Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I thought we’d step back into the world of Frieren, as our heroes prepare for a confrontation with an imposing dragon. Having been instantly rebuffed by the monster’s mighty scales, Frieren has decided it is time for the party to acquire a front-line fighter, that she might be afforded more time to conjure a properly armor-piercing sorcery. Thus our pair headed off to recruit Stark, the ax-wielding apprentice of Frieren’s old companion Eisen, only to find he’d been studiously avoiding confrontation with the dragon for three years.

It’s no surprise that our party of two mages are now in the market for some kind of warrior, but Frieren has so far avoided straightforward fantasy action, with each of its conflicts ultimately resolving in some quiet revelation regarding the nature of memory, personal relations, or finding purpose in your life’s journey. I’ll be intrigued to see how Stark facilitates these dramas, as he actually seems like the most “normal” member of the group, at least compared to Frieren’s elven sensibilities and Fern’s trauma-born perspective. With a dragon battle awaiting us, let’s meet back up with our brave heroes!

Episode 6

Given Stark’s story so far, I imagine this episode might explore how the idea of a “hero” is a matter of perspective, considering how his presence in the village for these three years might have cultivated a very different image and impact than if he had actually slain the dragon back when he first arrived. Single acts of bravery are nice, but as Freiren has consistently demonstrated, it is more often the active, mundane practice of cohabitation that makes people linger in our memories. It’s the small things we miss the most

We open right where we left off, with Fern discovering Stark’s true strength

Fern asks him why he keeps training if he doesn’t intend to fight the dragon, to which he replies that in the three years since he’s been here, the villagers who initially lived in fear have come to smile happily in their daily lives. It is his presence that is a comfort, not his deeds

Of course, I imagine he sees himself as a failure. We are worse at coming to value our own worth merely as a presence in the lives of others than we are at appreciating the value others bring to our own lives. On top of that, we are often bad at expressing how much we appreciate the presence of our companions, as Frieren has learned in the wake of Himmel’s death. Learning to appreciate the moment, to not second-guess our own value, and to express how much we appreciate our loved ones is the work of a lifetime

“I’m the hero of this village, so I have to defend it. That said, maybe I’d actually run away.” His practice seems like almost a form of prayer, attesting his commitment to defending the village if the worst comes to pass. He’s not sure he’s courageous enough to fight, but he practices every day in hope of ultimately rewarding the faith that has been placed in him

“I got this scar from my master. He must have been disappointed in me. In the end, he never praised me, not even once.” Little wonder he’s got this inferiority complex

Seeing the scars attesting to Stark’s constant training, Fern states she doesn’t believe he’ll run. It’s clear he doesn’t want to run, but cannot trust in his own courage

Ooh, wonderful morphing animation for this recollection of Fern’s first battle with a monster. Excellent use of post-production filters, as well – racking focus and artificial film grain create a sense of a traumatic memory’s that’s been deeply buried

“All I needed was resolve.” Apparently both Frieren and Eisen subscribe to the “fling your child into the pool and let them figure it out” school of instruction

“All the training you’ve done won’t let you down.” Of course, there is always a point where you must take a brave leap in transforming practice into active performance

“Though you’re a hopeless coward, I believe your resolve to protect this village is real.” This lopsided encouragement is likely the only kind that could get through to Stark, rather than kinder words that directly contradict his self-image

Excellent boarding as Fern returns to Frieren, with a low-angle shot capturing Frieren’s comfortable indifference to Fern’s excursions, a neat counter-shot following Fern’s intrusion into the frame, and neutral shots of their room’s lantern to bookend the tiny scene. This show controls pacing and tone so well through its boarding

“Promise me. If I die during the battle, I want you to finish off the dragon.” In spite of his fears, he still values this village more than his own life

And of course, Frieren can’t understand how “living here for three years” has indebted Stark to this village, given that’s barely the blink of an eye from her perspective

“Your hands are trembling.” “I’m afraid, after all.” A very Frieren vision of a heroic warrior. Fighting dragons is scary! It’s not something any reasonable person would do for fun!

