It's not a story about an elf comming to grips with her mortality. It's a story about a person struggeling to overcome trauma and accept loves vulnerablity and loss. Present day is someone who values relationships, but can't overcome trauma to be vunreable. Flashbacks show someone in denial about relationships. Protesting they aren't worth the loss. It's a beautiful journey of overcoming both denial, and trauma. Opening up to the idea of, and the reality of being human.
The "soul" of Frieren is that is also a love story, and how the characters are shown. The "now" in Frieren is used to tell the story of defeating the Demon King. That story also has its twists, so those two parallel storyline keeps the plot interesting.
Sometimes I'll be watching a story like this and I'll get annoyed when they switch to the flashback or the present because one is more boring than the other, but with Frieren I'm excited to see what happens in either part of the story.
My partner is not a big anime fan, but we absolutely adore watching Frieren, and it has become a nice date night activity to watch an episode or two. I appreciate the lack of fan service. A show like this doesn't need it. It's beautiful, charming, funny, and emotional.
When I was still reading this gem years ago I am absolutely sure it will not be animated due to the fact that its impossible to convey the feelings and emotions the story is trying to convey in the manga to anime yet here we are and 100% impressed by the show anime creators. they really nailed it
honestly, having read the manga, I feel like they conveyed it and added to it. A bunch of little movements, colour choices, sound design and voice acting..... it's just beautiful. I feel like they took full advantage of the change in format without really taking anything away.
If someone doesn't think that an immortal elf dealing with the sudden realization that the people she loves and cherishes will die long long before she does, and regretting the fact that she didn't take the time to get to know them better sounds like a good story, then honestly I don't think they know what a good story is.
What a surprise that Violet Evergarden shares it's composer with Frieren. Evan Call outdid himself with this show again. Qual's battle. The somber passage of time music when we just scroll by events. Starks fight with the dragon and obviously Ferns fight with Lügner... beautiful all of them.
The melancholy of the passage of time and the fleeting nature of reality from the perspective of an immortal is fantastic. That underlying melancholy follows throughout underlying every episode and it is a necessary component of the story being told :)
@@littleorphananimeYT That's another reason why Frieren works so well. It dives hard into remembering and celebrating those lives, even if they belonged to a raging alcoholic of a corrupt priest.
God, I remember seeing the first few chapters of the manga on a random tiktok one day and fell in love with it. I listed it off as 'if it was an anime I'd watch immediately ' but as a manga it would be backlogged by a while. Then I heard it would be an anime and I couldn't be happier.
This anime is going to hit so much harder upon second time watching it. It's brimming full of meaning. But another thing why it's so good is that in every eposide you get to see an unexpected side to frieren that makes her so adorable.
Frieren's new journey is not just about rediscovering memories and remnants of her past, but also bringing a new tag of team and make more memories with them along the journey. It's all about memories and history, from the past up to present... and probably the future also.
Other thing to mention. The voice acting is magnificent. Is very relaxing and not overwhelming, complimenting the artstyle and music. Making it really enjoyable to watch.
Is it a hot take if I say Fuuko is the best part of season 1? I keep seeing people put down her story arc. But yeah, After Story is in a different league.
It's telling that someone just retelling some of the vague plot points of the show managed to bring a tear to my eye. That's how you know you've got a unique show on your hands...
The reason of the series sucess its because at one point, we all (or almost everyone) have been Frieren, when we where little, we were all in a hurry to grow up, be adults then we finally get there we get to discover so much about ourselves, we become numb at the passage of time and the clock ticks faster, a year or two goes by in a hearthbeat while before it looked like an eternity, life gets complicated and we miss so much about past days than we though could be possible, friends, family, holidays, places, we get regrets we try to amend those regrets one way or another and we try to live on
Glad to hear the source material stays strong. Let's hope the anime adaptation does, too. (I don't see why it wouldn't other than, you know, meteor strike, stupid decisions, dinosaur attack, etc.)
Heres the one thing that hooked me on frieren: the characters I think any fantasy show, whether itd be a dark fantasy, a battle shounen, or an isekai, needs to have characters that are charismatic and likeable What i mean by this essentially boils down to: would i watch a slice of life show of these characters. And for frieren it is a massive yes. Granted frieren pretty much is a sol show, it still has action, magic, adventure etc. Frieren being a goof, fern being the doting mother of the group, stark's innonence, heiter's drinking etc. These characters just being on screen is entertaining and that makes me care. It makes me invested and it makes me want to keep watching More than the beautiful visuals and soundtrack, more than the worldbuilding or storytelling, its the characters that make this show
I like those descriptions of the main cast. I wonder if we could say that, for most good shows, the characters are what stand out the most. Unless maybe there's a big plot twist that people remember more vividly.
Frieren is the most mature depiction of processing LIFE I have ever seen. What is identity. What does it mean to truly love someone else selflessly and unrequited. Is it a qualitative or quantitative difference between a master and a novice in terms of their love for their art. How do we pick up the pieces after they can never be put back together again. Everything expressed is done so with maturity and security.
Well said. I like how you can tell even from episode 1 that Himmel feels a selfless love for Frieren, and as the show goes on you see her start to mirror that kind of compassion towards others.
What I do like about it is that it is also highly rewatchable, as you notice so many little details. You can really feel the love for the story the director had with the carefully placed visuals and soundtrack.
What I love about Frieren is its exploration of time and immortality. They portray this conflict of limited time for mortals and the desire to live and it beautifully uses this theme to add depth to characters. Most notably Himmel. One of the things that I noticed is that the series portrays Himmel as an idealization of humans and truly one of a kind (showed by how Frieren reminisced about him and looked up to him, portrayal of a true hero, etc…) and this is because Himmel finds the answer to this conflict. Which is for people to remember him. If people remember him even after his death. This means that his existence will be engraved throughout humanity making him immortal (this is actually a central idea about immortality in greek mythology). This is what motivated him to become a hero and most importantly, live a life as if he had unlimited time just like Frieren.
I like your idea about Himmel being motivated by a desire to be remembered. In my day job I run into a lot of poets and authors who wanted to become immortal through their writing. (I mean, I run into their work. Most of them are dead). Trying to achieve the same thing through fame or heroism is an interesting twist.
Thanks, I appreciate that! I wonder if they kept the opening visuals simple to keep production costs down, or to mirror how the story goes from simple to complex. (I'm guessing it's the latter).
Just to let you know; having read a LOT of Fantasy stories throughout my sixdecades plus years, i can say that Frieren reminds me very much og the fantasy novels of C.J. Cherryh, most specifically the three novels of the Tree Of Swords and Jewels which also deals with a female elf coming to grips with the short lives of humans that she comes into contact with. It's a series of three novels and each tackles an aspect of the elf's life, including her brief intimate, but ultimately sad romance with one human male. This is why, when i heard of frieren in manga and anime, i was immediately drawn to it and the main character. Along with 'the Ancient Magus' Bride", both anime are my favorite when it comes to serious, mature anime fantasy stories.
