At the same time, because for elves, human life span is very short. I think Himmel doesn’t want Frieren to be sad after he leaves, so he hid this love in his heart and never said it to Frieren. 😢 There's one point at Episode 1, After Frieren cried over Himmel's burial, Frieren took out the ring to look at it. This was a foreshadowing.
@@worstlibra more then that he prepared for the future where she figure out and made sure in retrospect she remember all the little stuff he did in the span of 10 years.
@@worstlibra The moral of the story isn't "don't share your love with people because one day you'll die and make them feel sad"... Himmel wasn't hiding his love at all, we see in more than one flashback that he shows it, he just never pushes too far because he knows Frieren's perception of time won't allow her to fall for him in time for them to be together. He's spent a decade with her, which feels like a month for her, they aren't on the same wavelength. You are giving him this tragic and defeatist attitude, which isn't what his character is about at all. He keeps doing romantic gestures for her because he thinks one day she'll understand them.
i honestly don´t get, why he didn´t go with her. It´s not like he had any attachment to the town where he remained. And we see in one flashback that he wanted to show her his hometown, so why not take the chance?
A small detail I love is how Frieren mentioned its only been 40 years since humankind learned to fly. In episode 3 when we fight Qual, we get a pov shot of him looking for Frieren on the ground looking left and right before looking up and he is surprised she can fly now as he was sealed over 80 years ago.
@@jaideepshekhar4621 I was wondering that as well. In the manga her feet are behind a stack of bodies/rubble so it's a little hard to tell if she's flying or not, but I'm pretty sure she's not. The anime probably added it to parallel Fern and Frieren but forgot she couldn't fly just yet
This episode of "Frieren - Beyond Journeys End" is, in my opinion, a masterpiece that is unparalleled and moves me to tears every time. How is it even possible to pack so many details into "a mere twenty minutes" and add so much more depth to the plot? After this episode, my suspicion was confirmed: Himmel loved Frieren unconditionally, not just as a friend, and never consciously told her. But did she really not know? Why did she pause when she arrived in the city and look thoughtfully at the clock tower, which can later be seen between the two and which, in my opinion, symbolizes that only time stood between them. Why is she pondering with the ring in her hand after Himmel's burial (episode 1)? Is it because of the lack of romantic feelings of the elves that she mentioned in episode 7? I think I'll end my monologue here. For me, Frieren - Beyond Journeys End is simply a masterpiece and no matter how many times I've seen the first season, it always leaves new impressions on me and I always discover new details.
Thank you so much for supporting our channel :) It honestly means so much to us! Also, we couldn't agree with you more that Frieren is honestly a masterpiece :)
The sad thing is that it took Frieren 80 years after Himmel's death to finally realize that he loved her and also realize that she loved him too. The doubly sad thing is that Himmel never married or had any children because of that love. Talk about eternal love indeed...
For my interpretation is that frieren doesn’t know that she love him, she just started to realize she feels something but she is still not sure what it is
@@wilpalkia Back in episode 3 when Fern asks if retracing her journey with Himmel is important to her, she even answers "I don't know. I'm doing this to find out." Likewise in ep 2 when Fern asks if she's looking for the blue moon weed for Himmel's sake, she answers "I'm *probably* doing this for me." She was also surprised in episode 5 that the phantom took Himmel's shape instead of Flamme's. She definitely realizes that she felt something different this time compared to all the other people in her past, even her old master, but very much doesn't realize just what or how deep her feelings are.
I love how the story handles the disagreements between Stark and Fern. Each time, it starts out looking like a typical lovers' quarrel, like "he forgot my birthday", but then once the communication happens, the real conflict turns out to be something totally different and more complex, like "I was afraid to ask you out to go shop for a gift". As for Frieren's final "maybe", I think it's very much part of the through-line of Frieren being unsure about her own feelings. If you go back through the whole story so far, you'll be hard pressed to find many instances where Frieren expresses any certainty about her feelings, and conversely, you'll find numerous times when she specifically says she doesn't know how she feels or is confused by her feelings. One moment that sticks in my mind is when Fern asked Frieren if retracing the heroes' journey was important to her, and Frieren replied "I'm not sure, that's what I'm trying to figure out." And another time, in the coastal village, when Frieren said that she needed to see the sunrise because she didn't want to see it. Both of these times, I actually knew exactly what she was going to say beforehand, because I struggle with the same thing. Those moments, more than anything else, cemented Frieren as the most relatable fictional character I've ever seen. So yeah, pay attention any time Frieren actually says how she feels, because you'll know she really means it.
