Frieren season 2 episode 10 (or episode 38 in total) was a satisfying end to the season. There are various examples of themes we could take from this episode, but the one that stuck out at me was appreciation of beauty. Frieren as a whole is largely about living in the present and appreciating what’s currently in front of you. In the first half of the episode, the group admired the artificially crafted beauty and utility of the bridge built by Gehen. In the second half, the group discovers the natural beauty of a deposit of rare magical minerals called Holy Snow Crystals. In both cases, Frieren appreciates the beauty.
This post might be a bit brief compared to what I think it deserves in terms of discussion. Nevertheless, I’ve done the best I can for now. So let’s rant about Frieren!
Episode 10: A Beautiful Sight
Episode Rating: 9/10
The episode begins with Frieren, Fern, and Stark arriving at a gigantic canyon that they needed to cross. It was the highest, deepest canyon in the land with a 3000 meter drop. Crossing would involve a detour through some mountains and would take at least a week. However, as they continued, the group spotted something amazing: a sturdy and well-crafted bridge going across the rift. It had been built by a Dwarf named Gehen. (The random German words as names will never not irritate me slightly. I am trying to learn German and I love the language, but the naming sense in Frieren is awful and my German friends find it cringe. As a result, I’m getting second-hand embarrassment.)
Anyway, Gehen had spent 200 years building the bridge. His Dwarf village used to be nearby, but was attacked by Demons and destroyed. If a bridge had been present at that time, more Dwarves could have escaped. That’s why Gehen dedicated his life to building the bridge. In Himmel’s time, the bridge was incomplete, and Gehen had run out of funds. Himmel gave the Dwarf enough money to build for a long time. The repayment would be the construction of the bridge. Since Himmel wouldn’t be alive when it was done, it fell to Frieren to observe that the deal was done. Now, in the present, the crossing was finally complete. But there was one problem. A flock of giant bird monsters was preventing anyone from crossing safely. In exchange for slaying the monsters, Gehen offered a book with a spell for perfectly flipping pancakes. Frieren gladly accepted.
It didn’t take long to locate and defeat the monsters for a strong team like Frieren’s. They were done by nightfall. Gehen thanked Frieren and gave her the spellbook. Frieren asked what Gehen planned to do now. He replied that he would spend his old age in the nearby village. It soon became apparent that within the last 200 years, a new village had been born in the area. Mostly, it seemed to be comprised of adventurers who settled in the area after being inspired by Gehen and his hard work. The men even helped with building. And now that there was a small village, Gehen had a place to retire. It was a wholesome ending to the first half of the episode.
In the second half of the episode, Fern realized that the group was out of traveling funds because Frieren had spent too much on unnecessary magical items. In order to make more money, the group went to an adventurer’s camp and looked for work. The main business of the area was mining – everyone was after the Holy Snow Crystals in the nearby tundra. They were used for making potions, but they were extremely rare. So, instead of hunting for days for magic rocks, Frieren and company were hired to slay a certain monster who was guarding an area already known to contain the crystals. Their employer, a middle-aged man with black hair, also instructed the group to put up an anti-personnel barrier. Basically, this was a way of using magic barriers to claim an area. Frieren and company agreed and set out into the winter wasteland to hunt the monster.
It was a dangerous fight, and the monster’s design was really cool. It was like a gigantic arctic fox – or thin wolf perhaps – with long whiskery things on its face and multiple bushy tails. The beast was strong, fast, agile, with deadly teeth and claws. The group fought it together and Fern finished it off. Afterward, she was low on mana, which was bad news – because at least a dozen more foxlike beasts had just appeared. Fortunately for the tired mages, a group of mounted knights from the Norm Chivalric Order rode onto the scene and saved the day, killing the monsters. Frieren thanked the knights, who went on their way again. It was dark, and everyone was tired, so they made camp right there.
The next morning, Fern dragged Frieren out of bed early so she could join in the group’s enjoyment of the dawn scenery. They had a fantastic vantage point and could clearly see the sparkling Holy Snow Crystals in their natural formations. It was a stunning sight, as usual with the scenery in this anime. Decades ago, Frieren looked at this same place with Himmel and the old party. Himmel had also been stirred by the gorgeous scenery in the light of dawn, saying that this would be worth fighting the Demon King for. In the present, Frieren pointed out that the crystals would soon be mined by industrious humans. But she was wrong. The group’s employer, when paying them, said that he planned to preserve the vein of Holy Snow Crystals. He had grown up in the area and wanted to protect the natural beauty of his homeland. Frieren and company were happy to hear that.
The episode ended with some banter and humorous interactions between Fern, Stark, and Frieren. During the credits, there was a special ending song – “Trace” by Milet. I haven’t analyzed the song yet, but I like it on its face. After the credits, there was an extra scene showing us what Denken was doing. After exchanging information with Edel, Denken proceeded alone. His new job was to maintain the barrier around the Golden Land – which was actually his old homeland, turned to gold by the demon Macht, the last and strongest of the Seven Sages of Destruction. Denken’s orders were only about maintaining the barrier, but it was clear that he was here to see his homeland, and if possible, liberate it. The determined old man still wanted to visit a certain grave – probably belonging to his wife or child – even though Edel told him to give up on it. The scene ends with Denken entering the Golden Land alone, intending to fight Macht.
This seemed like a good preview for the third season. Occasionally, I did wish for more in this season – not for action per se, but more for something along the lines of creative plot twists. However, those were only passing desires, and I know it’s harder to do certain kinds of complex plot twists when the story is about travelers on their adventures. You don’t have the benefit of keeping a uniform setting. Anyway, all in all, I’m very pleased and impressed with Frieren Season 2. I think one of the major themes of this season was appreciating beauty, and it’s a timeless theme that I strive to embrace and incorporate into my life. The older I get, the more I want to see pretty sights – but with mental health issues and a stressful time in history, it’s harder than it sounds to enjoy things and to get out. But I will keep trying to marvel at and preserve beauty wherever I can find it. With that in mind, Sayonara until next time!
~Thanks for reading~
Written by 7Mononoke at Anime Rants
Anime Rants 