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Dec 6, 2025
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is one of the most intriguing works I have ever watched, distinguishing itself through very specific qualities.
Uniquely, the story begins exactly where our main tale would typically end. The anime opens with the return of the hero party, sent by the Empire, after they have successfully defeated the Demon King. The group has achieved its goal, the threat is vanquished, and the Era of Peace has officially begun. The climax is over, and there is no longer a great evil left to destroy.
This is precisely where Frieren diverges from classic fantasy adventure stories. In traditional narratives, a looming 'Great Evil' is
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the primary catalyst pushing heroes into action. However, in Frieren, there is no world-ending crisis left to solve. The characters are on a journey not out of necessity to save the world, but for the sake of the journey itself—much like how Frieren collects magic spells simply for the joy of discovery, rather than for combat.
This raises a critical question: Can a fantasy story be compelling without high stakes or an urgent mission? Frieren answers this with a resounding 'yes.'
It proves that when details are filled with quality and woven with fine craftsmanship, a narrative focused on the path rather than the destination can turn into an incredibly enjoyable experience. Frieren is a series that places its focus not on the scenario itself, but on the manner of its storytelling. In other words, what makes it so exceptional is not 'what' is told, but 'how' it is told.
With its music, animation, character depth, and the peaceful tone that masterfully incorporates 'slice of life' elements, Frieren transforms into a truly unforgettable masterpiece.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 26, 2025
Chaotic
(It may contain spoilers)
Perhaps this is the word that best sums up the series, which was released in 2009, in my opinion.
There is nothing extraordinary about the series’ art style or animation quality—it’s neither bad nor overly eye-catching. It features an art style that was common in many animes of the 2000s, even if it distinguishes itself with some subtle details.
Beyond the story, there is perhaps the biggest issue in my view with this series; it has a structural problem that goes beyond the plot holes everyone points out and the contradictory character behaviors.
In the first episodes, the series seemed poised to tell the story
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of two individuals whose minds had been brainwashed by one of the underworld’s largest criminal organizations—a group that not only uses these brainwashed people to gain power in the underworld but is even successful in doing so—as they struggle to survive in this dirty world and rediscover their past and identities.
(No information is given to the audience about the nature of this brainwashing. Particularly in the early episodes, from Zwei's reaction after encountering the American soldier, we understand that these brainwashed individuals can opt for suicide. They may feel guilt and doubt about their actions. In my view, if we are truly talking about brainwashing, the impact of killing someone (İf they are programmed to do so) on these people's souls and consciences should be as trivial as the impact of drinking water and eating food.In my opinion, a truly brainwashed person shouldn't be capable of choosing suicide, though the technical aspects of this issue can certainly be debated.)
After the scene where Zwei chases Master Scythe, the second act begins. At this point, having discovered his past and chosen of his own free will to remain within the organization, Zwei is now seen as Phantom.
The second act focuses on Zwei's relationship with a young girl he meets at a crime scene and perhaps, through her, his rediscovery of a purpose in life.
Now, while the first theme the series explores could already be expansive enough to span the entire story thematically, in the second act, the series introduces another concept—one that could stand alone as the main premise of an entirely separate work (and in fact, has: *Leon: The Professional*). At the same time, the series occasionally shifts focus, placing the story of Ein and Zwei in the background, making it seem as though its primary subject is Inferno, its expansion, and the power dynamics within it.
When you take a step back, you can see that these are all interesting narrative concepts on their own. However, when crammed into a single series, none of them get the depth they deserve, nor do they create a sense of continuity for the audience. The studio clearly had no idea which aspect of these concepts to focus on, so they seemingly opted to throw everything in at once.
Is this series about the survival and past-seeking journey of two brainwashed assassins? Or is it a high school drama? Or perhaps a revenge story where these same young assassins seek to take down the underground criminal who brainwashed them and forced them to kill? Or is it *Leon: The Professional*? Or maybe the tale of an underworld organization's rise to power?
Judging by how the series unfolds, it seems to be all of the above. Or perhaps, none of them.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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Feb 17, 2025
I've just completed the first season of the TV series Ergo Proxy, which aired in 2006. But I must say upfront that I really enjoyed the experience. The anime kicks off with a vague opening and maintains a generally unclear tone when explaining its universe. The poetic language and metaphorical symbolism are ever-present. Even though most of the questions raised by the series remain unanswered after the grand finale, you still get a solid understanding of what may have happened or about the general concept of the series.
You are confronted with a world that is dull, numb, motionless, and gray. The visuals maintain their eerie
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atmosphere throughout the series—endless alleys, vast nothingness, and miles of brownness, which perfectly align with the story being told.
Another thing I found remarkable during my first watch was the team's ability to convey facial expressions. The characters often seem to look directly into your soul. Sometimes the muscles in their faces move in ways that feel out of place, while other times, they feel perfectly in sync. The positions of the nose, eyes, and mouth can seem eerie at times, yet also strikingly effective. That’s why the facial animations grew on me. As a conclusion, through the dark visuals and the aforementioned facial expressions, the team has managed to create a very remarkable visual experience.
The story serves us a slow-paced narrative featuring a companion-type Autoreiv guiding the 'baby-men' towards humanity, a girl disturbed by the society she lives in searching for the truth, and a person who has lost their memory on a quest to find their own identity, all wrapped in a dark and unsettling atmosphere. While the sense of curiosity the series awakens in us with each episode is undeniable, it’s not accurate to call this story a 'thriller.' Rather, it has more of a tone that slowly weaves itself into the very core of the viewer's psyche.
As the narrative unfolds, the philosophical themes explored in Ergo Proxy and the characters' internal struggles become more pronounced. As the story progresses, the nature of the questions the series makes us ask changes. The questions evolve from 'What’s happening? What is a Proxy?' to deeper ones like 'What is consciousness? What does it mean to exist?' As we question these ideas, we also try to follow the plot. In many episodes, the line between reality and dream becomes blurred, with subconscious thoughts, dreams, and a surreal narrative taking center stage.
Additionally, I personally found it fascinating to see certain concepts, which are widely discussed in the context of modern religions and belief systems, being explored in the series. The conflict between determinism and indeterminism in moral philosophy seems to be a central theme in the series' philosophical discussions. Alongside this, psychological elements such as the lightness of consciousness, the illusion of memory and the past, and many other psychological issues are also explored in Ergo Proxy.
To sum up, I believe Ergo Proxy is a work that everyone should experience at least once.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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