The Japanese title of the series was mentioned in the anime itself.
The closest translation of “sousou” is funeral.
“Sousou no Frieren” is the name demons gave Frieren.
You know this moment when you turn into a Leonardo DiCaprio meme, pointing at your screen? The one when the name of an anime is included in the actual series, we mean.
Such a thing blew a lot of fans’ minds in Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin), when it turned out that the name of the series actually meant the name of Eren’s titan. Which led to some confusion about the translation of the title.
But Attack on Titan is not the only series that’s done it, and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sousou no Frieren) also “joined the chat” a couple of months ago when Episode 8 of the anime was released.
What is “sousou”?
While talking about Frieren, Lügner used the Japanese name of the series itself, 葬送のフリーレン or “Sousou no Frieren” that was translated as “Frieren the Slayer” in some of the subs. But what does it really mean?
The word “sousou” is closely connected to death and the act of sending a deceased person away, like we usually do at a funeral. It doesn’t have the exact same meaning as “funeral” and can exist in contexts outside of it, but if we’re looking for the best equivalent, funeral suits well.
The story of the anime starts with her attending Himmel’s funeral, and the point of the series is Frieren reevaluating her life and human bonds after the death of her former party members. That’s why it would feel natural to suggest that the title of the series is connected to that.
This led to some fans thinking that the name of the series emphasized the importance of Himmel’s (and the others’) death in Frieren’s life and showed how she sent her friends off one by one. However, this is not what the title of the manga and anime means.
The Lügner scene reveals that “Sousou no Frieren” is actually the title demons gave to Frieren because she’s the mage who slew more demons than anyone else in history. She sent them off to their graves, meaning she killed them. That’s why the series translated this phrase as “Frieren the Slayer.”
This double meaning of the title made a lot of manga fans super hyped and surprised back in the day. And that’s why it’s so upsetting for them that anime-onlys might not have even noticed such a thing due to the translation issues.
It’s more interesting than you think.
Summary:
The Japanese title of the series was mentioned in the anime itself.
The closest translation of “sousou” is funeral.
“Sousou no Frieren” is the name demons gave Frieren.
You know this moment when you turn into a Leonardo DiCaprio meme, pointing at your screen? The one when the name of an anime is included in the actual series, we mean.
Such a thing blew a lot of fans’ minds in Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin), when it turned out that the name of the series actually meant the name of Eren’s titan. Which led to some confusion about the translation of the title.
But Attack on Titan is not the only series that’s done it, and Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sousou no Frieren) also “joined the chat” a couple of months ago when Episode 8 of the anime was released.
What is “sousou”?
While talking about Frieren, Lügner used the Japanese name of the series itself, 葬送のフリーレン or “Sousou no Frieren” that was translated as “Frieren the Slayer” in some of the subs. But what does it really mean?
The word “sousou” is closely connected to death and the act of sending a deceased person away, like we usually do at a funeral. It doesn’t have the exact same meaning as “funeral” and can exist in contexts outside of it, but if we’re looking for the best equivalent, funeral suits well.
The story of the anime starts with her attending Himmel’s funeral, and the point of the series is Frieren reevaluating her life and human bonds after the death of her former party members. That’s why it would feel natural to suggest that the title of the series is connected to that.
This led to some fans thinking that the name of the series emphasized the importance of Himmel’s (and the others’) death in Frieren’s life and showed how she sent her friends off one by one. However, this is not what the title of the manga and anime means.
The Lügner scene reveals that “Sousou no Frieren” is actually the title demons gave to Frieren because she’s the mage who slew more demons than anyone else in history. She sent them off to their graves, meaning she killed them. That’s why the series translated this phrase as “Frieren the Slayer.”
This double meaning of the title made a lot of manga fans super hyped and surprised back in the day. And that’s why it’s so upsetting for them that anime-onlys might not have even noticed such a thing due to the translation issues.
