That explains why watching Frieren gives me the kind of feeling i can only compare to what i get when watching Lord Of The Rings.

It's because, unlike most anime, Frieren is Art, not entertainment, not content, not cartoons, Art. And I absolutely adore it for that.

One thing that affected Frieren was her nearly 1000 years of keeping such a low profile due to following Flamme's admonition. It basically meant that she didn't have much constant interaction with people until her "mere 10 years" with the Hero's party, and now with Fern she is reminded of things that happened, and realizing the importance of the little things, the value of even the tiniest moments with friends.

It’s a combination of great writing, pacing, characters, music and animation. It’s pretty damn peak and my personal anime of the year.

Simply because good writting defends itself ,you dont need edgy teenagers to lure in people ,great animation and a lot of action can only satisfy you to a certain point ,good writting can carry on its own

I don't know if it was by design or serendipity but saying at 19:40 that Frieren is a cold personality while showing her breaking down and crying is a great juxtaposition! Fantastic analysis! I always figured Tolkien's elves had an air of melencholy because everyone they have lost over their long years has been a tragedy, someone ripped from them before their time. They see the fact that humans can come to a natural peaceful end as a gift from Illuvitar.

characters in this anime walk a lot and i love it

i couldnt help but remember the the days i used to spend with my grandparents. My city has changed so much when i tell my daughter about how it used to be she doent understand. like how there used to be grape and wheat fields where the city is now building houses. or i take to the old moutain range i used to hike with my friends only to find its been urbanized as well with no more wild broncos or donkeys running around

This anime is amazing because the emotions that it invokes are the strongest one can invoke, that familiar nostalgia, that regret, anyone who’s lost someone can understand the tragedy of this story, we didn’t need to see the whole journey, we’ve all already seen heroes journey, and thus we will automatically be saddened by the situation we are present because we can already imagine how awesome that journey must have been, and can immediately feel it’s loss, a masterful use of common tropes to earn sadness in a short time.

It's this generation's Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood.

Man, thank you for the meta commentary at the end there. I have been really having a hard time putting together what made this show completely shift my perspective of life. I have had a turbulent past, far more than most and it has been saved constantly through my connecting to anime. I was dealt with unmatched existential terror suddenly with repressed trauma and nothing was more life saving than relating with shows as a way to explicitly learn lessons while reflecting on myself. Shows like Mob Psycho and Autism is one notably potent example that I am sure anyone can immediately understand is a perfect example of this experience. No show is perfectl able to really solidify the growth I have made recently as Frieren and it came at a time that a lot of the messages I have come to personally hold close from anime are being solidifed into innately held beliefs/philosphies on how I live life. Like the video has mentioned, past & present are highly at play and it is honestly a unique experience for me. I have not felt quite so strongly emotional in years than I have while watching or reflecting on Frieren. Thank you for this video essay

Love this show. And that shot at the end of the first OP just totally sums up her character. She was kinda behind those of the Party of Heroes but she's leading her own party with Fern and Stark and has something to empart to them. I really like the slice of life adventures of this show. Much like Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. There's no real goal, but we're there for the journey.

I don`t feel different. I feel the same watching good animes every time. Not every time, but the likes of "Princess Mononoke", especially that, Spirited Away, Samurai Champloo, around a dozen others. They all make you wonder, in awe and have you some wetness in your eyes at the same time. Just good movies. And good movies have become a rare thing.

Thank you for your beautiful review. I also understand why you chose "King" as a soundtrack, with which someone created an AMV for Hotarubi no Mori e.

I love this show. I think you make some really great points about it and I like the comparison with Tullkins elves. It's such a beautiful and REAL story that hits home. I'm just a little older than you and having been through a lot in my life, as well, I completely get the feelings and reflections that you were discussing. I enjoyed your writing and your interpretation. Thanks for putting this video together. I look forward to your thoughts on later episodes! I'm caught up and the story just keeps growing and evolving. Every episode is so beautiful and well written. I agree, this isn't just a story you write. It has so much thought, forsite, and care behind it. The music and the visuals are just beautiful! I love so much about this show. I think I know where it's going, but I am excited for the journey.

