This has to be one of my favorite episodes so far. The backstory with Stark, his family, and The Hero's Sword was incredible and left me in a puddle on the floor... 😭 This show has the ability to make me cry with one masterfully placed visual and my heart can't take it. It's exploding. With the MUSIC! I absolutely love this treasure of a show!! 🌺💞🥲 I hope you enjoy my discussion before and after the episode x
I wanna say you should react on heavenly delusion ...but may be it's awkward show to react 😅 but also great and excitingand make you thinking for a lot of mysteriously events of the show
Just so you know, season two of Frieren was announced a couple of days ago. It probably comes out next year. 😃🤩One of the best shows I have seen, and I'm not a big fan of anime usual. 😉😊
It’s so beautiful that Fern never heard the story of the sword from Heiter, because Heiter never considered that aspect important to Himmel’s heroism. 😭❤️
True, but I think it's also to preserve his good name and avoid people gossiping about him as a fake hero, as he was sure he was true hero. Kind of like how Aragorn never told anybody that Boromir tried to forcefully take the Ring from Frodo in a moment of weakness. He knew he was a good man that would be slandered if people heard about that.
One more thing that unifies them: They're all orphans. Himmel & Heiter met as kids at an orphanage. Eisen lost his family to demons. So did Frieren. And Stark. Fern's family died in a war. A group of lonely kids, finding their way to a new family.
I wouldn't call Eisen a "coward". A coward is someone who failed to act when fear takes over their body. So maybe "cowardly warrior" is a more apt of a description. (Cowardly has a slightly different nuance) Bravery is not the absence of fear, but the ability to act in spite of it.
@@yungzheit’s not that Eisen is an actual coward, it’s how he views himself. He fled his village when it got attacked. He says himself he’s a coward because he ran.
The sword doesn't make the hero. The hero makes the hero. I love that lesson. This episode has some fantastic storytelling. In that it hits the sad beats and matches them with some great humor, almost immediately afterwards. Some things are common story tropes, but this whole show, at the same time, just feels...different.
While all this is true, the prophesy does seem to imply that there is some bad calamity or something they has yet to happen that has nothing to do with the Demon King. I'm anime only so that just a theory
@@tulk3747 Or it could be that the great calamity has already passed and the sword is left there as a test for future heroes. The story is similar to Tolkien's mythos. In Tolkien's mythos and all ancient mythologies the world regresses and declines, meaning the future is less brilliant than the past. One such example is the five races of humans according to Hesiod, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Heroes and Iron always with the next stage being lesser than the previous. So, a world ending calamity of the mythical era is far more powerful than anything we might face today. In Tolkien, Morgoth was an actual God level enemy that the Elves faced and defeated after much hardship and tragedies and only after the Valar came to their aid. No mortal race, not even the Elves, had the strength to defeat that foe alone. Divine intervention was necessary to even the odds. Sauron in the Lord of the Rings, while seemingly unsurmountable, was nothing compared to Morgoth. The same seems to be implied here. There was a Morgoth level enemy in the mythical Era and the Goddess decided to help the heroes of that age by providing them with a weapon capable of harming that foe. The Hero of that Age defeated the enemy and returned the sword on the stone, where it remains since then. And it hasn't been drawn since then because no threat of the modern world is anywhere near the level of the threat of that ancient enemy and the strength of the weapon is not needed to defeat any modern day enemy. It is now more of a test for the modern heroes, if you need to rely on a weapon to face your enemies, then you never had the determination to face your foes and you never had the heart of a hero. There is actual evidence to support the above theory which will appear in the anime later on, but, I won't go into detail here because of spoilers. And of course, all this is still a theory since even in the source material this hasn't been confirmed.
@@kpetalis I prefer this theory because its got a lot more to add to the story. Having it be a long forgotten history that people now misrepresent(A common and reoccurring theme in Frieren mind you), makes both Himmel and the Sword more interesting. Himmel for not being chosen, but choosing to be a Hero anyways. And the sword has a mysterious past, rather than yet another prophesized future. A trope so overdone, its long since become a cliche.
Personally my favorite episode. This episode was a roller coaster of emotions. I’m laughing, then crying, then laughing and crying all over again. Stark is a true hero despite what he believes
Stark: I've never been given a gift before. Then finds out that his master made him Hamburg steaks as a gift between warriors. Then remembers his brother would make him Hamburg steaks on his birthday. He got a lot of gifts from the people he cared most about and never even realized. T_T
You know a series and story-writing is MASTERFUL when there is little to no dialogue, and just visuals with expression changes accompanied with very subtle music playing and it makes you cry. Freiren is a masterclass of story-writing.
the best is that is a Zen story, doesn't matter the end of the journey or the goal of it, but the travel and what you learn, quite difficult to accomplish and they nail it as I have not seen before. Best part? there is still lot of material to make more anime.
Season 2 is in production! hopefully Madhouse takes their time and makes it as magical as Season 1. theres some excellent content in the Manga for another 28 episode sesaon
The director is very important. If its Saito again I will be more calm about S2. Right now I am worried if S2 will reach the same levels of story telling.
