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Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring (from left to right) Heiter, Frieren, Himmel and Eisen
葬送のフリーレン
(Sōsō no Furīren)
Genre
Manga
Written byKanehito Yamada
Illustrated byTsukasa Abe
Published byShogakukan
English publisher
ImprintShōnen Sunday Comics
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Sunday
DemographicShōnen
Original runApril 28, 2020 – present
Volumes6 (List of volumes)

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Japanese: 葬送のフリーレン, Hepburn: Sōsō no Furīren, "Frieren of the Funeral") is a Japanese manga series written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe. It has been serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday since April 2020, with its chapters collected in six tankōbon volumes as of November 2021. The series is licensed for English release in North America by Viz Media.

As of March 2021, the manga had over 2 million copies in circulation. In 2021, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End won the 14th Manga Taishō and the New Creator Prize of the 25th annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.

Plot

The story follows elven mage Frieren, a former member of the party of adventurers who defeated the Demon King and restored harmony to the world after a ten-years-quest. In the past, the heroic group included Frieren, human hero Himmel, dwarven warrior Eisen and human priest Heiter. Before they part, they observe the Era Meteors together, a meteor shower that occurs once in fifty years. Frieren agrees to see them again and offer them a better view the next time the celestial event occurs. Frieren then departs and travels the world in pursuit of magical knowledge.

Frieren returns to the capital fifty years later; however, humanity has changed, and her former companions have distinctly aged. After one last adventure to see the meteor shower, Himmel dies of old age. During the funeral, Frieren expressed guilt for not attempting to learn more about him. Frieren then pays a visit to her other former comrades. She accepts an offer to teach and care for Fern, an orphaned child adopted by Heiter. She also receives an invitation to travel far north, to the resting place of souls, and see Himmel again to bid the hero a fitting farewell and express her feelings. To fulfill those requests, Frieren embarks on a journey together with Fern while still pursuing her passion for learning magic.

Frieren's elven nature grants her an extremely long lifespan, causing her to view periods of years or decades as ephemeral (this perception of time makes her consider the ten-year adventure with Himmel's party a fleeting experience). The story thus takes place across a long time, with periodic flashbacks accompanied by the physical and mental development of characters apart from Frieren herself.