I think this show can only be fully appreciated by adults, people who have experienced life: losts, regrets, questioning yourself, thinking and feeling the passage of time. I don't think if I watch this show ten years ago I would've like it as much as I do now. I keep seeing a lot of people says this is a very chill anime, they're not wrong, but this anime is actually one of the few that makes me contemplates after and throughout each episodes.
When I started to really get into anime, I was already in my 30s, so like you I wonder if some shows would have had a different impact when I was younger.
I personally have never seen it as a show about a sad elf but as a show about an elf just coming to terms with her flaw as a long-lived species. I've come to notice that Frieren typically remembers and cherishes her memories in a positive light and at times solemnly, but never gloomy. These memories of hers have always been a source of great comfort, never sadness.
Interesting that you would call her long life a flaw. I wonder if it's not just that her life is long, but that she stands out from everyone else with shorter lifespans. If her world was completely populated by elves, I doubt the show would have such a philosophical vibe.
Something different about Frieren that I love which Ou hadn't mentioned is the characterization of it's antagonists. While the anime has yet to explore demons in more detail we have gotten a good description of them and will get more of that later on. Demons are Monsters dressed in human skin using human language. They are not depicted overly evil or destructive so as to make you think immediately "evil" because if you had the instinct "evil" then so would anyone with common sense in that world. Instead they are the Anglerfish of humanity. Frieren describes it perfectly and the demons we see agree too. They are quite literally monsters yet it is impossible to implicitly dislike them when you haven't seen them do bad *yet*
Yeah, I think of the demons more as natural predators of humans in this show rather than expressions of pure evil. "Humans' anglerfish" seems a good way to describe it.
Great video and series, I liked your commentary on the simple but powerful scenes in the beginning. Frieren and himmel are always shown shoulder to shoulder when in a group, leading to that absolutely devastating shot at the funeral where frieren stands alone under the window, looks over slightly to the empty space by her side and then down slightly. One of my favorite scenes of all time immediately after seeing it
Not gonna lie I agree with the title. This anime shouldn’t have gotten me so invested with continuing, but I always look forward to seeing more. I was sure after a couple of episodes I would’ve already gotten bored and dropped the show. I guess if not too many have dropped then it’s either the opening that’s a whole treat or the world building which seems more likely.
That's interesting that it's the opening that clicks with you. Whenever I hear the ending song, I don't tear up or anything, but I do suddenly feel like giving my mom a call.
This is the first time I heard someone mention about the ED. While everyone already knows how good the story is, the ED wasn't acknowledged enough, at least not what I saw online. The visual is stunning, the symbolization is sublime, and then there's the lyrics. I can't stress enough how much I love the lyrics. It touches on the subject of "the second chance" which fits the theme of the show perfectly. It's my favorite ED of the season, or the year, even.
I think this anime could also be described as "Iyashikei" one of the core genres of Anime & Manga, much like how there are "Shounen", "Romcom", "Seinen", and so on- ❤
Yep. People always want to know "What's it about?" when you recommend anime, and then you get weird looks trying to explain Fruits Basket. It's all about the execution.
To me, the show heavily reminds me of Violet Evergarden. It plays with similar themes of discovering new relationships and how it ties back to a past where they didnt understand them, or didnt see the value in them.
She's thankfully not sad for 28 episodes. This is just about coming to terms with the fleeting lives of humans as it is about learning to find and enjoy human connection.
This was a great breakdown! You're 100% right, it's kind of hard to describe Frieren. I am in love with this show! It's such an amazing journey, both physically and emotionally. I can't wait to see where it goes!
You touched on so many reasons why I love this show. I can't gush enough about this show! I really liked it from the first few episodes. But there was a particular scene from episode 8 which vaulted it to my top anime. In any event, thanks for expounding your thoughts on this!
I really like how the show did portay this conflict with demon race. Beings that speak words not because they believe understand or thinks them right. They speak for sole purpose of other party hearing what they want and what will make them fall a prey. And then Frieren despite having her whole village raided isnt after them. She fights back, and you can see this on the rest of party too, as stark trembles before battle and they are like:"yikes, man it sucks to fight strong demons" rather than "Iam gonna anihilate every single demon" kind of shounen. It is the story that shines the brightest in little moments. Shows the ugly, and elevates the beutifull. Sucha good ride.
My prejudice: Well, maybe the guy who has ARIA on display in the background has something worthwhile to say about Frieren. (Oh, and then 6:01 happened) Nice review, it was short and sweet, and kept my attention. I agree that we shouldn't go around pitching it as "sad elf hours" when it's actually an anime about a seed rat journeying to find all the food (for thought) her seed rat friends left behind across the continent.
This story has some incredible depth! KInd of a very slow love story, ((Himmel x Frieren) and (Stark x Fern)), Loss and grief and (everyone is an orphan), fathers in various realms have lost sons, making contact with others, Fate vs Destiny, the necessary role of belief, function of comedy to leaven tragedy, time wounds all, do we think rationally or emotionally? Übel, what is evil? and why is there evil? Book of Job, the Romantic creation of imaginary heroes in Myth and Legend vs Real heroes who stand tall by their own bootstraps. the role of fathers who destroy the self-worth of their sons, And this is only a superficial pass through the plot. Everyone can find much more than this.
@@littleorphananimeYT I think both but that is just speculation. There certainly is no direct reference to the Book of Job, but the author wants to talk about why good people suffer, and most of his characters have suffered loss in extreme ways. Frieren, Fern, and Stark are all three orphans who watched their entire families, friends, village, and even tribe entirely and totally exterminated. Little Fern was going to kill herself until saved by Heiter, another orphan. This story is exceedingly grim and dark, and yet the author, successfully leavens this with comedy, I think this author might be a genius, but he has to land this plane successfully at its end. With so many issues, this could be a challenge.
Actually, there are quite a few really good animations during the show. It is not like in many action anime where animations are made dynamic only to make the illusion that a lot is happening quickly, but the animation itself makes little sense or you see that corners were cut. In every Frieren episode there are many scenes where animators show little movements which are not needed for the plot but add depth and realism to the scene. And if there really is an action scene, animators do not cut corners. Pay attention to how fabric and hair move during such scenes. It never seems out of place. Those are times where I gasp like 'wow!' Maybe it is exactly because it is such a peaceful show that gives room for animators to flex their abilities like that?
I like the example of hair and fabric (and fur) as details to watch for good animation techniques: as you point out, it's not always about the big action scenes (even though I love those when they're done well).
I dont think you can call a show underrated when it steals number 1 spot of best anime of all time on My Anime List from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood which was on number 1 spot for 13 long years, thats not something an "underrated" story would do.
