REVIEW: ‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ Episode 18 — “First-Class Mage Exam”

After Sein (Yûichi Nakamura) splits away from the party to search for his friend, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (Sōsō no Furīren) Episode 18, “First-Class Mage Exam” sees Frieren (Atsumi Tanezaki), Fern (Kana Ichinose), and Stark (Chiaki Kobayashi) arrive at the city of Äuberst. Here they will try to acquire first-class mage licenses so they can progress on to the Northern Plateau.

As the show slowly follows Frieren in her journey north, it relies heavily on tying the present to the past. Many of the present-day events seem to exist to conjure up memories of Himmel the Hero for Frieren to reflect on. While looking back is a core part of Frieren’s journey, the overreliance on it threatened to make the story grow stale. Thankfully, the new story arc this episode introduces focuses the narrative back on the present, while not completely leaving the past behind.

Frieren Episode 18 opens with the party nearing the magic city of Äuberst. As they arrive at the city, we learn more about the structure of mages within the story’s world. The episode casually informs us about new details concerning mage rankings and their importance. This exposition is handled well, given color by the personalities of the parties as they share information.

When they arrive at the mage academy to register Fern and Frieren for the exam, an unexpected hurdle appears. It turns out that only mages registered fifth level and higher may apply for the first level exam. With the exam scheduled to occur in two months and another one not taking place for three more years, it seems impossible for Frieren to register. At least until a clever callback to an earlier moment opens the doors for Frieren to enter the exam.

Small, throwaway moments have frequently come back to have meaning throughout this series. These moments often inspire emotional elements, like Fern mentioning how she and Frieren were paid with a spell that turns sweet grapes sour, to later learn Eisen loves sour grapes. However, this time the skillful callback has a narrative focus. Frieren Episode 18 sees Frieren once again pull out the holy emblem she was given to certify her as a mage. No one she has ever shown this item to has ever had any knowledge of what it is or how she got it. But when she shows it here, a nearby mage seems to recognize the item, taking it as proof that Frieren is qualified for the first-class test.

While our protagonists prepare for the coming exam, we get to meet another entrant for the exam. Übel the Mage enters the episode as she approaches the city. As she takes a brief rest from her travels, she is beset by bandits. Before the group can engage with the mage, they’re interrupted by the unexpected appearance of Kraft (Takehito Koyasu, Jujutsu Kaisen). Kraft swiftly drives the bandits off, but not for the reasons the viewer assumes.

Kraft explains to Übel how he found bandits dead along the road. Their deaths were the work of a powerful and sadistic mage. Recognizing her as that mage, Kraft acted not to save her, but the bandits from unnecessary suffering and death. Once this occurs, Übel is immediately a suspect, her face contorting into an unsettling smile.  This clever reveal to Übel’s character establishes her as a clear threat without spoiling what sort of spells fans can expect.

The back half of Frieren Episode 18 shows the gathered mages as they begin their exam. The first test sees them split into groups of three with each team required to capture a certain type of bird, a Stelli, within a time limit. Frieren finds herself teaming up with a pair of third-class mages named Lawine and Kanne. This duo clearly has a history with each other. While they bicker frequently but still slip into flawless coordination with each other.

When Frieren has a moment alone with Kanne, she inquires about their past. Why Kanne and Lawine have such a love/hate relationship is an interesting and charming tale that manages to build both characters’ personalities. It mixes the show’s ever-present thoughtfulness with the perfect sprinkling of comedy, allowing the sequence to both inform and entertain.

Along with the character exploration, this episode also uses the early moments of the mage exam to deliver some well-executed magic. We witness new abilities while learning about Lawine and Kanne’s skills. We also see Frieren utilize some previously unseen magic of her own. These bursts of excitement keep the episode’s pace up. They break up the dialogue with some well-timed energy and help to keep the story engaging.

As Frieren Episode 18 comes to a close, the trio have yet to complete their task. While the core narrative point remains unfulfilled, the episode does a great job of introducing new characters and challenges as it reasserts the present-day events of the narrative as the series’ focus.

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