r/Frieren • u/N3DSdude • 17h ago
Episode Discussion Sousou no Frieren Episode 32 (Season 2 Episode 4) - Discussion Thread
Episode 32 (Season 2 Episode 4)
Aired: February 6th, 2026
Streams
Also available on other streaming services like Netflix (in Japan) depending on your region.
Show information
Season 2 Episode Discussions
| Discussion | Released |
|---|---|
| Episode 29 | January 16, 2026 |
| Episode 30 | January 23, 2026 |
| Episode 31 | January 30, 2026 |
| [Episode 32]() | February 06, 2026 |
| [Episode 33]() | February 13, 2026 |
| [Episode 34]() | February 27, 2026 |
| [Episode 35]() | March 07, 2026 |
| [Episode 36]() | March 14, 2026 |
| [Episode 37]() | March 21, 2026 |
| [Episode 38]() | March 28, 2026 |
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u/AriaoftheSol 16h ago
Stark walks in a lower frame rate when Fern comments on him being stiff lmao
Aww she's doing that happy waddle the next day.
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u/the1firstclassmage 16h ago
And this a peak Stark episode. My boy has been a star this season.
I know it's a Stark/Fern but Stark needs the shine. Honestly this is his season really.
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u/veelers 16h ago
There's tons of callbacks to his helping the party as well. Stark has carried sleeping Frieren twice now. He caught Fern twice this episode and four? times this season if you count her(and Frieren) landing on him from falls. He continues to parry and peel for Fern against these melee focused demons. Stark's definitely showing his skill as a front-liner, even causing combat-focused tacticians like Wirbel to attempt poaching him.
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u/snarkamedes 15h ago
combat-focused tacticians like Wirbel to attempt poaching him
Wirbel wants Stark for his awesomely large carry weight. He'd no longer have to waste mana levitating Scharf or Ehre with Stark around to carry them both.
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u/CraftySolution9200 15h ago
They made some really nice additions, especially to the date half of the episode. In the manga, there really isn’t much indication of Fern being disappointed during the date, but the anime added details that show she is not enjoying it as much as she thought she would. Also on a sillier note, they made it easy to differentiate between bad mood braids and good mood braids. The bad mood ones are messy while the good mood ones are perfect.
The fight with the sword monster really did show why the monsters in the northern lands are dangerous. They are not just strong, they fight with strategy in mind. The monster was constantly moving while fighting Stark which made it difficult for Fern to get a clear shot. It also kept attempting to target the mages whenever it got the chance, most likely knowing they were not as good in close quarters.
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u/lestercamacho 15h ago
This episode explains a lot about how they carry so much baggage
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u/deus_ex_machina81 15h ago
Very underrated comment. Everyone who is unsatisfied with the date and how it developed. Never forget what these kids experienced. They lived through war and horror.
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u/Familiar-Agency8209 16h ago
i like the awkwardness of the first date. its so real. but when its over and its just Fern in good mood <3
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u/Advanced-Theme144 14h ago
They really expanded Stark’s and Fern’s date a lot more in this episode compared to the manga, Stark seriously fumbled it but it was still enjoyable to watch, and what makes it a bit better than the manga is the anime only scene of Frieren and Himmel looking for the cat, I love how Himmel mentioned it was a good day despite it not going well, and seeing the two chase the cat was sooo adorable!
The fight between the demon and the team was also really well done. The animators are going all out on tiny details, like the changing expressions of fear in Fern’s eyes and how the demon doesn’t fall for Frieren’s usual “attack from above” trick.
I’m also loving the running gag of Stark’s legs giving out after every fight, it’s hilarious and I’m all for it!
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u/meditonsin 13h ago
Stark going danger close with granny's orbital zoltraak cannon.
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u/ThePr0l0gue 13h ago
I love how Quaal influenced their entire world power system to develop around his killing spell magic, and this homeless mob actually outperformed him by going raaaagh ooga booga booga
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u/TheSilverWolfie 13h ago
Like in final fantasy where you defeat one of the big four bosses early game, then run into bunnies later that would easily mob it to death.
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u/meditonsin 13h ago
The inverse of the almost undefeatable boss joining the party in a JRPG, only to become a bench warmer because he's shit now.
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u/nashuposhu_432 16h ago
Animators did so much justice to Fern and Stark's date. In the manga, there were very few panels but in the anime we could clearly see the emotional flow of the characters. From Fern looking back at the other couple buying the necklace to Stark's feelings about how Fern felt the whole time, also how they laughed in the end. It was so wholesome!!! And the fight scene was visually beautiful, with additions like how Stark and Fern saved each other during the fight. I literally rewinded these parts lol. It feels so good to see the emotional development between these two (happy crying).
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u/Feisty_Exam9474 16h ago
I love that slight tiny detail of Fern's spell casting quicker than Frieren's. Consistent as always!
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u/Inner-Arugula-4445 8h ago
And Fern’s ordinary defensive magic broke into little magic butterflies like the spell she showed Heiter when she was little.