One thing that really touches me on a personal level about my story writing was creating my immortal characters. The way I write characters is by becoming my characters. I put myself in my character’s position, their situations, I think the way that they think, and I act the way that they would act. It’s an odd form of almost role playing as my own characters. Imagine my feelings as I role play as an immortal being. After experiencing millennia upon millennia of pain, loss, sadness, anger, anguish, loneliness, deep personal connections that were lost with the passage of time as he was unable to die. It hit me hard. We mortals don’t appreciate the time that we have nearly as much as we should. I’m only a teenager, but putting myself in the place of this immortal, it actually almost brought tears to my eyes. After reading other stories about immortals, anime, books, movies and shows, it made me see everything in a new light. Frieren, To Your Eternity, Lord of the Rings, even Toy Story, it gave me a sense of almost anxiety. Somber, melancholic anxiety, just considering the passage of time and the things that can be lost along the way. It genuinely hurt. It makes me want to write more. It fills me with motivation. And I’ve rarely ever felt this way. I love it so much, specifically because it makes me feel real emotions about fiction. It makes me think about the reality that I often ignore. It makes me want to cry. I can’t even explain it, it was surreal. That’s why I love stories like this. That’s why I like Dark Souls so much specifically. (You can be King Again was a good choice of song, and thanks for reading my unfiltered thoughts on the matter)

It is exactly because Frieren doesn't understand the effect of the passage of time that she decides to go on her adventure. The immensity of her lifespan doesn't provide her with the emergency of "wasting time" as much as any other species. It is even a point reiterated by Fern every now and then. She was shocked by the feeling of loss from Himmel's death and could not come to term with her own feelings of attachment she didn't even knew she had. Her quest is essentially figuring out why some moments hit different (Ironically enough). I was looking forward to this review seeing how it began with a nod to Tolkien's elves but I had to disagree with your statement at around 6:30. I do agree that Frieren hits different, but (At least for me) not for the reason you put forth here. Thanks and cheers! *Added edit* It is to keep in mind that Frieren is "young" as Kraft later puts it.

i watch frieren every friday night. it became a sort of comfort anime after a grueling work week.

Just started reading the manga a few days ago, loving it so far.

Some real life example: I knew an old lady, who lived for 102 years. She was incredibly active and mentally fresh up until the final months of her life: she traveled from Europe to Canada at the age of 99 without insurance, because no insurance company wanted to take the risk and even at 101 she was perfectly clear about who everyone was and what was happening in the world. She was kind of a surrogate grandmother for my dad and one time my dad brought her to the cemetery to her hometown. He told me, that it was chilling, since she knew basically everyone who was buried there: childhood friends, classmates, neighbours, etc. At the end this always cheerful person just sighed with deep sadness and said: "I'm the only one, who remained, forgotten in this world."

That's why it's so much fun watching multiple people breakdown Frieren, I keep learning new things, new aspects, which I was familiar with but didn't really understand where that familiarity or nostalgia came from. The way it is heading, if it's continued, it's probably gonna become one of the classics and must watch! Transcending time and age 🥺💜

Thanks for the long awaited discussion on this show. If we had any sense we would be teaching this series to the next generation and beyond as a master class on threading a difficult narrative so well. Every plot point and driving point in the show are both common to the point of being generic and poorly handled so often some would call them writer's traps. Despite this Frieren dives into them and shows that in the right hands and care even the most generic plot, the hero's journey, can still be considered a masterpiece.

amazing video! i really felt your appreciation for the show, and i'm happy to see someone really talking in depth about how Frieren relates to Tolkien's vision for elves in fantasy. good work!

Its not a self-insert power fantasy, full of video game-like mechanics, epic fights, or things to sell merch. Its a story thats actually trying to be a story.

This show made me go outside, and buy some nice things for my parents to make them happy a little before I move out. Show some love and appreciation for your loved ones. Life is short choose to be happy.

