This review contains micro-spoilers that will not impact your viewing. I am referring in particular to episode 1.
I am a die-hard fan of Frieren. This is one of the best anime discoveries I have made in 2023.
Frieren, a young-looking but not so young elf who can live for thousands of years finds herself embarked on a journey with Stark and Fern, two young apprentices. After losing loved ones over time, she decides to no longer be attached to anyone. But during her journey, she realizes that this is what being an elf is all about, living, being loved and accepting that one day, death will separate them.
When people ask me how I could describe Frieren, I often simply answer that it is about an elf and two humans who travel, help people and complete quests, like an MMORPG.
At first glance, this description may seem boring, but the anime actually knows how to alternate between fight scenes, very moving flashbacks and rather calm quests during their journey, which will satisfy us and relax us after a fight. In other words, the author of Frieren has perfectly managed to mix everything to give us an authentic and engaging anime.
The characters are all endearing and above all, very calm. There is no overeact or forced facial expression that we often find in anime. I loved this side of the characters. I think it's what brings us closer to them. Fern is a bit like the mother of the group, Frieren the big baby and Stark the loyal warrior. The relationships between the characters are very nicely developed during the journey. We witness during this first season a shy but budding love between Fern and Stark, at least that's what my spectator's eye wants to see.
The visuals are impressive. After several episodes of calm moments, we always wonder what the next fight will look like and we are always surprised. The animation is simply breathtaking, I who am not a fan of fighting in anime, Sousou No Frieren knew how to make my eyes shine during the fights.
The openings and endings are very beautiful. I think they stayed faithful to the atmosphere of the anime and then we are never really disappointed with Yoasobi in our ears. The OSTs are very good and are even perfect to be anchored in the anime, to feel the overall atmosphere of the scenes.
In conclusion, I would say that Sousou No Frieren is an anime that transports you on the journey of the elf and her companions. Which puts you in the shoes of someone who sees her loved ones leave before her and which makes you aware of the notion of time. It is an anime that despite the rather posed but realistic facial expressions of the characters, was able to make us feel their emotions. When the episodes came out every Friday, I was just waiting for that because it was the moment when I could finally sit down and enjoy episodes that were all as beautiful as each other.