Saw this comment on another channel A "Fake" Hero A "Corrupt" Preast A "Cowardly" Warrior And a "Disgraceful" Mage This is the party that brought peace to the world, without destiny being on their side. This series has masterful writing
This episode is the perfect example for frieren. Himmel wasnt Made the hero by giving him some magic item. He became the hero by the deeds he did despite not being chosen.
I love the writing on how Stark didnt even touch the sword. Its a small but beautiful thing (like everything in this show). In any other story he wouldve try , fail and try to move on then like fern comes and tell its okay etc. But no. Stark has no self esteem right now. And he doesnt even imagine pulling a sword that Himmel The Hero - HİM Himself couldn't. He is not a hero or warrior on his mind he doesnt need to prove it by failing to pull the sword. God I love this show.
Stark doesn't believe that he's "Hero" material, but what did flash through his mind when he looked at the sword was who he felt was worthy, the older brother who gave his life to let Stark escape.
@@ntan315151 When these vids drop on YT, she should be a few episodes ahead already on Patreon, from what she's said. I was worried about spoilers too.
Himmel is the personification of "Fake it till you make it.". I remember back in June a dude helped stop a knife attack on a Taiwan metro and when asked about it he said "Himmel would do the same".
Imagine how many “heroes” ,who could be a lot better and stronger than Himmel, reached the Village of the Sword and then gave up when they failed to pull the sword from the stone. That didn’t stop Himmel. That is what made Himmel different. That is what made Himmel a hero.
Thanks for standing strong and delivering your thoughts while feeling such strong emotions. The beginning of the episode for me was a call back to Himmel in episode 1 - how the party existed in his beautiful memories and how he got to relive them in the journey to see the meteor shower again - here now is Frieren experiencing the same thing. I bawled. I loved your thoughts on heroes and Stark and trauma, Eisen, Frieren, and Fern are great healing mechanisms for him. Regardless of his cowardice or fear, he is a man of the people who helps anyone who needs his aid when he comes across it, which is maybe what a hero really is more than any attributes of bravery. I can't wait for more reactions. Thank you again.
My favorite part of that scene is the moment when they're leaving and Stark looks at the sword, then leaves without even trying to pull it out of the stone. Because Himmel killed the demon king, it's as if the fact that he couldn't draw the sword discredited the sword rather than him.
4:20 No one kept it a secret . Nobody even knows about it , they just ASSUMED that he must have pulled it off since he has the sword ( duplicate) and since he defeated the demon king . People romanticised that notion , not Himmel's friends.
must be such a trauma, his brother is the best warrior, probably also his father, in comparation he is nothing, but he is just a child, then he runs, but only because his brother tell him, he how knows they will lose the fight. Stark thing he should have stayed, even if he was a level 0 warrior with a wooden sword. Its brother show real love.
I really love how this episode did away with the whole "chosen one" trope. Himmell wasn't a hero because it was his destiny; he was a hero because he chose to be.
As someone from a German speaking country (Austria) I just can't get over the sentence "Stolz you are the pride of our village" = "Pride you are the pride of our village" xD but yes, very touching episode.
I think it is the BIGGEST green flag about how earnestly Stark wanted to tell Fern about the clouds. That is proof that this author truly understands writing from the perspective of both genders. Few shows have a female lead as compelling as Frieren/Fern (oh and Maomao iykyk), but the author still has a very strong way of writing men. Men who care would love to share small things like clouds. So cute. The same goes for Stolz. Kneeling in that mud has me tear up on the regular, as an adult dude lol, it's so powerful.
I love the naming conventions in Frieren, Because its German, and they always give you an insight to a character, but with some of them there is more to it Stoltz means Proud, but he wasnt only proud in his achievements he was proud of his brothers too, he should have been called Art
Not only the tone, but the lip quivering too. As if he's saying "yeah" and holding back tears from the realization he just had. Probably one of my favorite episodes of this whole season for sure.
I absolutely love your reaction to 12, and it is completely appropriate to the story. Flexie immediately sees that the way a father looks upon his son and calls him a failure, is how the child is going to think about themselves. We now see why Stark has such self doubt. It's core to his soul. Stoltz knew that this was a battle to death, and that Stark and his little wooden sword could not possibly help in any way. Far better that one member of the family survives to carry on for all the rest, which Stark does. Ancient mythology always declares that a true hero is selected by the gods, or the fates, "It is his Fate to become the hero!". This ancient trope is contrasted to a more modern one of Destiny. One's destiny in life is chosen by the person themselves, and is not bestowed. When you set your destination in life, that is your destiny. And that is what Himmel does! He chooses to be the hero. Great Reaction video!
Yeah, this episode was my favorite that got me the most. I felt very sad for Stark, thinking about the shame he's probably been carrying all this time about his family/village and I hope that him piecing together Eisen's explanation of the meaning behind the birthday steaks with his brother cooking him one will help relieve some of that shame and have more confidence in himself. All that going through his head as he simply responded "yes" to Frieren asking if the food was good had me sobbing. Love the way this show does its flashbacks. First with the short, vague, and cryptic 1-2 second flashbacks and then a full reveal by the end. So good! New to your channel, loving your reactions.