I watched as much of there is to watch recently, and I feel like I have changed the way I think about time thanks to this show, and I feel like I have a better ability to slow down with everything, and even if I never watch this again (which is highly unlikely) i will always value it super highly for that

@camillesharem Great video, you made a lot of very valid points. Earned my subscription just on the strength of this video! As a a lifelong Tolkien reader myself the comparison to him and his depiction of elves was the first thing that came to my mind when I watched the first episode of Frieren. I heard about the show on Open Bar on Critical Drinkers channel when a superchat recommended Frieren to him. Then I did my research and was hooked a few minutes into the first episode. I'm not what you call an Anime fan as such, the animes I have watched and liked are few: Cowboy Bebop, Madoka Magica, Girls und Panzer, Girls Last Tour, Attack on Titan, Vinland Saga and of course the best show ever made, Legend of Galactic Heroes (the 80s adaptation, not Die Neue These). Those are literally all animes I have ever watched and liked to various degrees. I just had my 50th birthday and Frieren, or better the themes you described so perfectly here hit me like a truck! Therefore I assume the people who find the show slow and boring now are mostly younger folks who either don't get or don't care yet about what the show tries to say. But I have the suspicion that they will at some point in their future which will make Frieren a truly timeless gem of art. Which the show deserves to be, as every aspect, such as story, characters, art, music, voice work is absolutely awesome. The show touches the human soul, no better compliment can be made to any piece of art. I am so smitten with it that I am going to buy and read the manga, which will be the first manga I ever bought or read. Anyway, enough of my rambling. On a different note: You're German and from Erlangen? Do you know the 1982 Neue Deutsche Welle song "Wissenswertes über Erlangen"? If not, look for it on KZfaq. It is by the band Foyer of Arts. And there is a cool comedy rock band from Erlangen called JBO, they even have their own beer brand. Talking about German, the German names of characters and places in the show are also enriching Frieren for me, as they are chosen with thought and have meaning. Greetings from Germany and keep up the good work!

i dont know why did i cry while you saying to us every moment in your life has a meaning, i guess i just needed to hear those words. for the himmels funeral, its reminded me to my friends funeral we werent that close but she died to young, the first thought on my mind was oh she died ( i didnt realize what is death for me ) but when it comes to bury her i was about to lose my mind especially when i realize my childhood friend died and i m not able to see her again and they put her in a grave and bury her... for that moment i realize while watching frieren she said same thing that i said '' I wish I had the chance to know you better''...

It's because it's a character study. The "Quest" is mostly a side thought. It's the backdrop for Frieren's evolution and growth. The world, the monsters, the quest, all are trivial challenges to Frieren. Her struggle is personal and introspective.

Very good analysis, you deserve so much more views and likes!

listening made me cry😅 it hits the spot. also been watching this anime.

Wow, you really managed to put these feelings into words, wondeful video. It was just a bit wierd to hear you call the anime "Frieren : journey's end" 😅 because the whole point of the video (and of the show) was that the journey isn't over, there's so much beyond.

This was amazing, one of the best videos about this anime that I have seen, it’s made tear up just like the anime itself did. It’s spot on, and it makes me appreciate this masterpiece even more.

Physics tells us that time and space are just different parts of the same thing timespace. Life tells us this isn't just some sort of abstract mathematical concept. You can never truly revisit a place - because that was a place in timespace. You can go back to the same place in space, but the time will be different. The people around you will be different, you will be different. Frieren really shows us this, but it also doesn't give into despair due to this. Yes, there's sorrow for what is lost, but also new opportunities - for friends, experiences, memories.

Those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain - Huer

Beautiful build characters,in every episode we have flashbacks who dont use to much time of the episode,and we have a charismatic female MC ,who is strong but has her flaws ,and we have a JOURNEY with a purpose,but in the end the journey will be the reward for them

A lot of people say Frieren is like an alien and experiences time and life in a way incomprehensible to us. But I would argue the opposite. What makes Frieren hit different for me, is that she is entirely relatable. Maybe I don't live on the same timescale as Frieren, but I absolutely can relate to the feeling of time slipping by and not grabbing on to the fleeting personal connections that come and go. I've often thought back on friends I made for a brief moment (maybe during a vacation or back when I was in school) and wonder where it might have went if I had cultivated them.

