Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today I’d like to return to the ramblings of Frieren and her companions, as we arrive at the presumed conclusion of our party’s battle with Aura the Guillotine and her duplicitous envoys. This arc has frankly not been Frieren at its best; dubious thematic implications aside, enemies that are simply “born evil” do not result in interesting drama. There is no motivation to tease into there, no grappling with the infinitely complex range of conflicts that can pit multifaceted characters into mortal combat without a clear sense of right and wrong. And what’s more, such enemies do a discredit to the heroes they face, forcing them into the frustrating moral binary of “either I execute these creatures mercilessly or I am simply a naive fool, hoping for a redemption that is beyond their fundamental nature.”
It’s a rough storytelling choice, one entirely lacking in the nuance that has characterized Frieren’s exploration of nostalgia and finding purpose in life. My only consolation is that, in spite of the author directing her demons to explicitly state “we are evil and there’s nothing else to it,” their general actions have clearly demonstrated they actually do have personalities, individual values and passions that define them. Truly “driven by pure malice and nothing else” characters are actually kind of hard to write, being so far from the genuine experience of any human being who has ever lived. Thus Frieren’s insistence that they be exterminated feels frequently undercut by the text, either intentionally or accidentally implying it is not that her world runs according to ‘70s DnD logic, but that she herself has embraced a conveniently simplistic perspective that doesn’t actually account for the world’s complexities. That’s of a piece with Frieren’s overarching personality, and it is the main hope I cling to as we return to the field. Let’s get to it!
Episode 9
We begin again on Lugner recalling that it was Frieren who became known as “the Slayer,” having killed more demons than anyone else in history. This actually does feel like solid, coherent texturing of Frieren – it is no surprise that her generally unfeeling nature and utterly task-oriented approach to life would make her a terrifying warrior, lacking in the sympathy or self-doubt that might still the hand of a human soldier
It also fits with her original approach to memories. Before Himmel taught her to regret missed opportunities and to some degree live in the past, she was always looking forward, never bothered by things in the rear view. This would also make her an excellent killer, carrying the weight of her former slaying far more lightly than you’d expect
If the takeaway of this arc is “Frieren is just as frightening as the demons,” I’ll feel greatly relieved. As I said, awkward real-world implications aside, the biggest issue with truly evil races is that they just don’t result in interesting stories
“One of the geniuses I despise.” I also like this characterization of Lugner’s feelings. His hatred for Frieren’s natural abilities points to a full-scale conception of value and virtue, one based purely on validating diligent effort. This unique “moral code” is something quite distinct from simple evil – he has a morality system, it’s just alien to our own. You can construct plenty of rich drama out of such contrasting virtues
Stark and Fern rush Granat to a healer. This show’s character art pays such attention to physical weight; I’m impressed by how Granat’s hair hangs limply yet with great specificity over his cheekbones, conveying a real sense of his body’s gaunt form
Granat explains his family’s debt to Frieren and the heroes as we cut to the battlefield. Aura greets Frieren with a cocky smile, again demonstrating that demons very much possess emotions and distinct personalities
They obviously have to employ CG for this entire army of animated suits of armor, but I appreciate that they switch to traditionally animated models for direct sparring with Frieren. One of the worst ways to double down on CG necessities is through trying to contrast them with traditionally animated figures, which practically always creates a sense of aesthetic dislocation, like the two objects aren’t actually existing on the same plane
Frieren frankly assesses Aura’s magic as far beyond the reach of humans. Given her total lack of emotional affect, their exchanges provide a natural counterpoint to her words – who is she, who has only recently started to express any emotion at all, to judge the feelings of the demons? Perhaps it is only her lack of empathy that makes her capable of assuming the demons have none themselves
Aura possesses an item called the “Scales of Obedience,” which forces others to obey her will
Ooh, love the color design for this sequence explaining how she bends others to her will (with Granat’s son serving as example). The scales’ mechanic seems to echo Lugner’s philosophy: her mana is weighed against her enemy’s, and whoever is found wanting is forced to submit. An ability that exemplifies pride in effort and acquired strength, and which contains within it a promise that if its wielder should ever falter in their efforts, they will rightfully be destroyed. So demons are basically like Spartans, or any other strength-based culture
Aura has apparently been a Sage of Destruction for five hundred years. Her perspective seems to emphasize the road Frieren could have gone down, or was going down before Himmel – when you’re living at that scale, it’s hard to place much value in the brief lives of humans
