It’s supposed to be that way.
Summary:
- Frieren is often criticized for its slow pacing.
- There isn’t much action in Frieren.
- The series’ pacing is just right.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sousou no Frieren) has been praised by everyone and their mother already, but we’d like to add some more and talk about one of the most common complaints about the series, its pacing.
“Too slow,” “boring,” “lacks action” ― these are the things you can see people write about Frieren online. Despite its immense popularity, the series managed to disappoint quite a few viewers.
It’s Slower Than Most Shounens
It’s true that Frieren takes its time. You won’t find heated battles in each of its episodes, sometimes the anime just slows down a little and shows a couple of characters just looking for a flower for half an episode. It’s no Jujutsu Kaisen, and if you’re craving a similar experience, Frieren might not be for you.
Frieren is so slow and uneventful at times that fans call it a slice-of-life series, and they have a point. One of the most common metaphors is that Frieren is a “side quest anime,” and you do feel like you’re doing an RPG side quests while watching Frieren a lot, that’s true.
It’s the Beauty of It
But this is what makes the anime stand out so much. It doesn’t need breathtaking fights to keep you interested and involved, it has other means of doing that. Frieren never tried to be an edge-of-your-seat battle shounen that will fascinate you with fighting animation advancements. It’s a story about an ancient elf trying to reevaluate her life.
It doesn’t mean that Frieren is a mundane and slow experience. The series knows when it needs to hasten things. There are indeed exciting battles in the show, there’s action, there are stakes. There just aren’t many of them, since Frieren knows how important it is to slow down and just let the audience enjoy its world.
Moreover, a slower-than-usual pacing fits the setting of Frieren and its characters a lot. Frieren is an ancient mage, she’s lived for over 1000 years, her life has been leisurely flowing, and the pacing of the series reflects that a lot.
That’s why we can’t say that the anime is poorly-paced. On the contrary, the pacing is just perfect for a series like Frieren. It gives you time to pause and breathe, it allows you to be more invested in the story and its characters.
And most importantly, it just provides you with wholesome slice-of-life moments that can warm your heart and make your day.