Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I\u2019m eager to return to the wandering journeys of Frieren and her companions, in the wake of their victory over Aura the Guillotine and her executioners. Though this arc was ostensibly an articulation of demonkind\u2019s incompatibility with human society, our last episode demonstrated that it was more specifically about <\/span>Frieren\u2019s<\/span><\/i> soft-spoken hatred for demons, the experiences that led her to see them as incapable of compassion or emotion. In her attempts to define monsters, Frieren only demonstrated how her own life has led her to be so quick to assign that label.<\/span><\/p>\n It is now much easier to see how Frieren has drifted through life while acquiring so few emotional attachments. A conventional social structure was stolen from her as a child, while her replacement \u201cfamily\u201d Flamme taught her only to pursue power and cultivate ruthlessness. Even Flamme ended up regretting her pragmatic bond with Frieren, relenting just in time to pass on the field of flowers spell that connected her with her own parents. Given her own insistence on adorning Himmel\u2019s monument with flowers, it\u2019s clear that lesson stuck \u2013 but otherwise, Frieren\u2019s lessons and temperament reveal she is precisely the weapon Flamme made of her, no more or less.<\/span><\/p>\n As such, it is up to this current journey to teach her <\/span>new<\/span><\/i> lessons, to invite her to find love and sanctuary in others, even if such unions will inevitably pass. Every day with Fern and Stark demonstrates that time spent with valued companions is never time wasted \u2013 in fact, it is often the seemingly idle, shapeless days that stand most clearly in memory, typifying the spirit of mutual fondness that made your time together so special. Let\u2019s see what fresh memories await as we return to Frieren!<\/span><\/p>\n Episode 11<\/b><\/p>\n We begin shortly after we left off, as the morning light illuminates Frieren\u2019s battlefield. Frieren offers a prayer to the freed warriors Aura had manipulated; Fern expresses no emotion, having grown up with such scenes imprinted on her psyche. An odd pair to be the saviors of mankind, given both of them are so emotionally distant from most of humanity<\/span><\/p>\n The production once again demonstrates its emphasis on cohesive compositions and aesthetics, as all of the collapsed suits of armor are now painted as if part of the background, rather than realized through the CG models that their earlier mass movements necessitated. CG is useful for conveying mass group movements without necessitating a preposterous degree of animation, but it\u2019s basically anathema to any attempts at cohesiveness or visual beauty. In a production that values its atmosphere and aesthetic as highly as Frieren, I appreciate the team\u2019s understanding that leaning on more CG models would ruin the emotional impact of this moment<\/span><\/p>\n Really, the only thing CG genuinely excels at is \u201cconveying a great deal of moving visual information quickly and efficiently.\u201d I\u2019d be happier if most productions that currently employ CG replaced their CG objects with either still images or cutting <\/span>around<\/span><\/i> the intended object \u2013 the more older anime I watch, the more it becomes clear that extremely limited motion is preferable to CG models<\/span><\/p>\n Love the color design here too. The hint of brown in these yellows and greens creates a strong autumnal effect, emphasizing the encroachment of winter<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThank you for treating the heroes of the northern lands with respect.\u201d So much of this series is about paying proper respect to those who have passed<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI used to cast flashier spells, but Himmel got mad at me.\u201d \u201cMr. Himmel trained you well.\u201d Fern\u2019s light mockery illustrates a genuine truth: Flamme taught Frieren to be a mage, but Himmel was the one who taught her to be a person<\/span><\/p>\n Well, at least the one who set her down that road. Obviously I\u2019m engaging in a bit of hyperbole, but we are all truly works in progress, hopefully building towards more self-assured and empathetic selves. Practically no one is naturally a great person; it is a goal we must aspire to in spite of our natural predilections towards selfishness, fearfulness, and contentment with a comfortable routine. We must work hard to make ourselves kinder, and to make the world itself kinder in turn<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cGood job defeating Lugner and his henchwoman. I\u2019m proud of you.\u201d Said with a smile, Frieren actually relishing her connection to these two. She\u2019s finally learning to respect what is most valuable in life in the moment, rather than only recognizing how much she cared in retrospect. To these two, she can offer the words she never shared with Himmel<\/span><\/p>\n And Granat at last reunites with his son<\/span><\/p>\n As reward, Frieren requests Flamme\u2019s defensive barrier grimoire, but immediately recognizes it as a fake<\/span><\/p>\n Then there\u2019s an extended gag regarding formality of speech that doesn\u2019t really work. This show\u2019s blunt yet lethargic style of dialogue doesn\u2019t lend itself to banter; it\u2019s more the sight gags or punchy anticlimaxes that land, like Frieren in her dang mimic chest<\/span><\/p>\n As ever, the incidental, essential texture of life is presented through montage: sharing a victory dinner with your companions, helping with the repairs to the city walls, wandering and admiring this town that your labor defended. Life is not a series of dramatic narrative turns, it is an accumulation of potentially forgettable days, made meaningful by the companions you choose to share them with. Moments are brief but memories are forever, so you\u2019d best make the brightest ones you can<\/span><\/p>\n The insert song swells as one of those rare perfect moments arrives, and the team enjoy the splendor of the northern lights. Gosh, this show is such a triumph of aesthetic cohesion \u2013 music, sound design, animation, background art, and direction all work in such marvelous coordination<\/span><\/p>\n And just how it feels in real life, in the blink of an eye, their time here is over. