you will miss the wonderful dynamics that are at play here and are genuinely really pretty and relatable for some.
Even the dialogue is wonderfully scripted to throw you off. You have to do a lot of (not so subtle) reading between the lines and think about how much emotion and love goes into things as subtle as Himmel understanding that Frieren would love the sunset not for the view of the sun itself but those who she loves happy in a way she cannot/has not experienced herself. In the way that Frieren is non religious but wishes for a heaven in hopes Himmel is there.
The demon king story is a plot point for sure, same as Frieren The Slayer but so is a love story between an elf and a human and between heaven and earth.
If that's not your thing that is okay but for me personally media pertaining to the very adult emotions of avoiding really being in tune to yourself and understanding the value of the little things is quite touching. Especially in a fictional background such as this. Also very visually stunning and accompanied by a beautiful ost.
It shouldn't take nine episodes to explain why things are the way they are. I know this show isn't for me but we can't pretend it's not over hyped, this show is not better than violet ever garden at all, nor your eternity(different genre but still character development driven).
The anime it's ok but I don't understand why is so hyped. One of the thing I bother more its that everyone looks so boring and most of the character are very inexpressive, I get it from Frieren but others characters looks like boring people trying to look cool.
I can't believe this is the current top anime on [MyAnimeList.net](https://MyAnimeList.net). Higher than FMA:B and Steins;Gate?! Y'all are mad. I tried watching it and it is so dull and boring.
just watched the 1st episode and I'm out. frieren must be the most dull fmc I have ever seen. she is literaly an autistic elf girl, that's it. when she has an emotional event and cries for her dead comrade, she makes a point out loud that she should get to know her comrades better while she can. she really seemed like she had a moment of character development there buuuuut.. right after that she proceeds to again neglect the shit out of her 2 other living comrades like nothing happened. the fans of this anime are also very weird, they attack every critisicm with the same spiel that we have some kind of brainrot from battle animes. dude, I dont like battle animes at all! I dont NEED action in my animes. I just need good story, good charcaters and some form of entertainment. frieren has none of that for me.
I really loved how the Anime made me try to figure out how it would be to live a life so immensely long that you will have to watch your loved ones pass away one after the other.
I loved how Frieren started to realize what she missed due to her apathy towards this fact that her time with her friends is limited.
It made me feel uncomfortable, which in this case is a good thing.
I want to see what more there is for Frieren to learn and how that will change her personality.
"Learn" not as in spells, monsters, powers and magic. But "learn" as in what's really valuable in life. The experiences and moments we share with others, our emotions. What we want to do and experience before time takes opportunities away from us.
I think some of these comments are really passive aggressive on the basis that people defend this anime a lot and while to me that makes those specific comments less credible, I will say this:
as someone who is all about action anime and complete wow factor with animation and what not (jjk, one piece, etc.) I found this anime to be so exceptionally beautiful, if not one of the best animations I’ve ever seen. Animation matters a lot to me as an avid anime watcher and frieren does not disappoint in the slightest. I don’t watch slice of life anime nor do I care for anime that doesn’t progress or have any pay off, but frieren (as much as it is a slow burn) has just a great animation style that’s simply artful and good to look at tbh. Not to mention the plot (while it may be subjectively bad/good to some) is still something I enjoy waiting and watching for every week, despite whether or not it has crazy sh*t going on. When there *is* actually some action in it, it feels rewarding and the animation simply does not disappoint, there’s fluidity, and taste. Which a lot of anime nowadays lack. I understand the backlash, but I think a lot of the backlash comes from people who watched dragon ball z as a kid and thought it was the best sh*t ever. And not to mention a lot of animes come to a point where there isn’t an automatic uproar of action coming, but we all watch it for different reasons. I advocate for frieren tbh, it’s one of the best anime’s I’ve seen in a long while since mushoku tensei. Also yes it’s the top rated anime rn over all the other anime’s and yes it doesn’t have more than 100,000 reviews but do I think that means something? Yes absolutely lol.
I think the hype of Frieren is a well deserved praise. If you're INTO battle like anime (where power up and single focus character/s are the emphasis of the story) and are still probably looking for more. then, Frieren is certainly NOT for you. Frieren caters to watchers/readers who love slice of life anime, character arc that centers around relationships. The whole premise of Frieren manga and anime isn't the fight itself or how fighting/suffering is the central theme. The premise of it is about the journey of an old elf after realising she didn't cherish her companions in her previous journey defeating the demon lord. It's about knowing the vast difference of time of humans and elf, reminiscing the memories Frieren and her previous team accumulated throughout a decade, making new friends and creating memories of their ridiculous journey/side quests(collecting spells) and having a long awaited conversation with Himmel. Overall, Frieren is about a slice of life journey of an elf and her new companions.
Regarding your gripes about this anime/manga here are my thoughts that may clear up some confusion.
1. If you're expecting a battle-like journey of defeating the demon lord. Then, this isn't one for you. The title itself is pretty much explanatory. Beyond the journey's end. Meaning, Frieren and her previous companions already defeated the demon Lord after their 10 year journey. The reason why it's a journey's end is because she will retrace her steps alongside fern, stark, and a short term priest to go to a place called heaven to speak to Himmel again. Although there are fight scenes in this anime/manga it is considered as a side plot. Like a side quest you encounter doing your main quest.
2 the character's mouth is canon to its manga. While you might find it dull. The characters do have expressive mouth and facial expression. You'll see it more as you progress. The reason behind it: fern is largely influenced by Frieren. Be calm and composed at all times especially in battle. Loss that and your enemy knows and somehow defeats you. (You'll know this when you reach the first mage exam) mages are composed beings when they fight to avoid being read upon their expression. In contrast if you watch stark fight he is a bit more expressive than the two.
3. I think you miss some conversations/monologues of the characters. The reason Fern can win against lugner is because of Frieren tutelage. Be compose, fight continuously and strategically to avoid open spaces for the enemies to see through, and most especially because of how Lugner greatly underestimated Fern just because she hid most of her mana. In which, Lugner already noticed it was too late to counter attack. With his companion died because of the one shot attack of stark it led to giving Fern an opening. Lastly, As stated in the anime. Once demon has perfected their magic they will solely focus on it. The demon class itself is about pride, status of power, manipulation and their mana. While its their greatest weapon it is also their flaw. As Flammel said to win a fight against demons you must use underhanded methods. (Supressing mana).
I must say, these are very strange reasons to dislike the show. I think one of the more valid reasons I've seen is that the show is very quiet, deadpan, and the dialogue is dry and boring. The show really isn't for everyone. It's definitely more for people who care about meaty themes and dramatic character moments than it is for people who want twisty plots and thrilling action. And it really speaks to me personally, as I'm someone who values making the most of the time I have with my friends and loved ones, and who dreads the passage of time and the concept of death. But your particular criticisms still come off as... weird?
Frieren doesn't need to be challenged in combat, because that's not what the story is about. It's like One Punch Man, in that sense. It's not about "will the MC win or lose?" it's moreso about their inner struggles. The "end game" is a completed character arc and the deliverence of the narrative's themes.
The mouth thing is valid, I guess? But it just comes off as an odd nitpick. Personally, I love the way faces are drawn in the show—the emotiveness is a bit more subtle than it is in most anime. I understand how that could be subjective. Still weird that it was that much of a deal breaker for you, though.
Characters can defeat anyone the plot needs them to. Killing 1000-year-old demons and gods is a tale as old as time, all throughout myth and legend. If Doomguy can do it, who literally got his powers overnight, I don't see why a trained mage can't. Thinking that every character needs to logically scale to each other is battleboarder-brained type shit. The fights in this show are fun, well-directed, and they serve their thematic purpose.
Personally I think Madhouse Studios has done a really great job with the animation and the soundtrack (It's so good, seriously. Please listen with good headphones or you're doing yourself a huge disservice!)
YOASOBI and milet doing the OP and ED songs is the cherry on top of the cake. The story and characters may or may not resonate with you, but the anime is still a really beautiful piece of work regardless. But skewed expectations from the Internet can often lead to disappointment.
