Sousou no Frieren Review: Why the #1 Anime is Overrated, Boring, and Not a Masterpiece

⚠️ Warning: This review covers Season 1 only (28 episodes). Season 2 is not included.

Stop lying to yourself. You’re only watching Sousou no Frieren because the MyAnimeList score told you it’s better than Fullmetal Alchemist. After 28 episodes of "melancholic reflection," one thing is clear: this show is the definitive example of high-budget boredom.

Madhouse dressed up a generic fantasy corpse in a beautiful suit, and everyone is pretending it's alive.

It’s not. It’s a slow-paced slice-of-life masquerading as a grand adventure, where the only thing "beyond" the journey's end is a massive waste of your Friday nights.

Score: 5.5/10

Pros: Visuals that make your GPU cry, interesting premise on paper.

Cons: Glacial pacing, lifeless characters, zero tension, Zenitsu-tier annoyance from the sheer lack of plot progression.

Glacial Pacing: Melancholy as Filler

The biggest "feature" of Frieren is its sluggish pacing. The show drags its melancholic tone like a badge of honor, mistaking long silences for depth. There are countless episodes where absolutely nothing happens. Frieren wanders around, collects useless spells, and has "drawn-out" conversations that try to feel meaningful but end up feeling like hollow filler.

The "beyond journey's end" gimmick means there are no stakes. No tension. No challenge. We're just watching an immortal elf follow a path she already walked, re-telling the same story through constant, repetitive flashbacks. If I wanted to watch someone reminisce about their glory days for 20 hours, I'd visit my grandpa at the retirement home. At least he has better stories. 💀

If you're still a fan and want to defend the show, check out why others think the Mage Exam arc is an emotional masterpiece. I disagree, but at least the lore around the Hero of the South is genuinely interesting.

The MC is a Deadweight

Frieren herself is meant to be "interesting" because she's emotionally distant, but in reality, she’s just a brick with white hair. She doesn't speak, she doesn't show feelings, and she doesn't have a real goal other than "wandering until the plot finds her." Unlike Frieren's aimless wandering, characters like Orn Doula show what actual tactical progression looks like in a fantasy world. If you want to see a character with real strategic depth, look elsewhere.

Her interactions with the supporting cast are mechanical. Fern and Stark are just there to fill the silence, and their "chemistry" has all the heat of a frozen lake. The show tries to tell us to "cherish the short lifespan of humans," but it handles it in such a shallow, repetitive way that it loses all impact by the third episode.

Visuals: A Museum Exhibit You Can't Touch

Let's give credit where it's due: Madhouse flexed. The animation is pristine, the backgrounds are lush, and the few fight scenes we get are handled with more care than the actual script. But that’s the problem. It feels like a museum exhibit—beautiful to look at, but sterile and cold.

Visuals that end careers? Maybe. But a story that puts you to sleep? Definitely. 🤮

The music is nice, but it’s overused to prop up scenes that lack any genuine emotion. It’s like the show is constantly whispering in your ear, "This is sad, feel sad now," but you're too busy checking how many minutes are left in the episode.

The "Masterpiece" Scam

How is this the #1 rated anime? The marketing machine and the "hype-train" have scammed the community into believing that "slow" equals "profound." It’s an overrated slice-of-life that fails to deliver on the "Grand Fantasy" promise it lures you in with.

If you want a genuine emotional experience, watch Violet Evergarden. If you want a fantasy story with actual stakes, watch something else. Or if you're still curious about Season 2, here's where to stream it.

Watch this if you have 20 hours to kill and want to see what "pretty nothingness" looks like. If you value your time? Skip it.

Am I wrong? Is the glacial pacing actually "art"? Let me know in the comments why I should give it another chance.