Frieren is an Elven Mage.
She has lived for hundreds of years and many pass as if through the
blink of an eye. When one of her most
beloved traveling companions passes away from old age, the ageless Elf finds
herself face to face with human mortality.
Determined to understand it, Frieren embarks on a new quest with a new
party to find the resting place of souls so she can bid a proper farewell to
the people who’s lives have impacted her the most.
It’s been a while since a title was suggested to me by
virtually everyone I know.
Even my
sister has been urging me to give Frieren a go.
While after much meandering about it, I’ve decided to give it a First
Impression Friday slot.
Aside from the
title, I didn’t know much about Frieren going into it.
The most I knew were the occasional Youtube
clip of a cute Elven girl getting stuck in a Mimic (a Monster masquerading as a
Treasure Box).
It’s a funny bit and
apparently theyre a bit of a weakness for our titular Mage.
But man oh man, this is a heavy title
considering the subject matter and the impact it has on Frieren.
The first episode alone seems like a good
table layout of everything to expect but is it a journey worth embarking on?
Elves in Fantasy stories are usually portrayed as
ageless, incredibly attractive and virtually immortal but not impervious to
harm.
Their long lifespans garuntee they
watch the world grow and change at least once or twice over.
Hence why looking at the meaning of life
through the eyes of such a being is a good idea.
And we’re not talking about a battle tested
warrior like Highlander.
No Frieren is
clearly set up as a more reflective look at life and how someone who kind of
takes it for granted learns to embrace the moment.
The moment this hit me the hardest was when
Frieren casually tells her traveling companions of ten years that she’ll be
back in fifty years like she’s just going out for a quick errand.
It’s a pretty pivotal moment for
understanding how this series is probably going to go.
And something tells me that by the end of the
first episode, Frieren will think twice before saying something like that to
people she may never see again.
Looking past the somber tone of the Anime, Frieren is
very beautiful, both the show and the character herself.
Studio Madhouse is handling the production
and considering I know them mostly for the extreme Anime I grew up with like
Ninja Scroll, it’s nice to see them pump the breaks and work on something more
chill than violent.
As for Frieren
herself, yeah she’s gorgeously drawn and its easy to see why many have taken to
her beyond her story.
Her outfit makes
her ideal for any cosplayer out there and while her directness is sometimes
inappropriate, there’s still something likeable about Frieren, despite her
needing to learn more about embracing the moment with the people closest to
you.
Personally I’m hoping to see more
of her old adventures with her party of 10 years, based on the snippets they
have some fun stories to tell.
There’s no denying it, this is a heavy title.
But considering everyone and their Mom wants
me to check it out, I might have to give in to peer pressure on this one.
Frieren seems a perfectly capable lead and
the big revelations she’ll no doubt come across are garunteed to hit right in
the feels.
Well then, guess I’d better
saddle up for another adventure on the long list of Anime I’m willing to give a
chance.
I just hope I haven’t flooded my
house with tears by the end of it.
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