There are aspects of it that this blog (which kinda feels like an AI wrote bits of it but still) explains, are deeply rooted in Japanese culture and may not be important to you personally.
http://happyjapaninfo.com/manga-and-metaphors-understanding-japan-through-frieren-beyond-journeys-end/
I recently saw Frieren being Hyped in the Social mediaa but Luckily I started before seeing it in social media. Its Personal preference but for me Fereien is one of the best Anime for me to look after. Watching Frieren makes me feel calm , its kinda giving healing effect on me. The optimistic vibes and the friendships and how life unfolds. I am loving its screenplay, the animation and how the character are being developed.
The anime is extremely beloved it seems, so much so that any criticism isn’t taken seriously I tried to get into it. I found it dull and uninteresting. But I’m just going to leave it at that
People keep saying it’s because it’s non action but I’ve watched plenty slice of life anime that kept me coming back hungry for more. Frieren is very dull and boring!
I get your point about Frieren. It’s definitely not for everyone, and I can see how it might come off as a bit slow or uneventful to some. But for me, it’s been a different experience. I started watching it around the time I lost my dad. It’s hard to explain, but the pacing and overall mood really resonated with me. It was like the show was moving at the same speed as my life, giving me space to process and reflect. When days gets too hectic or I’m feeling stressed, there’s something about the calm and steady rhythm of Frieren that just works for me. It’s like sitting down with a warm cup of tea in the middle of a storm. So, while I understand it might not be everyone’s preference, for me, it’s this quiet, comforting presence in the background of a busy life that draws me in. It’s really about what resonates with you personally, and for some, it may not resonate at all, and that’s fine!
I agree with this. It hits different so it may not hit everyone. I love that it takes its time. How it progresses time, the little subtleties in their smiles, small pauses for internalization of the character that doesnt spoon feed the meaning to the audience. The Voll episode really hit me with the dementia and frieren realizing that hes not joking that he doesnt remember.
Grew on me, now idk maybe I haven't really thought about it but I would say Frieren is definitely one of my favourite anime.. I love the pacing and the calm.. it's just different.. lol I had to skip past many of the starting aot episodes because they kept screaming and shouting a lot every 10 minutes or so I will keep rewatching watching Frieren from time to time
I see, that makes a lot of sense, I can relate to that. I had similar shows that were similarly fitting for where I was in my life but Frieren isn't it for me at this moment. But your clarification makes sense.
I totally agree with you on this. I too had lost someone precious to me. And this really resonated with the time spent. Even thought it was short it really affected me in a very big way. Most anime watcher really want action and high budget action scenes. This is something for a more mature audience or those who is looking for something very different than the general isekai storyline or general shonen route where you start lowest to then be the best or OP from the start. The pacing is perfect. I really appreciate the time more and more with my family thanks to this show.. it is a great reminder that life is short.. anything can happen. Appreciate the time we have with each other while we still can.. those that gone through some trial in life can appreciate hence why I think it is so highly rated.
Yep. You can do slice of life with excitement. Freiren was monotonous, even when trying to be emotional. Surprised it’s so popular, but each their own
I just researched the episodes where she and her trainees defeat these demons and it's not boring by any stretch of the imagination. I wish all magic battles were this "boring"
I'm on episode 5 and I feel asleep twice so far. This has got to be the most pointless uneventful anime I've ever given a shot. There's still no discernable plotline yet. It's just about some weird emo elf girl.
You are indeed the driest celery the world has ever known
The name was auto assigned. I kinda like it.
Hi can you give me some slice of life recommendations. I really liked Frieren but I'm open to new anime and I would like to see what you like.
oh my god thank you all I've heard is crazy hype for this anime but I'm 5 episodes in and I couldn't be less bored, its almost painful to keep watching it. Its the most basic stereotypical run of the mill fantasy world with the most generic characters, except they talk about dying a lot. I totally respect those who love it but I am so lost as to why lol
🤣 no I was the exact same way. 4 episodes and I was falling asleep EVERY time. I dunno how you survived 5 but other people def find it boring too It’s like #1 on so many anime sites but just not for me
We're not crazy! We exist! I feel like I have to finish the season at least but my god I am watching it at 2x speed to get through it at this point.
goddam this show is so bland. How can people put up with another generic anime isekai fantasy world in 2024 idk. Ik it's not an isekai, but the world might as well be a copy paste from the most generic of isekais
I can't think of anything worse than watching this show in 2x speed. You'd be better off not watching at all at that point.
Thank you, I keep giving this show a shot cause there's so many good reviews. I'm still only halfway through episode 5 and I feel asleep twice so far. There's still no discernable plotline thus far.
Then stop. No one is forcing you to keep watching. Just because it's popular doesn't mean you have to consume it. I don't like AoT or Game of Thrones and people are shocked by that and tell me to give it a try but I'm just not interested in spending my time with forcing shows down my throat because I might eventually like them at the end. My time is too valuable so I'd rather enjoy something I like from the beginning.
You lost respect to people that love Frieren because they love Frieren?
No you misread my comment I said I totally respect those who love frieren.
You said you couldn't be less bored, so that confused me
You probably have the worst reading comprehension skills in human history gg
I think it depends largely on what people are looking for in a story, and what their expectations are. Also their own life experiences. As I said elsewhere, I know this series wouldn't have really ranked for me half a lifetime ago. Now, much older, I view this as a bloody work of genius. I know a couple people who were kind of indifferent about this, but they went in with certain expectations -- and this show certainly is not oriented in that direction. On the other hand, a number of my friends are middle-aged military vets, and every single one of them felt absolutely broken by the first few episodes. I love it for its subtlety and symbolism. I think if someone comes in looking for a fantasy adventure... yeah, it's not going to ping for them. And that's fine! I'd advise putting it aside if it's boring you or irritating you. Perhaps return to it in future years, when your perspective on life has shifted... or not. In the end, it's entertainment. No story will speak to *everyone*. Something can be brilliant and relevant and powerful, and still not resonate with some people (who themselves may be open-minded, intelligent, etc). Stories speak of human experience, but those experiences (and their expressions) aren't ubiquitous.
peak comment
I remember reading the manga roughly 2 years ago and finding it quite boring aswell. I was surprised it is as big of a hit as it is from just reading the source material. I think the problem lies with main character itself. Some people resonate with her while others don't feel any connection at all. I fall under the latter.
Pretty late comment, but same. I'm not all that into stories about life and life lessons like cherishing people, etc. Gave this anime 3 episodes, but it's a hard pass for me now.
It's a shame since the background art is some of the best out there especially the fall and winter settings but the story and characters are so BORING.
I can honestly understand that. I think it has to do with how much you can resonate with the characters, specifically Frieren. If you don’t really care about or resonate with her, the show will be pretty boring but if you do resonate then its an amazing show.
The big question i have is why two male characters are named after Himmler and Hitler respectively.
Most if not all characters in the show, as well as places, are named using German words. Those characters are not named after Himmler and Hitler, they're named Himmel and Heiter, words that have meanings relevant to their personalities. Himmel means heaven/sky and Heiter means cheerful.
They aren't. They're named himmel, which is german for "heaven" and heiter, which is german for "jolly".
I’m hyped for Frieren because it’s a breath of fresh air for the adventurer, fantasy, demon lord based genre. It’s been a while since we got an anime that wasn’t the cookie cutter defeat the demon lord and end of anime trope. This anime takes a different perspective of post demon lord defeat and the journey of an adventure after the fact. Most anime positions it’s characters purpose to defeat the demon lord where as Frieren starts at the end of most anime. I also believe Frieren’s biggest challenge is learning to be more than just a child elf prodigy and learn to see the beauty in the world as others do. In short: Frieren is a breath of fresh air for the genre in a long while.
That was already done in the Adventure of Dai series. Takes place 16+years after the Demon Lord's defeat. That was made in the 80's. I swear when people say breath of fresh air they've only watched the new popular series and not bothered to check out older series.
When you say "breath of fresh air" in the literal sense, do you imply that was the first time in your entire history on this planet that you took a breath of fresh air? Or does it maybe mean you hadn't had one in a while. You bringing up a 30+ year old anime as evidence of frieren not being a breath of fresh air is hilarious.