I'm not a big fan of shows that heavily use flashbacks to flesh out their characters. Old shows like Lost and Heroes are full of flashbacks. Frieren, however, beautifully weaved flashbacks with its story. They are short and straight to the point. Himmel died in the first episode and yet he feels like he's still with them in this new journey. Also, what's up with the weird mini theme for anime this year? A bunch of them start with a pivotal character dying in the first episode and become the impetus for protagonists to go on a journey of revenge for most of them or self-discovery in Frieren.
I think the difference in Frieren is that the flashback are like a subtle light that came to illuminate the present and not a brutal piece of exposition here to completely change our views on a character.
@orelliaorellia142 I was trying to think of why the flashbacks work, and I think you've got it. They're not exposition, and each one is a story worth telling in its own right.
The way I found to describe the show to my friends is "correct" It's correctly done. Not too much nor too little, it has enough of what it needs to tell it's story.
What are you saying? The premise is what’s made me want to watch it. That the beginning is “after” those supposedly 10 years of great adventures, fighting and becoming the world’s saviors.
I've seen a few pretty low-quality shows use that same idea in the past couple of years, so I wasn't fired up at the first. Thankfully Frieren doesn't wait around to show you how good it is.
I just finished ep10 this past week, and holy cow. I knew it was good before, but I'm now putting it in the best of all time list, not just best of the year.
@@littleorphananimeYT Yup, that's exactly it! I've not been this psyched for an anime in literally a decade -- Log Horizon was the last to catch me this much.
And, Frieren herself is quite a nut. Great writing and beautiful artwork. You quickly identify with the characters and understand their situation. Even this magic elf with an unimaginably long lifespan. Even her calm and low key responses. "I am here to kill you." "I must warn you that I am strong."
Good point. If she was just calm and easy going and that was it, it wouldn't work nearly as well. But she's got such a well-written personality with tons of little quirks.
Even early episodes have really nice visuals. They were focus shifting a lot (i.e. the rat scene) and this might be a suble thing that most people won't even notice, but it's the first time I noticed it in an anime. Sadly they stopped doing it. It really make everything more cinematic and immersive.
Interesting that they would use the technique and then just drop it. I do like it when anime shows simulate cinematic techniques, because it makes me think of how both mediums have influenced each other.
@@littleorphananimeYT at 3:46 in the video there's an example of the focus shifting I'm talking about, not sure if it's an early episode, so maybe it's not dropped completely and I've just got used to it. There's still some sort of bokeh happening most of the time, even in the video can be seen at 4:49.
I mean, you can boil all dramas to people going trough sad experiences and being sad as a result, what matters is why they are sad, what the characters learn and how they grow as a result of being sad, until they stop or at least come to terms with their sadness.
@@littleorphananimeYT You know, that reminds me the first anime drama I watched as a teen was Saikano which went the everyone dies route. In retrospective I don't quite like that, while my younger self appreciated the shock value I am not sure there was much to be learned from that show, that anime likes to screw over its characters so much and so frequently that I have seen some describe it as drama porn.
Ahah, true actually. Many people said this anime is awsome but I struggled to watch it because of the description. Immortal elf travelling, trying to understand time and humanity... - sounds boring. But then I tried it - and now it's one of my favorites, watched in one breath
the manga was a instant like from the start for me when it came out in 2020....and i really love to see new people exploring it whit the anime...and for the last question...yeah the story do keep it up
I look forward to this one and Apothecary Diaries each week, though I'm not exactly sure why. I'm never blown away by it, but whenever an episode ends, I think, "That was fun. When can I watch the next one?"
The thing with the flashiness (or lack thereof) is that WHEN it's used, it feels more impactful. Too much flashiness dulls your senses to it. Think of other shows, or movies (looking at the later transformers movies) where they are flashy nearly 24/7, and it feels like meh, just another flashy explosion or w/e. It becomes boring. It should be used to accentuate, not dominate. Frieren understands that, and the director for Frieren does as well.
This made me check back to see what came out twenty years ago to see if any are still relevant. Some good stuff that year: Elfen Lied, Gankutsuou, Ghost in the Shell SAC, Monster, Paranoia Agent, Samurai Champloo. Maria Watches Over Us and Windy Tales are personal favorites, but I don't know how well they're known today. Frieren should definitely make it on that kind of list twenty years from now.
It's not a story of sad elf. It's just a story of a lazy elf wanted to procrastinate but her old friend gave a side quest to babysit his apprentice thus lead to another side quests 😂
I don't understand it.. I was really into _Yokohama Kaidashi Kiko_ back when I was a young boy of the late 90s, which is a calming, almost dreamlike manga told of a post-apocalyptic Earth, and a region near Japan that has an eager-hearted and helpful robot named Alpha, minding a coffee shop while waiting for her creator to return. She interacts with the folks around town, travels on her scooter, even runs afoul of a few wonders and mysteries here and there, but mostly it tells an intensely harmless story about coming to grips with where you are in life, and being at that crossroads between youth and old age, where you face obsolescence or a bright tomorrow of purpose. Alpha has no powers, or extra-human strength, combat capabilities, really anything besides mechanized permanence and being waterproof I think, but she too will run out of mobility someday and cease to function. Before that, she's going to have to deal with the passing of the folks in town she's made friends with, the annoying kid, the strange old man working the garage; even her cafe will one day be reclaimed by the elements as the oceans slowly continue to rise. It's an elegiac and solemn reflection on what it means to exist and have existed, when you turn the story one way, and look into it. It's a distinctly japanese kind of nostalgic sadness that is impossible for me to define, and yet, I try to suggest it whenever it feels right. Why the heck does Frieren bounce off my head then? I've got to have messed up somewhere.
I love YKK; I've even thought about doing a video on the OVAs for the four people who would watch it 😆 I still might some day. One thing I find fascinating about YKK is that solitude is practically a member of the cast, and it's not a depressing, lurking character, either. The loneliness in the show is like a comforting solace that is part of a larger goodbye for a dying world, and I'm not sure I could say the same thing about Frieren, since it seems like a more sociable show. Interesting comparison you've brought up.
@@littleorphananimeYT That's a remarkable point, yeah! It's almost like that pronounced absence of a population is changed, or is the new population, like when Alpha is shown that sunken town nearby that lights up at nite still. There's this kind of new reality to it that was not very new for its time, but a new way to look at it for sure. Again, it's all dealing with the impermanence of life, and how that can make it seem like the most beautiful gift of all: not just to live, but to _have lived._
Every story genre that becomes popular enough will produce serious artistic content eventually. Look to early science fiction, westerns, and other forms of popular fiction and compare them to various 'Issekai' plots and you will see what I mean.
@@littleorphananimeYT I agree.There was plenty of solid idea driven sci-fi back in the day. I was just observing that some forms of popular entertainment become more artistically sophisticated with time and the numbers of people producing them.
