REVIEW: ‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ Episode 13 — “Aversion to One’s Own Kind”

After celebrating Stark’s (Chiaki Kobayashi) birthday, the party heads north. When Frieren (Atsumi Tanezaki) encounters a priest named Sein (Yûichi Nakamura, Jujutsu Kaisen 0) in danger in the forest, she doesn’t realize that this man’s story will lead her, Stark, and Fern (Kana Ichinose) to insist that he join them on their journey in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (Sōsō no Furīren) Episode 13, “Aversion to One’s Own Kind.”

This episode opens with Sein as he is introducing himself to Frieren, and telling her about his early years of dreaming of being an adventurer with a childhood friend of his. While the moment is initially jarring, it is soon revealed that Sein is telling Frieren about these personal things, even though they just met, because he is trapped in some sort of bog that functions similar to quicksand and he believes he is about to die. Frieren leaves him dangling for a moment, feigning to forget the spell she needs to pull him out.

This moment is a surprising opening. It delivers a unique mix of elements as it cleverly introduces the newest cast member within a moment of playfulness, reminding the audience that the frequently somber Frieren can be a bit devilish when she wants to be.

It looks like this meeting will be a momentary one as the party departs for a city to resupply and Sein returns to his small town nearby. However, during their parting, Sein warns them of venomous creatures in the woods they’ll be passing through. With little time wasted, Stark ends up getting bit by a snake and the group must return to the town to seek treatment for Stark.

Despite the imminent peril to Stark, Frieren Episode 13 keeps the tone light as the party gets help for their hapless warrior. While they learn that the venom is typically fatal, there is a priest in the town capable of curing the ailment. It is none other than Sein, who is happy to heal Stark, settling the debt he sees himself as owing the group for his earlier rescue. Seeing that he is a skilled healer, and knowing of his childhood dream to be an adventurer, Fern and Stark quickly decide that they should recruit Sein into their party. Frieren is more hesitant about the matter.

When pressed about her reluctance towards inviting Sein into the group, Frieren explains it as an aversion to her own kind. While Sein is not an elf like her, she identifies him as a magic genius, since he was able to cure the venom that is supposedly incurable. This explanation is not further expanded on, leaving the viewer to wonder why Frieren doesn’t like traveling with other geniuses. Does she feel threatened by their presence, or has she had negative experiences with other geniuses previously that led her to mistrust them? Given that the only other genius the series has shown us is Flamme, if it is the latter hopefully the show will expound upon this in future episodes.

When Stark seeks out the priest to recruit him, he is found in the village tavern drinking, smoking, and gambling. While these feel like unlikely hobbies for a priest to have, they also bear a striking resemblance to some of the habits that Hieter always enjoyed. This incidental connection between the two makes Sein feel like an even more natural fit for the group.

Despite having expressed a deep desire to be an adventurer when he was first introduced, Sein is reluctant to join the group in their travels. This leads Frieren Episode 13 into another of the show’s skillfully executed montages as we see the party continue its attempts to sway Sein’s heart and get him to join them. The sequence is capped by a hysterical moment when having learned that Sein is attracted to older women, Frieren makes a hilarious attempt at persuading Sein by blowing him a kiss. Whether Sein’s befuddlement at why that should make him swoon or the fact that it works on everyone else is the funnier element is hard to pick.

The episode’s plot comes to a close with the heartfelt revelation of why Sein refuses to leave the town. His reasoning for staying where he is, despite his dreams of going elsewhere, feels like one that many viewers will be able to connect to. The fact that it exists due to Sein’s presumptions about certain elements of his life only makes the moment more bitter, and more real. Had Sein simply spoken up about his motivations he would’ve learned a long time ago that his concerns were unfounded and he could’ve followed his dreams.

Frieren Episode 13 takes its time bringing a new party member into the fold, while never feeling like that time is wasted. It blends playful humor and strong character-building to execute a memorable introduction for Sein.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Season 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.