Characters

Frieren (フリーレン, Furīren)
A wizard who was a group member that defeated the Demon King. Although she appears to be really young, she was born into a long-lived race of elves and has lived for over a thousand years. Because her sense of time is so dissimilar to that of humans, she has no qualms about working for months, if not years, at a time. After the death of Himmel, a member of her disbanded party, Frieren became regretful for not knowing him better during their ten-year adventure. As a result, she embarked on another journey to learn more about humanity. She has also traveled with a human wizard apprentice, Fern, since she took her on as an apprentice at Heiter's suggestion.
Over a thousand years ago, Frieren was saved by the great wizard Flamme and became her apprentice when her hometown, an elven settlement, was attacked by demons. After those past traumatic experiences, Frieren developed a strong aversion to demons, and she naturally desired to eradicate them from the world. Following the Demon King's death, Frieren made substantial contributions to the study of demon-slaying magic while continuing to kill them whenever she could until the demon race was no longer as threatening as it once was. As the wizard who has buried the most demons in recorded history, she has earned the moniker "Frieren the Slayer",[a] and is feared by the demon race. However, she is not without shortcomings, and she has also suffered several defeats. Since Frieren is an elf, she is generally insensitive to human emotions. She is occasionally clumsy in her interactions with others and is frequently falsely accused of being aloof. However, she is actually kind and caring.
Fern (フェルン, Ferun)
Frieren's only apprentice. She is a war orphan from a southern country who had lost her parents and was about to commit suicide by jumping off a building in despair when Heiter came to her rescue. She began training in magic as a child under Heiter's tutelage in order to become more self-sufficient. She met Frieren, who came to visit Heiter, when she was nine years old. Fern requested that Frieren teach her magic so that she could become a full-fledged wizard. After Heiter's death, she embarks on a journey as Frieren's apprentice at the age of 15. Later, she became a first-class wizard after passing the examination while still in adolescence. As a privilege of being a first-class wizard, Fern may ask Serie practically any magic in existence. Likewise, the newly appointed first-class wizard merely asked for a spell to remove the dirt off of any garments, much to Serie's dismay.
Himmel (ヒンメル, Hinmeru)
A human member of the original hero party, who passed away. He was the hero of the group and a self-proclaimed handsome man. After seeing a meteor shower together, he and Frieren promised to meet again. He died shortly after the two reunited fifty years later.
Heiter (ハイター, Haitā)
The other deceased human member of the hero party, who was the alcohol-loving priest of the group. He found, adopted, and raised Fern after the party dissolved.
Eisen (アイゼン, Aizen)
Aside from Frieren, he is the other living member of the original hero party. He is a dwarf who also has a longer life expectancy than humans. However, since he was past his prime and growing old, even by dwarf standards, he refused Frieren's invitation to re-adventure.
Stark (シュタルク, Shutaruku)
Raised by Eisen, he is a young warrior who accompanies Frieren on her journey. He is a strong fighter despite his timidity.
Sein (ザイン, Zain)
A village monk who joins Frieren's party on her journey upon meeting him. He is a talented but mediocre monk who likes liquor, cigarettes, gambling, and older women.
Flamme (フランメ, Furanme)
A legendary wizard and the originator of humanity's magic. She is currently said to be a mythological figure, and her existence is questioned. In addition, all of her grimoires that have been discovered so far are said to be fake. Yet, she truly existed about a millennium before the beginning of the story, and she was Frieren's mentor. She was also the apprentice of the great wizard Serie. When an elf village was invaded on the orders of the Demon King in the past, she protected the lone survivor, Frieren. At the time, she eliminated pursuers stronger than the Demon King's army's general in the blink of an eye. Flamme taught Frieren an effective fighting method that includes concealing her magical strength to catch the opponents off guard and eliminate them with little effort, instructing her to spend the rest of her life doing so. Her favorite spell is one that creates a "beautiful flower garden." Eventually, Frieren used the magic to decorate Flamme's grave, fulfilling the master's last request.
Serie (ゼーリエ, Zērie)
An elven woman who has lived since ancient times. She is an influential wizard and Flamme's instructor. About 1,000 years before the story begins, she met Frieren for the first time, whom Flamme had brought. Serie is believed to be a living grimoire, possessing nearly all of human history's magic, and is considered the wizard closest to the Almighty Goddess. Around twenty years before Himmel's death, she established the Continental Magic Association. First-class mages have the privilege of meeting her and may request any spell they desire. Serie is passionate about mentoring bright and driven people. As a result, she dislikes Flamme and Frieren due to their laid-back demeanor and lack of ambition despite possessing immense talent. Additionally, she refers to Frieren as "a wizard who is not skillful enough for her age."

Publication

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is written by Kanehito Yamada [ja] and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe [ja]. The series began in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday on April 28, 2020.[3][4] Shogakukan has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was published on August 18, 2020.[5] As of November 18, 2021, six volumes have been released.[6]

In February 2021, Viz Media announced that they licensed the series for English release in North America,[7][8] and the first volume was published on November 9, 2021.[9]

