This episode was a bit more dramatic and serious than what we’ve seen so far in Frieren‘s second season. It’s the start of a new story arc, which is apparently called the Divine Revolte arc. The main event of this episode for me was Frieren’s reunion with Methode and Genau, characters we met in the mage exam arc from the first season. You can read my thoughts below on Frieren Season 2 episode 6 (or cumulatively, episode 34).
Episode 6: A Demon-Slaying Request
Episode Rating: 8/10
The episode opened on an intense scene of a human village being destroyed by demons. The villagers were being cut down in the streets and hunted in their own homes. A team of men in reddish-brown capes came to fight the demons, and one of them sent a letter via pigeon to call for additional help. Through the eyes of the man releasing the pigeon, we saw the largest and most dangerous demon: it was at least twice as tall as a human, with two horns and three evil red eyes. The scene ended there, but we know from later in the episode that none of the villagers nor the brave, caped warriors survived.
The demons left one survivor, and even he didn’t last long. He was a young baker who had recently taken over the family business. He hid in a cart, but was still fatally wounded. Later, the cart was lifted off him by a strong and familiar man. It was Genau, the proctor of the first test for the mage exam back in season one. This village was his hometown. He knew the baker when they were children. It was clear that the poor young man was too far gone, but he clung on to Genau’s clothes desperately; so, Genau carried the baker toward the church, giving him false promises that all the demons were dead and the villagers were all alive and well. The baker died slung over his old friend’s back.
Much of the early part of this episode – and especially this scene with the baker dying – was heavy and depressing. It was also extremely well-executed and provided good characterization for Genau, in my opinion. This scene was perfect for Genau because he is depicted as an apathetic, almost cold-hearted person. He even describes himself as minimally attached to his home. It shows just how tragic this massacre truly was, to have a stoic and emotionally distant character like Genau feel grief and anger over it. He may not be super expressive on the outside, but Genau can’t stand what has happened. His magic aura was so full of killing intent that Frieren accidentally thought he was a demon from a distance. That shows his fury over the cruel loss of life.
Genau had been sent out on a mission with Methode to slay demons on the Northern Plateau. They were sent by Serie. Frieren, Fern, and Stark met up with them after finding a squirrel holding a letter asking for help. (I suspect it was the letter sent by the man at the beginning via pigeon, but I don’t know how it ended up in the mouth of a squirrel.) After everyone realized they were on the same side, there was a short scene of Stark praying for the dead. There were many bodies in the church, including the corpses of the men in reddish capes, who were military men of the Norm Company. Genau and Methode had dispatched most of the demons, but for such strong warriors to be killed, there had to have been more than just the “small fry” demons. There was one very strong demon who was still alive. The group decided to hunt down the enemy ASAP.
After this point in the episode, the mood lightened somewhat as Frieren said they would soon teach the demons how scary humanity could be. There were some humorous moments involving the rock- hard bread that the group is forced to eat while on the harsh Northern Plateau. The distribution routes were not yet fixed enough for there to be fresh supplies available. The bread was so hard that the sound-effects for it being chewed sounded more like bricks crumblling. Everyone was upset to have to eat such food, but they put a brave face on it and ate their dinner. They planned to have strategy meeting for the mission afterward.
Stark delivered bread to Geneau outside while the three women ate their bread inside the church. Before he left, Stark had an important talk with Methode. Together, they figured out something important about their enemy. But that doesn’t get revealed until the end of the episode. Before we get to that, I have a few thoughts on Methode. We learned previously that she has versatile abilities and spells, including restraining and hypnotic magic. She’s also incredibly beautiful. I am intrigued by her character due to her attractive design, interesting magic, and calming voice. (Methode is played by Reina Ueda, whose roles also include Hinako from This Monster Wants to Eat Me, Reze from Chainsaw Man Movie: Reze Arc, and Cha Hae-in from Solo Leveling.)
In addition to all that, there’s another great reason to like Methode. Some queer fans and allies have head-canoned her as a lesbian, or at the very least, someone who is “into” cute female figures. She finds Serie and Frieren both to be absolutely adorable. She also seems to think Fern is cute, though that seems more like a sisterly thing than any kind of attraction. But when it comes to Methode’s attachment to Serie, I suspect it’s much more complex than just thinking she looks cute. Methode is now an apprentice of Serie and wishes to do everything she can for the haughty elf. She is unusually dedicated to Serie. I love the interpretation of Methode as LGBT+, and I also adore the idea of shipping Serie with a bigger woman like Methode. #sorrynotsorry
When Stark delivered the bread, Genau asked if they were departing already. Stark explained that they still wanted to have a stratetgy meeting. He also told Genau what he and Methode learned: the demon who had killed the Norm military men was apparently a quadruple-sword-wielder. With a massive body and four strong arms, he could easily wield four longswords. This demon is likely going to be a challenge. That’s where the episode wraps up. It was another great episode of Frieren. Until next time, Sayonara!
~Thanks for Reading~
Written by 7Mononoke at Anime Rants
Anime Rants 