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Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is the Best Manga I Have Ever Read

Emotions blind the brain. For me, this manga is nowhere near the top and gets pretty mediocre couple of volumes in. But then again, I hate 90 percent of stuff I watch/read

It's all personal opinion in the end. I'd never say Frieren is the best series I've personally ever read, Berserk has that place for me since I was young. I think the series is "good", but the first volume and some of the second volumes chapters were the peak of the series. It really starts to dip after that. It's not a horrible series but I think it's overhyped, I hate saying that. I think that's because of the first volume. It established this tone that you knew what the series was going to be about but then goes too far in the aimless and fighting. I think the more people who stay and read the series will see this dips as well.

One of the best high fantasy manga in recent years for sure, i'm up to date with the latest chapter and still see my interest being renewed every now and then. Now if an animation were to happen i wouldn't want a 2 cour, the second half would be much weaker than the first.

Richard Eisenbeis wrote:

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is the best manga I have ever read.

The Internet wrote:

No, you're wrong.

Welcome to 2022 indeed.

I think if someone says, "I think this thing is great, and here's why," it's truly meaningless to respond with, "no, it's not great." Unless the thing being praised is actually dangerous in some way (e.g. "I think methamphetamines are great,") why would you need to do that? What are you actually denying? The praise isn't an objective truth claim, just an expression of personal enjoyment. In this case, the clause "I have ever read" is the key modifier; Richard's not claiming superior taste, simply trying to share his love for something I agree is very, very good.

For example, personally, I think [i]Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (which will apparently never be available in English—I've bought the full set in Japanese three different times on some kind of idiotic hypothesis that this will convince licensors it's popular enough to bring over) is the best and most moving manga I've ever read, particularly in its later volumes as it becomes increasingly unmoored from time. Chapter 132 consists of nothing but 15 pages of two people leaning against an old pickup truck shooting the breeze, as the reader slowly realizes that it's the last time they'll ever talk to each other. It brings me to tears every single time I reread it. But see, I know that many people would be completely unmoved by that chapter, and bored to death by YKK in general. I don't think they're bad people, even if I think they're sadly missing out. I further know I'm predisposed to like things like Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou (and Frieren for that matter). No matter how much I enjoy something like Hunter x Hunter, I would never call a shounen manga my personal "best." Everyone likes stuff because they like it, and that's OK.

Right, just had to get that out of my system. Please resume your regularly scheduled Internetting.

Richard Eisenbeis wrote:

And best of all, the story never gets old—it just gets better.

This has been my impression as well. I wasn't bothered when Frieren diverged into more well worn fare following the emotional roller coaster that kicked the story off. I particularly appreciate how demons are characterized in this setting as an old school tabletop fan.

When Frieren began, I would have rated it 10. It had me in near tears weekly. Now, I might drop it to a 9 if going out of my way to nitpick. Even when I'm in no mood to read the latest chapter, I find myself wondering why I was so reticent afterward. The world just feels so alive despite us only seeing brief glimpses of most characters' history and aspirations, to say nothing of how deadpan they often are.

One of the rare manga I could recommend to anyone unless they dislike fantasy. Would I consider it the best manga I ever read? Probably not based on my personal criteria. Is it *one* of the best manga I ever read and a potential masterpiece in the making? Definitely.

I really wish Viz offered a simulpub for this series (and their Shonen Sunday series in general). I don’t pirate manga, but I guess a volume every two months is better than nothing.

Well, the best manga I've read is called Undercurrent, on the more popular front would be Mushishi.

Anyway, this seems right up my alley. For me manga as an art form should evoke emotions, if not some contemplative quality and character-heavy study, even when it doesn't have some intellectually challenging plotlines which I personally think is rarely a necessity.

Mine it's Pluto, which remembers me that there is no Pluto anime even though it was kinda confirmed like 10 years ago and now I am mad again because it.

I have been looking for a chance to read Fieren, but I am busy at the moment.

Hmmm. This is is a tough call. My favorite manga is by far Dragon Ball and it's been my favorite for decades. But objectively, I think I can safely say that the best manga I've read has to be A Drifting Life by Yoshihiro Tatsumi. It's an autobiography that he spent years and years on. It's phenomenal.

cchigu wrote:

Emotions blind the brain.

This is an absolutely buckwild thing to say in response to an opinion piece about someone liking something.

Vent wrote:

cchigu wrote: Emotions blind the brain. This is an absolutely buckwild thing to say in response to an opinion piece about someone liking something.

Say what you will, but having constantly being thrown under the bus of overwhelming manipulation of emotions for the past decade starting from Clannad, a show I hate, to the most recent adaptations of Violet Evergarden, a show I hate with a passion, I have grown a thick skin against people trying to evoke emotions out of me.

I might be stubborn, yes, but this habit of mine actually lets me appreciate a show that does end up making me emotional. My motto is simply, In the words of some edgy highschooler-- "I want to writhe, struggle, and find something... genuine"

I just read the first two volumes and like it a lot; I don't think I'd call it the best manga I've ever read (that's probably Nausicaa), but it's very good, it's definitely got potential to be up there for me depending on how future volumes go. My only complaint so far is that the arc it ends on in the second volume feels like it could really easily turn into a shounen fighting series and forget about everything that has made it good so far, so it's good to hear from a fan that it keeps up with the quality.

It's definitely my favorite manga at the moment, and I know exacltly what you mean.
However, it has become some kind of a new genre lately which I would like to call "slice of roadtrip life", which might disappoint many of its early fans at some point.

I like what I've seen and read of "Frieren" but I'm not sure the conceit of an immortal being attempting to connect with mayfly mortals can carry a very long story.

The best manga ever is, as someone else upthread said, is "Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou". It has an uncertain and rather rocky start then the story and art settles down and just oozes perfection. It's complete in publication although it is clear the story it tells continues beyond its pages and it leaves us, as life does, with lots of unanswered questions. If you haven't read it, recommended.

The best current manga, for me, is "Heterogenous Linguistics". I have a thing for stories where the basis for the story is totally non-standard and the focus character isn't superhuman or all-knowing, we get to struggle to comprehend what's going on around him just like he does, with no Gods-eye view of the reality. Susuki-chan is a total cutie which helps.

Neko-sensei wrote:

Richard Eisenbeis wrote: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is the best manga I have ever read. <snip> For example, personally, I think Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou

Agreed, I am guessing the Author has never read YKK or Twin Spica, and possibly not Aria, Flying Witch or Solanin. I am discounting action titles like Appleseed, since apparently that is not their kind of manga.

That said, it makes me want to read the manga to find out what the hype is about, so I will be ordering some. We will see. I am guessing at the very least this is worth checking out. "The Best" is always a personal opinion. Until I read it I will concur with the others that YKK is very possibly the best manga ever written, a true masterpiece.. but that this new one is probably worth checking out.