#scharf

I do like that Stark gets a bit more focus in this episode now that the trio have assembled once again. He didn’t get a lot of focus when Frieren and Fern were taking the mage exams, so it was nice of him to get some spotlight. I find it cute how he’s usually the one in charge of fishing for their meal. I’m not sure if he would be considered good at fishing. The Stark spotlight focus on his cowardice and his bond with the party. He’s usually seen as a coward and believes he is, but being timid and a coward have its merits. Since Frieren and Fern cannot fight in the magic crystal cave, they had to run away together. I get that people might think running away is a cowardly move, but it’s actually a strategic one. Himmel and the others did the same when they were struggling to defeat a monster in a dungeon and I’m sure no one would dare call Himmel the Hero a coward.

I do like there was a bit of tension with Stark and Fern in that Fern got a bit upset when Stark accidentally stumbled upon the girls bathing, but she also got worried about Stark possibly leaving the group. Fortunately, Stark has no interest in joining Wirbel’s group as he is committed to being a vanguard of Frieren’s party. Fern’s socially awkward, especially when it’s regarding boys, but she means well. She’s someone who develops a liking towards someone if she knows them well. She may find Stark annoying at times, but she doesn’t hate him. In fact, she actually likes him a lot. There’s an anime-original scene where she thought about how she held onto her bracelet as she was escaping with Stark and it was rather sweet since Fern doesn’t show off a lot of emotions. Also, I’m convinced Madhouse ships these two if they added in this scene… they’re Sein and we’re all Sein.

One of the best things to come out of the mage arc is the expanded supporting cast of mages. It’s always nice to see familiar faces, so it was nice to see Wirbel, Ehre and Scharff again. It’s nice to see that the three formed a strong bond during the exam and are sticking with each other even when it’s over. Frieren is a story about connections, hence why recurring characters are important in this story as they help expand the world building. In Wirbel’s case, he’s a mage-soldier aiming to head to the Northern Frontier to fight off monsters alongside his posse.

I feel like the animation has gotten a lot prettier, especially the coloring of the scenery! I feel like it’s more picturesque this time around. All of the background feels like a fairy tale mixed with JRPG. I’m glad that Evan Call is still sticking around for the music!  I also like the silly antics Frieren episodes usually have like Frieren sticking her butt out as she was digging into bushes and her confidence in showing off the magic crystal’s extremely bright radiance that honestly serves no real purpose, but it can be good distraction. I think that the animation for these silly stuff has gotten better too!

The opening and ending songs are really soothing! I love the watercolor setting for the opening and the sketchbook-like details of the ending! I feel like they’re very creative with the opening and ending this time around. In all honesty, I think Frieden’s ending segments are pretty forgettable, but this song, sung by milet, is actually quite nice and the sequence is so cute that it makes me want to keep seeing it!

The only bad part about this season is that my laptop will try to change Frieren to Frieden; I’ve fought this off since September 2023 when it first premiered. Writing these reviews is honestly a battle between me and autocorrect. Will I win throughout these ten weeks? Find out as you progress. Let me know your thoughts on the premiere!