I unashamed love this entire series. The cast and setting are top notch. Now, we finally get to see some serious political intrigue and some major threats to the cast, too.
This entire volume is taken up by the current arc and does not see it to completion, so there’s definitely some of that mid-arc sag to it that a collected tankobon is prone to having due to the nature of serialization.
And this adds in an absolute boatload of new people, various one upping of various other one uppings in that shonen style, and random power creep out of nowhere. But, as I think is obvious, I have a huge blind spot for Frieren.
(Huge enough that I literally scoured Akihabara to buy the figurine of her being eaten by the mimic from a second-hand claw machine reseller, so I’m not lying.)
Yet I do think this volume overall works and works well because Frieren excels at making fun characters and adding excellent little details that show the mangaka really cares about what they’re doing.
Case in point, there’s a small moment where Frieren, Stark, and Fern are sitting on a bench and Stark won’t share the blanket because there isn’t enough room. Frieren stands up and there’s one panel shortly thereafter with Stark and Fern wrapped up together. It’s a quiet throwaway, but the kind that makes something like this for me.
The new group of antagonists is actually pretty cool, a group of mercenaries being activated by somebody to take our heroes, while the pending assassination of Serie looms over the whole thing. It’s medieval espionage with a magic twist.
It’s also another interesting take on mortality in a series that is inextricably intertwined with ruminations on life and legacy. Elves are essentially immortal by human standards, which gives them a definite mystique that in some cases seems godlike.
If Serie does get killed, there are a ton of potential implications for not just people in general, but also Frieren and any other elves. Frieren alludes to as much regarding perception when she discusses the current interpretation of her teacher, Flamme, within the city they’ve found themselves.
Amidst all that, the sneaking around and action are a lot of fun, plus we get a bunch of returning cast members who are drawn into events through various means. It was nice to see that the last big arc was not without repercussions.
Yes, if I am being brutally honest, it’s shonen all over the place. I did laugh that Stark essentially shrugs something off that should probably have killed him specifically because he’s been training so hard. His efforts are literally making him into a shonen action hero.
But I enjoyed all the move and countermove in this one, even with a few ‘powers from nowhere’. Probably because of the care shown in the series to date and the fact that, well, this has always been really good at making me care about the characters.
And if all this ends up making a point, well, I am also pretty sure that what the manga has to say will be both interesting and eloquent. It’s not the best volume, but it gets a lot of it right.
4.5 stars - it’s slightly atypical for the series, there’s barely a single flashback, but this is a conspiracy thriller and action fest wrapped in the series’ usual excellence. No complaints, but I definitely acknowledge my bias here.
As always Frieren is incredible. Soooo good with so many new characters, but even better seeing the old ones again!!! All my favourites in 1 book. Also Frieren’s unwavering faith in Fern and Stark is my favourite thing ever. Probably one of the best ones in the series!
Ancora più del solito un capolavoro, con una tensione crescente e scontri preliminari. Sono in trepidante attesa per il prossimo volume, eppure attenderei anni perché l'attesa varrebbe ogni singolo pannello del manga.
A very different tone for the series, I liked it a lot! I’d definitely do with a reread to capture the lore and intricacies a lot better. But, the action/thriller plot is so good. Gonna be on my seat waiting for new chapter updates! I can’t believe I read it all this fast.
Hace tiempo que no me emocionaba tanto por un reencuentro. Si bien esta parte no gira únicamente en torno al clérigo Sein, su regreso junto al resto de la banda me da mucha felicidad. Me asombra la capacidad de esta historia para construir personajes tan sólidos que, incluso en medio del caos, se sienta natural y hermoso su reencuentro. La narrativa en torno a la batalla entre distintos grupos, los cuales están los Guerreros de las Sombras, los Magos del imperio y los representantes de la Asociación continental de Magos, es una locura leerla y verla, como también reflexionar sobre las medidas y contramedidas que hacen cada parte. Es mucha información, sí, pero se presenta con una dinamicidad que hace sentirme inmerso. Cada enfrentamiento está lleno de ingenio y refleja la virtud esencial del manga de Frieren: la caracterización profunda de cada figura. Las escenas de combate fluyen con coherencia y sin artificios. Incluso en sus momentos más frenéticos, cada batalla deja una enseñanza, una verdad que resuena más allá del conflicto. Aunque todavía no tengo claro cuál es el rol exacto del intento de asesinato contra Serie, la oportunidad de ver al equipo reunido nuevamente ha sido suficiente para sentirme más que satisfecho.
This was confusing. These volumes come out in English so far apart from each other that it is hard to remember everything that has happened up to this point. I love the moments we get of Frieren, Fern, and Stark but there are SO MANY other characters that they are hard to keep up with.
Este arco me está encantando 🤩. Y me sigue pareciendo muy bonita la capacidad de esta serie de introducir y desarrollar personajes que no son adolescentes o jóvenes adultos haciéndolos interesantes comportándose como gente de su edad.
me lo he tenido que leer porque no aguanto un episodio a la semana sabiendo toda la historia que queda y todo lo que van a tardar en animarla entera, y lo peor que el manga está en pausa ( no puc mes) bueno, es mi anime favorito del mundo entero, así que solo puedo decir que increíble. fern y stark mis niños
J’ai lu la nouvelle « Sparkle For Frieren » qui est un petit bijou et qui, en 17 pages, capture à merveille tout le génie de ce chef d’œuvre qu’est Frieren. Masterclass.
I'm caught up now, tragic the series is on hiatus now during arguably the most intense arc yet, but I know how horrible the working conditions are for weekly mangaka
Fun but a little over complicated for what it is. Maybe it’s because it’s been a few months between reading the last volume and this volume, but I felt it left off at a strange part in the plot arc. The entire volume felt like an elaborate info dump, and a bit of a departure stylistically from prior volumes. Glad to see their healer has returned to the party. Excited for the next volume, even if this volume was a little lacklustre.
Arg, je suis censée être patiente après ce tome complètement fou ? Je le disais pour le tome 13, mais l'intrigue prend une dimension politique plus forte avec des complots, des jeux de pouvoir (et des combats évidemment). C'est une torture de devoir s'arrêter là et attendre un prochain tome qui n'est pas prêt de paraître...