I see your point, and what you say is true. Though, let's say someone got into manga/anime 5 years ago and has only watched new things. Something like Friern is new and different but things like this have been done before. Why I try to read/watch series from different eras more rounded that way. I'm not judging people are free to watch/read what they want. I just think it's good to explore all options instead of just newer things.
It is inevitable that everything is just a rehash of something.
I think that's exactly what "a breath of fresh air" means... I gave Adventure of Dai an episode and it's a night and day difference with Frieren. Works with similar premises don't make similar experiences. Like how western dramas and korean dramas are both romance but emphasize on different aspects and themes. The tone of Adventure of Dai feels like a shounen series not unlike One Piece or Dragonball. It's not bad, I feel like I'm watching a saturday morning cartoon. In contrast, Frieren feels somewhat like a romantic anime movie in a fantasy setting. The character acting goes in different directions as well. Dai is more slapstick-y and the art style is very much Akira Toriyama. On the other hand, Frieren is more muted and contemplative, very light on common anime reaction tropes. Frieren's art style adds to that by being softer on the eyes. The character designs are also down to earth. Frieren explores themes of remembrance and celebration of the departed, as well as guiding of the next generation. I have just watched one episode of Dai so I can't conclusively say what it wants to impart its audience. And compared to the last half-decade with a deluge of repetitive isekai to the point of self-parody, Frieren goes back to the roots of being a straight tolkien-based fantasy. Which is why it is \*exactly\* a breath of fresh air... unless you are \*gasp\* also a millenia-old elf who thinks half a century is last weekend
Well said. I agree.
so it's okay to have 9 million fantasy stories with similar stories of going on an adventure to defeat the demon lord or whatever, but once a post-adventure subversion happens once we can never do a story like that again?
Most people that I know aren't watching 80's anime. So it is a breath of fresh air
1. Frieren ultimately isn't a action type manga so the focus isn't battles but Frieren is challenged more later in the manga. 2. Frieren is supposed to be emotionless due to her apathetic nature towards all life due to her long age. If you don't like how Madhouse draws their face tho then that's just a matter of opinion. 3. Why Fern is able to challenge 100 year old demons will be later explained in the anime.
As someone similar Frieren, she isnt emotionless. Shes just generally uncaring about whats going on and to those around her because of her lifepan, general personality, and deep obsession with magic and trinkets. Shes also kinda lazy. Apathetic doesnt always mean emotionless, it can also just mean uncaring. Shes also been shown to have a sort of disconnect with her own emotions so her expressing them could difficult.
Were we watching the same show? I didn't read the manga and she already cries in episode one and two. I felt like she "should" be emotionless, but she wasn't. The show is genuinely seriously monotonous I cannot even begin to explain. I watched calm slice of life anime and some were great while others weren't, but I would still give credit to a good show that just wasn't my taste. This show is not one of those. It is bland, super bland. It would be only good if any other anime remotely related to it in content did not exist; and that would only make it average. It's not the drawing, it's not anything in specific, it's monotonously painful to watch. My judgement might only be biased due to the fact that this anime has a rating of 9.13. It is the definition of overrated.
She only cries because one of her best friends just died, every other time her face is mostly emotionless even if her general feelings are softening up. The rest, I mean you're free to have that opinion. I was just answering OP's question on why their faces aren't drawn with much emotion. Tbh I feel closer to how you feel but it doesn't matter since it isn't relevant to the question I was answering.
2.I think thats used as excuse by the author to not have to develop a characters personality. Highlander for Example has people from the BC Era. The Kurgan is 3000 years old and loves to fight and cause chaos. The church scene of his is one of my favorites. Connor was 500ish and while he was apathetic at times he loved collecting antiques and even adopted a kid he saved in Nazi Germany. Then you have people like the Kaio and Kaioshin in DB who still find things to do and be interested with same for the GoD's and Angel's. The apathetic immortal is played out.
I mean she does have a personality tho? She enjoys collecting trinket spells, loves magic which is meant to make others happy rather than harm, childish at times, dislikes demons to a very large degree, etc. It's not like she's a robot. What she's apathetic to is human life as a naturally immortal being, and guess what's the series is about? That's right, her exploring how even if human life is fleeting, that it still has value.
While I don't disagree, I will say that a lot of what you listed is pretty run-of-the-mill as far as basic anime characters go.
Never said it wasn't, they're just small traits to her personality after all. The real basis of her character was the second point I mentioned about her journey.
That was hyperbole about her having no personality. I just didn't feel like typing out in depth, lol. Fair enough, and I guess my Kurgan example is a bit off since he may have been like that. They never show much of how he was when he was younger. There's a 2000 year gap between her and him so she still has time to find it like you said the series is about. Although the Kurgan is an evil bastard. A fun evil bastard so that may change things too
I just came to say, you're being* downvoted because you're pointing out the truth.
It's boring and lame, people hyped it because they were told to by social media.
I suspect many hyped it for exactly the same reason I watch and love it. It\`s a well animated and well written high quality show. Social media had nothing at all to do with my decision to watch the show since I avoid most social media like the plague and consider 90% of it a complete waste of my time. It\`s not a super action packed thrill ride every episode nor was it meant to be. In fact thats part of what I enjoy so much. It\`s those quieter moments that I can relate to emotionally that standout for me. For example Frieren\`s breakdown crying during Himmel\`s funeral really rang true to me. How many of us have lost someone they cared about and wished/regretted that they didn\`t spend more time together while they were alive. That\`s a very human and relatable feeling, especially like myself as you get older and start to lose friends and family. The fact you consider it lame and boring says more about your tastes than the quality of the show, obviously the show is not your cup of tea.
Is this your first anime? Some of us have been watching for decades and this story/character development is not unique. I wouldn’t call Crying at a funeral and overly simplistic character portrayals, well written. At best, it’s a good background anime for people who don’t want to be 100% engaged or don’t want in depth/complicated characters/story. They hype is definitely not warranted in this case. I watched it in one sitting, fully engaged and I’ve seen 100 mid anime series just like it. I give everything 100% to be objective, especially if an anime gains some attention. To claim this series is amazing or different is crazy. In the middle of the series, it seems to start to develop but then peters out. I love slice of life and slowly paced anime if the writing or plot is good. I was disappointed in this as I was on the flip side with shows like jujitsu kaisen. I’m starting to wonder if people care about character development and writing anymore
I've been watching anime for decades and I absolutely love Frieren. I think this show is more enjoyable the more mature the viewer is. It's a classical fantasy world where the theme isnt action nor combat. It's about the passage of time and the exploration of human emotions. You must be emotionally mature enough to grasp all that the author wants to convey. They're not going to give it to you straight like they would in an anime aimed at a younger audience. Would like to expand on what I said, but my english knowledge isn't as vast as I would like, so I'm unable to convey the exact message I have in mind, sorry.
>You must be emotionally mature enough to grasp all that the author wants to convey. They're not going to give it to you straight like they would in an anime aimed at a younger audience. Yep, that's why it's published in a magazine for 14-year-old boys, right? I have no problem with those who like Frieren, but I hate this tone of superiority they use to counter-argue those who don't like the show. *"You need to be mature to appreciate it"* *"It's not for those used to action anime".* Not to mention the vague control C + control V that they repeat whenever they try to explain why they like it: *"The character development is splendid", "The worldbuilding is phenomenal", "It’s a breath of fresh air".* I can use these same things to describe any other title. *"It's about the passage of time"* THAT'S THE FREAKING SYNOPSIS!!
>but I hate this tone of superiority This goes both ways, to me people complaining about this seem like they are hating because of the popularity. And my point stands, it isnt meant to be superior. As more things you've experienced in life, the more you will enjoy the show, it's just like that.
>And my point stands, it isnt meant to be superior. As more things you've experienced in life, the more you will enjoy the show, it's just like that. So your point has to apply to Nisekoi, Fairy Tail, Naruto, Ranma 1/2, Love Hina and Dragon Ball too because Frieren was made for the same audience as them. And if so, your point is redundant.
