Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re returning to the field of the First Class Mage Exam, as Frieren and her compatriots do battle with the distinguished Denken and his ruthless accomplice. Having “successfully” reduced their alleged scavenger hunt to its true nature as a grand melee, they compete to either claim their opponent’s prize or destroy them outright; either way, only a full team with Stille in hand can pass this trial.

In characteristic Frieren fashion, the battle so far has revolved less around “who is the most powerful” than “what are you willing to sacrifice for glory.” For Frieren and Denken, the prestige of a First Class Mage certificate is not a boon worth bloodying their hands for, a sentiment shared by the reluctant mercenary Wirbel. It is not a difficult thing to gain wealth or plaudits for enacting harm – but when the praise subsides, when it is just you alone with your choices, does the bargain still feel worth the price? On a long enough time span, there is little more important than acting in such a way that you can stand unashamed, proud of the changes you have wrought on the world. Let’s see how Frieren retains her pride as we return to the field!

Episode 21

Rain falls atop the barrier, a dramatic visual signifier of this event’s extravagant exploitation of magic. Up until now, we’ve generally seen magic used either to defend life or repair order to the world; this mage association seems to embody a very different approach, casually wrecking full ecosystems purely for the sake of personal contests

I tend to like fantasy worlds where the existence of magic feels more like a curse than a blessing, an intrusion on reality that frequently wreaks great tragedy on the natural world. Magic is most fundamentally power, and concentrated power is dangerous regardless of who is wielding it

We cut back to an earlier meeting between Frieren, Flamme, and the “living grimoire” Serie. Serie states “it’s been a while, Flamme,” further emphasizing this character’s constancy, their seemingly eternal presence within the world of magic

Based on Frieren’s uncertainty in her poise, the way she’s taking cues from Flamme, it seems this is her first meeting with Serie

I love how this OP portrays time. The verse is all transparent images floating over each other and disappearing, thus emphasizing the fleeting nature of experience in memory, while the chorus is conveyed in bright, full colors emphasizing the immediacy of their current, lived experience. And then there’s that one sequence of Serie walking at the end, with her surroundings almost blotted out entirely, emphasizing how nearly eternal life tends to separate you from the world

Also just a great song, too. Very happy this show rallied with such a strong second OP

Once again, impressive cuts as Richter unleashes his “Bargland” earth-rending spell. One part of making magic feel consequential is animating it in such a way that you can see how powerful spells violently impact the natural world, rather than simply being superimposed above it

Denken’s “the young are too hot-blooded” is contrasted against Richter’s determined stare as he approaches his targets. Richter is young and full of ambition; the cost of an innocent life or two seems like a small price to pay for the great stride forward that is a First Class certificate. He has not reached the point of understanding that one of the great challenges of life is learning to live with yourself

“The greatest joy of magic lies in searching for it.” Better to be the eternal seeker than to have all the answers given to you, the joy of the hunt extinguished. Denken has lived long enough to appreciate still having things to drive him forward; he is not impatient, he is enjoying the journey. I’m reminded of the ending of Millennium Actress – “in the end, I think what I really loved was the chase”

Back in our flashback, Serie muses that “time passes quickly. The student I chose to train on a whim has already returned with her own student.”

Another reason why Frieren isn’t particularly enthused about this exam – she’s already done this, and has indeed already been offered any spell by Serie

“Mages spend their entire lives chasing the spell they desire.” But after that, what is left? Serie’s gift is a kind of death sentence

Frieren responds with Denken’s own words, declining the gift

“This girl is no good after all. She lacks a burning ambition.” Something of a paradox – we need an ambition to avoid languishing like Frieren, but actually achieving that ambition spells the end of passion. Only in unfulfillment are we fulfilled

Flamme states that those who “seek battle” cannot defeat the Demon King. “After all, you can’t imagine yourself living in a peaceful era, can you?” Thus ambition is tethered to this warrior instinct, this need for conflict that defines their passion. Though Serie is clearly older than Frieren, she seems to possess more of a “young soul,” as someone who hungers and accepts violence as the rule of nature. Frieren’s lack of ambition marks her as a mage of peace; though Serie may look down on her, Frieren is far better equipped to maintain the rule of only “necessary killing”

It’s a bit of a chilling thought – are we such violent creatures that only a temperament like Frieren’s can keep us from indulging that nature? To that though we fortunately have the counterexample of Wirbel, who was so swiftly introduced to the double-edged blade of ambition that he soon lost the taste for violence

Frieren’s proud counter echoes from the past to the present. “This is how mages ought to be.”