This uncertainty is shown too in the lyrics to the opening song, as it is from Frieren's point of view as she questions why she wept over Himmel, why she is so focused on him now, etc.
Frieren didn't know. She really didn't. Nor was she able to return Himmel's feelings. It just wasn't in her, as an elf. And it still isn't. But as she begins to realise that maybe Himmel had romantic feelings for her, the idea seems to make her happy, at least. She's no longer indifferent, which is a HUGE step for her. Himmel understood all this perfectly. But he was planning for the future. Not his future. Not their future. He was planning for Frieren's future. Like Flamme, he laid the groundwork for something he knew would only come to fruition after he was dead.
Flamme: Suppress your mana at all times Frieren: Got it suppress all feelings and emotions, to the point I don't even realize I'm having them. Flamme: -__-
Frieren's ring is a closed lotus too which I think people have said that the love would never blossom Himmel totally knew the meaning and was willing to let her go because he loved her and the way she was
I would think the closed lotus would represent the **hope** it would blossom. (I mean, what jeweler would pitch a ring design on it never happening, really? 😅)
@@hulmhochberg8129 Well, so far nothing meta has closed any plot doors, so I suspect we'll all find out by the time they reach Ende. Chekov's gun can be fired more than once by the last act.
She is also visibly startled when hearing the bell ring (pun intended) at Himmel's funeral in episode 1, and breaks down in tears right after it happens.
Yeah, Frieren didn't know what the ring meant, and I'm certain Himmel knew she wouldn't. He knew he wouldn't be able to do something like that for real, so he did it then. That's Himmel's unconditional love.
16:36 “The look on her (Frieren’s) face…” was so well done, in my opinion. Because in the past, it was probably pure bewilderment, wondering what Himmel was doing with his excessive movement in giving her the ring, but it also serves to show her shock in present time, in realizing that Himmel was expressing his eternal love for her. It’s so bittersweet. I still get tears in my eyes no matter how many times I watch this. 😭
for once i wanna be the first to point it out... the clock tower in the background between Frieren and Himmel... the only thing between them is time... symbolism in this show is crazy on point 😭💔❤
The whole set up for the scene is masterclass writing. 1st - We have the ring shown in 2 previous episodes. We have the set up that its important but Frieren does not remember it. 2nd - The bell at the beginning of the episode. Foreshadowing what would happen while also starting the process of memory returning to Frieren. 3rd - The way the object finding spell is presented. An illuminating light on a dark sky just before dawn - like a memory coming back in ones' mind before its fully revealed. 4th - The big pay-off. The scene with the clock tower standing between Himmel and Frieren, symbolizing time. And the shadows behind the two of them representing how much of their life have passed. 5th - And to wrap things up a mirroring relationship between Fern/Stark and Himmel/Frieren. Fern's ring having a blossoming mirrored lotus symbolizing that her love with STark would happen. While Frieren's one a mirrored bulb lotus symbolizing that her love with Himmel would never do.
Also, if you watch episode 1 closely you will see that Frieren is visibly startled at the moment the bell rings at Himmel's funeral, which we later realize is likely because of the memories it brings back to her. She is unemotional and distant up to that point, and only after she hears the bell does she start talking about how she regrets not getting to know Himmel better. And _that's_ when she breaks down in tears.
@@labrynianrebel The names are not random. The meanings apply very strongly to the characters themselves. Frieren = freezing Fern = distant Stark = strong Sein = to be (i.e. merely existing) Himmel = heaven or heavens Eisen = iron (strong, nearly invincible) Heiter = bright (cheerful and intelligent) The list continues with characters that have not been introduced yet by this point.
