At the start of this episode, we see that Frieren’s party, composed of Himmel, Eisen, and Heiter has defeated the demon lord and is returning home. What makes this episode powerful is how it encompasses how one views time spent. Frieren mentions that the adventure was a mere 10 years. The other is when Frieren mentions that she can take them to the next instance of the Era Meteor Shower. In fact, this catches Himmel off guard because, well, as you expect, a human’s lifespan is around 100 years at most.
It takes that 50-year promise and puts it through the eyes of Frieren. She notices things have changed as both Himmel and Eisen have aged much more. Though the ironic part is she says to Eisen that he hasn’t changed much in comparison. Of course we know he can’t wield the axe like he used to, as he elaborates later on.
This all encompasses the funeral scene where everyone is in tears besides Frieren because Himmel’s death didn’t hit her. It is here where it is most clear that Frieren’s life span is abnormal, but it is a learning experience for her when she realizes that Himmel is gone. That shows that more than likely her perception of life is from an elf’s point of view, and she never thought of it from a human’s point of view. Eisen and Heiter having her back shows how much they cared for her, and more than likely they knew this could happen. Still, this gives Frieren a new goal of wanting to learn more about humans. Still, Heiter’s last words were a wish of his to see Frieren one last time, since one would assume Eisen has visited him over the years while Frieren hasn’t. On the surface, Frieren seems cold and heartless, but in reality her view on life is only centered on her own.
Frieren does indeed visit Heiter again when he takes in a girl named Fern. Heiter’s request is for Frieren to take Fern as her apprentice. He asks this not only of Fern so she has someone when he passes, but also for Frieren as this can give her a great opportunity to understand humans more.
This episode adapted chapter 1 and the first third of chapter 2. First, the stunning visuals, animation, and music are well illustrated. A good amount of anime original content.
- The carriage ride at the start of the episode is anime original.
- The pre-timeskip festival was extremely extended.
- The one fight that Frieren and Eisen aid in is anime original.