Frieren Was Planned As an Entirely Different Series

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is a critically acclaimed manga series written by Kanehito Yamada. It’s a collaborative work with Tsukasa Abe as the artist. The anime adaptation by Madhouse is still the highest-rated series on MyAnimeList to date and is currently awaiting its second season. Fans love the story for its emotional depth, with a unique premise about the story beginning at the end of a journey. Paired with stunning animation and beautiful music, the series explores the themes of time, loss, and relationships. The story follows an elf mage who helped defeat the Demon King alongside her heroic companions.

However, since she has an extremely long lifespan, she watches her human friends grow old and pass away. After the death of Himmel the Hero, Frieren realizes she never truly understood him. Drowning with regret, she embarks on a journey to learn more about human emotions and the meaning of bonds. Along the way, she takes in Fern as her pupil at the best of Hecter, one the members of her part. According to Kazunori Oshima, the editor-in-chief of Shonen Sunday, the manga’s publisher, Frieren, was originally planned to be a comedy series.

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Author Wanted a Gag Story

According to Oricon, during the 48th Kodansha Manga Award, Oshima shared, “The plan for ‘Frieren‘ was submitted to the editorial department in 2019. Yamada-sensei, who has already had two serialized works, said in the initial meeting with his editor, ‘Let’s go with a gag story about a hero and a demon king!’”

He further adds, “However, the name that came up was the one you all have seen, a long-lived magician elf who, after losing a human hero, realizes the difference in the time axis of the two races and sets out on a journey to learn about humans, and it was an emotional first episode. Abe-sensei also read the name carefully and said, ‘It’s a very beautiful story.’”

Although the series has occasional lighthearted moments, making it a full comedy would fundamentally change its appeal. Frieren thrives on its melancholic yet heartwarming exploration of time and human connections, which resonate deeply with readers. The anime adaptation depicts the themes perfectly with an enthralling soundtrack. A comedy-focused Frieren might be entertaining, but it would have changed the story’s tone entirely.

Frieren won the second and sixth places in the 2021 and 2022 Kono Manga ga Sugoi! for the Male Readers division, respectively. Additionally, in 2021, the series won the New Work Prize at the prestigious Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize awards. The manga was nominated twice for the 45th and 46th Kodansha Manga Awards in the Shonen category. It won the 48th Kodansha Manga Award in the same category in 2024 and the 69th Shogakukan Manga Award.

With several awards under its belt, it’s easily one of the best manga out there. While the manga is still ongoing, fans are awaiting more information about the second season. You can watch the first season, which was released in two cours on Crunchyroll and Prime Video. Additionally, the manga is available on Viz’s official website.

Source: Oricon