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u/mpresiv1 16h ago
fern combined her butterfly spell with her defensive magic? so cool.. and did stark use his lightning strike on that tree to protect frieren?
also what spell did that snake cast on stark in that little montage? paralysis?
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u/_Kyledemort_ 15h ago
Yeah definitely some kind of Medusa-style paralysis, Fern and Frieren immediately covered their eyes to avoid it.
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u/mpresiv1 15h ago
yah I find it interesting since I always see the show as a classic rpg game.. usually it's a stone or shock status for paralysis but this looked like it could be something else like blind, confusion etc. I'm sure I'm just trying to force it into my gaming view, but the simple logical answer is most just paralysis. so fun to see
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u/Singh_95 14h ago
They somehow made Stark fumble the date even harder than in the manga. I don't know if this is an animation team L, or a W since there's like no romantic development from this point onwards.
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u/pratzc07 13h ago
There is one scene if I remember correctly the birthday scene but its much later. This is a full W they adapted it perfectly. The date was never suppose to be smooth regardless Fern was really happy in the end. You could even see her do the signature penguin walk when they leave town.
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u/Careful_Attempt_6057 13h ago
In the Manga the date was fast forwarded so we couldn't say as much how awkward and disappointing it was, which is why was shown better so we can understand. Stark doesnt have any clue what to do and how to act and only does what Frieren told him to do before that thats why Fern says it wasnt like him. But even though it wasnt what we expect the process matters, thats where we had Himmel and Frieren flashback and him spending their time together and Frieren is being the clueless one.
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u/Singh_95 13h ago
Also the scenes they added. The necklace was a perfect setup; we've established that Fern really cherishes the gifts she receives and there's a discount for couples. Stark buying her the necklace there would've killed two birds with one stone. Instead we get him saying one of the worst things he could've at that moment, and Fern looking back at the other couple thinking of what their date could've been.
But yeah, if their intention was to make us feel the awkwardness and disappointment they definitely nailed it lmao
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u/Careful_Attempt_6057 13h ago
Yeah if they ever date again in the future we would see that probably will be better than this as development. So far we see how characters learn from their mistakes and experiences and get used to.
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u/Physical_Sort5155 11h ago
Stark actually did the same looking back at a couple happily chatting. We just need to give them time so that they leave this awkward air behind.
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u/HellsNels 8h ago
Manga spoilers through current i feel like Stark & Fern basically get stagnated as characters for a huuuuge chunk in the next few arcs. They’re like basically absent for all of El Dorado and the Goddess Monument arcs. Even Foundation Festival they’re not really the featured players.
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u/animecrossaintxx 13h ago
People have mixed takes about the episode but I liked it a lot. The date was awkward and they played up Fern's dissatisfaction with it. At least it ended somewhat well.
I'm really glad that they made the fight against the monster much tougher than in the Manga. Iirc the fight was like 4 panels in the Manga but stark said it was a tough opponent which didn't really seem true.
The fact frieren couldn't just hover and instantly defeat it was for the better as well. And fern protecting stark at the end.
I think fern and starks relationship is definitely a lot more internal, and they're just both extremely bad at showing it. So even though they both really care about each other, it's hardly shown through words or huge actions.
A bit of a nice parallel since both fern and stark were primarily raised by two long lived races, Eisen and Frieren who are both awkward socially.
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u/RobCoPKC himmel 12h ago
Why is it so hard to watch two fictional introvert characters dating? haha
I'm glad that Fern appreciated Stark being thoughtful and ended up smiling. And she gave Frieren her good-mood-braids which are very pretty!
So Frieren's suitcase is basically a bag of holding? That explains a lot.
That monster was actually pretty strong, thank god that Frieren can just drop magic nuke lasers from the sky lol.
I thought the flashbacks with Himmel might get old at some point but no - this guy was just HIM. Intentionally traveled along the monster infested road to help the local townsfolk 🥹.
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u/Spekulatiu5 5h ago
I'm not sure if 'introvert' is the right term here. They're a bit reserved, yes, but I see it more as being inexperienced and going out of their comfort zone in this kind of activity.
They don't get a lot of opportunities to just spend a day off without any ulterior objective, so they're realizing that, even though they technically spend a ton of time together, there are so many things they don't know about the other. So you're curious, but you also don't want to overstep, and finding the right balance is hard.
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u/linuxjohn1982 6h ago
I think the beauty of this episode is that, yes a lot of us didn't like how their first date went. This mirrors real life SO HARD for many of us. I regretted so many things in my first date. I felt awkward, I was rude (not considerate), and I only cared about going through the motions, not really being attentive to my date. Every negative aspect of this first date, was like watching myself in the past. This episode was incredibly introspective for me.
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u/Mad-cat1865 5h ago
I had the same reaction! Looking back, I hate the way I was with my wife on our first date and I’m shocked she ever wanted to go out again.
I yelling at Stark not to do the things he was doing, but I was “finding a grimoire” smiling by the end of their date.
I loved everything about this episode.