I understand why reactors want stark to try and pull the hero's sword, but I'm glad he doesn't. It defeats the whole purpose of the episode if he does. What is a hero? Someone who keeps his word and saves everyone in front of him and the world, someone who sacrifices himself to save his brother, or maybe somebody fights to save others despite his fear? Divine providence isn't what makes a hero. It's your actions in this world that makes you a hero. Really great episode and fantastic writing.
Stark's father talking about the pride of White clothes, and then when the brother is with Stark on the ground teaching him all his clothes are dirty because he doesn't care about that when he's with his little brother... That melt my heart ❤
i never fail to be surprised by reactors who really thought stark would even THINK of trying to pull the HEROS sword. and thats not a thought i had AFTER watching the whole show. it's pretty clear Stark doesn't really think highly of himself or his abilities as a warrior, he admires the Hero (and his brother is the first thought he had after seeing the heroes sword) So Stark walking away without a single thought of "what if I" is absolutely on character, cuz he doesn't have any crazy dreams and aspirations of being a hero or saving the world and whatever, he just wanted to go on an adventure gather a lot of cool stories and come back and share them with his master. That's it.
The best thing for me in this chapter is that everybody says he run from his village, he is a coward, but then you see him standing (yes, being afraid) but holding up his wooden sword, before his brother tells him to run. Love it.
The music in this show is so good I don't even have words for it. It's like Evan Call has a key to emotional reactions and knows exactly when and how to turn it. The soundtrack elevates every scene.
I love that this episode recontextualizes Stark. He's not a coward. He runs because he is loved by someone and they said he needs to live. And then it makes the times he *doesn't* run that much more important because it shows he's trying to protect people and putting them before his own brother's wishes and love.
The fact that Himmel was unable to draw the sword but still became a hero speaks for itself. The sword symbolizes that there can only be one hero. Even if Himmel was not this one hero, he proves that there is not just one hero. That anyone can become a hero if they believe in themselves and work at it. I love the message because it simply says that you don't have to be extraordinary to do extraordinary things.
Its really neat how the old party's power is just hinted and implied so far, like the detail of Aura not acting up until after Himmel died Since the first 4 episodes were prologue and aired together, the real half point is around 17. Also season 2 confirmed hype.
I can see your soft hearted person, i watched this ep like almost 100 times and everytime i watch it, i sobbed. Maybe starks childhood life was just like mine. Blamed for the passing of my youger brother when i was 10 or 11 yrs old. Well, until this time, i still blamed myself though...
I love your end of video discussions. I can feel your love for Frieren and the way you break down the content of the episodes is expressive and easy to listen to.
Himmel: "who cares if I'm not the real hero?" Meanwhile, in Taiwan: a random guy started staving people for some reason, and was stopped by a civilian. When the reporters asked him why he did it, risking his life (probably expecting something like "he attacked my gf or friends", or something like that), he replied "that's what Himmel the Hero would've done", and walked away from the cameras...
Every one has a show that hits different and remains with you. I think is safe to say now that Frieren is that show to you. This love is what makes your reaction so priceless
Himmel is so real that he slayed the Demon King with a fake sword (replica). He turned the real Hero Sword into a fake one - a display artefact that will never be used
this is my favorite episode. i love the fact that himmel isnt the chosen one. he failed to pull hero sword out of stone and this was clearly a big blow to him but he still managed to pull himself together in seconds and he defeated the demon king. also his motivation being to prove heiter wrong is hilarious. so himmel defeated demon king with his fake sword and buried with his shiny/good looking hero sword while the real hero sword is now rotting in that cave.
Yes, the story of Stark and Stoltz has been told before, but the way Frieren is written and structured , how heartfelt the characters are and how they TELL that story is what makes it really , really special, It's incredible to realize that Stoltz as a character was like what? 2 minutes of screentime? but by the time he was in the final frame, I was bawling for him, and hoping against all hope, that he would be alive, that's why when Stark looked at the sword, and knowing that Himmel was unable to pull it out... the next person he thought was worthy... was his brother. Top Tier writing.
This anime has a wonderful charm and beauty about it. I noticed immediately that you also have a charm and beauty that is so heart felt that you could easily be a character in this anime. Watching you makes me feel like you are really a part of the whole story.
This is one of my favorite episodes of the 1st season!!! Always makes me cry!... I think it hits harder because we can relate to it. Pretty sure at some point we have all felt unappreciated, and later on in life when we are wiser, we find out what other people have done for us and how much they have given us without us knowing.
Ohh, I love that you thought about Heiter's mana comments. Remember, Aura said "Frieren can't have more than a 100 years of training or so" and "It barely changed since the last time I saw her". Meanwhile Heiter said "She has about 1/5 of my mana" when he met her first, which would mean he is a beast as well!
You're the first reactor I've seen in around two dozen who saw the parallel between Himmel and Stark in overcoming Imposter Syndrome. I love your analysis, and I'm going to have to go back to episode 1 to see what you thought of the first half of the series!
