Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to the snow-topped peaks and lush vales of Frieren, as our indifferent mage is roped into competing for her first class mage driver’s license. The arc at large is proving a natural test of her priorities; as someone who lives many hundreds of years, she’s seen little benefit in flattering the human organizations that claim to define and validate magical proficiency. And frankly, I get it; between freelance work and simply existing in the modern world, there are few phrases I dread more than “we’re adopting a new portal/platform/processing service.”
Nonetheless, such indulgences are the cost of existing in a world defined by common societal rules, and Frieren’s willingness to subject herself to this nonsense is an obvious demonstration of her growing integration into the lives of others. Having been separated from Fern and teamed up with two girls whose mutual concern is as obvious as it is oblivious, she’s found an opportunity to test her increasingly personable nature with neutral players, and proven a far warmer, more inquisitive person than the mage Himmel first called to adventure, or even the one he parted from beneath the fireworks. With only two days left to acquire a supersonic sparrow, let’s see how our trio is faring!
Episode 19
We open with the proctor reiterating the first group test. The fact that they’re being grouped up for this first test offers some indication of what it means to be a first class mage – it’s not just about the strength of your magic, but also your ability to get along and collaborate with others. The title of first class mage seems almost as much of a responsibility as an honor; it comes with an inherent expectation that you will use this distinction to support others
Observing how Lawine and Kanne push each other forward, Frieren reflects back to the night before her first adventuring party fought a dragon. It was not Himmel’s unflappable strength that comforted his teammates – it was his admission of weakness, his acknowledgment that they were not alone in their fears. It is a greater assurance to know that even those you admire are afraid than to assume that fear is a sign of coming failure
“I’m sure this sort of thing differs from party to party.” Something that Frieren can only appreciate in retrospect, having journeyed with different companions over the years. We all find distinct ways to support each other, and learning how you can best build up another is one of the great joys of any given partnership
Though she regrets not finding more ways to acknowledge and support her old party, that regret is a valuable lesson; even in this short time, she has come to appreciate the unique bond of these two
Meanwhile, Fern’s trio have already caught their Stille. There’s no time for relaxation, though – the next phase is defending that Stille against the attacks of other mages. Ubel unsurprisingly seems to relish the opportunity
Our trio review what they’ve learned: the Stille are ridiculously fast, extremely hardy, and sensitive to magical energy
Lawine and Kanne’s outfits feel a little off to me. Obviously they’re intended to reflect their characters – the straight-laced, dignified one in an ornate dress, the spunky one in light, roguish attire. But their styles are so very different that they feel a little mismatched next to each other, like they’re coming from different subgenres altogether. Granted, this is a frequent issue with anime characters, who often seem like they’re wearing conjured costumes rather than fabrics and outfits they could conceivably acquire within their own world – I only mention it here because Frieren usually avoids that issue, presenting costumes that actually support rather than undercut the worldbuilding
The Stille additionally don’t produce much mana themselves, making it impossible to track them magically. This whole situation is an interesting shift for Freiren, which has previously cared far less about the mechanical resolution of a conflict than that conflict’s thematic implications
Frieren mentions she was practicing a spell designed specifically to capture a bird. Well, that certainly seems relevant here
“It’s folk magic, after all. It appears it can be used to capture anything that broadly resembles a bird.” Magic seems to be both an art and a science in this world, reflecting both the mechanics used in spellcasting and the actual will of its creator. This is still a shocking new wrinkle though, an admittance that magic can be more or less loosely conceptual, can echo the ambiguous, mythic nature of the legends that inspire it. I actually quite like this sort of magic, envisioned not as a programming language, but as an unruly force we cannot fully define or control
Fortunately this spell doesn’t just solve their issue, as Frieren has to be within fifty centimeters of the target to use it. Thus their quest is simply focused, not circumvented
“My magic only allows me to control water. I can’t create it out of nothing.” Kanehito Yamada’s clearly taking more interest in defining this world’s magic at this point, and I suppose a riff on the hunter exams is a fine vehicle for doing so. This is basically the card tag round where Gon attempted to stalk Hisoka
Apparently Frieren’s plan will involve stirring up all the other teams, which certainly seems like the most exciting possible use of this test scenario
Fern’s group discovers an interesting quirk of the barrier – it’s sealed off all rivers entering the arena, leaving dry riverbeds surrounding the central lake. Somehow not surprised that mages would think nothing of the ecological havoc wrought by their wizard contests
Actually a bit of the Hunger Games in this as well; by centralizing the water, the proctors force physical confrontation between the contestants
Their third group member Land urges caution, just before the group comes under fire
Their attackers’ apparent leader is Wirbel, a second-class mage who’s clearly intended to evoke a silver wolf, with sharp, angular hair, heavy fur trim on his coat, and fangs. A very instructive design!