The weirdest thing for me is that I didn't hear anything about this show until it started airing. It was just like, "Oh, by the way, here's a potential masterpiece out of thin air."
i as manga reader just cannot get past the op. i feel like the image of the series i have being shattered by the upbeat song so i dont even wanna watch past the OP of 1st ep. what i understand they choose whoever band / artist that is popular no matter how suitable or unsuitable their music genre to the series image
@@littleorphananimeYT ive seen many of my favourite manga clobbered into pieces by shitty anime adaptation. im really really traumatic to go past opening after knowing they did a lot of changes on the series image
"Underrated"? meanwhile, the show already made it to 1st rank in MAL site. That being said, I enjoy the show so far and I also consider it a strong candidate for anime of the year. Other shows I also recommend which do have similar themes are Kino's Journey, To Your Eternity, and Haibane Renmei. Nice Aria and Erin recommendation though!
I meant that it's a hit, but it doesn't have the huge viewership numbers to match its critical rating (yet). Love seeing that Haibane Renmei rec: that one's in my top five all time.
Bad pitch? The pitch that I saw read to me like someone's hacked my account and read the premise for an RP character I made... some time ago. (I guess it would've been a few years back by this point... maybe?) Neadless to say I was _very_ interested from that alone.
after your strong recommendation I might actually check this out read the manga back then but eventually got bored... not that it doesn't have its moments but it's just too uneventful most of the time
Glad you're thinking of giving this one a shot. If you're worried about it being too slow, then maybe wait until you're in the right mood for it. I had to start Mushi-shi a couple of times for a similar reason; now it's one of my favorites.
I seriously don’t get how the premise sounds strange. The premise sounds great. It sounds like a great oportunity to look inwards at a character, rather than base everything on action. I mean be biased because I read the manga, but even then I recall thinking the premise sounded great back when I picked it up
Great video but... I think the fact that it did do so well is proof that the premise wasn't bad in the first place. In fact it's a highly interesting premise. A lot of people desire immortality. This shows the harsh truth of it.
Apparently a lot of people were intrigued by the premise, but for me it was something that kept me away at first. One of the main reasons I made the video was to encourage people who were in my shoes to give the show a chance (since anyone who liked the premise was going to watch it anyway).
It's not a story about an elf comming to grips with her mortality.
It's a story about a person struggeling to overcome trauma and accept loves vulnerablity and loss.
Present day is someone who values relationships, but can't overcome trauma to be vunreable.
Flashbacks show someone in denial about relationships. Protesting they aren't worth the loss.
It's a beautiful journey of overcoming both denial, and trauma. Opening up to the idea of, and the reality of being human.
This is a nice description of the show, and I wish more sites advertising it used something like this.
its clearly an elf broski
It's not underrated nor overrated. It's a gem.
It's definitely a gem. This feels like one of those shows that people will be talking about years from now, and deservedly so.
Yesss
It's like coming across a shiny trinket on the road
Big yes
@@littleorphananimeYTbig yes. Too bad frieren didn't know how much Himmel loves him more than a friend.
The "soul" of Frieren is that is also a love story, and how the characters are shown. The "now" in Frieren is used to tell the story of defeating the Demon King. That story also has its twists, so those two parallel storyline keeps the plot interesting.
Sometimes I'll be watching a story like this and I'll get annoyed when they switch to the flashback or the present because one is more boring than the other, but with Frieren I'm excited to see what happens in either part of the story.
It was perfectly executed by studio MADHOUSE. Pacing, battles, soundtrack, feels.
Their greatest hits list is full of all-time classics, and this show has a good chance to be the next one.
except the opening
@@fadilrahadiansyah4223no.
@@fadilrahadiansyah4223wdym it's so good wtf
@@peacekeeper739 the song itself is good, typical yoasobi
but it's the only one that doesn't match the vibe of the story
My partner is not a big anime fan, but we absolutely adore watching Frieren, and it has become a nice date night activity to watch an episode or two.
I appreciate the lack of fan service. A show like this doesn't need it. It's beautiful, charming, funny, and emotional.
You make a good point: this would be a great pick for that question "What should I show someone who isn't into anime?"
they do have fan service, remember that feet elf scene? wkwk
@@LastBastion It took the internet by storm. Such is the power of feet.
@@LastBastionPeople are crazy honestly
HONEST. I absolutely LOVE the lack of just general women in the anime having a good wavy body and everything people wanna see in elves.
When I was still reading this gem years ago I am absolutely sure it will not be animated due to the fact that its impossible to convey the feelings and emotions the story is trying to convey in the manga to anime yet here we are and 100% impressed by the show anime creators. they really nailed it
I agree. One of the most impressive things about the show is the tone and atmosphere they were able to establish.
honestly, having read the manga, I feel like they conveyed it and added to it. A bunch of little movements, colour choices, sound design and voice acting..... it's just beautiful. I feel like they took full advantage of the change in format without really taking anything away.
If someone doesn't think that an immortal elf dealing with the sudden realization that the people she loves and cherishes will die long long before she does, and regretting the fact that she didn't take the time to get to know them better sounds like a good story, then honestly I don't think they know what a good story is.
What a surprise that Violet Evergarden shares it's composer with Frieren. Evan Call outdid himself with this show again. Qual's battle. The somber passage of time music when we just scroll by events. Starks fight with the dragon and obviously Ferns fight with Lügner... beautiful all of them.
I did not know they had the same composer. Thanks for pointing that out.
The melancholy of the passage of time and the fleeting nature of reality from the perspective of an immortal is fantastic. That underlying melancholy follows throughout underlying every episode and it is a necessary component of the story being told :)
I've often wondered if I could handle being immortal, or if I would shut away any human contact to avoid losing people over and over again.
@@littleorphananimeYT That's another reason why Frieren works so well. It dives hard into remembering and celebrating those lives, even if they belonged to a raging alcoholic of a corrupt priest.
I read the manga and Himmel is my absolute favourite character... The guy who's been dead for 30 years 😭😭
I'll admit, at first I thought he looked like the generic hero for an unreleased Dragon Quest game, but I like the guy now.
@@littleorphananimeYT He really surprised everyone w that one
God, I remember seeing the first few chapters of the manga on a random tiktok one day and fell in love with it. I listed it off as 'if it was an anime I'd watch immediately ' but as a manga it would be backlogged by a while.
Then I heard it would be an anime and I couldn't be happier.
This anime is going to hit so much harder upon second time watching it. It's brimming full of meaning. But another thing why it's so good is that in every eposide you get to see an unexpected side to frieren that makes her so adorable.
I think I said this in the video, but I love those moments when she smiles. They make her seem wiser somehow.
Frieren's new journey is not just about rediscovering memories and remnants of her past, but also bringing a new tag of team and make more memories with them along the journey. It's all about memories and history, from the past up to present... and probably the future also.
Other thing to mention. The voice acting is magnificent. Is very relaxing and not overwhelming, complimenting the artstyle and music. Making it really enjoyable to watch.
My favorites are probably Frieren and Fern, but I agree that the whole cast does a great job with the voice acting.
