REVIEW: ‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ Season 2 Builds On Its Strong Foundation

Frieren Season 2 follows the titular protagonist, along with her companions Fern (Kana Ichinose, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury) and Stark (Chiaki Kobayashi, The Summer Hikaru Died), as they continue their journey to Ende. Along the way, they will meet old friends and face new challenges as the dangers of the Northern Plateau set themselves against our intrepid adventurers.  

Despite being a scant 10 episodes, Frieren Season 2 utilizes its short runtime well, as it sees Frieren (Atsumi Tanezaki, Spy x Family) through the second leg of her journey. The series’s pre-established pattern of short, unconnected half-episode stories works in its favor here.

As Frieren Season 2 exists squarely between last season’s Mage Exam Arc and next season’s Golden City Arc, lacking a strong major plot line would be far more noticeable if the series hadn’t already spent so much time simply telling stories about its cast, unrelated to any larger arc, save the ongoing journey that makes up the entire series.

Frieren Season 2 uses its short, episodic run to lay down the framework before the Golden City Arc.

These largely stand-alone stories do a fantastic job of exploring themes, new and old. We learn new details about Frieren and her time with the hero’s party, and see how those events continue to shape both Frieren and the larger world she exists in. We even get to see a special element of Himmel transferred to Frieren as she begins to be looked at in the same way the world views Himmel (Nobuhiko Okamoto, My Hero Academia).

The only multi-episode story that Frieren Season 2 crafts also focuses on familiar faces. When Fern is called to fulfill her duties as a First-Class Mage to hunt down a group of demons rampaging across the plateau, the trio comes into contact with fellow First-Class Mages Methode (Reina Ueda, Chainsawman The Movie – Reze Arc) and Genau (Tarusuke Shingaki, Bartender: Glass of God).

This story lands in the middle of the series’ run and delivers the most in-depth storytelling of Frieren Season 2. It turns both Genau and Methode from momentary side characters in Season 1 into major personalities with much more presence in the series. How Genau bonds with Stark, in particular, brings memorable character development for both as they share a mutual tendency to underestimate themselves. 

Genau and Methode are elevated to major characters in Season 2, and their presence is welcome.

This arc also brings the biggest battles of Frieren Season 2. The speed and brutality of both hand-to-hand and magical combat in Frieren’s world are on display as the group of demons is confronted. But while raw power is impressive, as always, it’s shrewd thinking and teamwork that make the dream work. From Stark’s willingness to endanger himself to create openings to Methode’s ability to recognize that helping Fern will save the day faster than focusing on improving her own situation, the battles showcase that it’s always brains over brawn. 

While most of Frieen’s adventures are rousing successes, there are a couple of stumbles along the way. A small triumph that feels underdeveloped, and an unnecessary detail added to Freiren and Himmel’s first meeting, both fail to live up to the high standard of narrative quality the series has established for itself. 

One major event that doesn’t fail to live up to the said standards in Frieren Season 2 is Fern and Stark’s first date. This moment plays out exactly as it should, despite being less successful than any fan would want. This willingness to stay true to the cast and let the pivotal moment for the two young people play out in all its awkward charm showcases how confident the series is in its writing. And it does far more for the characters to let them fall short realistically than to let them succeed in ways that feel inauthentic.

MADHOUSE never shies away from delivering speed and brutality in the fight sequences.

All the moments in Frieren Season 2, big or small, are crafted with the same visual style and care that fans have come to expect. Magic is breathtaking and beautiful, combat is dangerous and wondrous, and the monsters are often as majestic as they are terrifying. And the series’ title as undisputed King of Montages remains intact. Whether simply walking across the continent, helping a village, or waiting out a storm, no show manages to capture the beauty of the mundane as well as this one. 

Providing the final returning element to Frieren Season 2 is the music. Composer Evan Call (Violet Evergarden) expands upon the already impressive established score with several new tracks that build upon the musical style established in Season 1, while still excellently utilizing returning tracks that couldn’t possibly be left behind. 

The peeks we see in the future are ominous, so perhaps Frieren Season 2 is the calm before the storm.

And while Frieren Season 2‘s ten-episode run feels far too short, the final episodes do a great job of sprinkling in hints about what awaits our heroes when Season 3 comes around, as well as the return of another old friend. The mood established during these peeks into the future captures an ominous tone rarely felt in the series. 

While Frieren Season 2 has less to offer than its predecessor, it still crafts emotional stories filled with wondrous magic, perilous monsters, and dear friends. With only a couple of small stumbles, this season keeps the show’s brilliance burning bright as it prepares for the next major beat in Frieren’s story. 

Frieren Season 2 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

Previous Season |