Book Review: Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
By Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe
Review by Mida

This is one of the most beautiful stories I have read. It is a poignant story of grief, acceptance and unexpected love. This manga follows Frieren, an elf mage, as she reconnects with the memories of her dead friend by travelling to the places they visited together.

This sounds like the beginning of a heartbreaking story. Fear not, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is anything but. While the main motive of our group is to reconnect with Frieren’s memories of Himmel and the other members of her previous party, they’re also on a search for rare magic. This leads them to exploring the distant reaches of this wonderful fantasy world. Delightful creatures, powerful enemies and charming towns all flesh out the enchanting world that Frieren and her companions inhabit.

While it does have a fair share of combat, one main draw of this series is that most conflict is solved without simply resorting to violence, leading to creative and interesting solutions. There’s an astounding amount of depth, emotion, and action in this series. Something that struck me in particular was the emphasis of the beauty of the mundane. Yes, there may be mages and monsters wandering around, but you can still stop and see a sunrise, or watch the birds. Frieren’s long life has lead her to often take things slow, and this influence steadily rubs off on the human characters who accompany her. And sometimes, they might notice things that may have otherwise been invisible.

While you may come for the fantasy, you’ll stay for the heart, humour and healing. This is the perfect story for fans of Witch Hat Atelier and Girl From The Other Side, or anyone who needs something soft and beautiful.