Frieren: Beyond Journey's End gets more emotional when you rewatch it.
At the beginning of the series it’s difficult to truly care about the characters.
They grow on you over time, and just like Frieren, you understand human bonds better.
When Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sousou no Frieren) begins, we as viewers don’t feel any particular connection to its characters yet. It’s not just a Frieren thing, of course; it goes for all pieces of media. And this is what makes rewatching a series so good. When you’ve spent a lot of time with the characters and seen their development and journey, it’s always curious to remember how things started. And Frieren is especially good when it comes to this.
We didn’t know anything about the characters
At the beginning of the series Frieren’s party comes back after defeating the Demon King. We know nothing about them or their relationships. The first episode decides not to waste your time, and the party members start dying of old age already. But let’s be honest, it was hardly overly touching for anyone who was just getting into Frieren for the first time. Although Himmel is a type of character who instantly grabs your attention, there just wasn’t enough time to get truly attached to him.
The story requires time
But after you’ve watched more episodes of the series, the situation is changing. Episode 14 is especially good at playing with your feelings. The entire scene with Himmel giving Frieren a ring makes you wonder what could have been if she chose to stay with him and spend the rest of his human life by his side. Moreover, when you’re rewatching the series, you start noticing small details, like Frieren fiddling with the ring after Himmel’s funeral. This is an anime only thing, but it’s such a great addition to the manga!
Other party members also grow on the viewers over time. Their stories and their personalities are something like a puzzle that you have to solve, and each episode provides a new piece of this puzzle for you.
This storytelling strategy is definitely intentional. The goal of the series is to show Frieren changing and understanding the true meaning of human bonds. The time she spent with her party members was just a mere moment for her, so their deaths couldn’t possibly affect her that much. The same goes for the viewers. Just like Frieren, we’re beginning to realize how much Himmel and the others actually meant to Frieren, and the attachment to them is growing. This is a clever parallel to the main protagonist, and just as her heart is melting, ours do, too.
It also gets more heartbreaking.
Summary:
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End gets more emotional when you rewatch it.
At the beginning of the series it’s difficult to truly care about the characters.
They grow on you over time, and just like Frieren, you understand human bonds better.
When Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sousou no Frieren) begins, we as viewers don’t feel any particular connection to its characters yet. It’s not just a Frieren thing, of course; it goes for all pieces of media. And this is what makes rewatching a series so good. When you’ve spent a lot of time with the characters and seen their development and journey, it’s always curious to remember how things started. And Frieren is especially good when it comes to this.
We didn’t know anything about the characters
At the beginning of the series Frieren’s party comes back after defeating the Demon King. We know nothing about them or their relationships. The first episode decides not to waste your time, and the party members start dying of old age already. But let’s be honest, it was hardly overly touching for anyone who was just getting into Frieren for the first time. Although Himmel is a type of character who instantly grabs your attention, there just wasn’t enough time to get truly attached to him.
The story requires time
But after you’ve watched more episodes of the series, the situation is changing. Episode 14 is especially good at playing with your feelings. The entire scene with Himmel giving Frieren a ring makes you wonder what could have been if she chose to stay with him and spend the rest of his human life by his side. Moreover, when you’re rewatching the series, you start noticing small details, like Frieren fiddling with the ring after Himmel’s funeral. This is an anime only thing, but it’s such a great addition to the manga!
Other party members also grow on the viewers over time. Their stories and their personalities are something like a puzzle that you have to solve, and each episode provides a new piece of this puzzle for you.
This storytelling strategy is definitely intentional. The goal of the series is to show Frieren changing and understanding the true meaning of human bonds. The time she spent with her party members was just a mere moment for her, so their deaths couldn’t possibly affect her that much. The same goes for the viewers. Just like Frieren, we’re beginning to realize how much Himmel and the others actually meant to Frieren, and the attachment to them is growing. This is a clever parallel to the main protagonist, and just as her heart is melting, ours do, too.
