Preface
I read a manga called "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End," which began serialization in Weekly Shonen Sunday in 2020.
This is the story of Frieren, a long-lived elf woman, who travels the world in an attempt to understand the existence of people with shorter lifespans than her.
I think this game would appeal to people who enjoy the story of "Venus & Braves," one of my favorite games.
The story depicts partings due to the passage of time and encounters with successors who carry on the legacy of the previous generation, giving it a similar feel to "Venus & Braves."
As of March 2021, four volumes have been released.
Story summary (spoiler-free)
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is a work that is billed as "an after-fantasy story depicting what happened to the hero and his party after they defeated the Demon King."
In terms of the world setting, you can imagine it as a typical fantasy world.
The story begins with the hero Himmel, warrior Eisen, priest Heiter, and sorceress Frieren returning to the capital after a 10-year journey, having defeated the Demon King.
At the end of the celebratory evening, everyone watches a meteor shower that only happens once every 50 years, and after promising to watch it again in 50 years, the party disbands.
And 50 years later, after they all gathered again to watch a meteor shower, Himmel passed away.
At Himmel's funeral, Frieren realizes that she hadn't tried to learn anything about Himmel, and decides to embark on a journey to learn about Himmel, and by extension, about humanity.
Frieren is an elf who has lived for over 1000 years.
The highlight of the story is perhaps the emotional connection that gradually bridges the gap between her worldview and that of those around her.
Review (no spoilers)
As expected of a highly talked-about work, it was very engaging and interesting.
I think this is a work that carefully depicts the hero's party after defeating the Demon Lord.
It's not a dark story where the protagonist is feared and persecuted by the people after being defeated, but it's not exactly cheerful or fun either.
From the very beginning of the story, there are many scenes depicting farewells with people who were close to the protagonist, so I feel that there is a somewhat melancholic atmosphere at the heart of the story.
However, as they travel and encounter the relics left behind by the former hero's party, a glimmer of hope gradually begins to emerge.
There is much solace in knowing that the heroes' achievements will not simply fade away, but will continue to live on in the hearts of others.
In particular, seeing the existence of disciples that party members have trained gives me a sense of generational change and makes me feel positive.
While this isn't a battle-centric work, there are fights throughout that are related to the themes of the story.
As the protagonist, Frieren is a member of the hero's party, she doesn't have much trouble in normal battles.
However, unlike works where the protagonist is reincarnated into another world and becomes invincible, this story maintains a sense of tension because it features many harsh depictions where even a significant difference in power can be fatal if one is careless.
Many of the characters' names are derived from German words.
The title "Frieren" means "to freeze," and I think this film is indeed a story that warmly melts away the frozen inner world of Frieren.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (1) (Shonen Sunday Comics)
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