It wouldn’t be an overstatement to call Freiren: Beyond Journey’s End a one-of-a-kind series. Based on the manga by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe, Madhouse’s anime adaptation is one of the highest-rated anime of all time (holding the top spot on MyAnimeList). Following the titular elf, Frieren, fans go on a journey set over decades as she and her new traveling companions Fern and Stark journey to the North, all while Frieren learns to appreciate her past travels as one of the saviors of the world.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Fans of the series have been desperately searching for another anime or manga that elicits the same feelings, to no avail. Despite the fantasy genre being oversaturated with action, romance, and isekai series, very few have come close to the unique quality and vibes of Frieren. But fear not, we’ve got you covered with the closest fantasy manga you can get to Freiren with Witch Hat Atelier, and an anime adaptation is already in the works.
Witch Hat Atelier Is a Must-Read for Freiren Fans
On the surface, Freiren: Beyond Journey’s End and Witch Hat Atelier might seem completely different in terms of tone and narrative. It’s true that their stories differ greatly. The former is a slow-burning and introspective character study, and the latter follows the hero’s journey archetype as a young witch studies the arcane arts to save her mother. But, just like with Frieren, there’s so much more to Witch Hat Atelier than what lies on the surface.
Atelier is written by Kamome Shirahama, a former comic book cover artist for both Marvel and DC. First published in 2016, the series is still ongoing, with 85 Chapters available at the time of writing. Set in a fantasy world where only a select few can use magic, the manga follows Coco, a young girl with dreams of becoming a witch. When she accidentally learns how to use magic and petrifies her mother in stone using a banned spell, she must study the arcane arts in a desperate attempt to save her mother.
What sounds like a fairly straightforward plot is the entry point into a sprawling exploration of the fantasy genre and its tropes. That is one of the biggest crossovers between Freiren and Witch Hat Atelier. Frieren is renowned for subverting anime and fantasy tropes to create a unique world and story. Witch Hat Atelier does the same through its magic system. The series starts with the archetype that only those who were born with magical abilities can use magic, a trope that is prevalent throughout the genre. But the lore behind that rule and the wider world of Atelier is a sprawling tale of conspiracy.
Coco discovers that the secret to magic is incredibly simple. but it was kept a secret from the masses to protect the world from the dangers that magic can entail. This is just one of many subversions of well-worn fantasy tropes that Witch Hat Atelier uses to build its world, just like Freiren does.
[RELATED – Witch Hat Atelier Creator Addresses the Animeโs โBig 3โ Status]
Witch Hat Atelier Might Rival Freiren In Terms of Beauty
As ComicBook’s resident Freiren obsessive, I won’t go so far as to say that Witch Hat Atelier is better than Freiren. But Witch Hat Atelier‘s anime has the opportunity to beat Freiren’s in one major aspect: its animation. That’s a bold statement because Freiren is a masterclass in animation, lighting, composition, framing, and camera movement. But, based on the designs from Kamome Shirahama’s manga, if BUG FILMS can successfully capture the vividness of the manga in animation, then Witch Hat Atelier could be a contender to be one of the most beautiful anime of all time. Considering their lauded work on Zom 100, despite its production delays, they could very well do so.
Witch Hat Atelier‘s anime has been in the works for some time now. The first poster for the anime was released in April last year, and fans of the manga have been patiently waiting for the series to release later this year. The first trailer was unveiled last August, and fans were elated with what they saw. To many, the animation quality and score are a dream come true, and it only has fans even more excited for the show’s release later this year. An exact release date has not yet been revealed, but fans are expecting and hoping for a new update in the coming weeks.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll. Witch Hat Atelier is available to read on the K MANGA app and through published tankลbon volumes.
