James Nicoll Reviews

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Volume 2¹ is the second collection of the ongoing Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (Japanese: 葬送のフリーレ, Hepburn: Sōsō no Furīren) fantasy manga series. Written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe, Frieren has been serialized in Shogakukan’s Weekly Shōnen Sundaysince April 2020. The English translation appeared in 2022. 

Accompanied by her young human apprentice Fern, elf mage Frieren journeys north, hoping to commune with the shade of a long-dead human friend, the hero Himmel. Between the pair and their goal lie thousands of miles, not to mention demon-infested northlands. Daunting? Frieren is an experienced demon fighter. She is a thousand years old … so what matters a few years of trekking?

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Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Volume 1 is the first collection of the ongoing Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End (Japanese: 葬送のフリーレン, Hepburn: Sōsō no Furīren) fantasy manga series. Written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe, Frieren has been serialized in Shogakukan’s Weekly Shōnen Sunday since April 2020. The 2021 English translation is by Misa ​“Japanese Ammo.” 

Adventurers Himmel (the hero), Heiter (cleric), Eisen (warrior), and Frieren (mage) spent ten years together vanquishing the Demon King. Once the foe is defeated, the elven sorcerer bids her companions goodbye and heads off to pursue her lifelong hobby: seeking out magical arcana. 

Fifty years later Frieren returns for magical loot she left with Himmel. She discovers that humans age faster than elves. Who knew? 

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