Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has written its own trail in the anime industry. It is a shonen anime that subverts every expectation that fans might have from it due to its genre. It takes the bias that fans have towards the genre and twists it till the audience can see how they have been outwitted.

Shonen anime and manga are all about battles and high-stakes fights. Of course, Frieren has them too, but it tries to avoid them as much as possible. The protagonist of the series is powerful enough to know exactly how to defeat her enemies without lifting a single finger.

Frieren does not need battles to be a Shonen anime

The most hyped confrontation in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is actually not even a battle. By now, most people would have guessed that it’s Frieren vs. Aura that’s being referred to. This iconic scene in the series will always be memorable due to how badly Frieren defeated the demon without even using any magic or even a shred of her abilities.

Aura is one of the Seven Sages of Destruction, and her signature magic, Auserlese, allows her to weigh her own mana against that of her opponent’s. Once the scales determine that one side has more mana than the other, it grants permanent control of the body of the weaker person. Aura depended on this power to defeat Frieren, but little did she know Frieren’s real mana capability.

Related: ‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ Works as a Shonen Anime Specifically Because of Its Realistic Combat Despite Its Fantasy Setting

At first, the scale appeared to favor her soul, but pretty soon it began to tip in favor of Frieren’s soul. As Aura begins to doubt her scales, Frieren reveals that she is a great mage who has lived for 1000 years and has become used to concealing her mana. Frieren then reveals her true mana output, which is many times that of Aura. Just as the scales decide who is weaker, Frieren tells Aura to kill herself.

Frieren‘s independence from battles makes it the best modern Shonen anime

Frieren does not need battles to prove that it’s a Shonen anime | Credits: Madhouse

Shonen series have always depended on battles. Be it more comedy-based ones like Sakamoto Days or supernatural ones like Dandadan, everything revolves around battles at the end of the day. Frieren also has some incredibly animated action scenes, which fans have appreciated with all their might. But at the same time, the series knows when fights are unnecessary.

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Frieren is an elegant anime about an elf who is a great mage. It is more of a slice of life series with touching moments and deep emotional realizations. Frieren is known more for her deceptive strategies than direct confrontational attacks. Deep inside, she knows that demons themselves are cunning liars and don’t deserve a straightforward battle since they also resort to deception.

Frieren does not have the moral obligation of most Shonen heroes since she hates demons with her entire heart. She thus relies on strategy and prioritizes effectiveness. If something can be solved without her shedding any sweat, she would take the way, no matter how dirty or deceptive the path may be. In a way, this makes the series stand out from anything that has come before it.

Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End anime is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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