It’s never too late to talk about why we love Frieren so much.
Summary:
The popularity of Frieren is still confusing for many fans.
The anime does a lot of things right.
It came out at the best possible moment.
If we’re being honest, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sousou no Frieren) doesn’t sound like a series that could beat all records, receive the highest scores and become the most talked-about anime of the season. However, we all know that it is, and some fans still cannot understand why.
“Slow start,” “boring story,” “anime, the side quest” are things that you will encounter in most Frieren discussions. We have to admit, the series does have a slow start. We do understand how the story might be boring, and it does feel like you’re doing RPG side quests at times. And yet, fans are loving it.
Even the most devoted fans admit that Frieren feels very generic sometimes. It’s not even the first anime to explore the meaning of human bonds and bless our eyes with absolute beauty. Yes, Violet Evergarden, we’re looking at you.
But Violet Evergarden, though very successful and praised, has never received the same treatment as Frieren. So why is Frieren so special?
It does everything right
It’s such a simple idea, but still: Frieren has everything that your heart might desire — compelling characters, well-written story, visual beauty, satisfying soundtrack, great voice acting (and a lot of familiar voices, by the way), and incredible worldbuilding. These are the things that usually define a great anime.
Fans think it’s hard to find a weak point in Frieren, and they might be just right. Unless the conversation is about action, that is.
Don’t get us wrong, the series does have action, but it’s nowhere nearly as exciting as in other shounen series like Jujutsu Kaisen or Demon Slayer. But, surprisingly, this might be exactly the reason for Frieren’s popularity.
It came out at the right moment
We like saying that we live in the age of shounens, and this is true. The aforementioned Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, One Piece, Naruto, Chainsaw Man ― these are the series that are immensely popular now.
And fans are craving something fresh. They still enjoy a great battle sequence, yes, but Frieren has something that all of these shows don’t: a relaxing vibe and time to breathe.
Vinland Saga Season 2 already proved to us last year that the tide is changing, and anime that make you listen and think are becoming more popular than endless battles, and Frieren came just in time to prove it once again.
Had it come out several years ago, it might not have achieved such immense success. So the decision to adapt it now is a perfect one. The one that made Frieren so desired and so needed.
It’s never too late to talk about why we love Frieren so much.
Summary:
The popularity of Frieren is still confusing for many fans.
The anime does a lot of things right.
It came out at the best possible moment.
If we’re being honest, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Sousou no Frieren) doesn’t sound like a series that could beat all records, receive the highest scores and become the most talked-about anime of the season. However, we all know that it is, and some fans still cannot understand why.
“Slow start,” “boring story,” “anime, the side quest” are things that you will encounter in most Frieren discussions. We have to admit, the series does have a slow start. We do understand how the story might be boring, and it does feel like you’re doing RPG side quests at times. And yet, fans are loving it.
Even the most devoted fans admit that Frieren feels very generic sometimes. It’s not even the first anime to explore the meaning of human bonds and bless our eyes with absolute beauty. Yes, Violet Evergarden, we’re looking at you.
But Violet Evergarden, though very successful and praised, has never received the same treatment as Frieren. So why is Frieren so special?
It does everything right
It’s such a simple idea, but still: Frieren has everything that your heart might desire — compelling characters, well-written story, visual beauty, satisfying soundtrack, great voice acting (and a lot of familiar voices, by the way), and incredible worldbuilding. These are the things that usually define a great anime.
Fans think it’s hard to find a weak point in Frieren, and they might be just right. Unless the conversation is about action, that is.
Don’t get us wrong, the series does have action, but it’s nowhere nearly as exciting as in other shounen series like Jujutsu Kaisen or Demon Slayer. But, surprisingly, this might be exactly the reason for Frieren’s popularity.
It came out at the right moment
We like saying that we live in the age of shounens, and this is true. The aforementioned Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, One Piece, Naruto, Chainsaw Man ― these are the series that are immensely popular now.
And fans are craving something fresh. They still enjoy a great battle sequence, yes, but Frieren has something that all of these shows don’t: a relaxing vibe and time to breathe.
Vinland Saga Season 2 already proved to us last year that the tide is changing, and anime that make you listen and think are becoming more popular than endless battles, and Frieren came just in time to prove it once again.
Had it come out several years ago, it might not have achieved such immense success. So the decision to adapt it now is a perfect one. The one that made Frieren so desired and so needed.
