There are quite a few contenders in the world of anime when it comes to the best new series to arrive in 2023. Series like Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Undead Unluck, Shangri-La Frontier, and Pluto all offer something unique to fans of the medium. One of the biggest new arrivals this year has been Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, a new anime adaptation from Studio Madhouse, and cosplayers have taken notice.
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Frieren is able to take a rather unique premise and weave it into something special. Following an elf who lives for centuries, if not more, the series immediately begins by showing us the end of a grand adventure wherein Frieren and her band of adventurers are able to defeat a demon lord following a ten-year quest to do so. One of her companions on the journey, Himmel, is a devil-may-care swordsman who we see age, and die, in the very first episode. Himmel’s death sparks something in Frieren as she vows to learn more about humanity following his passing.
Frieren x Himmel
If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out the first season of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, it can currently be streamed on Crunchyroll. Here’s how the streaming service describes the unique anime series, “Here’s how the streaming service describes the unique fantasy, “The mage Frieren defeated the Demon King alongside the hero Himmel’s party after a 10-year quest. Peace was restored to the kingdom. Because she is an elf, she is able to live over a thousand years. She promises Himmel and the others that she will be back to see them and then sets out on a journey by herself. Fifty years later, Frieren goes to visit Himmel and the others. She remained unchanged, but Himmel and the others have aged and only a little of their lives remain. Later, she witnesses Himmel’s death. Frieren is pained by her desire to have spent more time getting to know people. With that regret in her heart, she then goes on a journey to do just that. On her journey, she meets many people and many events await her.”
Does Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End stand at the top of your list for best new anime of 2023? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Frieren.