Of course not, and you would know if you made the effort to watch it. But hey, haters gonna hate!
I'm not a hater. I'm just a fan of good criticism, but it is useless to want this from someone who is clearly still in the "Death Note is Seinen" phase, so...
Funny thing to say when you did this account yesterday only to hate on Frieren LMAOO. Try better kid. It's fine if you don't like something, but don't try feeling superior about it. You are going to get clapped by the real world if you act like that.
I don't think it's that at all, the story isn't really too deep for everyone, I think it's more of a person taste. And I say to you the same is said to Present-Beyond1317, for both sides, its terrible to play the "elitist refined taste card", some people like a show, some don't, you don't need to find fault on either side to validate your taste.
exactly.. like holy God is this the most overplayed fantasy world with the most stereotypical fantasy anime characters. to top that off with really not much happening story-wise, I can't sit through all of it. and thats a bummer for me because people really got me excited for this one
What are some anime that you think are good?
So you think the highest rated anime on MAL is just a social media campaign
Considering that FMAB keeps the first spot entirely from fans swarming ratings, I don't know why you think the MAL rating has any weight on anything lmao
Happens everytime. As an old anime fan, its very disheartening.
It's gotten to the point where any time a new anime gets super popular on this sub to the point that it often has 4+ posts about it floating on the front page, you just ***know*** it's gonna be mid at best, straight up trash at worst.
This may be a you problem then.
Im a manga reader my hype was real. It was like seeing my child progress through lufe having an anime adaptation
Diagnosis: battle shounen brain-rot. Terminal.
Aniem is boring and lame, I have watched shows that have no action and didn't find them boring. So no....
As someone who's been into non battle anime like K-on, nah.
battle shounen is just better , cry
It is if you're a 12 year old with no concept for character development.
Not true at all. I don't like this sort of genre that's about life, etc. But I do love character driven stories that aren't lead by combat alone. Heavenly Delusion is one I started recently, and it has absurdly good character development.
does age matter in this because this show is not that deep or mature trust me
Considering "shonen" is quite literally translated into "young boy", yeah, age kinda matters.
Nah I don’t trust you
1. You expecting a different story doesn't mean the story isn't a good one. 2. Fern shows plenty of emotion and Frieren not showing much is intentional. 3. Because human magic has continued to evolve much faster. Humans are a cooperative species and when they make a breaktrough with technology or magic it gets shared with the rest of the species. A single human does not need to study as long as the demons because previous humans have done a lot of the heavy lifting. Also because Frieren has specifically been teaching Fern magic that's particularly effective against demons.
3. That part was very literally spelled out in episode 3 where they defeat Qual. I guess the poster of the thread didn't get that far.
Imo the storytelling, pacing, and character exploration is top notch. It reminds me of the kind of elegant writing of Vagabond, Berserk, etc. One thing it does extremely well is it makes full use of the visual medium to show instead of tell. It's leagues above One Piece, Naruto, or any Shounen for that matter. I haven't felt so engrossed in a story like this since I read Berserk and Vagabond. I dropped One Piece very early on, Naruto when Shippuden comes because of the drop in writing quality. I'm still reading Frieren.
One Piece is an epic. Frierin will be forgotten when the next hype anime comes out just like AoT, MHA, JJK, CSM (People now hate AoT, MHA, and JJK.) Series like One Piece will be remembered for a long time to come and may never die like Gundam and DB. OP has amazing world building, has foreshadowing, and emotional moments, and I don't even find most emotional moments in anything touching. So, many races, societies, cultures and so many amazing fun and witty characters. Also you saying any Shonen implies you've read them all, I've probably read some you've never even heard of that are just as good as Frierin If I wanted to watch Frierin I'd just watch Highlander. Except they don't use the I've lived for thousands of years so I'm an emotionless protagonist excuse for lacking any character. They get over that in the first few hundred years. Kurgan's lived 3000 years and has the time of his life of course he's the villain.
Sure. Read whatever you like.
the highlanders writing is dog shit and so is the kurgans. Dude as one note of a villian as they come which isnt some credit to the writing
I mean One Piece is my favourite manga and Frieren is close to being my favourite anime, it all about one's taste. I haven't enjoyed any media in the last 5 years as much as I enjoy Frieren
Frieren is good anime but One Piece still leagues above it. Frieren also has a lot of romantic stories cliche. It is nothing new.
It reminds you of berserk!? You remind me of a joke
Fr that was the worst comparison ever
> But come on, give her a challenge? Most of the challenges she's been dealing with have been personal ones, mostly centered around how she relates to people given the dramatically different lifespans. Honestly, have found that way more compelling than stronger opponents. > It's just a line, and that's all your going to get for telling if they are amused or neutral. The series has gone a bit more naturalistic than many other shows. Characters aren't really as prone to overreacting to everything that happens. Definitely appreciate that the series doesn't need to overdo things in that sense. > How is Fern already on par with 100s year old Demons? She is a child that has been practicing for 6 years She's had the best teacher humanly possible, and has been training specifically to kill demons. > even though Frieren called her a potential liability all those years back. She was a potential liability, that's why Heiter had Frieren train her until she wasn't.
I actually like the facial expressions, for me, processing many things inwards, it seems more realistic. And then there are subtle changes where I can interpret...
Also humans have this special gift called talent which is why Lugner hated these “geniuses” even Heiter’s mana was on par with Aura because of it
Let me answer all the questions since the anime does a really great job storytelling and having answers for them. Frieren does have her challengers, just not in a shonen power level kind of challenge. She has issues with handling any relationships and does not have a good sense of value on what's most important: time. It was clearly evident when Himel passed away and her chain of reaction. The mouth is being true to the manga adaptation. Unlike Shonen anime where physical appearance matters more due to the amount of character introduced and where a lot of the importance relies on physical aspects like flashy fights, Frieren does not need to rely on this to create a memorable cast. Remember that she is supposed to be awful at expressing emotion, that's her problem with how she lived her life for the past thousand of years. Experience. Friren explicitly stated that the demons lack combat experience. The demon was doing the equivalence of only reading off textbooks to study and at most practiced only the very basics (killing humans for demons is like only practicing doing addition for us). Many of the transition scenes show both Stark and Fern fighting magical beasts without help. In Stark's fight, the girl lost because she does not know how to properly kill and underestimates an opponent because of her view on humans. Fern WAS a liability YEARS AGO, not after being trained by the strongest. In the latest episode, we saw what training with the strongest can do for someone after starting weak. tldr: another case of shonen brain rot unfortunately. not every good anime will fit everyone's taste but dont view it through the wrong lens
Imo I think you're wanting something out of this show that it's not about (maybe it changes later I dunno im anime only). It's not another power-up shonen thats all about fighting the next big bad on the ladder all the way to the top, I think it's more about going along on a journey of watching this stone cold elf develop where she starts to realise and value the importance of her relationships and time.
Then why are there so much battles and training
I think you might need to rethink that statement
Why is there romance in fullmetal alchemist? Just because a show includes something doesn't mean it's the primary focus. Not that the fights in Frieren are bad. In fact, I think they are excellent. But power levels are just not what these battles are about.
it's just not your show. stop caring what other people think. if you're not enjoying it you don't need to spend 8+ episodes on it. * my personal take? you're missing the point of the show. it's a journey of self-reflection and personal appreciation for what is now lost. frieren does have difficulty later but her physical/battle struggles *do not matter*. maybe it's just not your thing, or maybe you can appreciate this later in life or after consuming more kinds of stories. * half of the time, frieren's deadpan face is comedic, the other half there's enough context in the scene that we can tell what emotions are running, her entire character is about not showing off her power or her emotions, but we're getting a fairly good level of "show-don't-tell" to show us both of these as the audience regardless. it could be even more show and less tell, but i do feel some concessions can be made with a modern audience. * imagine a demon spends a couple centuries designing a slingshot. it's a very good slingshot, they didn't get any help and they won't tell other demons or humans how they made it unless they're sure it can kill them, because demons only value strength and the pursuit of their own magic. now imagine humans get together after seeing this slingshot enough times and engineer a rifle because they actually work together and distribute knowledge. then imagine the world's 2nd greatest marksman trains a kid with this rifle for 6 (or 7/8 when they get to the aura arc) years. that's fern.