Starke's trauma of losing his family, esp his brother, was so great that his way of coping up was to skewer his memory and recollection into self blame and loathing, and i love how Frieren and Fern helped him get his memory back.
Himmel was not chosen for greatness, he carved his own path through the world by his own strenght, Will and Charisma despite that. That is truly Heroic!
Heiter's mana is comparable to Aura's who has lived for 500 years. I think the consensus is Frieren suppresses her output to one-tenth, while Heiter saw it as one-fifth of his. So he's got about half as much as Frieren does after training for 1000 years. Basically showing how much of an insane outlier he is from normal.
My head cannon on why Fern suppress her mana is because that’s how Heiter taught her about controlling mana. Because the best mage he knew was Frieren, and Frieren was always suppressing her mana.
"The fake is of far greater value. In its deliberate attempt to be real, it’s more real than the real thing." The sword is a test. The challenge lies in whether they'll be discouraged from fighting when they fail or if they will continue on to prove themselves; The desire to become a hero, despite failiing to pull out the sword, makes the Himmel more authentic than the sword itself.
They were THE Party of Hero's. I think its safe to say that they were all as legendary at their class as Frieren is as a mage, which is INSANE to think about.
The steak that Stark has gotten to eat has so much more meaning after this birthday. Because he knows now that the most important people in his life, his brother Stoltz, his father figure/master Eisen believed him to be a proper and hard working warrior from the very beginning. So his quietness while eating that first bite is just him reflecting on these new realizations and gaining a whole new appreciation for the gifts he has been given. They all believe he's a warrior and a hero.
The thing I like about this episode is it shows that you don't have to be chosen to save the world, to carve a name in history, and Himmel did it without even care of what people say about him being a fake hero. His determination and willing to bring peace to the world is the only weapon he need to defeat the demon king.
I think the thematic implication of Stark looking at the sword was that what is typically seen as heroic qualities isn't what really matters. Himmel failed to pull the sword, but is still the hero by going against fate and succeeding in the end. In the same vein, Stark was reminded by his brother, because to him, what made his brother a hero wasn't that he was a strong fighter (although he is, the best in the village even) but because he has shown kindness to him unlike their father.
Start immediately thought of his older brother when he saw the hero’s sword still embedded on the stone. It’s because he thinks his brother is a hero, his hero. It’s little details like this that make this show so meaningful.
When watching the show I couldn't help remembering that Fern was the one who immediately used the see-through-clothes spell on Stark, who she'd just met, every time she calls him a perv. Stones, glass houses, all that.
It's amazing how well this show uses humor to balance out it's more emotional moments. In a lesser show, the joke this episode ended with would have completely stepped on the moment. I've seen a few reactors to this anime because I'm always interested in seeing how others react, and it's there are so many moments where i see reactors go from teary eyed or full on crying in one moment to being able to laugh in the next. And those moments of laughter and levity allow the viewer a moment to catch their breath while processing in my opinion. Exceptionally great writing to pull off such a feat.
There's a common pattern with the heroes in Frieren. Frieren as we saw in the 10th chapter, is the only survivor of a demon attack, Fern is a war orphan, Stark lost his family because of a demon attack, Eisen prayed for his family who died beacuse of demon attacks, and in this chapter we know Heiter was a brat in an orphanage. I don't know about Himmel's family, but all the other main characters in Frieren lost their families because of violence.
That's the thing about "Frieren." The one thing that makes this show so great. You literally can't watch a single episode in this series without getting at least a little "misty," because every single episode smacks you upside the "feels," with a vicious backhand! lol
Cry and be free! The smirk face that Frieren makes with the potion is an easter egg to the voice actress's other role of Anya in Spy X Family. Great episode and wonderful reaction. Thanks!
The ring also appeared in episode 1 after Himmel’s funeral, before Frieren said bye to Heiter and Eisen, but it’s easy to forget that Another call back is the fact that Frieren bought that potion in episode 3, and Fern did indeed tell her to return it lol
This has to be one of my favorite episodes so far. The backstory with Stark, his family, and The Hero's Sword was incredible and left me in a puddle on the floor... 😭 This show has the ability to make me cry with one masterfully placed visual and my heart can't take it. It's exploding. With the MUSIC!
I absolutely love this treasure of a show!! 🌺💞🥲 I hope you enjoy my discussion before and after the episode x
I wanna say you should react on heavenly delusion ...but may be it's awkward show to react 😅 but also great and excitingand make you thinking for a lot of mysteriously events of the show
The moment that Stark realizes that he's never truly been alone and unloved as he feared always gets me 😭
Just so you know, season two of Frieren was announced a couple of days ago. It probably comes out next year. 😃🤩One of the best shows I have seen, and I'm not a big fan of anime usual. 😉😊
just wait a little bit more 😭😭
@@FlexiejayAnime your discussions before and after the episodes are greatly appreciated. 😊
Himmel was not the chosen hero. He chose to be a hero!
HE BECAME THE HERO WE NEEDED, NOT THE ONE WE DESERVED!
preach my folks!