14:55 One fan theory is that elf courtship normally takes the better part of a century, hence it taking Frieren so long to even notice that Himmel was genuinely interested in her, let alone that she may have loved him too. To her, Himmel putting the ring on her finger was probably "strange human behavior," or "one of his jokes."
You have to remember Frieren is over 1000 years old and spent most of theat time in isolation, she only ventured out properly with Himmel and the party after being alone since the in-world equivalent time of ancient greece/rome, so she probably had no idea the significance of Himmel giving her the ring in that way at that time he did it, it would have been too new a gesture culturally for her. Now she probably knows better, but only with the context applied after Himmel's death. As you guys have said, this journey is bringing her new context to all the little things he did to show he cared for her in their journey. And before eveyone gets too sad, remember the purpose of the quest is for Frieren to go see Himmel again in heaven, but now with all the context of his actions clearer to her, so if she does love him, she will be able to tell him. His love may finally be requited, even after his journeys end.
Love how invested you guys are, this ep wrecks me too! What gets me about Frimmel the most is how completely Himmel accepts that she doesn't understand his feelings, and despite it, he still shows his love to her.
This story has finally got around to another structural point: Sein's arrival provides the emotional maturity needed to recognize the relationship between Stark and Fern for what it was, something that Frieren is unable to fully interpret other than the surface observations she makes. Sein is the one to counsel the kids at an absolutely necessary point in their life. Sein's mike drop moment with Frieren already happened IN THE LAST EPISODE and no one realized it: Sein only likes older women, and rejects Frieren, since she's too emotionally immature to handle things like Stark+Fern, let alone her own emotional maturity.
The “Ende” goal of the journey is to go see Himmel again, and with every memory and action Frieren takes and remembers. This seemingly simple goal grows and becomes really motivating for us and Frieren to see it through! I love how at the start of the show it’s not a flashy or very important goal because we know nothing about the characters, but now it means alot and we want to reach Ende with her.
A fun little detail in this episode, the bracelet stark gave fern is a BLOOMING lotus, signaling their relationship will grow and blossom, but the ring himmel gave frieren is of a closed lotus, because it never had the chance to blossom :D
Welcome to life after Episode 14. Things will never be the same again. 😅 I'd been waiting on y'all to get to this episode since y'all first started. Did not disappoint!
You guys are right on the money with your analysis. Frieren needs more time to process things and form attachments as an elf. Himmel understands that so he never fully goes for it (with an outright confession), because she would be incapable of reciprocating at that time. But I really disagree with how a lot of other people discuss and characterise Himmel's actions, painting it as if he gave up, and that he didn't want to make her sad. The story is about love, not about repressing your love. Himmel doesn't give up, he keeps doing romantic gestures that fly over her head because he has faith that one day Frieren will get it even if it takes her a century.
Notice that Fern's bracelet the Lotus is in full bloom, showing that love has or will blossom fully into it's full form. Frieren's ring, however, is still a simple bud and hasn't bloomed yet, showing that Himmel's love will never fully come to fruition, even if it still exists and is still eternal.
To be honest, this episode hit a bit differently for me the first time I watched it. The proposal from Himmel didn't really land as emotionally for me as it did for you or other reactors. I know, it sounds cold, but hear me out. You see, I'd already assumed within the first few episodes of the show that Himmel was head over heels in love with Frieren and this story was - at its core - a tragic tale of unrequited love. In fact, during the very first episode when Frieren tells Himmel: "Let's watch the Meteor Shower together again in fifty years", my very thought at that moment was something along the lines of: "You know, that sounds like how a shy and inexperienced elf who lives for thousands of years would make her first attempt at flirting with someone.". The lives of elves just run on a whole different time scale. So while I think Frieren definitely felt something when Himmel knelt in front of her, I don't feel that she "repressed" those emotions afterward. It feels more to me like she just needed a lot longer to wake up to that "adult" part of herself, partly because of how much time she had spent isolated from people, but also because of her nature as a long-lived elf. Himmel recognized this, which is why he didn't confess directly to her when giving her the ring, or put her on the spot at any other point in their 10-year relationship. He understood that they were living their lives on two different time scales (which is represented beautifully by the clock tower coming between them in that scene, as many others have pointed out). So Himmel simply enjoyed the moments he had with her, and didn't want to make her feel any regret after he was gone.
