The first episode of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End sets the contemplative, melancholic tone for the series. It begins with Frieren, an immortal elven mage, leading the Hero Party on their last adventure to watch the Era Meteor Shower. The Hero Party was composed of Frieren, the human priest Heiter, a dwarf named Eisen, and Himmel, the human warrior who led the small group to victory in a battle against the Demon King around 50 years prior to the beginning of the anime.
Spoilers for both Season 1 and 2 of Frieren
Not long after their final gathering to see the meteor show, Himmel passes away from old age.
The story picks up around 20 years later, and follows Frieren’s journey to the Northern Lands with Fern, a mage, and Stark, a warrior, both respectively in their late-teen years. In the Northern Lands, Frieren hopes to discover Aureole, also referred to as The Land Where Souls Rest or “Heaven” by humans, so she can reunite with Himmel.
As Frieren, Fern, and Stark retrace the path that the Hero Party took nearly 70 years earlier, Frieren begins to slowly grapple with her feelings of grief. Through this, Frieren touches upon a universal experience that is underdiscussed: the nostalgia that accompanies loss and how it shapes the grieving process.
Nostalgia opens Frieren up to a whole new spectrum of emotions
Nostalgia is difficult to define, but most can agree it’s a complex flurry of feelings like sadness, yearning and tenderness for the past. Experiencing nostalgia after loss isn’t a form of escapism. Instead proven by research to be a healthy response to grief that cultivates gratitude. Scientists also believe that prolonged grief is a form of learning and Frieren’s journey mirrors this. When memories arise, she doesn’t use nostalgia as a way to shield herself from grief. She uses it as a way to grow.
Her elven nature makes it challenging to access the full spectrum of human emotions, hence her deadpan demeanor. In initial flashbacks to her time spent with the Hero Party, Frieren struggles to make sense of Himmel’s past words and actions. However, as she ventures further down the the Hero Party’s same path with Fern and Stark decades later, moments of remembrance begin to allow her to better care for her current human companions.
One subtle but powerful way this emotional growth is communicated in Frieren is by way of headpats. In a memory of Heiter, Frieren becomes annoyed when he affectionately pats her on the head. As Frieren grows into a mentor and maternal figure for Fern–whom she raised since Fern was a young child–Frieren begins to pat Fern’s head as an expression of affection.
Though it may not necessarily be through headpats, contemplating loss can open us up to developing deeper connections. Especially in relationships that we may have not been open to before.
The way nostalgia changes Frieren’s perspective on life as a whole
This is what’s so relatable about Frieren. It perfectly captures the smallest of ways in which looking back on loss can completely alter your outlook on life.
Memories tied to loss do not need to be all-encompassing or dramatic to be significant. In a conversation between Frieren and Eisen, he summarizes this sentiment. “That one one-hundredth changed you,” he remarks, referencing Frieren’s eternal lifespan.
Notably, the episode “Shall We Go, Then?” was an understated yet striking portrayal of Frieren’s changing perspective on life. In present time, Frieren, Fern and Stark are being pursued by a monster in the northern lands. The anime suddenly flashes to a memory of the Hero Party being similarly attacked by a monstrous creature. Right before it happens, Himmel says “If you feel like running, let’s run away together.”
Cue the switch back to the present when Fern, Stark, and Frieren escape. Frieren echoes Himmel’s distant words with a slight smile: “Running away together isn’t so bad, is it?”
Frieren is not the only one reshaped by loss. Her bittersweet recollections create a ripple effect, influencing both who Fern and Stark are becoming as they grow up.
Nostalgia as a form of returning home
As an elf, Frieren is able to process the loss of Himmel over an extensive period of time by recollecting their adventures. While we may not have as much time as Frieren, her journey still strikes a chord. Because it displays the complexity of nostalgia as it relates to loss.
Processing grief is messy and enduring; it’s complicated and doesn’t come with a step-by-step manual. Despite this, Frieren is a reminder of the one thing that we all share. Through nostalgia, we can find a calming home to return to within the memories of loved ones we’ve lost.
As Himmel says, “To live is to be known and remembered by others.”