Infinite yes
It’s so beautiful that Fern never heard the story of the sword from Heiter, because Heiter never considered that aspect important to Himmel’s heroism. 😭❤️
I think its because Himmel failed to draw it, so ofcourse there is no reason to tell Fern about it.
not my dumbass read that as herogasm lol
@@dreamon5409 🤣🫶
@dreamon5409 freaky ahh 😂
True, but I think it's also to preserve his good name and avoid people gossiping about him as a fake hero, as he was sure he was true hero. Kind of like how Aragorn never told anybody that Boromir tried to forcefully take the Ring from Frodo in a moment of weakness. He knew he was a good man that would be slandered if people heard about that.
Now we have the complete party of people who defeated the demon king-
Corrupt Priest
Coward Warrior
Disgraceful Mage
and a Fake Hero
One more thing that unifies them: They're all orphans. Himmel & Heiter met as kids at an orphanage. Eisen lost his family to demons. So did Frieren. And Stark. Fern's family died in a war. A group of lonely kids, finding their way to a new family.
I wouldn't call Eisen a "coward".
A coward is someone who failed to act when fear takes over their body. So maybe "cowardly warrior" is a more apt of a description. (Cowardly has a slightly different nuance)
Bravery is not the absence of fear, but the ability to act in spite of it.
Immoral Thief
Pervert Knight
Idiot Priest
Insane Mage
@@yungzheit’s not that Eisen is an actual coward, it’s how he views himself. He fled his village when it got attacked. He says himself he’s a coward because he ran.
@@kvvtts
Yeah, that's my point?
that dream scene is so beautiful, gives me chills and makes me tear up every time
The sword doesn't make the hero. The hero makes the hero. I love that lesson.
This episode has some fantastic storytelling. In that it hits the sad beats and matches them with some great humor, almost immediately afterwards.
Some things are common story tropes, but this whole show, at the same time, just feels...different.
While all this is true, the prophesy does seem to imply that there is some bad calamity or something they has yet to happen that has nothing to do with the Demon King. I'm anime only so that just a theory
@@tulk3747 Or it could be that the great calamity has already passed and the sword is left there as a test for future heroes.
The story is similar to Tolkien's mythos. In Tolkien's mythos and all ancient mythologies the world regresses and declines, meaning the future is less brilliant than the past. One such example is the five races of humans according to Hesiod, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Heroes and Iron always with the next stage being lesser than the previous. So, a world ending calamity of the mythical era is far more powerful than anything we might face today. In Tolkien, Morgoth was an actual God level enemy that the Elves faced and defeated after much hardship and tragedies and only after the Valar came to their aid. No mortal race, not even the Elves, had the strength to defeat that foe alone. Divine intervention was necessary to even the odds. Sauron in the Lord of the Rings, while seemingly unsurmountable, was nothing compared to Morgoth.
The same seems to be implied here. There was a Morgoth level enemy in the mythical Era and the Goddess decided to help the heroes of that age by providing them with a weapon capable of harming that foe. The Hero of that Age defeated the enemy and returned the sword on the stone, where it remains since then. And it hasn't been drawn since then because no threat of the modern world is anywhere near the level of the threat of that ancient enemy and the strength of the weapon is not needed to defeat any modern day enemy. It is now more of a test for the modern heroes, if you need to rely on a weapon to face your enemies, then you never had the determination to face your foes and you never had the heart of a hero.
There is actual evidence to support the above theory which will appear in the anime later on, but, I won't go into detail here because of spoilers.
And of course, all this is still a theory since even in the source material this hasn't been confirmed.
@@kpetalis I prefer this theory because its got a lot more to add to the story. Having it be a long forgotten history that people now misrepresent(A common and reoccurring theme in Frieren mind you), makes both Himmel and the Sword more interesting.
Himmel for not being chosen, but choosing to be a Hero anyways.
And the sword has a mysterious past, rather than yet another prophesized future. A trope so overdone, its long since become a cliche.
The "Everyone who works hard is a warrior" line always gets me
Same.. that really hit
Personally my favorite episode. This episode was a roller coaster of emotions. I’m laughing, then crying, then laughing and crying all over again. Stark is a true hero despite what he believes
ok, but one of the upcoming episodes is Stark pretending to be a dead noble. and personally, id say that ones is better.
the best heroes are the ones that doesn't believe to be heroes, but act like one.
Stark: I've never been given a gift before.
Then finds out that his master made him Hamburg steaks as a gift between warriors. Then remembers his brother would make him Hamburg steaks on his birthday.
He got a lot of gifts from the people he cared most about and never even realized. T_T
☠️😖
You know a series and story-writing is MASTERFUL when there is little to no dialogue, and just visuals with expression changes accompanied with very subtle music playing and it makes you cry. Freiren is a masterclass of story-writing.
the best is that is a Zen story, doesn't matter the end of the journey or the goal of it, but the travel and what you learn, quite difficult to accomplish and they nail it as I have not seen before. Best part? there is still lot of material to make more anime.
Season 2 is in production! hopefully Madhouse takes their time and makes it as magical as Season 1. theres some excellent content in the Manga for another 28 episode sesaon
The director is very important. If its Saito again I will be more calm about S2. Right now I am worried if S2 will reach the same levels of story telling.
