Sousou no Frieren – Episode 04

Episode Synopsis:

Frieren and Fern spend the winter clearing the flotsam near a coastal village the party visited on their last adventure. Frieren wishes to see the first sunrise of the new year, but Fern is skeptical if the late-rising elf will manage it. Some time later, the pair visits the dwarf Eisen, who asks them to help search for the writings of the Great Mage Flamme. Perhaps these writings hold a key to helping Frieren achieve some closure with those who have already passed on.

Review:

Episode 4 concludes the initial run that was put out when the series launched in September of 2023, and sets Frieren and Fern on the path they will likely follow for the rest of the season. The story is divided into two parts that both focus on Frieren’s relationship with her former companions, and how she didn’t fully appreciate their feelings towards her until the present day.

We begin with Frieren and her apprentice settling into their stay at a seaside town and agreeing to clear the washed-up remains of old shipwrecks from the beach in exchange for a grimoire allegedly written by the Great Mage Flamme. Both mages know that books purported to be authored by Flamme have always turned out to be forgeries, laying out background info that will be important later. Despite the book being worthless to her, Frieren wants to clear the beach before the new year so that she can watch the sunrise during a morning festival she slept through when her party visited so many years ago.

It quickly becomes clear that Frieren is no early riser, so Fern has to basically drag her out of bed every morning so they can complete the job on time. It takes three long, cold months of work, which we get to see in a charming montage that highlights the pair’s relationship and the little moments of joy Frieren finds as they work.

Eventually, the beach is cleared and Fern is able to drag Frieren out of bed in time to watch the first sunrise of the new year, which the elf finds pretty, but otherwise unimpressive. It’s only upon seeing her apprentice’s smile that she understand how the real beauty is not the dawn itself, but the company of friends. That is why Himmel and the others were upset when she didn’t join them all those years ago and couldn’t grasp why they were disappointed. Even separated by time and death, she’s slowly growing closer to her old party.

Speaking of which, the second half of the episode sees Frieren and Fern showing up to Eisen’s home, strolling in as if the past 30 years were no big deal. While not as spry as Frieren, Eisen is still up for one more little adventure, and asks for help in locating Flamme’s actual writings. Frieren agrees and even asks to hurry so as not to keep Fern waiting – a significant change in Eisen’s eyes, as she never cared much for other peoples’ time before.

Around this time, we also get a flashback of the party in which Frieren and Eisen question the existence of heaven and what happens to souls after death. It seems that even in a world with magic and demons, the truth about the afterlife is still elusive. Heiter says that whether heaven is real or not, believing in it is comforting, if only because those who’ve suffered in life deserve peace in the hereafter. This becomes relevant when Frieren recovers Flamme’s true grimoire, open to a page detailing her travels to a heavenly kingdom at the northern end of the continent, and how the Great Mage was able to speak with the souls of her former comrades.

Frieren deduces that Eisen’s little adventure was just a trick to put the grimoire in her hands, planting the idea that she might be able to reach this heavenly land and settle her unresolved feelings towards Himmel. Even Flamme, who was Frieren’s mentor over a millenium ago, appears to have foreseen this and magically revealed the exact page her student would need to see. Frieren smiles at the meddling of her old friends, but worries what the decade-long journey might mean for Fern, especially now that the land once believed to be heaven is now a kingdom of demons.

Summary:

This was another wonderful episode that revealed more of Frieren’s personality and quirks, and gave us some lovely glimpses into her past and present relationships. Her dynamic with Fern is fun and goofy without trying too hard, and seeing how her relationship with Eisen has evolved is a treat. Despite appearing aloof, Frieren possesses all the same emotions as her companions, and the fact that she’s pushing herself to make this journey shows how much this matters to her.

The shot above perfectly illustrates Frieren’s personality; she finds great joy in magic, and wants to share it with people who are important to her. Even if she processes the world at a different pace than those around her, she’s as deep a well of feelings as anyone else. I’m excited to continue the journey with her and see how Fern keeps up with her methodical pace.

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