REVIEW: ‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ Episode 24 — “Perfect Replicas”

Progress through the dungeon slows thanks to the appearance of replicas of the test takers. With a replica Frieren (Atsumi Tanezaki) blocking the path to the final hall, the situation is dire for the participants in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (Sousou no Frieren) Episode 24, “Perfect Replicas.”

This entry begins its narrative with a brief trip back to Äuberst. Here, we learn about the nature of the replicas that appeared at the end of the last episode. They are the work of the dungeon’s boss, Spiegel, the Water-Mirror fiend. We learn these replicas take on the skills and mana of the originals. This makes the replicas a challenge that requires teamwork and level-headed thinking.

This opening also continues the show’s practice of including small references for eagle-eyed viewers to pick up on. During the explanation of the boss’ abilities, it is mentioned that the creature first appears in the writings of Ewig the Sage. Ewig’s grimoire was the one that Heiter had Frieren decipher for him in his last years. This subtle callback is a fun easter egg for fans to enjoy.  However, it’s also inconsequential enough to allow those who don’t remember to pass through the scene with their experience unharmed.

Returning to the dungeon, Frieren Episode 24 showcases numerous skirmishes between the testers and the replicas. While all provide the gorgeous combat animation the series has delivered throughout, they also skillfully build upon the characters’ personalities facing these challenges. We get a particularly interesting look at Übel (Ikumi Hasegawa, Love After World Domination).

The pair are in a bind, with Übel and Land (Shohei Komatsu) cornered by Übel’s replica. Land has been severely wounded, and the pair are cornered. What’s worse is that the replica has Land’s escape golem, leaving him no means to reach safety. As Übel processes the situation, we learn much about her thought process. She observes that the replica hasn’t attacked. This is partly due to concern for Übels stasis spell but also because it enjoys toying with its prey. Which means Übel would also play with them in such a situation. This moment reinforces the cruelty that was hinted at in her first appearance.

Frieren Episode 24 expands beyond this as Übel eventually decides to confront her replica. Knowing they are perfectly matched, Übel manages to overcome the replica by manipulating Land. She leads him to act in a way that improves her odds. As the dust clears and Übel explains her choices to her companion, we realize how cunning and manipulative the young mage is.

Amidst the chaos of the growing battles with replicas, Frieren Episode 24 takes a brief moment to deliver something calmer. Making their way deeper into the dungeon, Frieren, Fern (Kana Ichinose), and Sense (Haruka Terui) come across a secret room with a mural. While the mural holds no particular importance to the narrative, we see a moment of wonder as the trio takes in a work of art that hasn’t been seen for hundreds of years.

Once the trio departs their beautiful find, they soon catch up to Denken’s (Jirô Saitô) party as they struggle with the challenge of Frieren’s replica. As they ponder overcoming this obstacle, we learn about a new form of magic, hypnosis. While the explanation is brief, we get some clear guidelines for how this mind-altering magic functions in this world. The brevity and clearness make this moment useful while not bogging down the narrative. The episode further enhances the moment by using it to give Fern a moment to shine.

While explaining how hypnosis works, one of the mages attempts to hypnotize Frieren to see if they can do the same to her replica. Once the mage finishes her attempt and continues to expound upon the nature of hypnosis, we see Fern protectively draw Frieren into her arms. Unhappy at the liberty taken towards her master’s free will, this cute moment showcases how protective Fern is of Frieren. Despite Frieren being the more capable of the two, Fern jealously guards her master. Given the amount of loss she has experienced in her life, this makes sense. The adorable pout she sports on her face throughout the moment is the perfect icing on this endearing character moment.

The remainder of Frieren Episode 24 looks at other parties facing replicas. These moments blend action, world-building, and character skillfully, allowing them to coexist without ruining each other. These cutaways also help to highlight many of the concepts about magic and hypnosis mentioned in the core narrative. Using this show-not-tell method of expounding on the theory of magic further allows the show to explore the concept while keeping the episode exciting.

As the episode closes, Fern announces she can overcome Frieren’s replica. Pleased with her student’s confidence, Frieren sets the group to devise a strategy to support Fern. This wraps up all the world-building, exciting combat, and character moments throughout Frieren Episode 24, ending with the perfect note of tension as the credits roll.

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