@@bobislav85 but Saito returns, what made you doubt that?
@@jonathanperes What? REALLY?
@@jonathanperescuz he Work on bochi the rock too
@@bobislav85 Idk why saito is so smart person hahahaha. He give his heart to make a beautiful anime❤
Saw this comment on another channel
A "Fake" Hero
A "Corrupt" Preast
A "Cowardly" Warrior
And a "Disgraceful" Mage
This is the party that brought peace to the world, without destiny being on their side.
This series has masterful writing
This episode is the perfect example for frieren. Himmel wasnt Made the hero by giving him some magic item. He became the hero by the deeds he did despite not being chosen.
A self made hero
@@pierluigidipietro8097 A real hero
I love the writing on how Stark didnt even touch the sword. Its a small but beautiful thing (like everything in this show). In any other story he wouldve try , fail and try to move on then like fern comes and tell its okay etc. But no. Stark has no self esteem right now. And he doesnt even imagine pulling a sword that Himmel The Hero - HİM Himself couldn't. He is not a hero or warrior on his mind he doesnt need to prove it by failing to pull the sword. God I love this show.
Yeah, I bet it didn't even occur to him at this point
Stark doesn't believe that he's "Hero" material, but what did flash through his mind when he looked at the sword was who he felt was worthy, the older brother who gave his life to let Stark escape.
@@dhamon45 Yeah. He believe his brother couldve pulled the sword.
6:29 "Stop dreaming it hurts!" THIS! Stop hurting me!
Now I really can't wait for your reaction to episode 14.
In my opinion the emotional highpoint of the Season, along with episode 16
and after ep 14 she need to rewatch ep1 tho 😊
its gonna be so good
Let things happen naturally bro. Don't give her any hints that will make her expect and ruin her experience.
@@ntan315151 When these vids drop on YT, she should be a few episodes ahead already on Patreon, from what she's said. I was worried about spoilers too.
12:40 smirk like Anya 😏
Potion to dissolve clothes was already mentioned in episode during Fern's birthday (when Fern following Frieren)
Not surprising, Anya and Freiren have the same VA: Atsumi Tanezaki.
Flexie makes the day better with her frieren uploads.
Himmel is the personification of "Fake it till you make it.". I remember back in June a dude helped stop a knife attack on a Taiwan metro and when asked about it he said "Himmel would do the same".
Imagine how many “heroes” ,who could be a lot better and stronger than Himmel, reached the Village of the Sword and then gave up when they failed to pull the sword from the stone. That didn’t stop Himmel. That is what made Himmel different. That is what made Himmel a hero.
Thanks for standing strong and delivering your thoughts while feeling such strong emotions. The beginning of the episode for me was a call back to Himmel in episode 1 - how the party existed in his beautiful memories and how he got to relive them in the journey to see the meteor shower again - here now is Frieren experiencing the same thing. I bawled. I loved your thoughts on heroes and Stark and trauma, Eisen, Frieren, and Fern are great healing mechanisms for him. Regardless of his cowardice or fear, he is a man of the people who helps anyone who needs his aid when he comes across it, which is maybe what a hero really is more than any attributes of bravery. I can't wait for more reactions. Thank you again.
My favorite part of that scene is the moment when they're leaving and Stark looks at the sword, then leaves without even trying to pull it out of the stone. Because Himmel killed the demon king, it's as if the fact that he couldn't draw the sword discredited the sword rather than him.
🔥🔥🔥
I just love how Stoltz kneeled and get more mud in his cape just to give stark a headpat
Starks brother proving Himmel isn't the only one that can reach out of a flashback and grab you by the feels
Between Stark and Fern, we all know who's the real perv, lol.
Fern's projection is real 😂
4:20 No one kept it a secret . Nobody even knows about it , they just ASSUMED that he must have pulled it off since he has the sword ( duplicate) and since he defeated the demon king . People romanticised that notion , not Himmel's friends.
It's funny, Himmel was even buried with the replica sword in Episode 1.
@@DarwinAwardWinner Can you really call it a replica? I'd argue a the true heroes sword is the one weilds, not the one rusting in a cave.
Stark did not try to pull out the hero sword because he sees himself as a coward (as suggested from that mysterious flashback).
When hearing about the sword and thinking of a hero, his first thought is his brother. 😢
must be such a trauma, his brother is the best warrior, probably also his father, in comparation he is nothing, but he is just a child, then he runs, but only because his brother tell him, he how knows they will lose the fight. Stark thing he should have stayed, even if he was a level 0 warrior with a wooden sword. Its brother show real love.
Stark looking at the sword and thinking of his brother is an anime only scene. He never does that in the manga.
I really love how this episode did away with the whole "chosen one" trope. Himmell wasn't a hero because it was his destiny; he was a hero because he chose to be.
Baby Stark was there, weapon in hand, facing down a monster; trembling in fear yes, but he was still there. Just like ep 5 Stark did.
As someone from a German speaking country (Austria) I just can't get over the sentence "Stolz you are the pride of our village" = "Pride you are the pride of our village" xD but yes, very touching episode.