Volume list

No. Original release date Original ISBN English release date English ISBN
1 August 18, 2020[5]978-4-09-850180-9November 9, 2021[9]978-1-97-472576-2
  1. "The Journey's End" (冒険の終わり, Bōken no Owari)
  2. "The Priest's Lie" (僧侶の嘘, Sōryo no Uso)
  3. "Blue-Moon Weed" (蒼月草, Sōgetsu Sō)
  4. "The Mage's Secret" (魔法使いの隠し事, Mahōtsukai no Kakushigoto)
  1. "Killing Magic" (人を殺す魔法, Hito o Korosu Mahō)
  2. "New Year's Festival" (新年祭, Shin'nen-sai)
  3. "The Land Where Souls Rest" (魂の眠る地, Tamashī no Nemuru Chi)
2 October 16, 2020[10]978-4-09-850181-6January 11, 2022[11]978-1-97-472723-0
  1. "One One-Hundredth" (百分の一, Hyakubun no Ichi)
  2. "Phantoms of the Dead" (死者の幻影, Shisha no Genei)
  3. "Solar Dragon" (紅鏡竜, Kōkyō Ryū)
  4. "The Hero of the Village" (村の英雄, Mura no Eiyū)
  5. "The Northern Checkpoint" (北方の関所, Hoppō no Sekisho)
  1. "Liberation Festival" (解放祭, Kaihō-sai)
  2. "Monsters That Speak" (言葉を話す魔物, Kotoba o Hanasu Mamono)
  3. "Draht" (ドラート, Dorāto)
  4. "The Murder of a Guard" (衛兵殺し, Eihei Goroshi)
  5. "Frieren the Slayer" (葬送のフリーレン, Sōsō no Furīren)
3 December 18, 2020[12]978-4-09-850285-1March 8, 2022[13]978-1-9747-2724-7
4 March 17, 2021[14]978-4-09-850490-9May 17, 2022[15]978-1-97-472725-4
5 July 16, 2021[16]978-4-09-850634-7July 19, 2022[17]978-1-97-473007-0
6 November 18, 2021[6][18]978-4-09-850728-3
978-4-09-943096-2 (LE)		——

Reception

As of March 2021, the manga had over 2 million copies in circulation.[19] The manga ranked 2nd on Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga of 2021 for male readers;[20][21] it ranked 6th on the 2022 list.[22] The series ranked 2nd on the "Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2021" by the Honya Club website.[23][24] The series ranked 17th on the 2021 "Book of the Year" list by Da Vinci magazine.[25]

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End won the 14th Manga Taishō in 2021.[26][27][28] The manga received the New Creator Prize from the 25th annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2021.[29][30][31] The manga was nominated for the 45th Kodansha Manga Award in the shōnen category in 2021.[32] The manga was nominated for the 2021 Next Manga Awards in the print category and placed 3rd out of 50 nominees.[33]

Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network gave the first volume an A-. Silverman praised the concept of Frieren outliving her companions and being forced to live with an understanding of the human world and her own emotions, calling it an "interesting take on the fantasy genre". Silverman, however, commented that the art is not "quite up to the emotional tasks of the story" and that Frieren's apprentice, Fern, "lacks personality".[34]

Wolfen Moondaughter of Sequential Tart gave the first volume a 9 out of 10. Moondaughter highlighted the slice of life nature of the story, despite its premise which involves a "D&D-style adventuring party", also praising the interaction between the characters and the art work, concluding: "If you want a break from fight scenes, and want something more serene and contemplative, this book should serve you well! It's also a lovely story of honouring the memory of lost loved ones, and dealing with grief."[35] Sheena McNeil of the same website gave the first volume a 7. McNeil called the concept of "what happens to the party when the quest is over?" interesting, praising as well Frieren's struggling with "becoming less detached" and seeing her experiencing the "lovely poignant moments, bittersweet ones, and happy ones". McNeil also compared the series' pace and feel to Haibane Renmei.[36] The Fandom Post named it the 6th best manga of 2021. They wrote: "Time waits for no man and that line may be overused but that line strikes a chord in this manga. There is always more to discover and Frieren has to learn that lesson as time marches on. It’s a sweet but harsh reminder to enjoy the moment for all its worth."[37]

Notes

  1. ^ Sōsō no Furīren (葬送のフリーレン) in Japanese, as the series' title. It could also be translated as "Frieren the Undertaker".

