The first thing that got my attention was the art. It carries that air of "depression", the type of structure with spaced events that you would see in the final chapter of a shonen manga and it goes really well with what it portrays: The End of a Journey.
It feels like to start reading the Lord of the Rings with the Gray Havens chapter. You feel like you should feel nostalgia , or even sad since the veil is covering the stage but you can't, because you dont hold memories of what transpired. Things happened, life goes on, thats all there is to it for us and our uncommon main character.
The Hero Himmel could easily be the typical isekai protagonist with character traits of a potato. Goodhearted, slightly pervy, very powerful and friendly. Eisen and Heiter being the colourful companions with quirky behaviour and Frieren closing that group as the stoic and overpowered 1000 years old loli.
One could look at a synopsis of an average LN and find these tropes with ease, but what this manga did was not to tell a story told a million times by now. It started with the epilogue/sequel/spinoff, showing characters at the end of their roads and moving away from the grand tale.
This is why the story holds such a nostalgic feeling, by following the immortal girl with the abnormally slow perception of time we can directly connect with Frieren's feelings towards her journey. "10 years, thats not much" readers will think the same since the events of those years are portrayed as an afterthought instead of a durable memory.
But that changes when Frieren starts another journey and goes to "re-live" those events. She starts to feel that nostalgia like humans do, she starts to cherish her memories, to appreciate bonds and the time spent creating them.
The main premise of this story is not about "moving on" from things past, its about remembering, to think fondly of your memories and hold them close to your heart. Just like you do in a funeral...
I have to say, the moment I realized what the author meant with the title I was very impressed. Reminded me a bit of Fumetsu no Anata e with the theme of immortality and its core idea behind the meaning of life.
So far the story has been very entertaining, following Frieren and Fern's relationship as the second grows up one can appreciate how they complement each other.
While Fern absorbs the vast knowledge of the elf and follows her teachings to become a good sorceress, Frieren sees things she faced before and deemed not worth her emotions and, upon the second glance, she manages to understand the meaning behind what they did, what Himmel and the others meant each time and how much she misses them now that she knows.
Then comes Stark that represents the observation of a cherished person's legacy. How many of us look at the baby of a good friend and when it grows up you see how they became good men or women? Dont we feel a tint of pride and joy? Isn't that the concept behind godfather/mothers?
We share just a tiny bit of the success of our loved ones, because we cherish those people we will also cherish their afterglow. Frieren experiences just this when looking at Stark and I can't wait to see their relationship develop.
Same with Fern, her and Stark are the future, the seeds of two great people with different teachings, ideals and personalities.
Of course this only leaves room for occasional disagreement, prickly banters and subsequent arguments. They are vastly different but their goals are essentially the same: to become someone in that world and make your protectors proud. That goal keeps them together and will deepen their relationship with the passing of time.
Even with the lighthearted comedy, the tone of this series is dark and doesn't cut short when it comes to depict grotesque scenarios, manipulation, gore and death.
The enemies in that world, the Demons, are something terrifying. Not in the sense of dangerous, even if they are, but in the sense of intelligent minds that live and strive for pain and deception. True evil, something with which you can't possibly co-exist.
I was rather relieved to see the classic depiction of demons instead of the now overused trope of the "misunderstood" victims of the world.
This time and age tends to teach us that you are free to do, go and become what you please and that your individuality is to be preserved over anything else.
The perspective isn't wrong, but its definitely not correct in the real world either. We live subjected to morality and society in order co-exist and be accepted by other people, Law exists to enforce that order, and still there will always be people that dont follow those parameters.
Where does your right for individuality end? Does everyone truly deserve to be understood? One could argue that the concept of "evil" comes from the complete disdain towards anything but yourself and it takes its foundation from stepping onto anything in order to achive your desires.
That is a true Demon, a being that lives to deceive, kill and inflict any kind of damage with the sole reason of getting what you want. Most people tend to hate this kind of villains in literature because they remind us of the dark nature that humans have, but that is precisely why I like them. There really are times when you can't stand for something and there's no other way but to face it and stop it.
I guess I will wait just a little longer to read the third volume and see where it goes, very good sensations and a fantastic read.