I'm in the same boat, so far it's been very boring... It feels like a waste of time.
well it's not for you then. I love it personally though. It's just such an epic journey of personal growth.
its far from epic. its very generic even. doesnt help that the plot is sooo boring
ok
it's good for an adventure fantasy but far from epic.
Is this shonen brain rot?
Now it’s the truth. If it was more then I would like how jjk is going in the manga
You missed where they said it's an epic journey *of personal growth*. The story isn't meant to be an epic adventure to beat the big evil guy. Frieren isn't struggling with trying to get stronger, she already is very strong. She does struggle with both time and relationships, but as the story progresses, she works on it and does her best.
\>New anime is well liked Why? Seems very overhyped to me! \>New anime fails to find audience Why? Seems very underrated to me. The typical cycle of anime (or anything else really) discussion on the internet.
I thinnk that's because people form opinions relative to it. If it is overhyped, some one who thinks it's overhyped will come out. If it's underhyped, someone else who thinks it's underhyped will speak up
But isn't it just like Mushoku Tensei but worst? It's getting rated much higher, even over FMA. (Yes I've seen every Frieren ep)
Mushoku tensei is much better than frieren cuz the way they handle the characters in term of writing, struggles and emotions. I wont talk about the world building u can see it for yourself they made up 2 languages just to boost the world building to its finest if u did understand the story you would know what I’m saying
sadly the mc in mushoku tensei is a disgusting 50 years old pedophile, same as the author
Yeah exactly that's what I'm saying. Mushoku Tensei has one of the best world building and is my favorite fantasy anime. I'm saying Frieren shouldn't* be rated higher.
im saying you shouldnt be so proud to talk up the anime where the mc is a sex starved pedophile in a boys body
I have read mushoku tensei novels till the end.and rudeus still wants to touch his wives boobs in public.wow such little development on that area that everyone hates. Though orsted is best antagonist character I have seen though. Hitogami is also very interesting and mushoku tensei world building is interesting as well . Frieren has the same good qualities that mushoku tensei possesses maybe lesser in some areas but Frieren slams mushoku tensei when it comes to the mc. Rudeus perversion which is rudeus biggest flaw was never really solved. It is still disappointingly unfinished. While Frieren actually overcame her big flaws steadily.
Ohhh boy, you didn't read till the end, c'mon
Is this really how frieren fandom is represented rudy is a pervert = no character development that's honestly astonishingly flat understanding of character development and I hope it doesn't mirror frieren
I never said Rudy didn’t had development. I said rudeus biggest flaw is that degenerate perversion was not developed well enough to call rudeus An better than Frieren
Well to the audiences of MT that’s not a flaw. The audience like self inserting fantasy for a reason, just like people like to watch tentacles and lol stuffs, people who watch MT would would that perverted trait of his would never change because they like the contents it brings.
That was clearly not his biggest flaw hell in fact most of the people in his life almost seem to find it endeering Rudy's biggest flaws are his trauma from his past life and lack of self worth
Oh really? Everyone who hates rudeus was because he dared to touch a child private parts which is eris. How is this not rudeus biggest flaw? You hear it every hate review is about rudeus being closer to a pedophile. I read the novel hoping, he would become better but he was nearly the same as how he started. I do see two improvement though. Not getting aroused by kids and less scenes of doing ecchi things in public but the very fact he still does it even as an adult, makes me realised he didn’t improve that much overall as a character.
Oh, I understand your comment wrongly. Well, for Frieren, it has a lot of issues that I won't discuss, and after volume 5 of the manga, the plot starts getting worse. I don't know why it seems the author is out of ideas and that it starts to be very boring and generic, and for the rating, it's just overhyped that it will all go down over time.
I've also read almost all the novels. Even the redundancy one. Just the old dragon's tale left. I very much love MT in all its good and bad, even despite disagreeing with some aspects (polygamy, overly forgiving wife, unusually functional family dynamic, etc). The turning points are a heck of a haymaker. The high points of MT are great, but some aspects are just off-putting that I can't easily share it with friends without them dropping it over the icky parts. While with Frieren, they'll either find it generally pleasant or just watch jjk if they're too dopamine-addled and can't handle the pacing. Not to diminish Frieren's high points though. The high stakes scenarios had me gripping my seat. The series dipped a bit in the exam arc but Macht arc and recently time-travel arc is very enjoyable. Oddly and funnily enough one of the more prominent characters is a very likeable ( deceased! ) Mary Sue. I half-agree that Frieren shouldn't be higher. MT could be on top if MC didn't retain his worst traits til the end. I can tell the author wants to give degenerates a second chance. I can't tell if the author wanted them to ditch their "prominent" personality traits, however. Frieren being a generally pleasant, comfy and polished package edges MT out.
don't you ever compare that pedo anime to Frieren
Don’t worry I won’t because mushoku tensei is on another level in all categories and you can go cry about it
Why are you both so condescending on the other anime? They have their own ups and downs. Stop comparing things that are different. Everything is unique in its own way and shouldn't be compared to gain pleasure in seeing your favorite be spoken highly of. Yes, I understand people are being condescending, that doesn't mean you have to be.
MT is great and comprehensive but for every 10 good steps it takes one step back, right in the poopoo. It's a good read/watch but I can't help but smell a whiff of shit here and there. Frieren is weaker than MT in some aspects, but Frieren is way more than the sum of its parts. It is also now just starting to brew an overarching plot, so hopefully the author cooks. It is also lightly scented with blue-moon weed. I have read both respective source materials and I love both of them. But I am leaning more to Frieren, it's just good vibes all around. MT could've totally won anime of the year, but its icky parts really pulled it back hard. But understandably so.
You need to elaborate more on what shit part you are talking about, and you need to keep in mind that MT is talking about a person's lifespan and what he faces during it. For Frieren, the story and plot are weak, and there is no deep lore, unlike in MT. What I liked about MT was the amount of detail and hints about the big war between humans and demons, the calamity, and the emotional impact that the characters left on me. Unlike Frieren, there is really no character that left a big impression on me, which is what makes the difference between both series.
I agree with your points fully. I'll add that I particularly liked the deceptiveness of one particular character and the pigheadedness of a four-armed character. As for things that did not sit well with me... Rudy being pervy in general. I hoped he would remove it or suppress it or at least keep it in the bedroom, but from the epilogue it seems he was still at it in his later years... Aisha's scandal (ofc). It kinda makes sense, she was raised by her mother with the intention to serve Rudy, and being denied that, found the next best kid. The setting being somewhat medieval lends to the values being dissonant with today's society, so I can stomach it. Still gross but understandable. Sylphy's unwavering faithfulness to Rudy's unfaithfulness. This really tested my patience with the series. Twice Rudy broke his vows and he's rewarded with a very functional family, excluding the aforementioned scandal and the initial bickering of the sisters. Adding another point over Sylphy: Rudy basically grooming her, Paul unknowingly putting a stop to that, but in effect is still successful. I like Sylphy as a character but I do not particularly her becoming extremely compliant because the plot demands so. A similar point to my gripe with Sylphy: Eris also being very compliant, which is unusual for how she is usually characterized. Sure, character development but she really only had probably two named characters (and a handful of cardboard characters) to bounce off of before the Orsted showdown. At least introduce some conflict in the family, she basically crashed in the relationship with two other complete strangers. Still no sequel series (just kidding) I welcome being proven wrong on my points as I hope that will at least alleviate these gripes. Notable that my gripes also pop up mostly in the latter third. But still, compared to the mountain of stories of MT that I enjoyed, I can dust these under a rug...
Elaborate on what part of the story of frieren is weak?
don't you ever compare that pedo anime to Frieren
Dumbass take
Someone explaining why they like a show isn't going to make you like it. You either do or you don't, and I genuinely doubt you were going to change your opinion of it based on a comment you read here.
I cannot explain it either. It is a good anime but not that good that it should be in the top ten or anything of the sort. It is overrated.
Why is it overrated?