And now you know why Clannad is still so popular, the need to come to grips with loss after the loss occurred.
Is it a hot take if I say Fuuko is the best part of season 1? I keep seeing people put down her story arc. But yeah, After Story is in a different league.
@@littleorphananimeYT She certainly set the stage for the stories that were to come.
If all I knew about the show was "sad elf learns to human", I would've still tuned in.
I'm still waiting for "sad human learns to elf."
@@littleorphananimeYTI don’t think there’s a human being able to live long enough for that to happen 😅😅😅
@@davidvasquez08 Good point 😆
It's telling that someone just retelling some of the vague plot points of the show managed to bring a tear to my eye. That's how you know you've got a unique show on your hands...
The reason of the series sucess its because at one point, we all (or almost everyone) have been Frieren, when we where little, we were all in a hurry to grow up, be adults then we finally get there we get to discover so much about ourselves, we become numb at the passage of time and the clock ticks faster, a year or two goes by in a hearthbeat while before it looked like an eternity, life gets complicated and we miss so much about past days than we though could be possible, friends, family, holidays, places, we get regrets we try to amend those regrets one way or another and we try to live on
I definitely feel that passage of time thing. It really does feel like time keeps speeding up.
"Hey buddy, do you want to watch an elf be sad for 28 episodes?"
Dwarves: ** "GIVE ME YOUR ENTIRE STOCK!"
😂
The show is excellent because the manga is great and all the anime creators loves the title.
You can tell that they really respected the source material.
As a manga reader, yeah, it keeps up, unlike Oshi No Ko that starts with a burst, but dwindles
Glad to hear the source material stays strong. Let's hope the anime adaptation does, too. (I don't see why it wouldn't other than, you know, meteor strike, stupid decisions, dinosaur attack, etc.)
I say Oshi no Ko is just preparing to speed up.
No breaks on the AquRuby Train.
Heres the one thing that hooked me on frieren: the characters
I think any fantasy show, whether itd be a dark fantasy, a battle shounen, or an isekai, needs to have characters that are charismatic and likeable
What i mean by this essentially boils down to: would i watch a slice of life show of these characters. And for frieren it is a massive yes.
Granted frieren pretty much is a sol show, it still has action, magic, adventure etc.
Frieren being a goof, fern being the doting mother of the group, stark's innonence, heiter's drinking etc. These characters just being on screen is entertaining and that makes me care. It makes me invested and it makes me want to keep watching
More than the beautiful visuals and soundtrack, more than the worldbuilding or storytelling, its the characters that make this show
I like those descriptions of the main cast. I wonder if we could say that, for most good shows, the characters are what stand out the most. Unless maybe there's a big plot twist that people remember more vividly.
Frieren is the most mature depiction of processing LIFE I have ever seen. What is identity. What does it mean to truly love someone else selflessly and unrequited. Is it a qualitative or quantitative difference between a master and a novice in terms of their love for their art. How do we pick up the pieces after they can never be put back together again. Everything expressed is done so with maturity and security.
Well said. I like how you can tell even from episode 1 that Himmel feels a selfless love for Frieren, and as the show goes on you see her start to mirror that kind of compassion towards others.
What I do like about it is that it is also highly rewatchable, as you notice so many little details. You can really feel the love for the story the director had with the carefully placed visuals and soundtrack.
I've only seen it the one time so far, so that's good news if this is the type of anime that you notice more details each time you watch it.
What I love about Frieren is its exploration of time and immortality. They portray this conflict of limited time for mortals and the desire to live and it beautifully uses this theme to add depth to characters. Most notably Himmel. One of the things that I noticed is that the series portrays Himmel as an idealization of humans and truly one of a kind (showed by how Frieren reminisced about him and looked up to him, portrayal of a true hero, etc…) and this is because Himmel finds the answer to this conflict. Which is for people to remember him. If people remember him even after his death. This means that his existence will be engraved throughout humanity making him immortal (this is actually a central idea about immortality in greek mythology). This is what motivated him to become a hero and most importantly, live a life as if he had unlimited time just like Frieren.
I like your idea about Himmel being motivated by a desire to be remembered. In my day job I run into a lot of poets and authors who wanted to become immortal through their writing. (I mean, I run into their work. Most of them are dead). Trying to achieve the same thing through fame or heroism is an interesting twist.
Loved your video ! And yeah, the visuals at the start are quite simple, but the artists really show that's a choice later on.
Thanks, I appreciate that! I wonder if they kept the opening visuals simple to keep production costs down, or to mirror how the story goes from simple to complex. (I'm guessing it's the latter).
Just to let you know; having read a LOT of Fantasy stories throughout my sixdecades plus years, i can say that Frieren reminds me very much og the fantasy novels of C.J. Cherryh, most specifically the three novels of the Tree Of Swords and Jewels which also deals with a female elf coming to grips with the short lives of humans that she comes into contact with. It's a series of three novels and each tackles an aspect of the elf's life, including her brief intimate, but ultimately sad romance with one human male. This is why, when i heard of frieren in manga and anime, i was immediately drawn to it and the main character. Along with 'the Ancient Magus' Bride", both anime are my favorite when it comes to serious, mature anime fantasy stories.
I've heard good things about Cherryh's stuff; I'll have to check those out.
About to finish an audiobook and was looking for new book start on, thanks.
I think this show can only be fully appreciated by adults, people who have experienced life: losts, regrets, questioning yourself, thinking and feeling the passage of time. I don't think if I watch this show ten years ago I would've like it as much as I do now.
I keep seeing a lot of people says this is a very chill anime, they're not wrong, but this anime is actually one of the few that makes me contemplates after and throughout each episodes.
When I started to really get into anime, I was already in my 30s, so like you I wonder if some shows would have had a different impact when I was younger.
this review is so underrated. this deserves more audience so keep it up! i loved it
Thanks, I appreciate that!
I personally have never seen it as a show about a sad elf but as a show about an elf just coming to terms with her flaw as a long-lived species. I've come to notice that Frieren typically remembers and cherishes her memories in a positive light and at times solemnly, but never gloomy. These memories of hers have always been a source of great comfort, never sadness.
Interesting that you would call her long life a flaw. I wonder if it's not just that her life is long, but that she stands out from everyone else with shorter lifespans. If her world was completely populated by elves, I doubt the show would have such a philosophical vibe.
Something different about Frieren that I love which Ou hadn't mentioned is the characterization of it's antagonists. While the anime has yet to explore demons in more detail we have gotten a good description of them and will get more of that later on.
Demons are Monsters dressed in human skin using human language. They are not depicted overly evil or destructive so as to make you think immediately "evil" because if you had the instinct "evil" then so would anyone with common sense in that world.