There were plenty of hints before, but this episode basically confirmed that Frieren the show is, in essence, a very slow-burn, bittersweet love story. Himmel knew exactly what he was doing, but Frieren the character, both due to living on a different timeline and her very long isolation, had no idea what she was feeling. Only at his funeral did she realise that she would've liked to spend more time with him. And only now, on this new journey, seeing Fern and Stark's relationship slowly evolve, does she have the proper context to parse those memories, those (sometimes blatant) hints Himmel gave her. Only now is she emotionally mature enough to understand those feelings, to relive those moments and smile fondly. We don't know the ending yet, but we do know the objective of this journey is for her to speak with Himmel one more time, once she truly understands it all, and give them both closure. Set up by Eisen and Heiter, the realest of friends, who felt bad for them.
One of the beauties of this anime is the fact that the transposition is meticulous in detail. In the manga (the first season covers up to chapter 60) the issue of the ring appears the moment Frieren notices Fern's bracelet in the caravan. In the anime it is seen from the very first episode. We still don't know when they will announce the second season, but take their time, the wait will be absolutely worth it.
Elves live for such a goddamn long time that, in this story, romantic relationships between two elves are so rare. Apart from the Demon King, that's the main reason why their race died out. Having met Kraft before that gave us an idea of what an 'adult' Elf would be like - your legend long forgotten. I don't think Himmel knew this much about Elves, but regardless, it was unconditional love. He knew he didn't stand a chance against time
Frieren was in a village of elves that was wiped out, she then trained with Flamme for 50 years, then she livedmostly alone and isolated training her magic for 1000 years before Himmel showed up. It would make sense for her to not really understand a lot of social things
Frieren spent six months looking for a flower. But she has changed. She was ready to leave when the wagon was repaired. She knows how to value the time of others now.
This episode is a masterclass in little character animation details. The fist clinching, Fern's little run to catch up with Stark, Frieren's little hair push, Fern looking at the bracelet after Sein tells her the meaning... Because characters in this series, with the exception of Stark mainly, don't tend to emote as strongly as is typical for anime, the show really primes you to notice every small detail in people's expressions/movements.
I'm usually here for her reactions, but this time his face was so sweet 😢......Every detail counts. In the first chapter, after Himmel's burial, Frieren is playing with the ring....This show is incredible (and from now on it changes the pace, but it does it in a great way). Congratulations for your reaction videos. They're amazing!. Greetings from Mexico City!! : )
I love the details in this show. Fireren's ring has a lotus that has not blossomed, meaning that the love between her and himel isn't able to finish. but Fern's bracelet has a blossomed lotus... think what you want about it.
Frieren just now understanding that Himmel technically proposed to her when he given her the ring. The clock tower between them represents that the only thing that is seperating them is time and Himmel proposing to her even though he knew she wouldn't understand is his way of showing his eternal love for Frieren that cannot be.
I knew this episode would absolute destroy you guys. It destroyed all of us. Join in the wonderful suffering! Also, the new information about flying being relatively new reveals a nice bit of foreshadowing back in episode 3 when Frieren faced Qual: he said "interesting, so you can fly now?" because Frieren couldn't do so 80 years ago.
This episode was the one that ranked first in the popularity poll for the manga magazine. I think the additional effects in the anime adaptation made it even more emotional, which was truly wonderful. *Frieren: Beyond Journey's End* has been further refined in the anime, enhancing the original work, and I find that truly amazing.
Ep 14 with Frieren headpatting Heiter showing the friendship with old friends, the true character of Sein in solving problems for two young teenages (not kids anymore), the story of how to be a proper adult, the privilege of the young between Fern and Stark and a true love of Himmel send to Frieren. To me this is one of the best episode in anime history. A lot of ordinary life lessons which is happening our life on time at this moment and reminding me of many thing that i have forgotten after all the time. Its touching, its sad and happy at the same time
Another little detail about the lotus flower is that is one of the few flowers that blooms multiple times (I think the phrase goes "Lotus flowers bloom twice"?), so you could draw some parallels between that and the relationship of Frieren and Himmel throughout time, maybe the first time it bloomed for Himmel and now it's Frieren's turn?
