Sousou no Frieren

Ok the show that probably got the most attention for the past two seasons. It garnered a lot of hype, but also indifference. For once I can say.... I liked the flavor of the season a lot, and I'm glad I picked it up. But before I go into why I like it, I'll get some critique out of the way.

I wanted to say this since I basically started watching, and then someone on an anime thread in a place I frequent said the same thing so now I don't feel that ORIGINAL anymore but it has to be said... The character design in Frieren kind of sucks. It's so BLAND AND BORING. It's also, sadly, the type of artstyle you only need to take a brief glance at and immediately clock that lolifags will jump on it. Like the type of guy that responds to everything with a smug anime girl attached, is obsessed with headpats, feet, touhou and osu... You know the one. The type to say "I want to pat Frieren's head...", "I want to smell Serie's feet" or, "Bros, do you think Fern would let me sniff her armpits?". The type to post his battlestation on /g/ and the type to say suspiciously pedophilic comments about his little cousin. Yes I based this off of a particular person but I've encountered at least 10 copies of him throughout the times. Now this sucks because the amount of coomerism in this anime is really.. 0 or almost 0 at least, it stays low key when it does show up. Yeah there's a few head pattings, two scenes that linger on bare feet slightly more than what's reasonable and one or two very inoffensive yuri bait moments but I wouldn't say it's anything pearl clutch worthy. Regarding the character design being boring - I'm not really sure why that is, but it comes across as so uninspired to me. First of all I really hate the growing trend of uwu small and cute elves. Hate it, perhaps even more than mommy type huge tittied elves because at least those tend to have some elegance to them coom aside (it's just my bias for tera elves jumping out even though their breasts are larger than their heads and they move like water balloons I'm sorry feminism). Really I just wish we went back to graceful, long and skinny elves. The only character type I liked regarding designs was the one of Fern/Ehre/Edel. These three have a pretty similar thing going on and whatever it is I like it. Dresses and capes are a good combo. But whenever short skirts or just slightly more revealing clothing is involved like with Lawine, Kanne, Laufen, Aura, Übel the fits look sooo empty and lifeless and uncoordinated idk how to describe, just so boring and weird with boring color schemes. Specifically with Kanne, this is a weird petpeeve of mine but I absolutely despise the ultra cropped top x low waist shorts combo and it's SO common in anime. Nobody wears that shit irl it always makes your back/torso look weirdly long. The cropped top should at least be slightly above the belly button or the shorts should be more high waisted to balance it out. It's just such an annoying fashion trope and I've been noticing it for YEARS in anime. I also really disliked Methode's outfit, off white cape, frilly white top, black corset with beige accents, black shorts, maroon tights, black boots. Why the need for two different light colors as a top, and then dark colors as the bottom part of her fit? It's so random. The art style is so SIMPLE which is nice! But then the character design is just ??? worthy. Weird styling choices everywhere. I could go on and on, especially with Aura and Übel as well... Men are treated better when it comes to fits in this anime, but nothing to write home about.

Ok, phew, got that off my chest. Been holding it in for months now so it feels good to have finally said it.

Another critique, this one I don't agree with at all but I want to address because I've been seeing it pop up here and there. The characters are boring, lifeless, unemotional. Allegedly. Frankly, I wouldn't even take this seriously had I not see it come from mouths of people I kind of expected more from. This is just quintessential "I'm so used to anime catering to turbo autists with extra exaggerated expressions and speech that anything more subdued reads as lifeless to me". No seriously, you're either autistic, or suffering from extreme anime induced brainrot if this stuff reads as emotionless to you. Not to mention... Frieren is supposed to be kind of emotionless and that's the point of her journey but... she still has a distinct personality??? Is iyashikei too much for the modern anime watcher's brain?

I like stories that deal with the passage of time. It's why I really, really liked the first half of the first season of To Your Eternity, until it turned into whatever it is now. Having a protagonist that lives forever is a fun gimmick and can be used in interesting ways, and I think what Frieren is doing is pretty good. Her being the one to usher in the age of humans with Fern, and eventually getting surpassed by her is something I didn't fully expect as the story progressed. Frankly I was fully prepared for the story to fawn over Frieren the whole time. Anyway, besides the character design I can't really say anything negative about this anime. I was into it from the beginning until the end, the score is really good and memorable and I can't find which but one of the melodies really reminds me of the Hobbit theme from lotr which I think is a sweet reference. It might not be the most philosophical and deep anime out there but idk I enjoyed it through and through. It's simple in its message but it conveys it well. It's a good, solid show.