Frieren: Beyond Journey's End - Reflections

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is an anime I’ve really come to love recently.

It’s hard to pitch this anime to someone who hasn’t watched it at all. It’s the story of an elven mage who adventured with the Hero. She lives for an extraordinarily long time, far beyond the human lifespan. Long after the humans who once journeyed with her have passed away, she realizes she knew nothing about humanity, and so she sets out on a journey once more. It sounds boring on paper, but all I can say is: you just have to watch it to understand.

What Frieren does best is depicting the everyday moments. The story isn’t about defeating a big boss in every episode; instead, it focuses much more on the small stories along the journey. At first glance, they might seem unremarkable, but the anime manages to convey these emotions with incredible nuance and delicacy.

Frieren might seem devoid of emotion on the surface, but watching the story unfold, I’ve grown to adore her personality. Calm, rational, composed, observant, and reflective, with things she genuinely loves (collecting spells and diving headfirst into mimics). Looking at the MBTI 16 personalities, Frieren would probably be an INTP, though as the plot progresses, she seems to slowly become an INFP (maybe).

Spoiler Warning

I really loved the scene at the end of the First-Class Mage Exam arc where Frieren shatters the Great Mage Serie’s barrier for Kanne’s sake.

Magic should be free.

That scene moved me deeply. Not just because the animation was exquisitely crafted—with breathtaking visuals and music—but also because of the gentleness Frieren showed, breaking the barrier simply because she felt it would be a pity for Kanne. I hope I can become someone like that: peace-loving, not great at expressing emotions, yet powerful and gentle.