I think it is the BIGGEST green flag about how earnestly Stark wanted to tell Fern about the clouds. That is proof that this author truly understands writing from the perspective of both genders. Few shows have a female lead as compelling as Frieren/Fern (oh and Maomao iykyk), but the author still has a very strong way of writing men.
Men who care would love to share small things like clouds. So cute.
The same goes for Stolz. Kneeling in that mud has me tear up on the regular, as an adult dude lol, it's so powerful.
The village chief girl is, indeed, incredibly adorable.
I love the naming conventions in Frieren, Because its German, and they always give you an insight to a character, but with some of them there is more to it Stoltz means Proud, but he wasnt only proud in his achievements he was proud of his brothers too, he should have been called Art
Art? why? thats so random
Stark took a bite of the hamburger meat, then responded to Frieren with a faintly choked tone. The level of detail in this animation is amazing.
Not only the tone, but the lip quivering too. As if he's saying "yeah" and holding back tears from the realization he just had. Probably one of my favorite episodes of this whole season for sure.
Stark must be one of my favorite characters recently 🪓
Stoltz is probably my second favorite character in this series behind Himmel and the dude is on screen for like 30 seconds lol. Exceptionally written
I absolutely love your reaction to 12, and it is completely appropriate to the story. Flexie immediately sees that the way a father looks upon his son and calls him a failure, is how the child is going to think about themselves. We now see why Stark has such self doubt. It's core to his soul. Stoltz knew that this was a battle to death, and that Stark and his little wooden sword could not possibly help in any way. Far better that one member of the family survives to carry on for all the rest, which Stark does. Ancient mythology always declares that a true hero is selected by the gods, or the fates, "It is his Fate to become the hero!". This ancient trope is contrasted to a more modern one of Destiny. One's destiny in life is chosen by the person themselves, and is not bestowed. When you set your destination in life, that is your destiny. And that is what Himmel does! He chooses to be the hero. Great Reaction video!
Yeah, this episode was my favorite that got me the most. I felt very sad for Stark, thinking about the shame he's probably been carrying all this time about his family/village and I hope that him piecing together Eisen's explanation of the meaning behind the birthday steaks with his brother cooking him one will help relieve some of that shame and have more confidence in himself. All that going through his head as he simply responded "yes" to Frieren asking if the food was good had me sobbing.
Love the way this show does its flashbacks. First with the short, vague, and cryptic 1-2 second flashbacks and then a full reveal by the end. So good!
New to your channel, loving your reactions.
I understand why reactors want stark to try and pull the hero's sword, but I'm glad he doesn't. It defeats the whole purpose of the episode if he does. What is a hero? Someone who keeps his word and saves everyone in front of him and the world, someone who sacrifices himself to save his brother, or maybe somebody fights to save others despite his fear? Divine providence isn't what makes a hero. It's your actions in this world that makes you a hero. Really great episode and fantastic writing.
Stark's father talking about the pride of White clothes, and then when the brother is with Stark on the ground teaching him all his clothes are dirty because he doesn't care about that when he's with his little brother... That melt my heart ❤
I’ve cried watching almost every one of your Frieren reactions. I love this show so much and it’s great to see someone else love it too!
i never fail to be surprised by reactors who really thought stark would even THINK of trying to pull the HEROS sword.
and thats not a thought i had AFTER watching the whole show.
it's pretty clear Stark doesn't really think highly of himself or his abilities as a warrior, he admires the Hero (and his brother is the first thought he had after seeing the heroes sword)
So Stark walking away without a single thought of "what if I" is absolutely on character, cuz he doesn't have any crazy dreams and aspirations of being a hero or saving the world and whatever, he just wanted to go on an adventure gather a lot of cool stories and come back and share them with his master. That's it.
The best thing for me in this chapter is that everybody says he run from his village, he is a coward, but then you see him standing (yes, being afraid) but holding up his wooden sword, before his brother tells him to run. Love it.
Fern be throwing the word pervert around a lot for someone who immediately looked through Stark’s briefs with the clothing spell
The story of how people choose to remember things vs what really happened. We saw that with both Stark & Himmel.
The music in this show is so good I don't even have words for it. It's like Evan Call has a key to emotional reactions and knows exactly when and how to turn it. The soundtrack elevates every scene.
I love that this episode recontextualizes Stark. He's not a coward. He runs because he is loved by someone and they said he needs to live. And then it makes the times he *doesn't* run that much more important because it shows he's trying to protect people and putting them before his own brother's wishes and love.
The fact that Himmel was unable to draw the sword but still became a hero speaks for itself. The sword symbolizes that there can only be one hero. Even if Himmel was not this one hero, he proves that there is not just one hero. That anyone can become a hero if they believe in themselves and work at it.
I love the message because it simply says that you don't have to be extraordinary to do extraordinary things.
Its really neat how the old party's power is just hinted and implied so far, like the detail of Aura not acting up until after Himmel died
Since the first 4 episodes were prologue and aired together, the real half point is around 17. Also season 2 confirmed hype.
