The first season of Frieren – After the Journey Ends
has hit so hard that Frieren is considered by many fans to be the best anime of all time. However, the series almost lost one of the key details that contribute to its immense popularity.
What should have been different? The editor-in-chief of Weekly Shonen Sunday, the publisher where Frieren is also released, recently gave an interview about the anime. In it, he mentioned that he initially could not foresee what a massive success Frieren would become.
However, there was nearly a crucial factor that would have been executed differently. As chief Kazunori Oshima reveals, he wanted to change one thing in Frieren:
I said: “It would be better if the elf were a bit more charming,” which seems like a rather inappropriate comment given Frieren’s current popularity (laughs). I think Ogura probably thought: “Don’t be ridiculous.”
Kazunori Oshima, via ddnavi.com
Katsumasa Ogura is the editor who works under Chief Oshima. Fortunately, he did not listen to his boss, as otherwise, the anime might never have become this popular.
You can see how Frieren turned out in the following trailer:
Frieren should have been more charming and lost its appeal
Why would that have been so bad? One of the reasons Frieren is such a popular anime is the main character herself. She is a very old elven mage who shows little emotion. In threatening situations, she always acts dryly and analyzes the situation before taking action.
However, her rational behavior contrasts with her everyday manner. Her student Fern has to wake her up, dress her, and feed her when Frieren is tired. Additionally, she has a weak spot for silly spells and chests that often turn out to be mimics.
This combination makes Frieren very relatable and totally charming nonetheless. If Frieren were more emotional, the contrast between her way of thinking and her behavior would not be as pronounced, and the anime would not be what it is today.
How successful is Frieren? Frieren is rated 9.31 / 10, making it the highest-rated anime on MyAnimeList, with over a million ratings. So far, the manga has sold over 24 million copies (via X), which is an impressive achievement given its short lifespan. At the end of last year, Frieren was even just behind One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen in sales.
So, anyone who has never heard of Frieren or has not watched the anime should definitely catch up. What Frieren is about, what makes the anime so special, and where you can watch it are explained by MeinMMO: If you only watch one anime this season, it has to be this one