Frieren’s magic used to dispel the force controlling these suits of armor provides a sharp contrast with the violet-and-black energy of the demons, appearing like brilliant flashes of light briefly adorning her staff. It’s similarly a very smart use of post-processing; as with the demon magic, the digital overlay of these lighting effects feels ostentatious, like an intentional intrusion on reality. Through this, the lack of visual continuity between the characters and their magical effects is turned into a meaningful in-universe aesthetic flourish
“Such powerful dispelling magic must expend a considerable amount of mana.” I’m still unclear on the specifics of magic in this world, or whether Kanehito Yamada actually wants her system of magic to be definable. I tend to prefer magic that’s more mysterious than mechanically defined, but systems like these Scales of Obedience seem to imply pretty hard-defined mana pools
“Why would you use such a roundabout method? The last time we fought, you blew them away with flashy spells left and right.” Frieren has since learned to appreciate what these relics would mean to the people left behind
It is Aura saying “Himmel is long gone” that prompts Frieren to stop second-guessing herself and state “you demons are monsters after all.” Not Aura disrespecting some greater moral imperative, simply her taking Frieren’s own obsession too lightly. We are learning far more about Frieren’s conditional morality than Aura’s alleged lack of it here, and I’m all for it – making this arc a referendum on Frieren’s continuing limitations as a moral actor is far more interesting than just “we got some demons to kill”
Dear lord, the animation of Stark simply putting his coat back on is so lushly realized, with such careful attention paid to how the force of his arms draws the fabric into place across his back. The combination of gorgeous backgrounds, luxurious character acting, and evocative tone-setting music makes Frieren a treasure of atmosphere at all times
As Stark prepares to leave, Fern cautions him regarding the tactical foolishness of his pursuit, to which he responds “someone’s gotta do it, right?” A genuinely heroic, utterly un-Frieren-like statement of moral intent, which actually shocks Fern back to her own sensibilities, banishing Frieren’s perspective and prompting swift agreement. An excellent demonstration of Frieren’s influence on Fern
Nice use of fisheye perspective to convey disappointment and disbelief as Stark demonstrates his actual plan is to beg for Frieren’s help
The pair realize the blood on their coats is a trap moments before the trap is sprung. I continue to appreciate how swift and final violence is in this show – most fights aren’t composed of copious back-and-forth, the first strike is always intended to be the last
Lugner actually apologizes as he approaches, stating he’d intended to strike a fatal blow
He continues to vamp and preen, while Fern treats the situation with utmost pragmatism, saying little and perpetually weighing her attack options. A mirror of Frieren and Aura’s battle – it is actually the demons who seem the most emotional
Fern can actually parse Lugner’s feelings, stating that he felt arrogant and vengeful in the wake of her prior surprise attack. Neither side fully embodies the values they claim to hold dear, but that’s of course how it goes for everyone. Our faiths are aspirational, while our actions are grounded in the morass of our immediate passions
Fern recalls a time when she asked Frieren if she was “useful.” There is an interesting symmetry in her perspective as an emotionally closed-off war orphan, who always fears being discarded as useless, and the strength-oriented perspective of the demons
“Girl, I have dedicated the entirety of my life to the pursuit of magic.” Though he tries to stay cool, you can tell she’s rankling his pride
Ooh, some incredible cuts with very active camerawork as Lugner and Fern spar. I like how the movement of the camera echoes the graceful flow of the characters – none of their actions are wasted, they dodge precisely as much as they need to
“Damnit, Frieren. How did you train this girl?” Fern is actually the terror here
Meanwhile, Stark’s opponent can apparently “steal” martial techniques by reading the mana of their wielder. Handy trick
Confronted by his own master’s techniques, Stark is struck down
But once again, he realizes it is not his opponent holding him back, but his own fear. Thus both enemies are defeated
And Done
Excellent work by Frieren’s companions! That was some gorgeous boarding and animation all through this episode’s last act, which made for an amusing contrast with the generally straightforward nature of the powers at play. It doesn’t seem like Yamada is much interested in battle tactics, but fortunately, this episode’s approach to the relative characterization of its human and demonic players seemed extremely intentional, drawing some sharp comparisons between the allegedly inhuman demons and their opponents. Frieren’s final assessment that demons are beyond saving was based purely on Aura not respecting her feelings towards Himmel, while elsewhere, the undeniable complexity of demon morality and identity was made clear time and again. Frieren’s respect for life’s value has only emerged recently, and is still highly conditional – though she claims her executions are justice, it’s clear she’s relying on a limited framework of moral judgment to arrive at that conclusion. The clash of these perspectives has been quite compelling, and I’m eager to see Aura and Frieren’s final exchange.
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