I do like how every battle so far has been weighted with this sense of real consequence. If they fail in their first attack, generally they expect to die, given the extreme power of the forces at hand. That in turn makes life seem all the more precious, and the moments in between battles worth savoring, all fitting with Frieren’s overall philosophy on life

Frieren reflects that Eisen was the same way. “Being afraid isn’t a bad thing. It’s my fear that’s brought me this far.”

She takes comfort in this. It’s like Eisen is still beside her, his journey continuing through Stark’s inherited mannerisms

Nice touch of an Obari-reminiscent walk cycle as Stark approaches. A sort of body language that naturally implies determination, making implacable steps forward

And then some gorgeous cuts as Stark dances around the creature. I like the mobility of the camera movement here, as well as the constantly shifting ground – the whole effect clearly emphasizes how the dragon is basically a mountain itself, a massive part of the landscape that must be navigated for successful attack

In a flashback, Eisen explains that the moment when he struck Stark happened because his body moved on reflex, responding naturally to an incredibly strong and frightening opponent. We can only hope that our students will grow beyond our own capabilities

Man, incredible dragon animation here. I again appreciate how well they’re conveying the scale of this creature, with Stark being flung around it like a mouse clinging to a bear

Ultimately, Stark ends up killing the dragon before Frieren can even contribute. His self-image was the only thing holding him back

“My master said you made the heroes’ journey ridiculous. It was a ridiculous and fun journey.” It is not Frieren’s strength that Eisen recalls, but her ability to bring unexpected joy to their travels

Of course, at the time, Eisen could only complain about how these excursions for random grimoires were a waste of valuable time. His eyes were only on the goal, not the journey – in that way, he was actually similar to Frieren

It’s funny how this show’s thematic priorities echo my philosophy of fantasy storytelling. While Eisen gripes about imaginary mechanical hurdles and bosses they’ll have to fight, the substance of slipping into fantasy is revealed as the moments in between, the incidental treasures inherent in spending time with well-sculpted characters in an interesting world. It’s the bonds they develop that interest me – external conflict is only interesting insofar as it furthers or illustrates those bonds. Outside of that, “you must kill ten dragons” might as well be “you must do ten loads of laundry,” just Tasks, not human drama

Of course, I can also enjoy stories about interesting tasks. But without the human element, I’m probably not going to find them particularly moving or nourishing

“I’d rather enjoy a ridiculous and fun journey I can laugh about when it’s over.” Agreed, Himmel

Thus Stark joins the party, and our team journeys onward to the aptly-named walled city of Waal

They really put a lot of work into the reflections of light shimmering on this massive guard’s plate mail, which adds some emphasis to his declaration that the passage north is blocked due to monster appearances

Frieren of course sees this guard’s command as a perfect opportunity to hang around and not do much of anything

Fern overhears some townsfolk grumbling that the checkpoint will be closed down for at least two years

“Even my master’s back that seemed so broad, started to look smaller as I aged.” An uncomfortable yet inescapable transition

Extremely fluid character acting as Fern reveals the checkpoint situation to Stark. Almost oddly so, one of those sequences where fluidity sorta draws attention to itself

Seeing these two collaborate really highlights Fern’s grim, low-affect persona. She is an unusual person, but not a caricature, and it’s obvious how her experiences have affected both her perception of and behavior towards others

We can see her thawing towards Stark at least, as she begins to smile at their shared jokes

Stark reveals his own cause for urgency: if he doesn’t complete this adventure quickly enough, Eisen will die before he can bring back his own stories to share. And Fern comes to trust his instincts just a little bit more

They come across Frieren avoiding the guards, but then the man who blocked them earlier offers a dramatic apology. Love Frieren’s weirded-out face in response

In spite of Frieren’s dislike of pageantry, they end up receiving a royal sendoff for their apparent mission to assist in fighting the Demon Lord’s army

And Done

Thus our heroes continue their journey, moving beyond the boundaries of civilization and into the wild north! I was frankly a little concerned that Stark’s introduction would push the show in a more action-oriented direction, and thus was happy to instead immediately dive into our new arrival’s anxieties, and explore how he’d actually found purpose in acting as a symbol for this village even though he didn’t believe in his own strength. Eisen frankly seems to have done Stark a significant disservice by never actually praising his abilities, but I suppose he at least counterbalanced that by teaching his student the importance of savoring the incidental pleasures of the road. Onward into the north!

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