Fans note that Frieren’s expressions in manga and anime are subdued, but is it a bug or a feature?
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sousou no Frieren) spoilers ahead!
Summary
- The expressions of different characters of Frieren appear to be subdued.
- The characters still have a range of emotions that is more realistic than what other anime tend to have.
- Calmer, more subtle emotions appear better in the anime, but fans appreciate them in the manga as well.
- Other actions can show mood and experiences, and cartoonish exaggerated expressions are also used in Frieren.
Frieren’s Facial Expressions
Fans of both anime and manga comment on the fact that in Frieren, facial expressions are unusually subdued. Anime is generally very expressive, especially due to the use of large eyes and exaggerated emotions. Frieren even uses large eyes, and yet the characters of Frieren are said to have deadpan expressions.
To be clear, it is rarely meant as criticism. If anything, fans are amazed at how the animation manages to convey emotion through small, almost insignificant changes in the characters’ expressions. The animation, admittedly, is a little better at conveying emotion than the manga, simply because it has more opportunity to show small details like eye movements. In manga, it can be argued, the faces are more deadpan than in anime.
Still, fans claim that it’s more realistic and fits the mood of Frieren better. The realism comment is absolutely true; in anime, emotions are usually exaggerated, while in real life, people show their emotions with smaller gestures, which are so difficult to convey in manga. As for the Frieren mood, it is a rather calm, meditative experience (most of the time), which ends up better without exaggeration. In other words, if you ask fans, the deadpan expressions are a feature, and they are not even that deadpan.
Other Signs of Emotion
Other signs of emotion also make their way into the anime and manga. An obvious example is the trembling hands of Eisen and Stark; their fear is shown through bodily signs rather than their facial expressions. Finally, just like most anime, Frieren also has moments when exaggerated, cartoonish signs of emotion are used. An example is Stark’s admission that he had not slayed a single monster back in episode 5. His features are cartoonish in that moment, and it fits both the situation and Stark’s character.
In the end, Frieren might not often exaggerate the expressions on the character’s faces, but it still has its ways of conveying their emotions.