Well, this review is a week late. But, it’s alright since apparently Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End is taking a week off after Christmas. After the heartwarming dancing episode, we got back to what I consider this anime’s true atmosphere, bittersweet nostalgia and facing time as the real cruel mistress.

Speaking of nostalgia, in this episode we meet an old friend of Frieren, a dwarf named Voll or Old Man Voll. In this day and age, it’s hard for Frieren to find someone who shares the same past. Her old party members are no more other than Eisen, and the only elf we know of is Kraft, who is a stranger to Frieren.

For an elf like her, it’s almost impossible finding a friend with a similar lifespan. However, us humans can also have a long life friend. Like Sein who is searching for Gorilla Warrior, yes that the name of Sein’s friend. They’ve been separated for the last decade, at least.

The second part of this episode is a sad reminder to me, though. Sein’s character and story really do resonate with me. First, he struggled to just get out there and pursue what he really wants in the first place. Now, he is trying to reconnect to an old friend after so long. But, so much has probably changed with little trace of this Gorilla. Anyway, there are a few details that I’d like to point out in this episode.

Meet Old Man Voll, The Guardian Dwarf

Old Man Voll is a dwarven warrior, just like Eisen. They even have a similar outfit, and both rock luscious beards. I’m not really sure how old Eisen is. Voll himself is about four hundred years old, at least.

However, the average dwarf lifespan in Frieren’s world is about three hundred years. So, Voll is OLD old. I like how this anime portrays both Eisen and Voll. They are both old, but still haven’t lost their expertise. Most dwarves in fantasy stories are formidable fighters, like in LOTR.

The Cruelty Of Time

Voll has been staying at his village for ages. Not a single villager is sure why he decided to protect that village. However, his protection is much welcomed, despite Voll is now slowly getting senile. It’s hard for them to just make a casual conversation with Voll. But, when Frieren comes to visit him, Voll seems to be conversing just alright.

Things starts to be clear when Frieren and Voll are chatting about the past. Turns out Voll has lived so long, that he already forgot how his wife, a human, looks and sounds. This is a hefty price someone with a long lifespan has to pay, especially when they’ve lived longer than the average.

What broke my heart is when Voll repeats what he said to Frieren eighty years ago. His memory is already slipping, and he doesn’t remember that the demon king is no more.

Clearly, Voll has some kind of dementia going on. For one moment, this anime once again hits a grim reality of time. Whether we like it or not, our memories will become blurry when we’re old. So, it’s a must to always cherish them.

Carrying Out Memories

When the original heroes’ party met Voll, Himmel made Frieren promises to carry their memory into the future. Although she’s pretty indifferent about it at first, now she knows how important memories can be. After all, Himmel is nothing but memories now, and how else can we know about this wonderful man if not from Frieren’s flashbacks. I’m not crying… You are!

Being the only one that can outlive virtually anything makes Frieren the designated proof of the heroes’ party existence. Maybe, after another millennia, she’ll turn just like Monk Kraft, forgotten yet remembers a thousand tales.

Speaking of memories, they do hold a certain power over us as emotional beings. You see, the real reason Old Man Voll guards his village is that it’s his wife’s village. He promised her to keep it safe from any danger. Even it’s been more than years since her passing, and despite the fact he has forgotten how his wife’s appearance, he still holds his promise.

Seeking Gorilla

The first part of this episode is full of a tragic yet sweet reality of time. No matter how precious we are to a person, eventually parts of us will disappear from their memories. But, how can we be sure that we’ll be remembered anyway?

Sein’s childhood friend has the answer. Basically, make sure you make quite a name for yourself, both figuratively and literally. The second part of this episode is about searching for Sein’s friend, Warrior Gorilla. He is that one friend who asked Sein to go on an adventure together, but Sein declined his offer.

A Series Of Side Quests

When Sein is asking around about his friend’s whereabouts, they meet a peculiar old woman. The locals call her the old stubborn woman, even she proclaims her name the first time she meets Frieren and the rest. I guess it’s a fitting name, then.

However, it turns out that Gorilla was especially close to her during his stay. So, basically, we’ve hit the jackpot, right? Just ask her where Gorilla was heading, and we’ll be right on the money with our next destination.

Well, I wish it’s that easy. What follows is a montage of Frieren and friends doing side quests. Not that I’m complaining, but the resemblance to RPG games is just too uncanny.

This part really takes me back to the first time I played Skyrim. What Frieren says is true, though. Even if the tasks for adventurers can be boring at times, they can quickly spiral into a chaotic mayhem. Just like when I thought I could easily deliver an axe to the Jarl of Winterhold only to be attacked by bandits, bears, and dragons on my way.

The Forgotten Heroes

When the old woman finally runs out of tasks for Frieren and the rest, she asks for one more thing. She wants them to clean the statues of the forgotten heroes. A simple and menial task, thankfully. However, on their way to the statue, the old woman correctly guess Sein as the goatee priest, a nickname that was given to him when he and Gorilla were little.

You see, it turns out that these statues aren’t something Sein hadn’t seen. There is one of these back in Sein’s hometown, too. It’s a statue of a pair of heroes, a warrior and a priest. However, no one really knows who these people are. Their tales have been buried deep in history, and probably for good.

Heiter, little Gorilla, and little Sein once talked about them. But, even Heiter didn’t really know the history behind these heroes. This is what motivated Gorilla to call himself by a catchy name. I’ve got to admit, the man is a genius in personal branding.

And since the priest statue got a little goatee, Heiter jokingly called Sein the goatee priest. That name apparently stuck, and Gorilla often shared his story about Sein to the old woman, including the name.

Wait A Minute, Kraft?

Upon a closer look, Frieren notices something with the warrior statue. Isn’t that Monk Kraft? It’s too similar to be a different person. Well, what do you know, one of the so-called forgotten heroes is actually still roaming and wandering to wherever he likes.

So, maybe I was right about Kraft. He’s not just a monk. He’s way more than that, probably equivalent to Himmel in his days. Considering that he is way older than Frieren, it all makes sense now why he said all that remembered his feats are no longer in this world.

However, the fact that Kraft is one of the forgotten heroes makes me think of another speculation. Remember the hero’s sword? The one that wouldn’t budge for anyone except a true hero, even Himmel couldn’t take it out from the stone. So, what if it’s actually Kraft’s sword. It would be even funnier if he had used it once and decided to put it back in the stone.

A Goodbye To Sein?

After cleaning the statues, the old woman finally tells them Gorilla’s last known destination. It’s the city of Tur. However, it’s located on the opposite direction of Frieren’s next destination, Äußerst. Is it time to say goodbye to Sein? If so, then that’s a pity. Sein has been so relatable since his first appearance. I’d be sad if they part ways.

However, I still think it’s best for him to head for Tur instead of tagging along with Frieren. After all, his original purpose is to find Gorilla, not to go to Aureole. Not to set any flag here, but if we were to meet Sein again in the future, I hope it’s not by the side of Gorilla’s tombstone. I’d be mortified.