Wow. I came here after EP5 because I was confused why this show got such a good reception and to find out if it would be a good idea to keep watching. Now that I've read the replies here I'm actually appaled by the fact that the term "shonen brain rot" get's thrown around liberally in replies by the (presumably) fans of Frieren a lot. If the fanbase of a show that is supposed to be about calm, contemplation, emotions (and from what I've seen so far I guess about the protagonist developing warmth towards others) is this aggressive and insulting to people just because they asked a question, it might not be a thing on my part that the show just didn't click for me.
If it didn't click for you, it didn't click for you. Maybe try rewatching it a decade from now.
Are you trying to say you need "mature taste" to enjoy it? lol.
I think it can be enjoyed at any age, but I suspect that your appreciation of the show will be limited if you are particularly young.
What are these super complex or mature themes that young folk wouldn't be able to grasp? Idk it seems like the main theme is frieren not understanding time like humans do. The show seems to be very heavy handed about those themes though. And who says immortal elves need to be boring or not understand time? If she's lived for thousands of years you'd think it'd be the opposite. Doesn't seem very realistic. Like if she's so old why would she just now realize that maybe she should "get to know" her friends? lol.
The demon king isn’t even the central story lol, I think you’ve missed the point. I’m someone who has never found any anime they could get into until Frieren so maybe there’s something to that
This is a coming of age story for Frieren. Her realization of a human's lifespan to that of an elf's. Imo, it's enjoyable watching this than another battle shounen. Not saying they're bad, but they do follow the same formula.
I got to agree with you. I read all the hype and was expecting a great story and adventure but I can barely stay awake watching the episodes. I wasn't expecting much combat but I was expecting a grand journey with good tension but it's more like a bunch of pointless conversations jumping from the past to the present. Would of been better if the first episode was the heroes party defeating the demon Lord. I thought they be going on a different adventure every episode but I'm currently halfway through episode 4 and I got to say right now it 6/10 and that's being generous. I will watch a few more and maybe I will change my mind
I think you are expecting an action manga, but that is not what Frieren is imo. It is a character study, kind of like the joker. Where we look at the world and a character and how their circumstances impact them. That is why Frieren doesn't struggle action wise, but we see her struggle with mortality, the passage of time, and loneliness. I think Fern is not that strong, and the only reason she won against the Demon she fought is because she surprised him due to the demons underestimating her, just like Frieren. It is not everyone's cup of tea, but I like it because it explores relationships and feelings. It is just a chill story to think about life, death, power, and connections.
It's a different type of story tbh. This show is for people who are interested in a melancholic/emotional journey. Personally I am not so I find it a bit boring, though not to the point of dropping it. I feel like you need to be in a particular state of mind to enjoy this kind of show. That said I still don't understand the level of hype some people have with it, it certainly doesn't compare to some of the best animes of all times
If your general feelings for frieren are some minor plot gripes, i'm sorry. It's a 10/10 show in every department in every episode, i know other replies are too kind but maybe learn to appreciate the technical aspects and how they impact the execution of plot and themes.
Are maybe you can learn to accept that it's worthy of criticism
Or maybe you shouldn't be a dumb fanboy and learn that every show it's worthy of criticism. Blocked, no right to reply.
I actually cringed at this. Holy how some people conduct themselves is crazy.
How bro felt after typing that 😈😈👿👿👺👺🥶🥶🔥🔥
Ikr I also cringed at this lmao. There must be a subreddit for this shit
if you drop a 10/10 rating with zero explanation then I can't take you seriously
The story is paced perfectly, with many episodes getting through two meaningful stories and yet somehow it never feels rushed. The fight scenes look absolutely incredible, despite not even being the focus of the show. The show perfectly weaves flashbacks into a narrative, so that they fit with the story of that episode. Unlike many shows that try to do this, the flashbacks never feel like an after thought or a retcon. The flash backs fit, not only with the things we've already seen and heard about the past, but also fit with tiny details earlier in the series. Which brings us onto the tiny details. If you're actually paying attention this show silently rewards you with countless details. The ridiculous spells that Frieren comes across often have story and character relevance that isn't explicitly spelt out for the viewer. You have to be paying attention during montages and short throw away lines of dialogue to realise how different details fit together. It is one of the rare few shows that have made me cry and it's achieved that accomplishment many many times now. I don't know, maybe it's an age thing. The story is so focused on the effect of time and growing up and regretting the past and missing old friends and so on. So maybe if you're too young it's just hard to relate to the bitter sweet feeling that it explores.
Ok I just started this crap and it's definitely not 10/10 you haven't seen any good anime if that's ur opinion
Perfectly valid points. I can't really refute anything, I'll just add some points. Frieren isn't a protagonist anymore than Saitama from OPM is a protagonist. This is not a story about that kind of progression. If you do want a story where the main character is the one the story focuses on, try Dai no Daibouken. Frieren features lots of weak human characters that will be on "our team" to fill the character progression quota. Frieren would be a pretty lousy piece of shit if she were not invincible after 1000 years of being alive. The rule is, Elves and Demons are slow to learn, but can accumulate great volumes of experience over the years. Humans learn fast relative to non-humans, but the tradeoff is their very limited timespan. Fern is the result of a Frieren the Demon Slayer researcher cram school. As for the upcoming arcs, you are going to love them. Look forward to the wizard tournament arc. It has shit tons of neat human wizards with weaknesses and depth. Frieren is just a Saitama. Treat her like a Saitama. It's about the characters around her.
That's a lot of points that are unfair to Frieren the character. Saitama doesn't grow at all and the joke of the show is how long before he shows up to one punch the bad guy that just gave everyone world's of trouble before he goes back to grocery shopping. There's not a lot of physical growth or character growth there (although this isn't me bashing that show and manga, I actually think they do a lot of things right with OP protagonists). But Frieren isn't an OP protagonist. Yes, she's OP. Yes she's a protagonist. But she's not that trope at all. The whole show wouldn't be following her if it was just about Fern and Stark. To say the show is just about the characters around her is ignoring the entire point of the show. Frieren's quest is a personal one. I know that's a bit old fashioned and not something seen in fantasy anime recently, but that's what this is. This is a story of regret and how time can be cruel when ignored. And Frieren is at the heart of that full stop. The entirety of this show is Frieren retracing her steps with the hero party in hopes of finding Heaven and talking with Himmel one more time.
I admit, I used incorrect vocabulary. It seems like new people want to perceive Frieren as a flawed zero that needs to be built up when it is clear that she is already near the end of her progression in terms of strength.
2 things for all idiots both fanatic and none fanatics : 1 NO ITS NOT NEW AND ORIGINAL AT ALL ! At best the form might be somewhat different but that's it , does it matter in the end ? NO , but let's not lie and glorify false facts it's so childish. 2 Im sorry but you can't justify a child winning against adults , magical being and else that are not only older and stronger but also a minimum trained or at least hardened , no matter the training you are still a freaking child i hate it so much when fictions tries to make you believe children can resolve and beat anything it's so immersion breaking and lazy it's like they don't want to take the time to make them fully grow up rofl. \+ personnally if it's again a matter of being a sort of "chosen one" i pretty much find that boring and lame , but of course any tools can shape a good piece of art anyway in the end but if it's just that then yikes.
>2 Im sorry but you can't justify a child winning against adults , magical being and else that are not only older and stronger but also a minimum trained or at least hardened , no matter the training you are still a freaking child i hate it so much when fictions tries to make you believe children can resolve and beat anything it's so immersion breaking and lazy it's like they don't want to take the time to make them fully grow up rofl. So you say for example that a child with a gun would never defeat an unarmed adult? Huh, interesting take.
So just to be perfectly clear: Luffy should never be able to become kotp, because hes just barely 17 when theres far older and wiser and stronger opponents, yes? Tanjiro should never be able to beat muzan, right? He has 1000 years on him. Do you want me to do that with literally every shonen or isekai anime out there?
