REVIEW: ‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ Season 2 Episode 10 — “A Beautiful Sight”

Frieren Season 2 Episode 10, “A Beautiful Sight,” sees the trio lend their special brand of aid to a couple of problems before the season wraps. We also learn where Denken (Jirô Saitô, The Kingdoms of Ruin) is headed, as well as the name of the foe he’ll confront in season three. 

The bulk of Frieren Season 2 Episode 10 consists of a pair of familiar yet well-executed stories. In both stories, Frieren (Atsumi Tanezaki, NieR Automata ver.1.1a) and company aid those whose work is beleaguered by monsters. These tasks do yield pleasant surprises, as bittersweet setups are subverted in favor of more heartwarming endings. 

One of the series’s many strengths is how “real” the narratives can be, despite their fantastical setting. Frieren Season 2 Episode 10 uses this reality to undercut the expected heartache the viewer is set up for. Because, after all, reality brings both joy and sorrow.

Frieren Season 2 Episode 10 continues to find the balance between reality and fantasy.

An element that can be lost in the often extreme narrative of storytelling. By striving to deliver both the pitfalls and triumphs of life, both good and bad outcomes can play out without feeling tone-breaking. This allows switch-ups like the ones we get here to be subversive while still creating results that feel appropriate for the series’ tone. 

Providing a visual endcap to the season, Frieren Season Episode 10 delivers one last combat sequence. Tasked with fighting a gargantuan, wolf-like creature, Freiren, Fern (Kana Ichinose, Witch Watch), and Stark (Chiaki Kobayashi, Metallic Rouge) combine their skills to corner a powerful and cunning foe. 

This sequence in Frieren Season 2 Episode 10 pulls in all the elements that make the combat in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End stand out. The visuals bring to life the danger, power, and elegance of the moment. The monster’s movements are as enchanting to watch as they are life-threatening. Its introduction and design project a sense of majesty, as if it were the rightful lord of the land it claims. 

While the battle is epic, it’s not the main focus of Frieren Season 2 Episode 10.

The fight in Frieren Season 2 Episode 10 also executes a superbly crafted build-up and finale. The tension it accumulates as the foe is initially struggled with, held at bay, and eventually defeated makes the fight feel closer to a season-ending boss battle than to a random encounter with a less notable foe. 

Once the fighting is over, the trio’s season wraps up with Fern and Stark touching on the recurring theme of protecting people’s homes. But while previous dives on this concept have always been formulated around the literal concept of home, here it takes a more metaphorical form.

Both Fern and Stark look back at their lives to see how others helped preserve their homes in their memories. For Fern, it is Hieter’s encouragement to hold onto her happy memories of her deceased parents. For Stark, it is his brother’s kindness and encouragement allowing him to see his home as a place of warmth. 

What would Frieren do? By the end of the episode, we realize a lot. And her influence is rubbing off.

Upon thinking of his brother, Stark observes that Fern is always encouraging him, too. When asked in Frieren Season 2 Episode 10 why she always does this, her answer delivers an incredibly powerful emotional hit, born of repetition throughout the series and crafting its own thematic language along the way. She tells him: Its what Frieren would do.

The beautiful callback to Himmel and the phrase that has been repeated so many times to highlight the hero’s impact on the world is reapplied here and strikes a perfect chord. One that has been carefully cultivated throughout the series. It calls out an obvious comparison that could be easily overlooked: Frieren has become every bit the hero Himmel was. Because, obviously, it’s what Himmel would do.

Where Frieren Season 2 Episode 10 ends hints at the battles to come.

After putting a bow on the trio’s story, the series returns to Denken as he arrives at his destination: the previously mentioned Golden City. What is learned about Denken’s purpose at this remote location and another brief glimpse of his soon-to-be foe sets up the next major arc of the series skilfully. The gravity of the situation comes through in every element of the presentation. From cinematography to music, every element of this closing sequence exudes peril, ensuring fans eagerly await what comes next.

Frieren Season 2 Episode 10 brings a strong final entry for its short season. It delivers all the heart and visual splendor the series is known for, while also leaving a bit of bait to lure viewers back for next season. 

Frieren Season 2 Episode 10 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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