Suddenly, Lawine freezes the whole damn lake
Denken the dwarf accepts the new battle parameters immediately: the lake is no longer a useful tool for baiting the Stilles, thus this fight is now one between the mages themselves. A crucial faculty, knowing both how to initially assess a challenge, and when to abandon that assessment’s implications when conditions change
Kinda amusing that in spite of the ratcheting tension and rapid jumps between perspectives, a big part of this plan still involves “looking around and finding a Stille,” thus we get these jump cuts to Frieren just puttering around and staring up at trees and whatnot
While the less experienced parties panic and make things worse, Denken waits and considers, choosing only the most fruitful courses of action to pursue. The benefit of age
His group encounters a trio of dead mages, caught by gryphon-like creatures that actually mark corpses in order to attract more prey. This arc is doing a solid job of fleshing out some of the magical ecology of this world, demonstrating the unique quirks of journeying through these magical wilds, and also offering some distinctive, fairly original monsters in the bargain. Nice to see that sturdiness emerging from the fundamental writing, rather than just the adaptive art design
“The Continental Magic Association is very mindful of maintaining the quality of first-class mages.” So they’ll happily facilitate the deaths of any number of unincorporated mages, but see first-class mages as a reflection of their own power and authority. Another indication of how this symbol implies a certain responsibility
“First-class mages need merely be symbols of power. No matter how powerful your magic, unless you can control people’s hearts, you’re as good as powerless.” Denken perhaps rightfully sees this magic-centric view as old-fashioned; mages these days aren’t defined by their ability to defeat outrageous foes like the demon king, they’re defined by their ability to gain power and influence within civil society. This test has outlived its purpose; it is just as easy for an organization to get stuck in the past as an individual
“Besides, magic isn’t a noble thing.” Magical aptitude is random; it possesses no moral dimension
Frieren’s overall gambit is fundamentally quite simple: if you cannot outrun your target, force them to come to you. A tactic that’s here applying to the birds and mages alike
Denken elects to wait his opponents out. One of age’s potential weaknesses, as also demonstrated by Frieren: a lack of urgency
Frieren’s plan effectively makes use of one of her core faculties as a mage: her ability to entirely suppress her mana
Thus a Stille is eventually captured. Of course, Frieren’s trap exists within the larger overall trap laid by Denken, who was simply waiting for his target to reveal their magic
“Her technique is refined and leaves no openings, but it’s old.” Yeah, Fern isn’t really up on all the popular new mage techniques
“I was taught to only use basic spells in combat.” A lesson carried from Himmel to Frieren to Fern
And Done
Thus the first class mage exams continue, with our trios now forced into open battle for the captive Stilles. Though Frieren has rarely focused on the nitty-gritty of tactical interplay, I thought this episode did a fine job of illustrating a genuinely coherent group plan that made effective use of Frieren and her allies’ particular proficiencies. Crucially, this plan still felt extremely Frieren – as straightforward as possible, simply applying the greatest force (their ability to contaminate the water plus Frieren’s mana concealment training) to their opponent’s greatest weakness (the Stilles’ need to nest and drink). The world also felt more distinctive and substantive here than usual; we encountered a variety of interesting magical beasts, and learned a great deal about the varying perspectives on magical authority. It almost feels like Yamada is testing their own prior narrative weaknesses here, and the resulting improvements are much appreciated!
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