Instead they are the Anglerfish of humanity. Frieren describes it perfectly and the demons we see agree too. They are quite literally monsters yet it is impossible to implicitly dislike them when you haven't seen them do bad *yet*
Yeah, I think of the demons more as natural predators of humans in this show rather than expressions of pure evil. "Humans' anglerfish" seems a good way to describe it.
Great video and series, I liked your commentary on the simple but powerful scenes in the beginning. Frieren and himmel are always shown shoulder to shoulder when in a group, leading to that absolutely devastating shot at the funeral where frieren stands alone under the window, looks over slightly to the empty space by her side and then down slightly. One of my favorite scenes of all time immediately after seeing it
Thank you. Nice description of what makes that scene so powerful.
This anime show how talented the director of Bocchi the Rock is, feels like he has magic touch to bring manga into anime 😂
I am definitely watching whatever he directs next. I'll have to remember that name (Keiichiro Saito).
let's not forget the source material AKA the manga already really good.
@@blurdreamer in deed but they anime added many detail to enhanced the epic
Not gonna lie I agree with the title. This anime shouldn’t have gotten me so invested with continuing, but I always look forward to seeing more. I was sure after a couple of episodes I would’ve already gotten bored and dropped the show. I guess if not too many have dropped then it’s either the opening that’s a whole treat or the world building which seems more likely.
That's interesting that it's the opening that clicks with you. Whenever I hear the ending song, I don't tear up or anything, but I do suddenly feel like giving my mom a call.
I absolutely adore the montage section of each episode. I make Tabletop RPGs and am considering adding a montage element to the games.
That's an interesting idea: I can't even picture how that would work. I hope you make it so I can see what it would be like!
The moment I saw Frierens synopsis is fucking beautiful and is so unexpected sometimes
This is the first time I heard someone mention about the ED. While everyone already knows how good the story is, the ED wasn't acknowledged enough, at least not what I saw online. The visual is stunning, the symbolization is sublime, and then there's the lyrics. I can't stress enough how much I love the lyrics. It touches on the subject of "the second chance" which fits the theme of the show perfectly. It's my favorite ED of the season, or the year, even.
Second chance, yes. That's what I feel when Frieren interacts with Stark and Fern. Well said.
I think this anime could also be described as "Iyashikei" one of the core genres of Anime & Manga, much like how there are "Shounen", "Romcom", "Seinen", and so on- ❤
Yes, and not many iyashikei have bloody demon fights, but somehow it works 😆
Just goes to show, that in storytelling there are no bad ideas - it always comes down to how your idea is told.
Yep. People always want to know "What's it about?" when you recommend anime, and then you get weird looks trying to explain Fruits Basket. It's all about the execution.
To me, the show heavily reminds me of Violet Evergarden. It plays with similar themes of discovering new relationships and how it ties back to a past where they didnt understand them, or didnt see the value in them.
I agree: there are a lot of similarities between those relationships in the two shows.
She's thankfully not sad for 28 episodes. This is just about coming to terms with the fleeting lives of humans as it is about learning to find and enjoy human connection.
Yeah, that would be a *long* time for her to display one emotion 😆
This was a great breakdown! You're 100% right, it's kind of hard to describe Frieren. I am in love with this show! It's such an amazing journey, both physically and emotionally. I can't wait to see where it goes!
Thanks @GrayeGoose I love that we get a full 28 episodes. That's a lot more to look forward to.
Even Gigguk says it’s a gem before it’s an anime and lovely
If Frieren can melt his heart then you know it's good 😆
You touched on so many reasons why I love this show. I can't gush enough about this show! I really liked it from the first few episodes. But there was a particular scene from episode 8 which vaulted it to my top anime. In any event, thanks for expounding your thoughts on this!
You're welcome. btw, my favorite scene so far happened all the way back in episode 3 😆
I really like how the show did portay this conflict with demon race.
Beings that speak words not because they believe understand or thinks them right. They speak for sole purpose of other party hearing what they want and what will make them fall a prey.
And then Frieren despite having her whole village raided isnt after them. She fights back, and you can see this on the rest of party too, as stark trembles before battle and they are like:"yikes, man it sucks to fight strong demons" rather than "Iam gonna anihilate every single demon" kind of shounen.
It is the story that shines the brightest in little moments.
Shows the ugly, and elevates the beutifull.
Sucha good ride.
Yeah, I like how the show makes the demons more like natural predators of humans rather than just congealed lumps of evil.
My prejudice: Well, maybe the guy who has ARIA on display in the background has something worthwhile to say about Frieren.
(Oh, and then 6:01 happened)
Nice review, it was short and sweet, and kept my attention.
I agree that we shouldn't go around pitching it as "sad elf hours" when it's actually an anime about a seed rat journeying to find all the food (for thought) her seed rat friends left behind across the continent.
Thanks. It does seem as though Frieren is following a trail of memories that was deliberately left for her.
The reason why I love this anime is the Eldorado and first class mage arc, that part of the manga was amazing and the combat perfect
The visuals aren't flashy most of the time, but the fight scenes are pretty epic.
I think the fights in Graf Granat's domain are still my favorite, but there are some good ones in the mage exam, too.
Beast tamer is the most underrated hidden gem in this 20+ year .
This story has some incredible depth! KInd of a very slow love story, ((Himmel x Frieren) and (Stark x Fern)), Loss and grief and (everyone is an orphan), fathers in various realms have lost sons, making contact with others, Fate vs Destiny, the necessary role of belief, function of comedy to leaven tragedy, time wounds all, do we think rationally or emotionally? Übel, what is evil? and why is there evil? Book of Job, the Romantic creation of imaginary heroes in Myth and Legend vs Real heroes who stand tall by their own bootstraps. the role of fathers who destroy the self-worth of their sons, And this is only a superficial pass through the plot. Everyone can find much more than this.
I'm curious about your Job reference: are you talking about Job suffering through his losses, or the more philosophical parts later in the book?
@@littleorphananimeYT I think both but that is just speculation. There certainly is no direct reference to the Book of Job, but the author wants to talk about why good people suffer, and most of his characters have suffered loss in extreme ways. Frieren, Fern, and Stark are all three orphans who watched their entire families, friends, village, and even tribe entirely and totally exterminated. Little Fern was going to kill herself until saved by Heiter, another orphan. This story is exceedingly grim and dark, and yet the author, successfully leavens this with comedy, I think this author might be a genius, but he has to land this plane successfully at its end. With so many issues, this could be a challenge.
ONE OF THE DARKEST YET BITTERSWEET & EMOTIONAL SHOUNEN ANIMÉ SERIES... BECAUSE SHE'S AN EQUIVALENT TO MAQUIA & IT REALLY HURTS! 👸🏰🐉✨📺😢😭
Can't believe I didn't think of the Maquia comparisons until now. Good point.
