Mar 9, 2023
My first review, so go easy on me. I don't usually write these, but Sousou no Frieren holds a special place in my heart.
I also haven't read too many manga, however I feel very confident in saying this is my favourite so far. Spoilers ahead.
I recently watched To Your Eternity, and after seeing the struggles of Fushi; dealing with loss while being an immortal, I realised that the concept of immortality is something that can be so painful.
Our main character Frieren isn't an immortal being. However, when she mentioned that 10 years seems like a fleeting memory after the completion of the Hero's Journey
...
with 3 other friends, I instantly felt the bittersweet aura of the story that was about to come.
The story follows Frieren travelling with her apprentice, Fern, on a new journey 'for fun'. As she continues on her journey, meeting new people and gaining new experiences, she looks back on her time with the 3 aforementioned friends and realises that those 10 years were a lot more meaningful than she had first thought. Being a long-living elf, time was never a concern for her. But humans don't have that luxury, and Frieren realises this as she interacts with Fern and other companions in the story.
One of the things that I loved most about this manga was that there wasn't necessarily an 'end goal' to the journey. It just focuses on living life day by day and spending time with the people around, valuing the little things, such as 'grimoires'. While reading this I felt a sense of calm; there's no rush to the story, and as a result we get to feel the emotion behind each character. We gain a deeper insight into each characters' values, morals and ambitions.
Several times throughout the story, Frieren reminisces on her first journey, with the Hero Himmel, the Priest Heiter, and the Dwarf Eisen. Often these flashbacks would be compared to current events, and would explain the reasoning behind Frieren's actions. This gave the story a very bittersweet, nostalgic feel; something I hadn't felt in any other manga, or even anime.
Most importantly, Sousou no Frieren is a story about slowing down and looking at life for what it is. Nowadays, everyone is so caught up in trying to achieve a goal, to reach the end and find something. Time passes by so quickly because of this; Frieren herself saying that 10 years is very little time to her. But if we slow down and start to appreciate the things in front of us, this can remind us the value of time and what it means to be human. This manga is the epitome of 'maybe the real journey was the friends we made along the way' and I'm all for it.
Overall, for me, Sousou no Frieren is a 10/10. It's currently on hiatus, and it's got me wishing I had more of it to read.
Come back soon Frieren, we all miss you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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