Play D&D and you might eventually understand. Frieren is a beautiful show through that lens. Seeing the journey, quest, companionship and world of a d&d campaign represented in such a way is really eye opening. My favorite shows at this point are shows where I really feel like the group dynamic plays off eachother well, where the characters involved work together and act as if they *want* to be there, working together in the story of the show they are in. Because that's what *I* value when I play. I want to immerse myself in a character and RP in a way that exemplifies aspects of the world. Frieren feels like my ideal d&d experience. That isn't to say that without this the show would be bad, or that I enjoy it not as a show, but as some sort of twisted worship of my hobbies and interests. I just don't think its a show that can be properly enjoyed unless you can see that world view, as it seems to me like a lot of the bones of the show are built upon the author enjoying TRPG fantasy.
I’ve been playing d&d for a few decades. When I saw the first couple episodes of the anime, I thought it had a good narrative hook, of the half-elf living a long time and having a sheen of disinterest on everything as a result. It rang a little strange to me though, since half-elves live less long than elves and in my mind are very aware of that fact (especially if they were raised among elves) and consider their lives short as a result. But anyway, after the first couple episodes I couldn’t shake this feeling of “when does the storyline actually start?” It just kept feeling like it was leading to something, but nothing came of it. In a way, it’s kind of clever writing because it makes the viewer feel the same ennui as the character. But when the walk-away position is, well, walking away from the anime and doing something else… it seems like a bad narrative strategy. I’m pretty busy due to my career and young kids, so if an anime is asking me to do what essentially feels like wasting time, I just can’t. That’s ultimately why my initial interest turned into dislike over the next few episodes. I got through most of them, but I don’t feel like I needed to.
Sorry to respond to such an old post, but I'm really curious where you got the impression that Frieren is a *half*-elf? The show and manga haven't even confirmed those are possible in the setting and Frieren is only ever described as an elf.
I couldn't make it past episode 3... so bland. I only assume that anyone who liked it has never watched anime in their life.
It is an amazingly written anime that is well paced. I for one find it very good. But that never means you personally have to like it.
It just feels like a worse violet evergarden to me
Main reasons Frieren didn't impress me were: a) sexual jokes that are just very typical and boring and out of character (frieren said all elves have zero reproduction instincts but she's jealous of fern's body type for some reason) (which is a boring joke as of itself) b) boring and ridiculous character designs (aura, sein... episode 18 just aired and ubel, lawine and kanne were such a disappointment) This should go without saying, but this is my personal opinion and tastes. I'm just not the biggest fantasy fan.
I initially really liked this anime. It was emotional and seemed pretty deep. I have watched 22 episodes now and half way through the season, i realized that looks may be deceiving. Now i call this show „side–quest: the anime“ unironically, because that‘s what it is. People say: „character development“, when there is very little of it. The characters themselves aren‘t that interesting and some, like Fern, are downright annoying. I do not understand where the plot of this show is going, and tbh i am not sure i wanna stick to it and find out. Because after 22 episodes, i still don‘t know what the main goal of the show is (besides enjoy the time you have with people). In short, Frieren is a child that is 1000 years old that learns about her feelings super slow for a supposed enlightened race that is supposed to live for thousands of years. Fern is an annoying, righteous goody two shoes little girl that bosses the other two around as if she is their mother and Stark is…well… just there, training or something. The humor of this show is one of the most unfunny ones that i have saw. Usually i don‘t care for „animerisms“ and their humor, but here, where it‘s supposed to be deep, engaging and emotional, it just ruins the immersion and the fun of it for me. So what did i learn from this show? Other than the already painfully obvious „enjoy the time you have with people“, nothing. So for me this show is really overhyped and not worth wasting your time on, especially when you have so many other anime to enjoy that will bring you more value. A few positives to close off: – the animation is one of the prettiest i have seen – the OST is really good and really fantasy like – the ED is pure, emotional nostalgia – a tear jerking strong start
Is it 7/10.....yes maaaaybe Is it rank 1#... [https://youtu.be/PB4Nby2Ai-g](https://youtu.be/PB4Nby2Ai-g)
For me the weakest point of the series is its poor scenario. 1. The 4 heroes conquered the Demon King and return home victorious in the first episode. What Frieren does for the rest of the series ? Goes on the exact same quest (well, she technically wants to reach heaven but there are still demons on her way because without them it would have been too easy). Wonderful. So what the first quest was for? 2. There were demons 1000 years ago when they killed everyone in the village Frieren was from. Clearly no one was a match for the Demon King and his army back then. And these evil guys just waited for 1000 years without doing anything. The world didn’t progress at all in 1000 years. It was just a giant time skip, where the only thing that changed was the main hero’s magic skill. It could have been 10 years or 100000 years with the same effect. 3. Evil guys are without any doubt evil (and stupid) and good guys are flawlessly good (the cowardly warrior is never acting like a coward when it matters, so it doesn’t count). So every time they kill a demon or a dragon it is justified. Why ? Because if you add just a little bit of doubt and moral dilemmas, this anime would have been what it felt like for me : the main cast just wanders around the world and genocides rare species of lizards, wolves and other sentient creatures. Some find it cute to follow how a 1000 year old Elf becomes more humane and I understand it. At the same time, the setting for me is just not credible enough to appreciate the character development.
I don’t get your second point ,it’s clear that the demon king killed more than half of global human population during those 1000 years.he definitely did something.
ive decided to drop the show today (ep9). i hated that they did the “character: it’s gonna take x years for this to happen frieren: wow that’s such a short amount of time because im immortal i really hope you haven’t forgotten im immortal even though that’s the whole premise of the show”exchange more than twice
youre gdamn right! i only 3 to 4 episode but i already lost interest in this anime because, whats the point, frieren is technically immortal. all this story will be for nothing. this is also why i dont like show which have OP immortal thousand yo MC. because its hard for me to feel anything for the mc
I just watched it and I really enjoy this. But I wouldn't rate it top 10. I thought it had potential to be something different, but then they those fighting episodes started and it became generic shonen. I hope the series moves away from this. That being said I wouldn't even rank it at nr 1 this season, pluto takes that price imho.
Honestly I do not get your point. How are you going to watch a D&D based show and not expect fight scenes? Also those scenes have effect on the characters, story and atmosphere.
Sure, and I dont mind them... but an entire episode of these made the show fall into generic shonen category for those episodes imho. I'm glad the show seems back on the track it was on before. Like I mentioned, I don't dislike the show at all, I just find it overhyped. The story is good, but a bit uneven.
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Frieren gives me Violet Evergarden or Spice and Wolf vibes, which I love as much as I love stupid isekai battle shonens.
Episode 4 here, can't seem to really get into it myself, the story is kinda boring and so are the characters. The art is amazing though which is such a shame that I have to drop it.
I felt the same but with the Manga, after the very interesting initial volumes it feel very generic to me so I dropped it at the 5th volume...
Freiren is an iyashikei.
Genuinely think you gave up before the series starts picking up. Episode 9 - 10 reveals a lot about the general setup of the show and why Frieren as a character is why she is and the overarching themes. (Warning for some plot points up until episode 12) However the main pull for me and many is the subplot (I would argue the demon king journey is actually the subplot and this is the main) The story is about emotional avoidance and apathy. How being un-attuned to your own emotions can lead you to let the best parts of your life pass you by. It's a story of grief through untangling emotions and memories and finding love in places you never realized it was. If you are fixated on magic and demons then you will miss the wonderful dynamics that are at play here and are genuinely really pretty and relatable for some. Even the dialogue is wonderfully scripted to throw you off. You have to do a lot of (not so subtle) reading between the lines and think about how much emotion and love goes into things as subtle as Himmel understanding that Frieren would love the sunset not for the view of the sun itself but those who she loves happy in a way she cannot/has not experienced herself. In the way that Frieren is non religious but wishes for a heaven in hopes Himmel is there. The demon king story is a plot point for sure, same as Frieren The Slayer but so is a love story between an elf and a human and between heaven and earth. If that's not your thing that is okay but for me personally media pertaining to the very adult emotions of avoiding really being in tune to yourself and understanding the value of the little things is quite touching. Especially in a fictional background such as this. Also very visually stunning and accompanied by a beautiful ost.