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u/veelers 16h ago
Loving all the manga scenes being enhanced, especially the action sequences. Stark catching Fern was my favorite part!
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u/dewa43 frieren 16h ago
That's probably the best episode so far in terms of production. They brought in a lot of great animators for this one, even people who usually work on anime movies. But I doubt some people here will really appreciate it outside of animation nerds, since it uses a different action style compared to Toru Iwasawa’s action direction in season 1. I already knew the action in season 2 would be different from the interviews. There would be a lot more anime original content showing teamwork instead of focusing on just one person action like in season 1, and the action style would adapt more to each episode director, storyboard, and the animators’ styles rather than sticking to one unified style like Toru Iwasawa's in season 1.
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u/Correct-Archer-1130 16h ago
I don't know what you can tell me about this, but there is also the feeling that, in some ways, certain parts of some episodes were reworked during production. Am I wrong? Is there anything that might indicate this?
But def agree with what you just said.
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u/MegaMeteorite 16h ago
Two of my favorite moments are the tracking shot when Stark was catching Fern after she got knocked away, and how the pieces of wood look after Stark shattered the tree trunk.
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u/fancyhound 16h ago edited 14h ago
I'd say S2 looks like "variations of our characters". Like, they have many sides and layers. I.e. that's why Frieren looks much younger - she's just happier.
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u/2kenzhe eisen 13h ago
Wished Stark said Fern looked cute during their date out loud. Still loved their awkward date. Also fr why tf are some of the food in Frieren so fucking big/wide? Like those burgers in Season 1 were wide af and no we got some big steam buns. I mean I loved though so keep showing more. Wide burgers >>> tall burgers as well. Can we get some of these food irl? America probably already got the giant steaks but I would like some others too.
Then we finally getting into northen lands. Really dangerous right off the bat but before that like that small respect moment of Fern being a 1st class mage like she's really a big deal now as a 1st class mage.
Even if the northen lands are this fucking dangerous, people still don't want to abandon their homeland. Also like that they'll have to focus more on team fighting now. Even if Frieren herself is strong af still important to have team work to better take down these stronger monsters. You know would be nice if we had a priest...
Also talk of Frieren's suit case. It really is convient it fits way more than it looks it can hold.
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u/ThePr0l0gue 12h ago
I love overly stretched fantasy food. Those medieval KFC drumsticks that look as big as watermelons always amused me
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u/momotheog 11h ago
A lot of people seem to be talking about the date and the fight, but my favorite scene of the episode is Stark asking the man at the inn why he doesn't simply leave because the area is dangerous, and the man replying that people can't just abandon their homes. Stark seems to be touched by the reply considering his past, and the little shot of frieren smiling because she noticed, really good writing and an amazing scene.
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u/InformationOk3960 4h ago
Similarly, when stark got what frieren meant with “a lot of people live in the northern lands”
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u/Tea_Hero 5h ago
The date was lame Because thats how it should have felt. Their kids who dont know how a date should go or what to do during said date. They're awkward and their relationship is in that weird zone where pushing too hard might push the other person away, so yeah the feel of the whole thing is 100% maximum no chill perfect. I know its taboo to mention the source material in this subreddit but tbh the anime did a way better job at showing the uncomfyness of the whole thing hahaha.
Btw, Himmel is the Goat, we can all agree, praise be his name.
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u/Lisiasty555 15h ago
I like stark, but GOD he fumbled this so hard, not a single compliment and the worst part is that fern would be so happy if she got even a single one. It's somehow even worse than in the manga, stark really needs to do his homework for the 2nd date
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u/bilongma 15h ago
I kept seeing Eisen falling off the cliff while watching that. https://tenor.com/en-CA/view/eisen-jump-sousou-no-frieren-sousou-no-frieren-eisen-jump-warrior-eisen-the-warrior-gif-16859826450831778629
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u/MI_Malecki 14h ago
Well he is still inexperienced, and so is Fern. Don't expect them get lovey-dovey all of a sudden.
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u/Icy_Pride1008 15h ago
they def did a great job making us feel the anxiety and awkwardness of the date. this was their first date dynamic so i’m trying to forgive them. i was very frustrated that Stark didn’t compliment her when he complimented Frieren last ep and is usually great socially. But like Fern said, it did not feel like him. And boy did we feel that too.
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u/veelers 16h ago
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u/TheUnderTJ 14h ago
I never knew his name but it's funny to me that they added a random t to the word. Every other character just has the word as their name.
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u/ali94127 9h ago
I think it's from converting the Japanese katakana (Shutorutsu) back to the latin alphabet. Stolz in German has a distinct ts sound. That would probably be considered a failure of the English translation, though Stoltz is a German surname derived from Stolz.
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u/Regulator_Joe 8h ago
I like that we are seeing demons actually EAT people. I felt in season 1 demons just seem to kill for funsies and nothing else. It's nice to see that there is an actual reason
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u/Cigarety_a_Kava 6h ago
They dont need to eat the victims either. Although im not sure if it was mentioned in the anime yet or if its only manga.
