Mirza Aaqib Beg
‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ or ‘Sousou no Frieren’ is a captivating series that explores complex themes of loss, regret, and self-discovery. Based on Kanehito Yamada’s award-winning Japanese manga series, the anime follows the elven mage Frieren who defeats the demon king with the help of the hero’s party which consists of brave warriors like the priest Heiter, the dwarf warrior Eisen, and Himmel. While the adventures and experiences are a defining part of her comrades’ lives, for the immortal elf they are nothing but a fleeting experience, so she does not think much of it and goes back to her usual routine.
But as her former comrades pass away, Frieren realizes that she has taken their presence for granted and decides to make amends for it. This marks the beginning of her long journey to understand humans and make deep connections with them. The emotional and meaningful story has resonated with viewers across the world and for them especially we have compiled a list of 10 anime like ‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End.’
10. To Your Eternity (2021 -)
‘To Your Eternity’ revolves around the deeply moving and philosophical journey of an immortal being (who is later named Fushi) that is cast to Earth to be observed from afar and possesses the ability to take the form of anything that it crosses paths with. In his long and seemingly never-ending expedition, Fushi gains consciousness and forms emotional bonds with people of all ages, while learning about life, loss, and the painful truths of existence. Through his varied experiences, he slowly begins to empathize with humans and tries his best to contribute to their peaceful existence. Just like ‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End,’ the show recounts a memorable story that revolves around the themes of loss, regrets, and self-discovery. Both anime constantly ask viewers tough questions and make them reconsider their stance on a number of issues. Feel free to watch the show here.
9. Violet Evergarden (2018)
There are very few anime that capture the complex topics of loss, war, and, the search for meaning as well as ‘Violet Evergarden.’ So, it should not be a surprise that the show has made its way on this list. The series revolves around a young girl named Violet, who struggles to find her place in society following the conclusion of the Great War as she was raised primarily for the purpose of decimating enemy lines. But adjusting to civilian life is the least of her worries as the concept of love continues to elude her. Eventually, in her search for something meaningful, she becomes an Auto Memory Doll and starts transcribing people’s feelings and thoughts into letters not realizing that it will eventually lead her to her own self-discovery. You can watch the anime here.
8. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (2021 -)
After living an uninspiring life, a 34-year-old shut-in dies tragically in a horrendous accident. But to his surprise, he is reborn in a well-off family in an alternate world as Rudeus Greyrat with the mind of a grown adult. Using this to his advantage, he quickly masters great magical talents and surpasses everyone’s expectations of him along the way. Determined to live a more fulfilling life, Rudeus ensures that each of his actions is well-measured so that he does not end up living a regretful existence like in his previous life. ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation’ revolves around the protagonist’s regrets and his deep-seated desire to make amends. Although the manifestations of these desires may not be exactly similar to the experiences of Frieren, their roots are almost identical. You can watch the show here.
7. Spice and Wolf (2008 -)
Studio Imagin’s ‘Spice and Wolf’ is a fantasy romance anime that centers around the journey of a resourceful traveling merchant named Lawrence Kraft and the powerful wolf deity, Holo. The duo voyages together across many lands trading goods and exchanging anecdotes while getting to experience the myriad manifestations of life’s challenges and blessings that shape their worldview. The deuteragonist’s travels constantly teach them something helping them grow as a person, exactly like Frieren who slowly finds answers to her complex dilemmas as she journeys to places that evoke deep emotional response in her. You can watch the anime here.
6. Kino’s Journey (2003 – 2017)
‘Kino’ Journey’ follows the 15-year-old titular protagonist who wanders to unknown countries and places on her talking motorcycle named Hermes. The duo gets to meet people from different cultures who hold diverse values and follow distinct customs. Instead of judging anyone, Kino and Hermes travel as mere observers and try to learn everything that their experiences have to teach them. The anime is accessible for streaming here.
5. Maquia: When the Promised Flower Blooms (2018)
Maquia is an Iorph, a special race of mystical beings who are virtually immortal. Since she has always felt a deep sense of loneliness inside her despite being surrounded by her people, Maquia desires to travel the vast lands of the outside world but is warned against it on multiple occasions. But all those warnings become meaningless when her homeland is invaded by the power-hungry kingdom of Mezarte, whose king desires to get the immortality of the Iorph. Although the dangerous battle leads to the slaughter of almost every inhabitant of the Iorph homeland, Maquia somehow escapes and manages to survive. She eventually finds a baby in the village that appears to be destroyed recently and despite her lack of understanding of humans, Maquia adopts the child. This opens her to the uncomfortable dilemma of mothering someone whose biological clock runs way faster than she could initially understand, while she nurses her own personal emotional wounds. You can watch the show here.
4. Wandering Witch: The Journey of Elaina (2020)
Elaina’s life and dreams have been shaped a lot by her favorite book that she has been reading since she was a kid. Her most memorable fable revolves around a witch named Nikke and her varied experiences as she travels to different places in the world. Clearly, in awe of the adventures that Nikke lived through, Elaina also wants to follow her path. So despite the trials and tribulations in her path, she works hard to become a witch and manages to succeed in her mission. As a full-fledged witch, she sets out on a long expedition that opens her to experiences of all shades. You can watch the anime here.
3. Your Lie in April (2014 – 2015)
Anime fans who are familiar with ‘Your Lie in April’ may get a bit surprised to find the show on the list. While the series shares very few similarities with ‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End,’ it is a great watch for viewers looking for a deeply moving show that revolves around loss and rediscovering oneself. It follows child prodigy Kousei Arima, who becomes famous at a very young age for his incredible musical talent. But due to a personal loss, Arima stops touching his piano and slowly fades into irrelevance.
Just when it seems that his life is about to spiral into failure, enters eccentric violinist Kaori Miyazono who pushes him to pick up his instrument again and showcase his talent to the world. While her influence does inspire Kousei to get out of his depressive state, Kaori is hiding a secret that may end up pushing Arima over the edge again. You can watch the anime here.
2. Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (2011)
‘Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day’ is a heartwarming anime that in its essence explores personal growth in the context of life’s regret and tragic experiences. So in that sense, the show is quite similar to ‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ in its roots. It revolves around Jinta Yadomi, an ordinary teenager who spends most of his time at home playing his favorite games. One day when his childhood friend Meiko “Menma” Honma continues to annoy him to fulfill a forgotten wish, he does not pay much attention to her. His utter disregard for his friend’s existence is rooted in the fact that she actually died many years ago and he feels that he is hallucinating. But when her persistent visions continue to pester Jinta, he reunites with his childhood friends in an effort to ensure that Menma’s soul is put to rest. The anime is accessible for streaming here.
1. Charlotte (2015)
‘Charlotte’ marries supernatural entities with themes like regrets, time, and consequences of actions to recount an emotional story that makes it a great fit for the list. Yuu Otosaka is gifted with the mysterious power to take control of people’s bodies and minds for up to five seconds at a time. Using his ability, he cheats his way into one of the most prestigious high schools in the country. But soon afterward, the student council president from Hoshinoumi Academy Nao Tomori manages to see through his lies and deceit following which she forces Yuu to be admitted to her school.
Interestingly, Houshinoumi is a special institution that primarily deals with the education of people with supernatural powers. The student council is responsible for finding cases of abuse of such abilities and that’s where Nao plays a crucial role. With Yuu’s help, she sets out to fulfill her responsibility of protecting new ability users, not realizing that an investigation of these abilities will push them on a path that will reveal some very uncomfortable truths. You can watch the show here.
Read More: Best Fantasy Anime
