Kanehito YamadaReseñas

"It’s all right to remember, Frieren."

I’m so intrigued with Macht and the lore of demons in this world. I can't wait to see how the story is going to progress.

In one of the quests, the trio looks for Himmel's memoir/journal. I wanted Himmel’s memoir to explicitly state his feelings for Frieren (what a shock that would’ve been), but alas it wasn’t meant to be lol

When your hero is basically Superman, you have to become skilled at developing the supporting cast, using flashbacks, and coming up with reasons why your hero might be temporarily weakened or distracted. This volume is a pretty masterful showcase for doing all that just right.

The backstory of the villain, Macht of the Golden Land -- a demon able to turn anything into gold almost instantly -- is so well told I almost feel a little bad about the well-deserved beatdown that's coming for him.

This series really commits to the view that the side trips and digressions are the point of a journey. Fortunately this one kicks off an interesting side quest to defeat a demon who can turn anything to gold. Of course, as any military strategist would immediately think, it's time for a tea party!

The adventurers make it to the Northern Plateau and their journey becomes more dangerous because of the monsters and demons still concentrated in that area. Their ambling quest is interrupted by several fights, but they don't bother to pick up the pace.

A nice visit with the characters even if none of it feels particularly necessary.

Genuinely the biggest aspect that is holding this series back from being a full 5-stars for me is that fact that the narrative repeatedly leans very heavily on jumping through huge chunks of time by just using a 1 or 2 page spread of photos showing time passing before going back into the story like "omg okay so it's now 1 year later". I feel like there must be a better way of doing this, or if not, this aspect should be used quite so much?

July 2023- Reread! I definitely needed this refresher before properly continuing the series, and it was just as enjoyable to read the second time around. The big time jumps are a little frustrating at times, but also an understandable evil.

January 2022- Probably the most quiet and contemplative fantasy manga I've ever read! It's a rare book that solely focuses on the "after" part of a big magical battle, and the way Yamada particularly narrows in on the aspect of carrying on your friends legacies and memories in this way is especially heartwarming. I also really enjoyed the fact that while Frieren is powerful and smart, she's by no means perfect and has a lot of flaws that are explored through her journey of reacquainting herself with her old friends. Very eager to keep reading this series and see how things develop! Tone-wise, it reminds me of "Delicious in Dungeon" by Ryōko Kui, just aboveground and more soft.

This was really good. An immortal elf has to come to terms with her friends growing older while she does not. We only get to meet Frieren’s party for a few pages, but each of their interactions hit me hard. ;__; This manga is emotional, heartwarming, and poignant. Also, little to no weird fanservice either.

I really love this series. It’s like purified water; all the bad stuff’s been filtered out. In a world of instant talk no jutsu, I like that Genau didn’t stop being so stoic.

I don't often read manga - so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Frieren is about an elf (gifted with extremely long life) coming to terms with life AFTER the adventure is over and the war is won. Her human companions are aging and starting to die and she is starting to regret not getting to know them better. She decides to retrace the path she and her party had taken decades prior and visit the remaining humans before they die off. Fans of dungeons and dragons and other role playing games will likely love this manga - but it was jus ok for me. This is the first in a series and I'm not sure how many others there are.

After a couple of volumes of rigorous magical exams, the characters get a cooling off period as they wander slowly ever northward to their distant destination. The low-key adventures become secondary to a bit of a romantic break-through late in the book.

The number of side characters who go through the book without actually being named really points to the need for a cast list at the start of the book.

Still, it's a cute and funny visit with characters I love.

Please, may this series never lose its wholesomeness.

The second mage exam goes on a bit too long, but the volume is easily carried by the flashbacks during the exam and the concluding chapters. Fern's staff! Frieren and Fern are just awesome together.

Is there a higher compliment for a book than when you pick it up to write a review of it you end up simply re-reading it for the second time that day?

This manga always find some way to surprise and amaze me even while it seems to be doing ordinary or cliched stuff. Take this volume for instance, as Frieren and her apprentice get involved in a cutthroat competition of mages that might as well be Quidditch, what with its little birds to be captured. But the action and intrigue are handled deftly, enhancing our knowledge of the main characters while effectively introducing the new ones.

I can't wait to see what happens next.

Tutte
le magie,
all'inizio,
erano
consi-
derate
fiabe.

(il nano)

Per la lettura è necessaria una lente di ingrandimento.

The big action scenes of last volume are behind us as the adventuring party continues their leisurely trek north with frequent stops and diversions. It's very slice-of-life and, since I love these characters, totally mesmerizing.

God, I love this series more with every volume. The big action scenes were immensely gratifying, and the small character moments are charming and humorous.

And, lucky me, I still have another volume on hand to read tomorrow!

Frieren's reluctant heroism and quiet competence -- at least in her field of magic anyhow -- have really got me hooked on this series now. On a journey to the far north to literally confront a ghost from her past, she must fight a dragon, recruit a warrior travel companion, and cross the heavily guarded border to the North Lands, where demons dwell. And she still finds time for gentle, slice-of-life moments with her apprentice and the people in the villages she passes.

The cliffhanger has me most grateful that I have the next two volumes on hand from the library.

We have new characters introduced in this volume's mage exam. Even with just a glimpse at some of their backstories and ideologies, it's really engaging.

Also, shoutout to an OP old man character that's not a pervert. In any other manga, he would be a Master Roshi, y'know. But nah, here we got a dude with some character and integrity. and aww he treats her like a granddaughter!

I sincerely hope this series never loses its charm.

Volume 1 review
Volume 2 review
Volume 3 review
Volume 4 review

“Children aren’t the only ones who need emotional support.”

I really love this series, and I hope my opinion on it doesn’t change anytime soon. Lovable characters, no degeneracy, fun humor, and a gooey emotional core.

Aww, the lotus flower jewelry warmed my heart
Spoiler: I was ambivalent at the obvious FernxStark pairing, but now I can see its appeal. Fern’s awkwardness/aloofness is gonna miss out on a decent cutie pie if she doesn’t stop hiding behind her feelings lol.

A nearly immortal elf mage slowly changes her aloof ways and starts to actually pay attention to the short and flitting lives of the humans around her. Deliberately paced with small but moving moments, it should appeal to fans of Witch Hat Atelier. I know I'm looking forward to future installments.

I love these characters. I want more!