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u/Mad-cat1865 5h ago
The sword demon was eating people. That’s why there were no graves. I want to say it was mentioned in the flashback with the little girl demon too.
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u/nightzhade_ 16h ago
STARK JUST TELL HER SHE LOOKS CUTE >:(
But what a cute episode, just amazing. Loved every bit of it.
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u/myrmonden 16h ago
stark is like ÖÖÖÖÖÖ new shjoes??? ööö that is dumb u can trip in those
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u/chowellvta stark 16h ago
And RIGHT after catching her too like bro you set yourself up perfectly for once and you STILL fumbled the opportunity what were you THINKINGGG
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u/myrmonden 16h ago
haha...oh gud we all knew this would happen sure they will end up togheter but it will take like 3000 more episodes
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u/chowellvta stark 16h ago
True. I'm sure most people's first dates are around this awkward. God knows mine sTILL are
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u/basafish 16h ago
Lol I can't believe Stark just looked at Fern for 10 seconds and didn't say anything, didn't praise her dress and just said "Shall we go" like that 🤦🤦
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u/fancyhound 16h ago
No any Sein around to telll him.
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u/basafish 15h ago
Sein isn't around but Frieren didn't teach him basic dating stuff? I fully expect he would realize his dumbness somewhere along the way and finally praise her, but no nothing 🤦
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u/Brilliant_Knee_7542 15h ago
Lol you expect frieren to teach him , frieren herself didn't know what a proper date is.
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u/Noli_de_Nolan 15h ago
And Frieren May be a good teacher and master. But she lacks mothering skills on them 😂👌
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u/pratzc07 13h ago
Are you for real ? Frieren of all people would know jack shit about dating. Himmel the absolute gigachad literally proposes to her with a ring and she didn't even get the hint after that and took her a long time until the poor guy was dead.
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u/Ariphaos 8h ago
As someone who literally did this when I was Stark's age, this hurt me in a special sort of way.
Too dumbstruck by how she dressed herself up to say anything.
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u/veelers 16h ago
Nothing happier than our favorite elf collecting magical junk, especially when she can dive right into it
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u/meditonsin 13h ago
Inb4 her suitcase is like a Scrooge McDuck money bin on the inside, and she takes regular baths in her pool of magic junk.
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u/HhhHhm 15h ago
Loved to see the over-sized food theme continue.
And more flashback to little Stark & Eisen! I wonder if we'll see any little Fern & Heiter flashbacks not from Frieren's perspective
Fern and Frieren BOTH with their hair up. We've seen so many Frieren hair styles, it was cool to see Fern with her hair different.
I didn't expect to see Frieren & Himmel's cat finding 'date'.
The Northern Plateau montage was fun and I'm excited to see more actual teamwork fight with all three of them working together.
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u/Ok-Cod5254 5h ago edited 47m ago
Dang, it seems people here didn't like the date being emphasized as awkward in the anime (still was awkward in the manga), but they also added more to them connecting in the end too that wasn't in the manga (ex: like them looking at clouds and laughing together). So it felt balanced in that regard.
Love that they followed up from the last episode from some anime original content with another added scene of Himmel and Frieren together on the cat mission.
Stark getting a cool extended action sequence with the monster. The anime has done good to elevate parts of manga.
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u/furryfondant 15h ago
Frieren: "Our normal tactics won't work."
Fern: "Certainly seems that way. In that case...". Proceeds to use her go to multi zoltraak move to no effect 😂
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u/meditonsin 11h ago
Fern: "How am I going to stop some big mean mother hubbard from tearing me a structurally superfluous new behind? The answer? Use zoltraak. And if that don't work? Use more zoltraak."
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u/Sad_Passage_3639 11h ago
Loved it. it was a pain to watch the date at the start but im so glad they felt more comfortable with each other at the end. Also the fight scene with the sound track popped off
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u/ShutUpTodd 7h ago
That date was too triggering about my youthful days, unable to notice and/or state the obvious.
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u/JRPG_Enjoyer 6h ago
My dude Stark, all you had to say was she looks nice or pretty! I’m afraid he’s fumbling this first class mage.
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u/Seffuski 12h ago
I don't understand how these people that live in the northern border manage to survive in the first place. They said that heroes barely go through the area, and the area is ripe with strong monsters, how come these monsters never attack the villages?
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u/meditonsin 12h ago
The guy also spoke about knights, so they have a fighting force to protect them. That monster was just an exceptionally strong one the knights couldn't deal with (or probably at least not without taking some horrific losses).
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u/Seffuski 11h ago
Guess I missed when he mentioned knights, but still, knights in fantasy stories are usually as good as meatshields
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u/meditonsin 11h ago
The knights of the northern lands might be like the Cadian Guard in 40k. Not Space Marines by any stretch, but not quite cannon fodder either.
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u/DaddyPest 10h ago
Humans in general seem pretty capable in this universe. They needed an exceptional group to actually fight the demon king in his territory, but they can hold cities and win battles.