References

  1. ^ a b c "The Official Website for Frieren: Beyond Journey's End". Viz Media. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  2. ^ 物語の始まりは冒険の終わりから、勇者一行の“その後”を描く「葬送のフリーレン」. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. August 18, 2020. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  3. ^ 魔王を倒した勇者一行の“その後”描く「葬送のフリーレン」サンデーで開幕. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 28, 2020. Archived from the original on December 10, 2020. Retrieved May 13, 2020.
  4. ^ 少年サンデー ２０２０年２２・２３号 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on December 13, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  5. ^ a b 葬送のフリーレン １ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  6. ^ a b 葬送のフリーレン ６ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  7. ^ Viz Media [@VIZMedia] (February 19, 2021). "Announcement: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 1 releases Fall 2021! For immortal elf Frieren, the adventures are over. Now a new adventure begins: figuring out what to do with the rest of her life!" (Tweet). Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Twitter.
  8. ^ Mateo, Alex (February 19, 2021). "Viz to Release Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Mao, Rozen Blood, Burn the Witch, Animal Crossing, More Manga in Fall". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 1". Viz Media. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  10. ^ 葬送のフリーレン ２ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  11. ^ "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 2". Viz Media. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  12. ^ 葬送のフリーレン ３ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
  13. ^ "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 3". Viz Media. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  14. ^ 葬送のフリーレン ４ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on March 17, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  15. ^ "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 4". Simon & Schuster. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  16. ^ 葬送のフリーレン ５ (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on July 15, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  17. ^ "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, Vol. 5". Simon & Schuster. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  18. ^ 葬送のフリーレン　６　魔導書風カレンダー２０２２付き特装版 (in Japanese). Shogakukan. Archived from the original on December 2, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  19. ^ マンガ大賞受賞作「葬送のフリーレン」4巻明日発売、読売新聞朝刊に全面広告も. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 16, 2021. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  20. ^ 【2020.12.10更新】『このマンガがすごい！2021』今年のランキングTOP10を大公開!!【公式発表】. Kono Manga ga Sugoi! (in Japanese). Takarajimasha. December 10, 2020. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  21. ^ Mateo, Alex (December 17, 2020). "Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Editors Unveil 2021 Rankings". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 17, 2020. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  22. ^ 『このマンガがすごい!2022』1位に『ルックバック』『海が走るエンドロール』 藤本タツキ氏は2年連続. Oricon News (in Japanese). December 7, 2021. Archived from the original on December 7, 2021. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  23. ^ 全国書店員が選んだおすすめコミック2021. Honya Club com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  24. ^ 全国書店員が選んだおすすめマンガ、今年の1位は「わたしの幸せな結婚」. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. January 29, 2021. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  25. ^ Mateo, Alex (December 6, 2021). "Demon Slayer Tops Da Vinci Manga Ranking for 2nd Consecutive Year". Anime News Network. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  26. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (January 24, 2021). "14th Manga Taisho Awards Nominate 10 Titles". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  27. ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (March 15, 2021). "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Wins 14th Manga Taisho Awards". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  28. ^ マンガ大賞2021、大賞は山田鐘人・アベツカサ「葬送のフリーレン」. Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. March 16, 2021. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
  29. ^ Loo, Egan (February 25, 2021). "Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen, Promised Neverland Nominated for Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  30. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (April 27, 2021). "Land, Frieren, Demon Slayer Manga Win Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prizes". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  31. ^ フリーレン作者、新生賞に喜び「手塚治虫先生の…」. The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). April 28, 2021. Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2021.
  32. ^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (April 7, 2021). "45th Annual Kodansha Manga Awards' Nominees Announced". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  33. ^ Loveridge, Lynzee (August 24, 2021). "Kaiju No. 8, Oshi no Ko Win Next Manga Awards Web, Print Categories". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 24, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  34. ^ Silverman, Rebecca (November 9, 2021). "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End GN 1 - Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 9, 2021. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  35. ^ Moondaughter, Wolfen (November 4, 2021). "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Vol. 1". Sequential Tart. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  36. ^ McNeil, Sheena (November 12, 2021). "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Vol. 1". Sequential Tart. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  37. ^ Mireles, Antonio (December 29, 2021). "Fandom Post Manga of the Year Awards 2021". The Fandom Post. Archived from the original on January 2, 2022. Retrieved January 2, 2022.

Further reading

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