Great emotions bro, that Himmel moment hit You just the same as me.... Good to see a man who shows his feelings.... Keep this great work and reactions! Hugs from Argentina!
Someone pointed this out on another reaction, but there’s a cool fact about referring to the Stark and Fern ship as “Stern, which it is commonly referred to as, regarding the English translation of Stark and Ferns name. Stark = STrong Fern = fAR Stern = STAR When you combine the german words to make Stern, you can also combines the English translation. You could say their relationship is written in the “stars” ;)
Stark gave Fern a blooming mirrored lotus bracelet. This signifies that their love will come to fruition. Himmel gave Frieren a bud of a mirrored lotus ring. This signifies their love will not come to fruition. "Elves lack romantic feelings and reproductive instincts." From ep. 7. She just didn't read the signs at the time and is finally starting to understand a little.
Been waiting for you to drop this episode!! Frieren is only now just realizing what she's been feeling all along. After living in solitude for a thousand years after Flamme's death, she had no idea, and Himmel knew that. The clocktower is the only thing that stood in the way of their love: time.
16:18 “The Privilege of the Young” refers to the fact that the young have time. They can afford to have silly quarrels and get into misunderstandings because they can still make amends or find one another, later. As a parallel and contrast, when Frieren and Himmel were young, she didn’t understand what it was Himmel was trying to say-even if we, as an audience, obviously do. She misunderstood. The thing is, time flows much more different for Himmel and Frieren than it does for Stark and Fern. Frieren misunderstood Himmel’s meaning-because she didn’t really understand humans very well. She hadn’t lived among them enough to know better, or know how to empathize with their short lives. In this sense, she’s being like “a young person”; someone who makes mistakes and misunderstands. It makes sense for her since, as an elf, she has all the time in the world, so such mistakes are near always something she can correct. Frieren always has “the privilege of the young”: time. However, the tragedy is that, despite having all the time in the world, regarding her relationship with Himmel she didn’t, but hadn’t come to realize it. To begin with, she only came to realize what Himmel meant-she only figured out the “misunderstanding”-this episode. But now it’s too late. Now, the time has gone. So, even an elf like her didn’t have all the time in the world, it turns out. Nobody does. That’s the point of the episode. “Losing time is the privilege of the young-true, they can spare it. But, also, don’t get cocky: it’s later than you think.”
im gonna be honest with you i watched ALL of frieren already and looking for reactions to it now im on this channel. it annoys me that you didnt finish watching it yet but OKAY! do it at your pace...because so far i LOVE your reactions to it. im waiting for.....eh. nvm. no spoilers. just keep watching cuz i want more.
Everyone always assumes Himmel is proposing here, but he isn't. The bending knee proposal thing is something that started somewhere in the last 60 years or so in western cultures, it's not something that would necessarily be in a fantasy anime even if it is based on European medieval times. The scene is still very significant of course, Himmel is silently declaring his eternal love for Frieren. But one thing I find so beautiful about it is that he doesn't expect anything from Frieren, he accepts that Frieren will probably not love him back (at least as long as he lives), but chooses to continue loving her anyway.
The bell tower is also a callback to the first ep. There is a scene when Himmel is being buried where the ringing bell appears but is silent. This seems to jog Frieren's memory. I think she starts crying right after that.
that’s why Himmel never got married, he already was in his own heart. He was content to know she may figure it out someday, maybe not in his lifetime, but someday. He loved her as exactly who she was, a free spirit, kinda clueless- even if she did know- he’d not want her to change herself for him either. Because he fell in love with the woman she was. In all her flawed glory. He was happy and content knowing they had a bond at all in any shape or form. I hope when her journey is done- she finally gets to speak to him and tell him everything she’s learned in the time since they last spoke.
I was waiting for you guys to react to this episode to see if I was the only one that lost my composure during this episode...I am absolutely not disappointed.