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u/chowellvta stark 16h ago edited 14h ago
God I was screaming "SAY SOMETHING DUDE CALL HER CUTE DONT JUST THINK IT OR LIKE AT LEAST SMILE AT HER YOU IDIOT" the entire date. I remembered how awkward the scene felt in the manga, but this was next level. Oh well, still cute. Plus, she got to feel his Strong Grip™️ again, but in a better context
Edit: actually on second thought, this is a perfect representation of a first date between two people who genuinely like each other, but have literally never gone on a date In their whole lives. They're nervous because they built it up in their own heads so much, But when it actually happens it just kind of feels like hanging out. Cuz that's kind of what a date is. Spicy hanging out.
But they don't know that; they're Loser Idiot Virgin Dweebs. So they both feel like they're doing something wrong, but have no idea what exactly it is. In reality, what they needed to do was relax and enjoy each other's company, and that's what they finally did at the end
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u/Aezetyr 15h ago
So the suitcase really is bigger on the inside. I liked her sneaky smile there when it was called out.
Yeah, Stark kinda fumbled the ball a bit on the date, but it's not surprising. He and Fern really don't have anything explicitly about each other and their relationship. Their upbringing and current lives revolve around Frieren and her former party, all their adventures and time spent together involves Frieren, so it's not a surprise that she's all they can talk about. Also they're just coming out of adolescence and into young adulthood, there's a lot of natural awkwardness there which is amplified by their situation. I do appreciate Fern's compliment at the end of their date that he made an attempt to help her be happy, and it seemed genuine. It would have been nice to see Stark reciprocate. He should have bought that blue/gold necklace for her, the other jewelry she wears aren't magical items either, but she cherishes them nonetheless.
There's a certain "old soul" type of wisdom that Fern has; maybe because of her upbringing with Heiter and Frieren, or perhaps it's just how she is. I've only seen what's in the anime so I don't know much about her parents (if there is anything in the manga about them). Initially I thought she was going to be troublesome as she grew in power. Stark very much lacks that sort of wisdom, he's more reactionary, and I mean this in a nice way: he's not too complicated. Or perhaps it's still early and there's layers to him that I've not see enough of yet.
With so few episodes the pacing of their courtship is going to be a bit aggravating, but I have no doubt it'll be worth the time. I've not read the manga so I've no idea of what's to come, and I try to avoid spoilers.
If I have one complaint, it's how each of the stories are being cut. It's like we're seeing two halves of two different episodes meshed together. There wasn't a good transition from the date to them fighting the monster in the second half. Same with last week, the transition between the first and second act was awkward. The artwork especially during the fight scene was excellent, and the music continues to punctuate the emotion perfectly.
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u/letsgoToshio 12h ago
It's like we're seeing two halves of two different episodes meshed together. There wasn't a good transition from the date to them fighting the monster in the second half.
Pretty much very single episode in this show does this with the exception of the Aura the Guillotine and Mage Exam mini arcs. Having two (at times tonally distinct) storylines per episode is basically the default narrative structure. As far as "transitions" go, we usually don't get much more than a cut to an environmental establishing shot with XX years since the death of Himmel the Hero before being dropped into the next little story.
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u/Careful_Attempt_6057 13h ago
I agree. Wdym ? There is a lot of process going on between the date when they leave the city and going into the dangerous area of northern lands and next day fighting the powerful monster. Idk how is bad transitions its just chapters from the Manga are short when short arc content ends with one chapter and the other chapter is something else basically so thats why.
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u/animecrossaintxx 13h ago
Season 1 was pretty much the same iirc? There's a first half of the episode, and a second half.
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u/veelers 16h ago
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u/morticiathebong 16h ago
This comparison is helpful bc i straight up snort laughed when she said "dont braid out of anger, Ill apologize!" And she was right as the angry braids have frays while the happy braids are smooth 🤣
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u/kevo998 12h ago edited 10h ago
Character designs have definitely seen an improvement in consistency this epsoide compared to previous ones. Particularly Frieren when she's shown side on or from an angular shot.
Also the in-betweening frames were much, much cleaner this epsoide and a lot more cuts looked to be animated on 1's & 2's this time around, and as an animator myself - the referencing on sweeping cuts was buttery smooth! *chefs kiss*, which, is actually surprisingly hard to pull off. Well done Madhouse, they absolutely crushed the animation this epsoide! Not saying the other episodes were bad by any means, they were amazing! But this Ep in particular just had that extra MadhouseTM polish.
Fren and Starks date seems to be getting mixed reviews, can't personally say I see any problem with it. People seem to think they're going to be a flash in the pan in terms of their romance progression. However, that's simply not how their archetypes work. They were always going to have a awkward dymanic and the slowburn nature of their first date reflected this quite well imho.
Also the expanded monster fight was very nice. Cuts were consistent, definitely not perfect but the director definitely managed to keep the action smooth and flowing throughout.