It doesn't involve over the top emoticon faces and jokes. It's wholesome, characters are rich in depth and reason to their motives.

Dude, really good video

Being poly, if I could read the thoughts of one of my metamours who was having fantasies for our shared partner, we'd probably be sitting there swapping ideas back and forth and taking notes (≧∀≦)

It reminds me of Spice & Wolf in places and I loved that show. So glad I decided to watch this

which ost is the intor part you use ?

I came here for a good time and now I'm crying I feel so attacked

I'm actually quite surprised by this myself. I'm not really very analytical of things, and I just go by feel. So I was just browsing around for anime to watch and I saw this fantasy looking anime on the thumbnail and thought "why not?, I'll give this a shot and probably drop it". By the end of episode 1, I wasn't crying, I wasn't emotional. But inside me, I know I hit gold. That I found a very good show to watch. I don't know why, but I just know it. This doesn't happen often. 19 episodes in and after seeing so many people praise it, I wanted answers as to why this show pulled me in just like that in the first episode, not 4, but 1st episode. Now I'm here watching youtube videos of people who are way more analytical than me, to find the answer.

Frieren is probably my new favorite fantasy protagonist besides rudeus. Most stoic characters come off as lifeless and uninteresting. But Frieren shows plenty of emotions while still maintaining that stoic personas. The anime at the end of the day is extremely relatable and it i love the way it explores its developing magic system

Nice video, but I think you missed a small aspect when talking about the names, in particular, Frieren's name. Yes, Frieren is cold etc, however, could you call it "frieren" when you're used to the cold? Frieren is cold, but longing for the warmth.

FUCKING KNEW IT THE SONG WAS KING

"Frieren" means "frozen". As in "frozen in time".

One might say that she starts off with the stereotypical anime elf outlook on time because her character arc is to learn to see time the way Tolkien's elves do.

Frieren is love, Frieren is life.

This show definitely entered the sacred realm of entertainment, reserved for masterpieces, alongside Avatar the last Airbender, Gravity Falls, FMA, and not many more.

Cuz it’s gud🗿

For me it’s the characterization of elves and demons. It’s just different

Simpierens. Frieren just has movie level animation and that's about it. I got bored of it after thinking i had watched 3 episodes when i had only watch 1.

Correction, Mankind's Mortality is a gift and generally speaking Tolkien's Catholicism simply bleeds into that Concept.

"Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood BY WILLIAM WORDSWORTH There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream, The earth, and every common sight, To me did seem Apparelled in celestial light, The glory and the freshness of a dream. It is not now as it hath been of yore;- Turn wheresoe'er I may, By night or day. The things which I have seen I now can see no more."

.,i don't really know... once i watched the first 4 episodes i was hooked onto it... and now i'm reading the manga.. spoiler.. fern pass the exam frieren doesn't..

Frieren _makes sense._ As in, "hmm I can relate to that." Or "I feel that." Too often, an anime with HUGE potential makes NO SENSE and when an anime is too far out, you lose the audience because it makes NO SENSE. ex. One Piece started out really good but about 3/4 of way nothing makes sense even the fights make no sense as in my most powerful attack does no damage to you so it makes NO SENSE. If something doesn't make sense, you don't want to watch it no matter how good it started. Everything in Frieren is consistent, congruent and MAKES SENSE. Yes, even the fights are top notch, in fact, BETTER than many fighting anime.

Frieren is German for getting cold 😅

Dude says the same thing like 5 times in a row just in slightly different ways. This video could have been 8 minutes long and you wouldn't have missed out on anything he has to say.

after watching frieren i realize that Naruto is garbage

I can’t wait for this show to end so people can stop hyping up this mediocre show. I don’t want to hate it but good god y’all act like it’s the best thing since full metal alchemist brotherhood. It’s just a forgettable show with ok animation.

Except it doesn't. Same "imba-protag + irrelevant npcs" full of absurdness and boredom, just as all those isekai for kids.