Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has commenced the anime’s best arc so far as the latest season returns from a one-week hiatus. Season 1 ended after Fern received her official First Class Mage certification so her party could be allowed to travel North. The story continues as the party keeps getting into more danger, but they are slowly heading towards their destination. After wrapping up the Continued Travels Northern Arc, the story commences the Divine Revolte Arc, which brings Frieren and her party to the Rufen Region of the Northern Plateau, where they are tasked with slaying a demon that has destroyed the village. Since the second season is scheduled for only 10 episodes, it’s almost nearing its finale.
The story has progressed significantly compared to the first season, and the journey will keep getting more intense as the party gets closer to Aureole. Per Oricon, the cast members talked about the ongoing season and the major changes that happened in the story. The series is focusing more on the interaction between the main characters compared to the first season. The voices behind Frieren (Atsumi Tanezaki), Fern (Kana Ichinose), and Stark (Chiaki Kobayashi) all discuss the series, including their thoughts on the changes in the themes and messages of the story compared to Season 1.
Frieren’s Voice Actor Opens Up About The Change in Her Character
Image courtesy of Madhouse
Compared to the rest of her former party, Frieren has a much longer lifespan which is why she has to be the one to carry their memories in the future. Tanezaki shares, “With these two, Fern and Stark, she is traveling while actively trying to understand humans more.”
The voice actor adds, “She chooses to be with them in order to learn, they share intense time together, and yet one day they will be gone. I would imagine Frieren after the two of them are no longer there, and I would end up crying alone in the middle of the night.”
During the initial phase of the story, Frieren expressed her indifference towards learning about humans even after a decade-long journey with her former party. Considering how human life is fleeting to her, she doesn’t find any meaning in forming connections with them. However, this changed after Himmel’s death when she regretted not knowing him better. Frieren embarked on a journey to reach Aureole, a land where the souls of the dead rest and reunite with him.
She has Fern and Stark with her, and this time, she is making an effort to learn more about her party and those she meets during her journey. However, even if she does learn more about them, they will eventually leave her behind in the blink of an eye. That’s what makes her journey even more tragic and yet meaningful. Even the time she spent with Himmel and the others wasn’t all for nothing.
The story beautifully weaves present-day events with echoes of the past, creating a narrative where both timelines exist side by side. The first season focused on reflective glimpses into Frieren’s journey with Himmel’s party that added emotional depth to the story. However, this time, those memories are guiding her and affecting her present decisions a lot more than they used to.
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