Episode Synopsis:
Frieren spends years translating the grimoire Heiter requested. During this time she teaches Fern the basics of magic, and Fern takes to the subject matter with a quiet fervor. After Heiter’s passing, Frieren and Fern travel to a small town that has a statue of Himmel. The statue has been neglected in the time that’s passed since it was erected due to the citizens forgetting Himmel and Co.’s deeds. Frieren takes it upon herself to plant the elusive blue moon weed flowers around the statue, much to the chagrin of Fern.
Review:
Can we just talk about how much I love the OP for this show? I don’t know exactly what it is, but there’s definitely some Eastern musical flavor in there and it’s very appealing to me overall.
Episode 2 closes out Frieren’s efforts to translate the grimoire for Heiter. If you are older than say…a toddler, I think it was obvious that Heiter was b.s.ing about the grimoire’s abilities to extend life. There’s a lot of subtle storytelling already on display. Despite all her years on Earth, Fern is easily deceived by Heiter’s request. I couldn’t help but smile. She has the lifespan of a God and the naiveté of a child.
In the simple dialogue Frieren and Heiter exchange it’s easy to see how deeply they trust each other, despite Frieren being dense as lead about Heiter’s general feelings. It’s also nice to see that she has already taken something valuable away from Himmel’s passing.
There’s a lot crammed into the first 10 minutes of this show. The flashback to Heiter saving Fern from killing herself is equal parts sad and uplifting. You can sense a touch of bitterness underneath the determination in Heiter talking about his realizations. Fern’s statement about wanting to be worth saving as a reasoning behind why she desperately needs to learn magic (or anything for that matter) is instantaneously heart-breaking. The show makes quick work of your emotions and draws you into caring about these characters.
The latter half of the episode gives us even more insight into Frieren as a(n elf) person, and adds some tidbits to the dynamic of her former party members. I love the silly magic that exists in this world (seriously, a spell that produces warm tea?! Yes please!) in addition to the classic defense/attack spells. I don’t yet have the words to put my finger on it, but I’m amazed at how the show portrays time in such a way that you oscillate between Frieren’s view that time is no object, and Fern’s frustration at them burning valuable months of her (by comparison) meager lifespan. The culmination of the episode wraps full circle with a theme that I think is permeating the episode. Things may take a long time…but if they are worth doing, and if they add meaning, then the time you took was well spent, wasn’t it?
And really, when is the last time you had an anime remind you of that and do it with gorgeous animation/music?
Summary:
I’m more optimistic than Scott is right out of the gate, and I’m hoping this show keeps delivering on its ideas. It’s very thoughtful and I love the subtle storytelling and powerful themes. I’m already enjoying the straight-man Fern to the kind/monotone/lackadaisical Frieren dynamic, and it’s clears the duo benefits from each others presence. Also even though I knew Frieren would find the flowers in the end, I still teared up a little at how much effort she put in for someone she quietly is trying to understand better. In theory Himmel didn’t make that much impact on her immense lifespan. In reality it seems he changed her in a beautifully irreversible way. Let’s hope this is a pleasant journey. As a final note, I have the answer to the other important question in this episode.
The Con Artists 
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