“What am I even doing here? This really is just babysitting.” In contrast, Richter’s impatience makes his ambition clear

“Won’t you run out of mana casting such flashy spells?” Even in their short time together, Frieren’s allies seem to have embraced her more patient approach

“Are the old folks still teaching their students to fight defensive battles of attrition?” Once again, Richter explicitly defines himself as a young mage, a break from tradition

Richter explains that defensive magic is only so strong against physical barrages as to stop the blows of monsters and warriors. Over-engineering that capacity would result in other weaknesses, like mana employed or longer activation time

Of course, this would naturally lead to attack spells that employ normal physical objects propelled at high speeds. I actually quite enjoy this aspect of the worldbuilding – magic as a feat of perpetually evolving engineering, each new innovation designed to counter the previous era’s assumptions. No one wants to fall behind like Zoltraak’s creator did

“Spells can’t produce effects you can’t picture.” An interesting limitation, defining magic specifically as the power of imagination made real

As Richter settles in with the duo to wait, Denken realizes he cannot win an extended fight against Frieren, and summons a great cyclone of fire

According to the proctors, some other mage is currently analyzing the barrier

“She only used basic combat spells until the end.” As ever, contests of magic are swift and final. Such absurd powers are not meant for showboating

With Denken defeated, the contest is then reframed around this arc’s true fundamentals: is Frieren willing to kill Denken to win the contest?

Denken unsurprisingly doubts her conviction. Both of them are too old to kill for this

And he’s right, but his companion overestimates both Frieren’s conviction and her own abilities, leading her to get caught attempting to save him

Her reasoning is actually perfectly understandable – Frieren wasn’t going to kill Denken, but she was going to start blasting pieces off of him, which is also not a terrific outcome

Denken reveals the reason he wants to become a first-class mage, in spite of all his wealth and power. Apparently, visiting his hometown now requires first-class status, and there is a grave he wishes to visit. An easy parallel for Frieren, and a reflection of how his values have shifted now that he’s achieved the standard mortal ambitions. With nothing left to prove on this earth, his thoughts turn to his brightest memories, to the debts he owes to the living and the dead

“Richter will kill them before he faces you. He’s capable of making pragmatic choices.” Perhaps when Richter approaches Denken’s age, he will begin to think differently about the graves he’s left behind

Ah, it was Frieren who was analyzing the barrier. And now that she’s solved it, her companions will have all the water they could ask for to fight with

“So she’s the last great mage.”

Serie reflects that she can’t quit being a mage, because “in the world of magic, sometimes the world is turned upside down.” Though Frieren rejects Serie’s approach to life, it is Frieren’s presence that keeps Serie’s flame burning

Love Richter’s dejected “sorry” as he washes up by his teammates. They’re introducing some pretty endearing killers this arc

Interestingly, after all this, it’s Denken who still has fight in him, while Richter has given up. Richter’s ambition burns hot, but is easily quenched; Denken never wavers

Denken’s group comes across a pair who’ve caught a Stille, but in the process lost one of their party members. Denken reflects that in their position, he wouldn’t be willing to negotiate – as seems appropriate for him, he would value honoring the sacrifice of his dead companion over any possible reward. If you surrender your dignity, what else is worth fighting for?

Thus, with no mana left and a Stille directly in front of him, Denken shifts to relying on his fists. Yeah, these characters are great

And Done

So the first round of testing draws to a close, with six teams acquiring their Stilles and eighteen mages continuing on! It got pretty hectic for a minute there, but fortunately, it seems like Übel was the only contestant who actually wanted to kill anybody, meaning none of our mages left with any fresh blood on their hands. That contrast of “mages of peace” versus “mages of ambition” made for a compelling war of ideals across this episode’s first half, while naturally playing off the reflections on identity and aging that have defined Frieren as a whole. But beyond the sturdy thematic material, what really made this episode work was how fun it was to follow Denken’s perspective – a parallel of Frieren with his own path and ideals, a man who understands the weight of personal history, yet is not above throwing hands to steal a tiny bird. Good show, my dude.

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