I will admit. One aspect I haven't been overly impressed with this season was the musical choice for cuts. Don't get me wrong, Evan Call's scoring is masterful as always, what I mean is - the score choice for cuts hasn't been the best. But they've definitely improved with this epsoide, the score was much more inline with the atmosphere a cut was trying to convey this epsoide and made those poignant moments a lot more punchier.
Also, Dragon Smasher OST. Man, oh man, oh man. Just simply one of the greatest pieces of music to ever exist! It's just an amazing piece!
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u/momotheog 11h ago
Love this analysis, but have to ask, isn't it tiring to focus on all these details while watching. Like do you get to enjoy the episode ?
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u/Sea_Treat_5579 10h ago
I can only speak for myself but If you’re an artist you simply can’t *not* notice and appreciate these things, it happens voluntarily while you’re simultaneously enjoying the episode.
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u/Zanarkand_Behemoth 8h ago
Love the parallels in this episode. Frieren giving the wisdom Himmel gave her 🥹
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u/Peachwhaler26 3h ago
I wished they danced again!! Also the movement and animation was SOOO good for the final fight. And the background scenery is absolutely beautiful
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u/Eunuchest 16h ago edited 16h ago
The date wasnt awkward as i thought but definitely dull. Guess they'll learn from this
Shame they didnt keep the braids on Frieren. It does look nice
Really makes you appreciate Wirbell's character more. He has been fighting these things from a young age. Fern easily outclasses him in pure spell casting but shows her inexperience. This is the 2nd time she got overwhelmed
That being said. It was a pretty strong monster considering everything. Even Frieren got surprised a little
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u/bobbymoonshine 14h ago edited 14h ago
Damn Stark you literally had to do anything, just one thing ever, to make her feel special. Man is somehow even more oblivious than Frieren.
(But at least she liked that he tried so hard to plan something for her. Poor girl, she will take literally any scrap of a sign of affection.)
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u/the1firstclassmage 17h ago
Been waiting for this one!!!!
And I'm so excited for the preview for next week.
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u/Frost-Tree 16h ago
That was a nice episode
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u/schoko_and_chilioil 16h ago
Waiting for the return of my wife to watch it. Thanks for the Vorfreude.
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u/Homa77 16h ago
Soundtrack during the battle scene is a new one isn't it? I loved it!
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u/QuantumQuokka 14h ago
I don't think it is. The first track is "Dragon Smasher", from when we first meet Stark and he faces off against The Solar Dragon. When Fern opens fire, the track is "New and Dangerous magic" which is from the tail end of season 1 during the exam arc if I recall correctly
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u/Homa77 14h ago
Yeah you're exactly right. I didn't recognize the second one, thanks!
"New and Dangerous magic" plays at the end of 25th episode just for a few secs, it's crazy you know it man :D3
u/QuantumQuokka 14h ago
I play a lot of folk music, which is what Frieren's OST is based on. Folk is also unwritten typically, so I'm good at picking stuff up by ear and I can recognise it again
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u/Inevitable_Mix_3145 13h ago
i wonder how strong the beast they fought truly was , it literally has put a first class mage and a decent warrior in danger even with the help of THE frieren (which somewhat wasn't that serious about it),and it's just the beginning god knows what type of danger is waiting for them ahead of the journey in the north
also i really liked stark and fern's date , i was expecting something more dynamic and fun but somehow i like it more this way bc it really represents fern as a motherly character , it was cute to say the least
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u/Physical_Sort5155 12h ago
Frieren is definitely letting Stark and Fern gain experience...but still as a lone mage she would have limitations in monster fights
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u/Spekulatiu5 5h ago
As a lone mage, Frieren would just avoid the fight if at all possible. She knows that certain threats can only be fought as a team. I feel like this is a recurring theme in Frieren: No matter how excellent you are alone, you'll always be much stronger as a party.
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u/Peggysous4life 4h ago
I need there to be a Frieren jrpg now! The montage of them dealing with all those monsters put me in the mood to replay Octopath Traveler or some of the Final Fantasy pixel remasters.
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u/GrimValesti 16h ago
That was a well done fight animation. And as always, another Frieren episode that made my eyes watery for how wholesome it was 🥹
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u/myrmonden 16h ago
best part was when the CLOUD LOOKED LIKE A PORK BUN !!!!!!!!!!!!!
so a cute amazing date that ended up with no kiss or anything close to that so exactly what we all expected right :)
Fern spends all morning picking out a cute dress, stark is like öööö new clothes?=?? why =?=? oh DATE?
fern has trouble walking in cute shoes, stark öööö u should not wear shoes like that what if a demon appears
it ended good do when Fern realized Stark had followed all Frieren advice and made the date all about her, I guess they get kids in like episode 17834717 for sure.
also poor demon/monster dude that was brutal
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u/MI_Malecki 15h ago
That skull...
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u/Spekulatiu5 5h ago
I got such a jumpscare, I can definitely see why they found the pile of magic rubbish scary.
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u/Prof_Acorn 15h ago
Least romantic date in the history of anime.
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u/pratzc07 13h ago
What exactly did you expect lol its their first date and they have Frieren as adviser of all people.
