Forum - View topicFrieren: Beyond Journey's End (TV).
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11446 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (TV) Source: Manga (ongoing @ 10 volumes, written by Kanehito Yamada, illustrated by Tsukasa Abe) Demographic: Shounen Animation Studio: Madhouse Genres: action, adventure, comedy, drama, fantasy, psychological, slice of life, tournament Themes: aristocracy, conspiracy, contemplation, demi-humans, demons, dragons, dwarves, elves, gore, medieval, mortality, non-linear narrative, sorcery Plot Summary: For ten years, elf mage Frieren traveled with Himmel the hero, Heiter the priest, and Eisen the dwarf warrior as they quested to destroy the demon king. At the end of their journey, Frieren set out on her own, not quite understanding how differently time flows for her versus her human companions. Reunited after fifty years only to see them wither and die, Frieren begins to ponder the nature of connections at a time when it's already too late to say goodbye. Air Date & Platform: September 29, 2023 (Friday) Available on: Crunchyroll Episode Count / Runtime: 28 episodes ---------------------------------- I'll watch pretty much anything Madhouse puts out. This one sounds like a fantasy-themed quandary on the meaning of life or some kind of other existential philosophy, kinda' like Elda from Otaku Elf, only it'll take itself seriously. How does one with a lengthy lifespan cope with things changing and people dying around them? Does that person change because of the times, or can that person change the times themselves? Could be a neat premise, and it's interesting that Madhouse is doing this right after (The) Gene of AI (another very contemplative series). Last edited by Tony K. on Mon Aug 19, 2024 3:42 pm; edited 12 times in total |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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This one seems like it will not be tragic and sad at all... time to prep the tissues.
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 24165 |
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Thanks to the proliferation of isekai and fantasy shows over the last several years, I am approaching fantasy fatigue in general. Ordinarily, if I saw a premise about a party trying to kill a demon lord, I might give it a pass from even sampling. However, this one does seem different. As Tony K. pointed out, it's coming from Madhouse and their shows tend to be worth checking out. And of course the second season of Goblin Slayer is also coming out and I'll be all over that, so I clearly won't be going completely fantasy-free any time soon...
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24165 |
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Episodes 1 thru 4
This is only the third show I've sampled from the new season and I may already have a seasonal favourite. Lordy, y'all, this one is awesome. It's a fantasy SoL with a (very) occasional dollop of action but it works like gangbusters for me. The bittersweet atmosphere is done just perfectly. It's already got me in the feels a couple of times. Naturally, my sobs were ultra-manly not like the mess somebody like, say, Edjwald would be.  Music is great, visuals are wonderful, characters are engaging. Loving it.
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Beltane70
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I only watched the first two episodes so far, but what I saw did not disappoint and was well worth the wait. I'll be watching the next two episodes tomorrow to help savor the experience of this show.
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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Pilot (#1-#4)
Another record-breaking season in terms of shows on offer, and this is but one of many which has a lot of hype attached to it. Source material properly translated into English, a stellar VA cast and Madhouse in charge of production being one of many reasons to give it a go. I was wondering why this adaptation went with the bulk pilot approach with 4 episodes at once, and after finishing all 4 I understand why. This is a slow-burner, and episode one alone would have put off a lot of casual viewers. It only really gets going from roughly three episodes on, and it's the fourth episode where the main story arc is formally introduced. There are two things I have to reconcile internally before I can fully enjoy the experience. This obviously applies to me, and it has no bearing on how others enjoy this. I'm writing it anyway as it's worth keeping in mind when I watch this very unusual and difficult to classify show. 1. Frieren is immortal, but she's giving up the mindset that immortals of her kind have when dealing with shorter-lived races like humans, half-elves and dwarves. This is not very logical, and the only one I could find an explanation for this strange approach is that not once in this show has she met a fellow elf. If she had companionship with her own kin, she would not be so affected by the 10-year journey she had with her original party of adventurers. 2. Although Frieren is making an effort to understand how shorter-lived races like humans spend their mortal lives, she can't let go of her super long-term perspective on daily life. It is extremely infuriating for Fern in particular, as she is human and is spending her prime years wandering the continent on elf-time, which is already extremely grating for her because she finds it very unproductive since she has far less time to work with given her mortality. To Frieren's credit she is trying to be considerate in her own way by episode four, but casual viewers will need to suspend disbelief and hope Fern's mindset at being dragged along on a re-enactment of the original demon-king expedition isn't explored too deeply. Episode four has the big bombshell, as there is no significant leadup indicating why Frieren was so certain about Flamme grimoires all being forgeries. Now her aimless wandering has a purpose, as Frieren has unconsciously formed bonds with her previous party which she can no longer casually shake off as something trivial in her unimaginably long lifespan. Likewise her three companions were considerate about her long lifespan and the regrets she inadvertently made because of the incompatible mindsets held by Elves compared to other races. The franchise title is interesting, as the English translation has completely removed its original meaning in favour of something more neutral. 