Sometimes openings do not fit an anime very well. Is that the case with Frieren?
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sōsō no Furīren) is just starting to be aired, but there are already some concerns about the anime's opening. People claim that it does not fit the anime, and we want to investigate why.
The opening of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End has a song that is quite quick and electronic both in terms of music and voice. It has been called "busy," and it does feel that way.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is, in turn, an anime set in a DnD-like fantasy world. While magic seems to be good at replacing technology in that world, it is hard to believe that electronic music can be produced by those who live there. In other words, people argue that it might have been better to use some folk music that employs traditional musical instruments. That would fit the anime a little better and would put the viewers in the mood suitable for a DnD-like adventure.
The business of the opening was also questioned. The music is a little too fast-paced for Frieren, who is a methodical, calm person. She, and the anime with her, do not have anywhere to hurry, which is why the quick melody and singing were deemed inappropriate for the character.
It is also noteworthy that the song itself is really good. It is liked by people; they just do not believe that it fits the anime.
That said, some arguments in favor of the opening can be made. First of all, due to being fast-paced and electronic, it sounds a little like it is from a different world. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End introduces another world, and the eerie singing of the opening highlights it. That same eerie singing also does seem to fit the general understanding of what an elf is. When imagining an elf, a lot of people think about something magical, and the music is suitable for that.
That said, a folk song with regular musical instruments and a slower pace could also be magical and otherworldly. The studio could have made the opening fit the anime better. And they did not.
In the end, openings should fit the anime they introduce to the audience, and in the case of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, one can argue quite effectively that it did not work out. It does not mean that the song is bad; it is quite good. The problem is that it might have been placed in an opening to the wrong anime, and that is upsetting.
Sometimes openings do not fit an anime very well. Is that the case with Frieren?
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sōsō no Furīren) is just starting to be aired, but there are already some concerns about the anime's opening. People claim that it does not fit the anime, and we want to investigate why.
The opening of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End has a song that is quite quick and electronic both in terms of music and voice. It has been called "busy," and it does feel that way.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is, in turn, an anime set in a DnD-like fantasy world. While magic seems to be good at replacing technology in that world, it is hard to believe that electronic music can be produced by those who live there. In other words, people argue that it might have been better to use some folk music that employs traditional musical instruments. That would fit the anime a little better and would put the viewers in the mood suitable for a DnD-like adventure.
The business of the opening was also questioned. The music is a little too fast-paced for Frieren, who is a methodical, calm person. She, and the anime with her, do not have anywhere to hurry, which is why the quick melody and singing were deemed inappropriate for the character.
It is also noteworthy that the song itself is really good. It is liked by people; they just do not believe that it fits the anime.
That said, some arguments in favor of the opening can be made. First of all, due to being fast-paced and electronic, it sounds a little like it is from a different world. Frieren: Beyond Journey's End introduces another world, and the eerie singing of the opening highlights it. That same eerie singing also does seem to fit the general understanding of what an elf is. When imagining an elf, a lot of people think about something magical, and the music is suitable for that.
That said, a folk song with regular musical instruments and a slower pace could also be magical and otherworldly. The studio could have made the opening fit the anime better. And they did not.
In the end, openings should fit the anime they introduce to the audience, and in the case of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, one can argue quite effectively that it did not work out. It does not mean that the song is bad; it is quite good. The problem is that it might have been placed in an opening to the wrong anime, and that is upsetting.