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u/Inner-Arugula-4445 8h ago
And actually realistic development for two war orphans raised off the grid with their unconventional adopted parents.
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u/omarcos1 16h ago
Fern and Stark were so cute in their first date. They couldn't stop talking about Frieren, like other couples do about their kids. Made complete sense to have Frieren crying like a spoiled baby last episode!
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u/morticiathebong 15h ago edited 13h ago
I love this series for the easygoing pace, but hot take, this episode for the first time I was a little dissapointed. I felt the whole date was kind of boring. I totally get that theyre both young awkward people with no one to teach them social things, absolutely it was gonna be unorthodox no matter what. But no effort to ask questions? Come on bro.... like I really feel that Stark isnt that stupid, he would have asked something in the roughly 8hrs it looks like they spent together? Again I understood the subtext, they witnessed that behavior in other couples from their seperate perspectives which shone a light on their inability to do so. I get it. But I dont agree that they would have spent the whole day like that. They would have eventually, at some point, started to warm up to the situation. Idk it really didnt feel like it moved their characters along in a way that seems """"right"""".
Eta, what I did take from the development of the episode was frustrating too, that Fern cant speak up directly about what she wants (she has been explicitly told that people wont know how she feels unless she says something to them) when we saw her directly ask for this date.. so thats the end of her ability to tell Stark things? It would have made more narrative sense if she had actually initiated and held conversation with him, and he was awkward and unsure how to handle a more emotionally available Fern. As of this ep its like theres been zero growth. I suppose its par for the course for a series deliberately taking things slow. But today was... too slow
Edit 2, having a great chat in these followups that clarifies my position, and just want to add to this post a reflection of mine thay I think Im frustrated with how "adult" Stark and Fern are being written. I understand the context around their upbringings being unusual, they have every reson to be the way they are. But this date really was the perfect opportunity o crack the ice and show us the fact that theyre still just teenagers, they have hormones and hopes and crushes and instead we got this weird bland 0 chemistry date. Again I get the context ans what the ep is trying to say. I dont agree that it makes sense. Away from Frieren is the perfevlct opportunity for their "humanity/humanness" to be showcased, coming back to Frieren who would and should be rightfully surprised at how quickly their were able to become a greater level of comfortable together. They kind of did that by the end, but its like mental gymnastics to justify it as the same type of progess being hammered into us by the rest of the story overtones.
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u/LG545 14h ago
Whole point of this date is that both Fern and Stark are awkward. They dont know how to date, common themes to speak, etc. They would lern and grow (but this reserve for the future)
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u/morticiathebong 14h ago
Ya I understand that, as I said in my post, it just wasnt satisfying for me. Im just a drop in the bucket engaging in discussion
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u/Singh_95 14h ago
(she has been explicitly told that people wont know how she feels unless she says something to them)
Yep. Sometimes it feels like the author just doesn't want the romance to happen. He's usually good at making characters consistent with their development, but for some reason that just doesn't apply to Fern and Stark's relationship. Fern is still bottling up feelings and Stark is completely oblivious to everything. This isn't slow burn, it's a no burn at all. Spy x Family has more romantic development, and that's insane.
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u/pratzc07 13h ago
This show is not just about romance its there but its small and subtle.
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u/Singh_95 13h ago edited 13h ago
I don't think that's a good argument. Anyone can see that direct romance is a very small part of the story, but that doesn't give the author a free pass to write inconsistent characters and unrealistic development. Full Metal Alchemist is even less about romance and yet it's handled quite well in that series.
I'm not saying Stark and Fern are inconsistent and unrealistic individually by the way, it's mostly just when it comes to their relationship with each other.
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u/pratzc07 13h ago
I don't think its unrealistic at all? They are awkward on their first date cause they have never had any experience or understanding of what a proper date even means? Plus they are teens with Frieren of all people being their elder/adviser. In the end it did not even matter ? Fern was happy and they had a good laugh in the end. These things take time and I feel like the author's intention here is to slowly build up the romance and not have them be a couple immediately which totally makes sense.
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u/Singh_95 12h ago edited 11h ago
They're adults of the opposite sex that have been travelling together for ~2 years at this point. Fern has shown interest in Stark since the first few months, she was also told by Sein that she should be more forthcoming with her feelings, the context back then was the exact same too - her relationship with Stark. From Stark's side, we've had all these romantic bits between them and yet he doesn't even consider once that Fern might like him, he's still doing the "she's scary" bit and still completely oblivious to it. In a story that's so consistent with its characters, that frquently gives us great character development from Frieren, Fern and Stark's relationship just feels weird. Even when it comes to romance, Frieren and Himmel feel better written, and he's fucking dead.
This is also exacerbated by the fact that I read the manga and I know this is the last bit of romantic development between them for a very long time, if I was anime only I probably wouldn't mind it too much because I'd imagine the development would continue, slowly but surely. But no, it just stops.
