Try it out if you still haven’t.
Summary:
- Frieren fans say that you should listen to the anime OST while reading the manga.
- In general, this enhances the experience for many manga, not just Frieren.
- Fans still believe the sequel will be announced at some point.
If you enjoyed the Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (Sousou no Frieren) anime, chances are that you went on to pick up the manga. And yes, the manga is great as well — in fact, the unadapted arcs are considered even better than the ones that were actually adapted.
Still, the manga lacks something, and that something is the amazing presentation of the anime.
The anime had breathtaking animation, gorgeous background art and amazing music. Unfortunately, you can’t really get two of these in the manga — but you can surely get the third one!
Reading Frieren While Listening to Anime OST Enhances the Experience
Indeed, Frieren fans mentioned that an even better way to experience the manga is to read it while listening to the soundtrack of the anime. The music in the series was actually perfect for its slow-paced fantasy adventure vibe, and, as manga continues to be pretty much more of the same, it also fits the future arcs.
With the entirety of the soundtrack releasing on platforms like Spotify and YouTube Music a few weeks ago, there’s no reason not to try this approach if you’re reading the Frieren manga. Listening to the music from the anime makes you feel the atmosphere better, after all.
Many Manga Benefit from This Treatment, Not Just Frieren
It’s actually not an approach that was invented by Frieren fans. It’s quite common for anime fans to listen to the music from the adaptation while reading the source material. That’s pretty easy to explain, too: music often gets you into the mood of the anime (and its source material, of course), matching the tone perfectly.
Of course, this doesn’t even mean just the opening and ending songs. In fact, in Frieren’s case the first opening was actually criticized — it was considered a good song, but not a great fit for the anime itself. The best music to read Frieren with is actually the background music from the anime itself, not OP/ED.
What About Season 2?
However, if you still can’t get into Frieren’s manga — perhaps due to the lack of animation, which made the anime popular in the first place — it’s also totally fine. You can wait until the release of the second season.
And yes, it’s still not announced officially, but fans believe it will come out at some point. They’re content with waiting for a bit if that means ensuring the anime looks as good as the first season.