Actually, there are quite a few really good animations during the show. It is not like in many action anime where animations are made dynamic only to make the illusion that a lot is happening quickly, but the animation itself makes little sense or you see that corners were cut. In every Frieren episode there are many scenes where animators show little movements which are not needed for the plot but add depth and realism to the scene. And if there really is an action scene, animators do not cut corners. Pay attention to how fabric and hair move during such scenes. It never seems out of place. Those are times where I gasp like 'wow!' Maybe it is exactly because it is such a peaceful show that gives room for animators to flex their abilities like that?
I like the example of hair and fabric (and fur) as details to watch for good animation techniques: as you point out, it's not always about the big action scenes (even though I love those when they're done well).
I dont think you can call a show underrated when it steals number 1 spot of best anime of all time on My Anime List from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood which was on number 1 spot for 13 long years, thats not something an "underrated" story would do.
The core of beauty is simplicity
frieren: pulls aggro with fly, uses dispell to clear some adds, then toggles a passive off. Entire viewerbase loses their collective minds.
As long as I don't have to watch her grind for levels.
@@littleorphananimeYT nah, this is the highlight reel from a bossfight lol
What I love is that the boss fights are not unnaturally dragged out for 5/10/50 episodes. Also the trickery from the hero side no less lol.
@@jaideepshekhar4621 facts. the more you analyze that fight, the more you realize that frieren was scamming the whole time.
I'm not a big fan of shows that heavily use flashbacks to flesh out their characters. Old shows like Lost and Heroes are full of flashbacks.
Frieren, however, beautifully weaved flashbacks with its story. They are short and straight to the point. Himmel died in the first episode and yet he feels like he's still with them in this new journey.
Also, what's up with the weird mini theme for anime this year? A bunch of them start with a pivotal character dying in the first episode and become the impetus for protagonists to go on a journey of revenge for most of them or self-discovery in Frieren.
I think the difference in Frieren is that the flashback are like a subtle light that came to illuminate the present and not a brutal piece of exposition here to completely change our views on a character.
@dareka9425 Himmel feels as much a part of the main cast as just about anyone at this point.
@orelliaorellia142 I was trying to think of why the flashbacks work, and I think you've got it. They're not exposition, and each one is a story worth telling in its own right.
The way I found to describe the show to my friends is "correct"
It's correctly done.
Not too much nor too little, it has enough of what it needs to tell it's story.
I felt some LOTR vibes in that anime thats why i love it
Now I'm wondering if I would watch an anime remake of LOTR. Probably, as long as Gimli was a robot.
What are you saying? The premise is what’s made me want to watch it. That the beginning is “after” those supposedly 10 years of great adventures, fighting and becoming the world’s saviors.
I've seen a few pretty low-quality shows use that same idea in the past couple of years, so I wasn't fired up at the first. Thankfully Frieren doesn't wait around to show you how good it is.
I just finished ep10 this past week, and holy cow. I knew it was good before, but I'm now putting it in the best of all time list, not just best of the year.
Is that where they finish the Aura the Guillotine arc? That part was pretty great.
@@littleorphananimeYT Yup, that's exactly it!
I've not been this psyched for an anime in literally a decade -- Log Horizon was the last to catch me this much.
And, Frieren herself is quite a nut. Great writing and beautiful artwork. You quickly identify with the characters and understand their situation. Even this magic elf with an unimaginably long lifespan.
Even her calm and low key responses. "I am here to kill you."
"I must warn you that I am strong."
Good point. If she was just calm and easy going and that was it, it wouldn't work nearly as well. But she's got such a well-written personality with tons of little quirks.
Even early episodes have really nice visuals. They were focus shifting a lot (i.e. the rat scene) and this might be a suble thing that most people won't even notice, but it's the first time I noticed it in an anime. Sadly they stopped doing it. It really make everything more cinematic and immersive.
Interesting that they would use the technique and then just drop it. I do like it when anime shows simulate cinematic techniques, because it makes me think of how both mediums have influenced each other.
@@littleorphananimeYT at 3:46 in the video there's an example of the focus shifting I'm talking about, not sure if it's an early episode, so maybe it's not dropped completely and I've just got used to it. There's still some sort of bokeh happening most of the time, even in the video can be seen at 4:49.
Bocchi the Rock director adds another notch to his belt.
I mean, you can boil all dramas to people going trough sad experiences and being sad as a result, what matters is why they are sad, what the characters learn and how they grow as a result of being sad, until they stop or at least come to terms with their sadness.
Or until they all get eaten by monsters. Not enough dramas go that route.
@@littleorphananimeYT You know, that reminds me the first anime drama I watched as a teen was Saikano which went the everyone dies route. In retrospective I don't quite like that, while my younger self appreciated the shock value I am not sure there was much to be learned from that show, that anime likes to screw over its characters so much and so frequently that I have seen some describe it as drama porn.
Ahah, true actually. Many people said this anime is awsome but I struggled to watch it because of the description. Immortal elf travelling, trying to understand time and humanity... - sounds boring. But then I tried it - and now it's one of my favorites, watched in one breath
Glad to know other people gave it a shot after being hesitant at first.
"Already too old for being young, never mature to be adult"
Frieren
the manga was a instant like from the start for me when it came out in 2020....and i really love to see new people exploring it whit the anime...and for the last question...yeah the story do keep it up
I'm surprised the manga is that recent. I thought it would have been around for longer, but I guess not.
Its giving Mushishi vibes, and I couldn't be happier. Its the only anime this season I can't wait for every week
I look forward to this one and Apothecary Diaries each week, though I'm not exactly sure why. I'm never blown away by it, but whenever an episode ends, I think, "That was fun. When can I watch the next one?"
It can keep it up as long as they say true to the manga. Read the manga if you really want to know.
So is the manga complete, or is it still going on?
@@littleorphananimeYTstill going. 117 chapter as we speak, 11 volume in total, almost 12. The first season will cover the first 6 volumes.
@orelliaorellia142 Thanks. Sounds like there's enough for season 2 already . . .
@@littleorphananimeYT Yep, and I'm very excited for it, there will be arcs in season two that I really want to see animated !
The thing with the flashiness (or lack thereof) is that WHEN it's used, it feels more impactful.
Too much flashiness dulls your senses to it. Think of other shows, or movies (looking at the later transformers movies) where they are flashy nearly 24/7, and it feels like meh, just another flashy explosion or w/e. It becomes boring.
It should be used to accentuate, not dominate.
Frieren understands that, and the director for Frieren does as well.
I've come to an odd realisation. This anime represents what we liked about the MCU, character and story telling over plots and politics
and you alright?
Can you hear me?
The background illustrations are amazing. And it has a Ghibli feel to it cause they brought an old reitred Ghibili animator out of retirement.
Huh, I didn't know that. Makes sense.
I do enjoy these characters, Great breakdown
Thanks, these are a lot more fun to make when the show is good.