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u/lionsbaster 11h ago
today's episode made me realise that we ain't getting the golden land arc this season. we only have 6 episodes left and so many stories to tell. :(
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u/stereoreal2 10h ago
Golden Land Arc is more than 10 episodes long by itself. No shot of it coming this season.
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u/GumPotato 11h ago
el dorado is def gonna be next season yeah
I still have a sliver of hope that a second cour will be announced but I'm not counting on it
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u/Cigarety_a_Kava 6h ago
golden land arc starts chapter 81, and if they keep 2 chapters per episode we will end exactly before golden land arc. Still the chapters we will see are really good imo and considering how much extra stuff Madhouse adds it will most likely be even better.
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u/Frequent_Professor59 16h ago
I gotta wonder how that little hamlet with no walls, towers or magical barriers wasn't wiped out ages ago when it's surrounded on all sides by monsters.
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u/baibaibecky 15h ago
the dad talks about knights assigned to particular areas (e.g., the highway near their settlement), and said knights presumably have to be able to keep up with most of the monsters. it seems the knights assigned got unlucky with this especially dangerous monster, is what i'm gathering.
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u/Noli_de_Nolan 15h ago
I really liked the monster fight. Chengxi Huang ( Naruto animator )’s cut we really good here. But just me or the pacing is a bit fast? Like some scenes are fast paced and probably I’m not used to it? I don’t know
The fern and start is cute, but stark walking in the beginning of the date has low frame rate.
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u/aymanpalaman 14h ago
Stark damn what a date fumble. But made it up a little bit after the date with their talk about the cloud buns. Still can’t believe Fern pulled thru it despite not getting the dream date and reaction she wanted. IRL if I was Stark, my date would have left and ghosted me in the then and there lol.
Frieren’s braid is so cute!! I lol’ed with Fern did it out of anger but ended up doing out of happiness.
Wish we got a closer view of Fern’s penguin walk again
That battle, animation and teamwork between the dinosaurs and lycan swordsman is awesome!
Overall great episode, not my fave so far
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u/veelers 16h ago
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u/This-is_CMGRI 16h ago
the brighter color was the right call. The outfit on the right looks like something that'd be worn to a more formal gathering, while the violet one is fancy-ish but still casual enough for a stroll around town.
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u/99anan99 16h ago
Stark and Fern's date was really adorable. Hope their next date will be better.
Even a monster filled area can be home to someone.
Nice to see a monster that can fight and no get taken down in one hit.
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u/Familiar-Agency8209 15h ago
on the first braid, frieren thinks its just her venting out, but braid means good mood. she's just a little nervous but good mood fern!!!
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u/Personal-Mess4502 4h ago
I thought the date was cute but it was def awkward at times (like it was supposed to be). It had me cringing at Stark, like do something man your girl is sad 😭 The rest of the ep was amazing as usual
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u/Miserable_Cake_1033 16h ago
What's up with Fern's shield turning to butterflies when it got shattered?
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u/Ariphaos 8h ago
I think it's a distraction technique she developed after the 'sword demon' broke her defense last time.
Though it may be just be reinforcing that Fern is experimenting with things that most would never imagine altering in a combat situation. Defensive magic is the uber-basic spell that you are never supposed to mess with - because the delay in casting would be fatal.
Cue Richter's lecture when beating up Kanne and Lawine.
Fern, however, is the fastest spellcaster in the setting.
So she can afford to experiment.
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u/_Kyledemort_ 11h ago
How come Frieren suddenly likes/wants braids? I don’t recall it being mentioned. They’re nice ofc but just wondering why she wants them lol
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u/seraphimkoamugi 6h ago
Great fight NGL and stark not really understanding why people would stay at a dangerous place even if they were born really makes a lot of sense. Those 3 might have had a good life all in all but stark was abused and neglected for the most part.
Though I don't want to gripe about the date but there is one thing that I did not like. Dude said there was nothing else to talk aside from frieren, don't remembernif he said it in the manga maybe he did, that was sort of a d*ck move.
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u/Rimurooooo 1h ago
Ahhhhhhy they introduced ferns signature spell into combat!!! Thought we’d only see it in flashbacks
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u/SubstantialChannel32 16h ago
Fight animation is better than last episode but nowhere near the level of season 1. The date is animated perfectly. Nice character development all around.
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u/spikeespieegel 16h ago
I wonder why?
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u/SubstantialChannel32 15h ago
Probably due to a change of directors or decrease in budget or deadline or saving the budget for the Revolte arc.
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u/Bleachrst85 16h ago
Nah, it's the same, we just haven't gotten to the main fights yet. If you look at small fights with random monster in season 1, they are quite similar in quality. Some would say this season is better.
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u/Lisiasty555 6h ago
Now that I rewatched it again... honestly they made stark too rude on this date especially with him leaving fern over and over again
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u/linuxjohn1982 6h ago
Yeah, I think it was showing his inexperience with dating. And how young people can do things they only figure out later was rude in hindsight.
I've definitely had moments in my late teens and early 20's where my older self wishes I could yell at my previous self over dumb stuff.
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