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen a show employ montage to such consistent, thematically resonant effect<\/span><\/p>\n The town they\u2019re seeking is Ende, the northernmost village. Roughly as on-the-nose as this production\u2019s other titles; names and worldbuilding more generally are clearly not Kanehito Yamada\u2019s strong suit. Frankly, I\u2019m not really a worldbuilding-first sort of person myself, but creating a world that feels both alluring and full conceived will always enhance the solidity of your drama, while also giving audiences who <\/span>do<\/span><\/i> care about worldbuilding something to dig into. To say nothing of how worldbuilding and themes are often naturally intertwined<\/span><\/p>\n We learn from Granat that travel on the Northern Plateau is limited to those traveling with a first class mage<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe organizations that regulate mages are constantly changing. I can\u2019t be bothered obtaining a new certification every time.\u201d Of all of Frieren\u2019s long-lived mannerisms, this feels like one of the most relatable<\/span><\/p>\n The Continental Mage Association has apparently been regulating magic for at least half a century<\/span><\/p>\n Our party thus heads off to Auberst, where Frieren can apparently take her certification exam. So I assume this will be the equivalent of some sort of tournament arc? That doesn\u2019t really feel in line with Frieren\u2019s dramatic strengths, but I imagine the fights will at least be sumptuously animated<\/span><\/p>\n The first fall of snow is accompanied by cutting the music and deafening the general environmental sounds, an excellent way of creating that muffled winter atmosphere<\/span><\/p>\n In the war against the Demon Lord, it was actually the northern winters that took the most lives. A frank reflection on the true nature of war, which feels particularly appropriate for Frieren \u2013 even war is not defined by the dramatic battles, but by the countless days in between, huddling for warmth in a foreign land<\/span><\/p>\n The heavy snowfall of the north swiftly leaves our party lost in the flurry. They take shelter in a small cabin with another elf<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been about 300 years since I\u2019ve met another of my kind. I thought the elves had already died out.\u201d It seems elves living isolated lives is not unusual in this world. Also a pretty common conceit to imagine elves as denizens of a prior age defined by rampant magic and mystery, who are now disappearing from the earth. This was true of Tolkien\u2019s elves, but the concept greatly predates his work; I assume it actually ties back to elves\u2019 association with pre-Christian religions, fitting into the generally disappearance of pagan faith and its creations from the earth<\/span><\/p>\n He introduces himself as Kraft the Monk. Definitely a little odd how characters tend to fit themselves into predetermined combat classes in this world; childhoods full of Dragon Quest appear to have had a lasting deleterious effect on the fantastical imaginations of anime-adjacent writers. This is still certainly a lot better than isekais with actual leveling and skill descriptions, at least, but no gamified world feels particularly real<\/span><\/p>\n I like this beat where Stark\u2019s surprise at waking up next to Kraft is immediately replaced with admiration for his excellent training regimen<\/span><\/p>\n Given the state of the mountain pass, they elect to stay here for a while. Another frequently handwaved element of adventuring: just sitting around waiting for weather conditions to improve<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s the mage from the party of heroes.\u201d \u201cAnd before that?\u201d Elves live too long to only be one thing, one title or era<\/span><\/p>\n Time again passes in montage: lessons learned, meals shared, days of staring out and waiting for the snow to pass<\/span><\/p>\n When asked why he believes in the Goddess, Kraft says he \u201cneeds her to exist. Everyone who knew of my righteous triumphs has died. So when I die, I\u2019ll go to heaven and the goddess will praise me.\u201d On a long enough time frame, only faith can offer a companion who\u2019ll be with you for the whole journey<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s too cruel for the path your life took to not be remembered by anyone.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s just something we desire.\u201d True. All deeply considered faith is aspirational \u2013 that\u2019s why we call it faith. Believing in gods that obviously do exist is just pragmatism, no hope required<\/span><\/p>\n Kraft and Heiter alike cherish the thought of the Goddess waiting to praise them for their deeds \u2013 but if their friends don\u2019t believe in the Goddess, they will happily take that role themselves<\/span><\/p>\n And Done<\/b><\/p>\n Thus Kraft travels on his way, having lightly touched the lives of our three wanderers during the brief months they shared. Their ambiguous and all-too-short connection feels perfectly of a piece with Frieren\u2019s thematic ambitions, demonstrating the wandering and randomly intersecting nature of our lives, and insisting that what meaning exists in these meetings and partings is the meaning we bring to them. So it goes for Kraft\u2019s relationship with the Goddess \u2013 his faith is meaningful because he finds purpose and hope within it, knowing that even as his trusted companions pass into memory, there is still a friendly face waiting somewhere up the road. I suppose that\u2019s all that any of us can really hope for.<\/span><\/p>\n This\u00a0article\u00a0was\u00a0mad<\/a><\/em>e possible by reader support<\/a>. Thank you all for\u00a0all that you do.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wrongeverytime.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/October24113513.jpg?resize=584%2C329&ssl=1\")
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<\/p>\nLike this:<\/h3>\n