葬送 refers to the funerary procession escorting the deceased to their final resting place, and Frieren being the embodiment of that process throughout her immortal life has a distinct connotation which is completely removed in the English title. If the original Japanese title is going to emphasise the title, Frieren will be attending many more funeral corteges to come. There are a lot of characters featured in the OP animation, and Frieren's role in both parties is already made clear. Episode 5 should see the introduction of the axe wielder by the sounds of it, and him joining the party is going to change the dynamic considerably as unlike Fern he has not spent years with Frieren and caught a glimpse of her vastly different mindset and personality. There are others as well, not all of them likely to be friendly. The journey is long, so casual viewers might as well take a page out of Frieren's book and enjoy the ride without heed of the pacing. |
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Edjwald
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I only watched one episode - not because I wasn't into it, but because I loved it. I've gotten in the habit of watching an anime when I get home from work to unwind and recharge, and this one seems prime for that, so I'm saving some episodes for next week. I think I'm also a little leery of weird schedules in my new favorites after Zom 100, and there's a part of me that doesn't want to be a third of the way through the season already, then find gaps appearing week after week. Though if it turns out that the show has more than twelve episodes because Crunchyroll sliced and diced a long pilot, or that it has 24 episodes (yes, please) I'll relax on that score. This show had a little bit of a "To Your Eternity" vibe (first season mind) to me, but just a bit. It is its own animal. Um, anime. And I likes it.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 24165 |
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@ Edjwald - the show is already confirmed as a 2-cours (yay!) and as for potential delays - I suppose anything is possible but I don't think Madhouse has been problematic in that sense... although if somebody knows differently, feel free to correct me.
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Edjwald
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Awesome! I'll watch some more later this afternoon.
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Beltane70
Posts: 3972 |
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I watched the other two episodes this morning. Even though it's only four episodes in and I haven't seen the other new shows for this season, I can pretty much already tell that this is going to be my favorite for the season.
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smurky turkey
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I am also going for one episode each week. Part of that is not wanting it to end/be up to date and another is to take the tragedy in a small weekly dose. That is not to say it is all sad though, there is also joy and plenty of contemplation. It also looks and sounds lovely, though I have some mixed feelings on the chosen opening.
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Alan45
Village Elder Posts: 10030 Location: Virginia |
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@smurky turkey
I don't see any of what has happened so far as a tragedy. It is more like the cycle of life. A tragedy is more like when the hero dies in his twenties in an avoidable fight. Himmel is at a minimum in his late 70s when he dies and Heiter is probably in his late 90s. It is more a question of Fireren coming to grips with the difference between her perception of time and that of the humans she lives around. It is much like living with cats (or dogs if you must). They live at a different rate than we do. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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I would say that difference is what makes it tragic. Because of having no lifespan she knows that every friendship/relationship she forms will (in her perception) very quickly fade away. There is also her not having the chance to get to know her former friend better while he was still alive, though she now realizes that he meant more to her than she expected/thought. No matter who she meets, that person will wither away eventually and she will be left behind, while that is natural I would consider that tragic/a tragedy.
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2969 |
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https://www.dictionary.com/browse/tragedy
a lamentable, dreadful, or fatal event or affair; calamity; disaster: stunned by the tragedy of so many deaths. a dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically involving a great person destined to experience downfall or utter destruction, as through a character flaw or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or an unyielding society. Weigh up Frieren's experiences to date with the definitions given above. If they match, it's a tragedy. If they don't, maybe find a more proper word which better describes the phenomenon? |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 2674 |
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I suppose it all comes down to how one views it. In the technical definition you could make an argument either way, yet it mostly rests on how you view the mc's side of things. You could say it is part of her natural life/unavoidable and thus not tragic at all. I would say seeing everyone around you eventually die and having regets on not spending more time with a deceased friend is plenty tragic.
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