I had a great time watching Frieren with friends, with a vibe that matched how cozy the show was. Frieren is a lot more than just cozy of course, it's mature and fantastical, and does a great job exploring the power of storytelling and inspiring those around you in the present and future. The relationship between Frieren and Himmel is fun to watch and lovely to see in the present. These consistent flashbacks wouldn't be nearly as engaging if it weren't for the amazing introduction, which might be my favorite first episode ever.

It establishes the camaraderie of travelling together, the beauty of the world, and the passing of time in a beautifully succinct and and emotionally impactful episode. It might be a fantasy story, and while someone living to be over 1000 is definitely unreal, the problem Frieren faces is very grounded and normal. Not realizing you wanted to connect with someone more than you did until it's too late is a problem a lot of us will face or have already. The way they portray this problem is great too, no awkward blaming, the soundtrack goes quiet to allow Frieren to express her raw feelings, she gets support from her friends. It's a grounded issue that's handled with maturity and sincerity. It's these kind of emotional moments, and the exploration of how to respond to these types of inner turmoil that I find to be the most engaging and enjoyable aspect of the show. Further, on a mechanical level the first episode accomplishes a lot. It's got an interesting hook, that leads into the most emotionally poignant moment in the entire show. It sets up Frieren's motivation and goal going forward.

Going forward, the show does a good job of exploring mostly grounded issues with maturity. Frieren connects with more people, adjusts to other's conception of time, get's to know them better, and acts inspired by her late comrades. She struggles a bit with it and get's better with good communication with her comrades, it's cute and well done. Other characters get emotional moments and little bits of growth here and there, handled with varying levels of maturity and sincerity, but its mostly still good stuff. I especially like the episode where Sein essentially does relationship counseling for Fern and Stark.

Earlier I said varying levels of maturity and I was mainly thinking of some the silly conflicts these two have. I think the problems they have between the two add a good level of playful beef in the party. Sometimes its played just for laughs, sometimes its a more serious point about communication, and I think that's a fine way to do it. They talk about needing a healer in the party, a very fantasy setting almost gamey problem, but ultimately I think his presence is best simply as a mature and strong communicator. He's an adult, he knows how to work out communication and relationship problems, its a very normal positive influence on the party that's handled well.

I think the show is at its best in these simple grounded moments, so I didn't feel as engaged when it started it's battle tournament type of arc. Don't get me wrong, the visuals and music are stellar from start to finish, and the comfy and mature vibes are still there during this arc. It's impressive how it still feels unique during it. The characters introduced here do a good job of reinforcing the vibe, especially since none of them are like some crazy over the top evil guy. Regardless, the focus still ends up much more on backstory and combat spectacle rather than what I enjoyed the most, pleasantly exploring simple living problems. I think it was a nice mix up that lasted a bit too long for its own good. Still, it has a good conclusion that fits the themes and vibes of the show well, symbolized in Fern choosing a laundry spell. This is basically her showing full faith in Frieren's way of being, which she expressed some doubt about early on in the series.

Other notes;

I don't know if I've ever seen a show utilize montages as well as this one. They go a long way in establishing character and vibes and stuff. Whether they're just passing the time waiting for a storm to pass, learning noble etiquette, or travelling, they add a ton to the experience.

I feel like Fern's development is a bit too contrasted by Frieren and Stark. Frieren changes her way of life essentially because of a tragically depicted sense of loss, and in the shows relaxed moments explore how she's making sure that doesn't happen again. Stark struggles to overcome his fears yet confronts and overcomes his weakness in combat. Comparatively, Fern doesn't really have a deep struggle. The communication and trust building are great between her and other characters, but in moments where Frieren recalls some deeply important memories, or Stark quakes with fear and steels his resolve, all the narrative cares to say about Fern is... she's a damn good mage. There is still some deeper interesting part about her moments, like when Frieren is acting as a magic teacher for her while fighting that demon early on, but overall she feels a bit undercooked emotionally compared to the rest of the cast. Still a good character though.