Posted in: Anime, Crunchyroll, Review, TV | Tagged: anime, Crunchyroll, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Review
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End S01E16: Carrying Memories of the Fallen
Crunchyroll's Frieren: Beyond Journey's End S01E16: "Long-Lived Friends" was a sweet episode that reminds viewers of the weight of memories.
Article Summary
- Episode 16 explores the poignant theme of memory as Frieren reunites with a dwarven friend.
- Frieren's longevity contrasts with her companions', highlighting differences in their lives.
- Sein inches closer to finding his friend with the help of locals and hints at decisions still to come.
- The episode culminates in a sweet reflection on past heroes and learning to let go.
The latest episode of Crunchyroll's Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, "Long-Lived Friends," was a sweet one that reminds viewers of the weight of memories and their importance as time passes by. The episode gets Frieren reunited with an old friend and Sein a step closer to finding his'. The story hints there might be a fork in the road approaching and a possible separation within our group of adventurers.
The hero quartet is still headed north to Äußerst; Frieren and her little troop make a stop at a little village to pay a visit to one of her old friends: a dwarf named Old Man Voll. We learn he fought and swore to protect the village for his wife, who passed a long time ago. Frieren expresses her desire to stay for a decade; however, Fern reminds her they will only stay for a week. I really like how Fern constantly reminds Frieren that they do not count with the same lifespan she does.
At first Old Man Voll pretends to be a frail old man, but Frieren snaps him out and makes him reveal his sharp senses and makes Stark train with the old man while they stay in the village. It was very sweet to see how friendly Frieren has become. While still being awkward, she has kept the vow of getting to know more of her friends and humanity after Himmel's passing. It is sweet to see the interest she demonstrates in listening to their stories. In the process, Frieren realizes the old man is increasingly becoming senile as he can no longer remember what his wife looked like. Before leaving Frieren promises Old Man Voll that she will carry his memory along the way as she carries Himmel, Heiter, and Eisen's into the future.
As they move along we see Sein has been asking around about his friend. While most would not recognize him from the photograph they remember him from his name as it made an impression on everyone who has met him: Gorilla Warrior. Along the way, trying to gather information on Sein's old friend, they stumble across a stubborn old lady who was close to him. In order to get information, they have to run errands and do some chores for her. I enjoy this anime and the vibes; it makes me feel like it is a video game of little quests being completed in order to get everything needed for the bigger quest or adventure. I also like how we see them growing closer as the adventure continues north.
For the last request, the old lady asks them to clean a statue of a pair of heroes whose names have been forgotten as the years pass by. Frieren recognizes one of the warriors as Kraft, the elf they had met during the winter, but is unable to tell who the other warrior is. The lady reminisces that Gorilla Warrior always talked about Sein and Sein remembers when they were kids how this statue inspired them to go on adventures all those years ago. It was a pretty sweet memory, and we learn that Gorilla traveled in a different direction than they are currently heading, which seems to place Sein in a tough spot. However I do not see Frieren making him stay with them, quite the opposite: her intention in bringing him was to inspire him to follow his dream in the first place. I already cannot wait to see how things develop from here with Crunchyroll's Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. Will Sein part ways with them before heading to Äußerst? Also, I love how at one point, Fern acknowledges their party is just made of very awkward characters; I can always relate to these moments.