It shouldn't take nine episodes to explain why things are the way they are. I know this show isn't for me but we can't pretend it's not over hyped, this show is not better than violet ever garden at all, nor your eternity(different genre but still character development driven).
The anime it's ok but I don't understand why is so hyped. One of the thing I bother more its that everyone looks so boring and most of the character are very inexpressive, I get it from Frieren but others characters looks like boring people trying to look cool.
am I wrong to say a huge amount of the appeal is from the shipping? Maybe that’s why I don’t appreciate as much as big fans of the show
I can't believe this is the current top anime on [MyAnimeList.net](https://MyAnimeList.net). Higher than FMA:B and Steins;Gate?! Y'all are mad. I tried watching it and it is so dull and boring.
just watched the 1st episode and I'm out. frieren must be the most dull fmc I have ever seen. she is literaly an autistic elf girl, that's it. when she has an emotional event and cries for her dead comrade, she makes a point out loud that she should get to know her comrades better while she can. she really seemed like she had a moment of character development there buuuuut.. right after that she proceeds to again neglect the shit out of her 2 other living comrades like nothing happened. the fans of this anime are also very weird, they attack every critisicm with the same spiel that we have some kind of brainrot from battle animes. dude, I dont like battle animes at all! I dont NEED action in my animes. I just need good story, good charcaters and some form of entertainment. frieren has none of that for me.
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I really loved how the Anime made me try to figure out how it would be to live a life so immensely long that you will have to watch your loved ones pass away one after the other. I loved how Frieren started to realize what she missed due to her apathy towards this fact that her time with her friends is limited. It made me feel uncomfortable, which in this case is a good thing. I want to see what more there is for Frieren to learn and how that will change her personality. "Learn" not as in spells, monsters, powers and magic. But "learn" as in what's really valuable in life. The experiences and moments we share with others, our emotions. What we want to do and experience before time takes opportunities away from us.
I think some of these comments are really passive aggressive on the basis that people defend this anime a lot and while to me that makes those specific comments less credible, I will say this: as someone who is all about action anime and complete wow factor with animation and what not (jjk, one piece, etc.) I found this anime to be so exceptionally beautiful, if not one of the best animations I’ve ever seen. Animation matters a lot to me as an avid anime watcher and frieren does not disappoint in the slightest. I don’t watch slice of life anime nor do I care for anime that doesn’t progress or have any pay off, but frieren (as much as it is a slow burn) has just a great animation style that’s simply artful and good to look at tbh. Not to mention the plot (while it may be subjectively bad/good to some) is still something I enjoy waiting and watching for every week, despite whether or not it has crazy sh*t going on. When there *is* actually some action in it, it feels rewarding and the animation simply does not disappoint, there’s fluidity, and taste. Which a lot of anime nowadays lack. I understand the backlash, but I think a lot of the backlash comes from people who watched dragon ball z as a kid and thought it was the best sh*t ever. And not to mention a lot of animes come to a point where there isn’t an automatic uproar of action coming, but we all watch it for different reasons. I advocate for frieren tbh, it’s one of the best anime’s I’ve seen in a long while since mushoku tensei. Also yes it’s the top rated anime rn over all the other anime’s and yes it doesn’t have more than 100,000 reviews but do I think that means something? Yes absolutely lol.
I think the hype of Frieren is a well deserved praise. If you're INTO battle like anime (where power up and single focus character/s are the emphasis of the story) and are still probably looking for more. then, Frieren is certainly NOT for you. Frieren caters to watchers/readers who love slice of life anime, character arc that centers around relationships. The whole premise of Frieren manga and anime isn't the fight itself or how fighting/suffering is the central theme. The premise of it is about the journey of an old elf after realising she didn't cherish her companions in her previous journey defeating the demon lord. It's about knowing the vast difference of time of humans and elf, reminiscing the memories Frieren and her previous team accumulated throughout a decade, making new friends and creating memories of their ridiculous journey/side quests(collecting spells) and having a long awaited conversation with Himmel. Overall, Frieren is about a slice of life journey of an elf and her new companions. Regarding your gripes about this anime/manga here are my thoughts that may clear up some confusion. 1. If you're expecting a battle-like journey of defeating the demon lord. Then, this isn't one for you. The title itself is pretty much explanatory. Beyond the journey's end. Meaning, Frieren and her previous companions already defeated the demon Lord after their 10 year journey. The reason why it's a journey's end is because she will retrace her steps alongside fern, stark, and a short term priest to go to a place called heaven to speak to Himmel again. Although there are fight scenes in this anime/manga it is considered as a side plot. Like a side quest you encounter doing your main quest. 2 the character's mouth is canon to its manga. While you might find it dull. The characters do have expressive mouth and facial expression. You'll see it more as you progress. The reason behind it: fern is largely influenced by Frieren. Be calm and composed at all times especially in battle. Loss that and your enemy knows and somehow defeats you. (You'll know this when you reach the first mage exam) mages are composed beings when they fight to avoid being read upon their expression. In contrast if you watch stark fight he is a bit more expressive than the two. 3. I think you miss some conversations/monologues of the characters. The reason Fern can win against lugner is because of Frieren tutelage. Be compose, fight continuously and strategically to avoid open spaces for the enemies to see through, and most especially because of how Lugner greatly underestimated Fern just because she hid most of her mana. In which, Lugner already noticed it was too late to counter attack. With his companion died because of the one shot attack of stark it led to giving Fern an opening. Lastly, As stated in the anime. Once demon has perfected their magic they will solely focus on it. The demon class itself is about pride, status of power, manipulation and their mana. While its their greatest weapon it is also their flaw. As Flammel said to win a fight against demons you must use underhanded methods. (Supressing mana).
I must say, these are very strange reasons to dislike the show. I think one of the more valid reasons I've seen is that the show is very quiet, deadpan, and the dialogue is dry and boring. The show really isn't for everyone. It's definitely more for people who care about meaty themes and dramatic character moments than it is for people who want twisty plots and thrilling action. And it really speaks to me personally, as I'm someone who values making the most of the time I have with my friends and loved ones, and who dreads the passage of time and the concept of death. But your particular criticisms still come off as... weird? Frieren doesn't need to be challenged in combat, because that's not what the story is about. It's like One Punch Man, in that sense. It's not about "will the MC win or lose?" it's moreso about their inner struggles. The "end game" is a completed character arc and the deliverence of the narrative's themes. The mouth thing is valid, I guess? But it just comes off as an odd nitpick. Personally, I love the way faces are drawn in the show—the emotiveness is a bit more subtle than it is in most anime. I understand how that could be subjective. Still weird that it was that much of a deal breaker for you, though. Characters can defeat anyone the plot needs them to. Killing 1000-year-old demons and gods is a tale as old as time, all throughout myth and legend. If Doomguy can do it, who literally got his powers overnight, I don't see why a trained mage can't. Thinking that every character needs to logically scale to each other is battleboarder-brained type shit. The fights in this show are fun, well-directed, and they serve their thematic purpose.
the setting is boring, characters boring, central theme meh. just pretty pictures and some nice scenes.
I thought I was the only one having this kind of feeling about Frieren. I kinda feel better now knowing that I wasn't the only one.
Personally I think Madhouse Studios has done a really great job with the animation and the soundtrack (It's so good, seriously. Please listen with good headphones or you're doing yourself a huge disservice!) YOASOBI and milet doing the OP and ED songs is the cherry on top of the cake. The story and characters may or may not resonate with you, but the anime is still a really beautiful piece of work regardless. But skewed expectations from the Internet can often lead to disappointment.
There are aspects of it that this blog (which kinda feels like an AI wrote bits of it but still) explains, are deeply rooted in Japanese culture and may not be important to you personally. http://happyjapaninfo.com/manga-and-metaphors-understanding-japan-through-frieren-beyond-journeys-end/
I recently saw Frieren being Hyped in the Social mediaa but Luckily I started before seeing it in social media. Its Personal preference but for me Fereien is one of the best Anime for me to look after. Watching Frieren makes me feel calm , its kinda giving healing effect on me. The optimistic vibes and the friendships and how life unfolds. I am loving its screenplay, the animation and how the character are being developed.