The highly anticipated Season 2 of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is less than a week away, as anticipation grows higher. Based on the award-winning manga written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe, the anime debuted in 2023 and immediately became a global hit. The series even received critical acclaim for its unique storytelling and lovable characters, eventually dethroning Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood from the spot of the top-rated anime of all time on MyAnimeList. The first season ran for two cours with 28 episodes, concluding in March 2024 with a genre-defining run. Following the first season’s explosive success, the second season was announced right after the season finale and is scheduled to be released on January 16, 2026.
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The upcoming season will continue the main trio’s journey toward Aureole, the land where the souls of the dead rest. The anime isn’t just known for its incredible story but also its breathtaking animation, breathing life into the exceptional worldbuilding of the series. The breathtaking background art and the fluid animation, often transitioning between emotional moments and intense fight scenes, are some of the reasons that set the anime apart. However, the upcoming Season 2 will have a different director, and we finally know the reason behind it.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Has a Different Director in Season 2
Keiichiro Saito served as the first season’s director before passing the baton to Tomoya Kitagawa, the director of Episodes 2 and 8, and the second cour of the anime. Saito will continue to be involved in the project as the assistant director. In an interview with Mantan Web, Saito, Kitagawa, and Tomohiro Suzuki, the series composer and screenwriter, reflect on their experience working in Season 1 and share insights on what to expect in the upcoming season.
When asked about why Kitagawa was chosen as the series’ director, Saito shared, “When we worked together on the first season, I felt that Kitagawa-san had solid ideas and techniques. Even during the first season, I was unable to keep up with the things that I should have been looking after, so I asked Kitagawa-san to help me out. I couldn’t think of anyone else to ask, so I asked Kitagawa-san.”
On the other hand, Kitagawa also ensured that several staff members from the first season will continue their work in the upcoming season as well. Kitagawa shared, “We have many main staff members, such as art director, color designer, cinematographer, and editor, as well as directing and animation staff who continue to participate, so they are very reliable, and we also have some new members.”
The second season of the anime will be streaming on Crunchyroll, where you can also catch up with the first season. While the manga is currently on hiatus, all chapters released so far are available to read for free on Viz Media’s Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End portal, where you can also get links to buy the physical and digital copies of the volumes. So far, 14 volumes have been released in English, while the latest Volume 15, which was released last month in Japan, still awaits a global release date.
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Official art by Bastien Lecouffe-Deharme -
A photo of the Retrovolt Arcade taken in 2017, showing several classic arcade cabinets and stools. -
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