When u remember Himmel at episode one, he alone till he old...Himmel so strong and handsome but not married till old because the only women he love is Frieren only and for Eternal~
The only way I can coup with Frieren and Himmel not being together is that I created a fantasy in which Frieren after leaving the party of heroes actually came back and stayed with Him but He always knew that She would not be able to go on after He is gone so they agreed and got a spell to lock Frieren´s memories of the time they spend together until the day she can speak to him again at Aureole.
I think we have to take in consideration, we don't know how long Elves live in this world right? Clearly the creator is inspired from Lord of the Rings mythos and its possible Elves here live also many thousands of years. Frieren mentioned to Stark and Fern that Elves don't have much of a romantic/love/sexual drive since they live for so long, they don't have the need to reproduce as much since they live for a very long time. We humans have this urgency because we don't live for that long so we need to hurry up and have descendants. I'm assuming for Frieren this takes a long time to process since she doesn't have this rush to have descendants and she's slowly realizing what she missed. For Frieren is like that guy who was with that girl during the bus ride, have a talk and when he gets down of the bus and see the bus leave then he clicks the girl was flirting with him and he realized it too late? I think this is the same for Frieren but obviously in an Elf perspective way.
Well guys I told you since episode 1 that this was one of the saddest episodes, but don't think it's over yet. Now you understand that Himmel was always in love with Frieren, but he understood his love was never meant to be, he knew if he did tell her she would not understand in time, and would also be suffering the rest of her life when she remembered him. For Himmel it was to leave a lasting impression on her, and since Frieren was so aloof he knew she would realize eventually how he, and she felt. Another thing is the bracelet Fern got is a fully bloomed flower symbolizing a love that will be fulfilled, and Frierens was a small bud, a love that was never meant to be.
Love y’all’s reaction and yall are a really cute couple, kept laughing so much over these episodes because I felt the exact same way. Looking forward for more!!
I think of it sort of that Frieren didn't really understand at first that she really wasn't gonna have them around for long (from her perspective). When Himmel died she started bawling because it finally hit her that she wouldn't have the opportunities to spend time with others that she thought.
great reaction as always! you guys have such a good read on himmel as a character just to add... a detail you may have forgotten is something that was mentioned in passing some episodes ago: elves lack romantic feelings and reproductive instincts, which is why there are so few of them remaining. I imagine it would take centuries for elves to develop romantic feelings with each other... so yea the frieren x himmel ship was really doomed from the start
“What is this show??!!” This my friends is what is known in the business as PEAK! And just wait, you ain’t seen nothin yet……shits about to get real. There’s a reason she’s known as “the slayer”
Great reactions! And good spot on the Clock Tower early in the episode. We also saw Frieren looking at the ring in episode 1, at Himmel's funeral. Looking forward to your reactions to the next two episodes! (and the 12 after that)
Himmel the greatest hero to ever live, who could have had any woman he wanted, even nobility, who likely had to beat women off him with a stick, never took a wife. They showed you he loved unconditionally in episode 1 if you realized this.
Main thing you gotta remember is one of the reasons the elves are so scarce. Frieren explained how elves as a species has a very low drive to procreate, and how romantically stunted they are. Edit: can't remember which episode it was but it was the scene where they were clearing out the landslide so the merchants could pass. Believe she called it a quiet extinction.
I just found those reactions and havent heared you yet talk about it, but there is a really interesting fact about Frieren. Every characters name is a german word, that at the same time hints on the character. Like "Frieren" means "feeling cold" and she seems at first really cold, "Fern" means "far away" and she starts a long travel, going far away from home, "Stark" means "Strong" and he is a very stronf Fighter. My Favorite is "Himmel" whcih means "Heaven" that after a few episodes is anounced as the goal of Frierens Journey. I hope you find this as interesting :D
Anime gets a lot hate for using flashbacks too much but Frieren does it so well that you want more flashbacks with each episode. They pace everything so well! Funny how Fern only got mad about Stark not having a gift for her birthday 🤭
Here's an amusing little anecdote: At this year's Anime Expo, they held a panel for "Frieren" and "The Apothecary Diaries," and one of the panelists was Nobuhiko Okamoto, the voice of Himmel. One of the questions was "which episode of the show is your favorite?" You have three guesses what Mr. Okamoto's answer was, and two of them don't count.