I think this is going to be an ageless anime, just as relevant twenty years from now as it is now
This made me check back to see what came out twenty years ago to see if any are still relevant. Some good stuff that year: Elfen Lied, Gankutsuou, Ghost in the Shell SAC, Monster, Paranoia Agent, Samurai Champloo. Maria Watches Over Us and Windy Tales are personal favorites, but I don't know how well they're known today. Frieren should definitely make it on that kind of list twenty years from now.
It might be the greatest show I’ve ever watched
I love love love these characters
I'm glad you're enjoying the show so much; it's a really good one. I think a lot of people are going to move it to the top of their list of favorites.
It's not a story of sad elf.
It's just a story of a lazy elf wanted to procrastinate but her old friend gave a side quest to babysit his apprentice thus lead to another side quests 😂
I'm the type of player who has to do all of the side quests. Frieren would probably want to rush the game (at least at first) 😄
@@littleorphananimeYT Frieren was the gameplay & mechanics player until finished the main quest story 🤣
The key is producer, he made bochi the rock
12-04-2024 it's Top No:1 Anime Now😊
Totally deserves it. It will be fun to see how long it keeps it.
Im just happy a pure fantasy show has become so popular over all the isekai this season
Honestly that pitch seems good to me
I don't understand it.. I was really into _Yokohama Kaidashi Kiko_ back when I was a young boy of the late 90s, which is a calming, almost dreamlike manga told of a post-apocalyptic Earth, and a region near Japan that has an eager-hearted and helpful robot named Alpha, minding a coffee shop while waiting for her creator to return. She interacts with the folks around town, travels on her scooter, even runs afoul of a few wonders and mysteries here and there, but mostly it tells an intensely harmless story about coming to grips with where you are in life, and being at that crossroads between youth and old age, where you face obsolescence or a bright tomorrow of purpose. Alpha has no powers, or extra-human strength, combat capabilities, really anything besides mechanized permanence and being waterproof I think, but she too will run out of mobility someday and cease to function. Before that, she's going to have to deal with the passing of the folks in town she's made friends with, the annoying kid, the strange old man working the garage; even her cafe will one day be reclaimed by the elements as the oceans slowly continue to rise. It's an elegiac and solemn reflection on what it means to exist and have existed, when you turn the story one way, and look into it. It's a distinctly japanese kind of nostalgic sadness that is impossible for me to define, and yet, I try to suggest it whenever it feels right.
Why the heck does Frieren bounce off my head then? I've got to have messed up somewhere.
I love YKK; I've even thought about doing a video on the OVAs for the four people who would watch it 😆 I still might some day. One thing I find fascinating about YKK is that solitude is practically a member of the cast, and it's not a depressing, lurking character, either. The loneliness in the show is like a comforting solace that is part of a larger goodbye for a dying world, and I'm not sure I could say the same thing about Frieren, since it seems like a more sociable show. Interesting comparison you've brought up.
@@littleorphananimeYT That's a remarkable point, yeah! It's almost like that pronounced absence of a population is changed, or is the new population, like when Alpha is shown that sunken town nearby that lights up at nite still. There's this kind of new reality to it that was not very new for its time, but a new way to look at it for sure. Again, it's all dealing with the impermanence of life, and how that can make it seem like the most beautiful gift of all: not just to live, but to _have lived._
That sunken town scene was exactly the one I had in mind.
Every story genre that becomes popular enough will produce serious artistic content eventually. Look to early science fiction, westerns, and other forms of popular fiction and compare them to various 'Issekai' plots and you will see what I mean.
You have a point, but I would still rather read early sci fi than 80% of most isekai shows.
@@littleorphananimeYT I agree.There was plenty of solid idea driven sci-fi back in the day. I was just observing that some forms of popular entertainment become more artistically sophisticated with time and the numbers of people producing them.
Congrats on the views
Thanks
Such a god show and I had similar reservations to you when I started the manga but it worked its magic on me.
The weirdest thing for me is that I didn't hear anything about this show until it started airing. It was just like, "Oh, by the way, here's a potential masterpiece out of thin air."
i as manga reader just cannot get past the op. i feel like the image of the series i have being shattered by the upbeat song so i dont even wanna watch past the OP of 1st ep. what i understand they choose whoever band / artist that is popular no matter how suitable or unsuitable their music genre to the series image
Interesting: going in blind, I never thought of the OP being a bad match, but I guess it makes a difference if you come in with expectations.
@@littleorphananimeYT ive seen many of my favourite manga clobbered into pieces by shitty anime adaptation. im really really traumatic to go past opening after knowing they did a lot of changes on the series image
"Underrated"? meanwhile, the show already made it to 1st rank in MAL site. That being said, I enjoy the show so far and I also consider it a strong candidate for anime of the year.
Other shows I also recommend which do have similar themes are Kino's Journey, To Your Eternity, and Haibane Renmei. Nice Aria and Erin recommendation though!
I meant that it's a hit, but it doesn't have the huge viewership numbers to match its critical rating (yet). Love seeing that Haibane Renmei rec: that one's in my top five all time.
Great video love this description of Frieren!
Thanks! I am surprised at how much I like this show.
Same here When I started watching it I didn't have much of an expectation but man this show has out done itself. @@littleorphananimeYT
this intro was the best...
It was fun to do the voices
I just caught up on the manga, the frieren anime will continue to impress and be a beautiful experience, mark my words!
Bad pitch? The pitch that I saw read to me like someone's hacked my account and read the premise for an RP character I made... some time ago. (I guess it would've been a few years back by this point... maybe?) Neadless to say I was _very_ interested from that alone.
This and vindland saga top 2 for me this year
I just finished season 2 of Vinland Saga! Very different from season 1, but still really good.
Kemono No Souja Erin is a good piece !
Yes it is! I'm glad at least a few people still remember it.
@littleorphananimeYT Nowadays, in anime, there are a lot of fanservice that kinda destroy the show. This hinders the artistic flow from the artists.
The manga is even more insane
it came out of nowhere n has an amazing story - her homour n no fuks given (on time passing) is brilliant
after your strong recommendation I might actually check this out
read the manga back then but eventually got bored... not that it doesn't have its moments but it's just too uneventful most of the time
Glad you're thinking of giving this one a shot. If you're worried about it being too slow, then maybe wait until you're in the right mood for it. I had to start Mushi-shi a couple of times for a similar reason; now it's one of my favorites.
I seriously don’t get how the premise sounds strange. The premise sounds great. It sounds like a great oportunity to look inwards at a character, rather than base everything on action. I mean be biased because I read the manga, but even then I recall thinking the premise sounded great back when I picked it up
Nice breakdown.
Thanks!
Great video but...
I think the fact that it did do so well is proof that the premise wasn't bad in the first place. In fact it's a highly interesting premise. A lot of people desire immortality. This shows the harsh truth of it.
Apparently a lot of people were intrigued by the premise, but for me it was something that kept me away at first. One of the main reasons I made the video was to encourage people who were in my shoes to give the show a chance (since anyone who liked the premise was going to watch it anyway).
More like it worked, and more than we thought.