I can see your soft hearted person, i watched this ep like almost 100 times and everytime i watch it, i sobbed. Maybe starks childhood life was just like mine. Blamed for the passing of my youger brother when i was 10 or 11 yrs old. Well, until this time, i still blamed myself though...
I love your end of video discussions. I can feel your love for Frieren and the way you break down the content of the episodes is expressive and easy to listen to.
I've been meaning to say this. I love that your intro art for Frieren is literally my mousepad design!
Himmel: "who cares if I'm not the real hero?"
Meanwhile, in Taiwan: a random guy started staving people for some reason, and was stopped by a civilian. When the reporters asked him why he did it, risking his life (probably expecting something like "he attacked my gf or friends", or something like that), he replied "that's what Himmel the Hero would've done", and walked away from the cameras...
Fern attaining full tsundere status now. Stark? Bridal carry another woman? No, Fern will not let that happen.
Every one has a show that hits different and remains with you. I think is safe to say now that Frieren is that show to you. This love is what makes your reaction so priceless
Himmel is so real that he slayed the Demon King with a fake sword (replica). He turned the real Hero Sword into a fake one - a display artefact that will never be used
this is my favorite episode. i love the fact that himmel isnt the chosen one. he failed to pull hero sword out of stone and this was clearly a big blow to him but he still managed to pull himself together in seconds and he defeated the demon king. also his motivation being to prove heiter wrong is hilarious. so himmel defeated demon king with his fake sword and buried with his shiny/good looking hero sword while the real hero sword is now rotting in that cave.
I love literally everything about Starks character. He is the best interpretation of a real hero I’ve seen in a long time
The middle of the season is just filled with emotional gut punches
Yes, the story of Stark and Stoltz has been told before, but the way Frieren is written and structured , how heartfelt the characters are and how they TELL that story is what makes it really , really special, It's incredible to realize that Stoltz as a character was like what? 2 minutes of screentime? but by the time he was in the final frame, I was bawling for him, and hoping against all hope, that he would be alive, that's why when Stark looked at the sword, and knowing that Himmel was unable to pull it out... the next person he thought was worthy... was his brother.
Top Tier writing.
This anime has a wonderful charm and beauty about it. I noticed immediately that you also have a charm and beauty that is so heart felt that you could easily be a character in this anime. Watching you makes me feel like you are really a part of the whole story.
This is one of my favorite episodes of the 1st season!!! Always makes me cry!... I think it hits harder because we can relate to it. Pretty sure at some point we have all felt unappreciated, and later on in life when we are wiser, we find out what other people have done for us and how much they have given us without us knowing.
Ohh, I love that you thought about Heiter's mana comments. Remember, Aura said "Frieren can't have more than a 100 years of training or so" and "It barely changed since the last time I saw her". Meanwhile Heiter said "She has about 1/5 of my mana" when he met her first, which would mean he is a beast as well!
If I were Himmel, I would get frustrated and give up.
Himmel is such a cool guy.
Turns out Stark wasn't even a coward. He was ready to fight with his lil wooden sword. He only ran away because his brother told him to 😭
You're the first reactor I've seen in around two dozen who saw the parallel between Himmel and Stark in overcoming Imposter Syndrome. I love your analysis, and I'm going to have to go back to episode 1 to see what you thought of the first half of the series!
Starke's trauma of losing his family, esp his brother, was so great that his way of coping up was to skewer his memory and recollection into self blame and loathing, and i love how Frieren and Fern helped him get his memory back.
Himmel was not chosen for greatness, he carved his own path through the world by his own strenght, Will and Charisma despite that. That is truly Heroic!
Finally ❤️ waiting for episode 14
The dream scene of everyone marching on leaving Frieren hurts so much 😭
The tune during Frieren's dream when Himmel turns around, and then the same tune when Stark is eating his steak, hoooo god my heart.
Fern is def projecting, but Flex is too pure for not noticing Stark's hands
The thoughts of Stark the Dragonslayer who suffers from low self-worth: "I bet my brother would have been able to pull that sword.."
Heiter's mana is comparable to Aura's who has lived for 500 years. I think the consensus is Frieren suppresses her output to one-tenth, while Heiter saw it as one-fifth of his. So he's got about half as much as Frieren does after training for 1000 years. Basically showing how much of an insane outlier he is from normal.
My head cannon on why Fern suppress her mana is because that’s how Heiter taught her about controlling mana. Because the best mage he knew was Frieren, and Frieren was always suppressing her mana.
This is one of the episodes that almost always makes me cry, no matter how many times I see it.
"The fake is of far greater value. In its deliberate attempt to be real, it’s more real than the real thing."
The sword is a test. The challenge lies in whether they'll be discouraged from fighting when they fail or if they will continue on to prove themselves;
The desire to become a hero, despite failiing to pull out the sword, makes the Himmel more authentic than the sword itself.
They were THE Party of Hero's. I think its safe to say that they were all as legendary at their class as Frieren is as a mage, which is INSANE to think about.
I knew what was coming and still cried Flexie, this anime is freaking wholesome and beautiful.🥲
The steak that Stark has gotten to eat has so much more meaning after this birthday. Because he knows now that the most important people in his life, his brother Stoltz, his father figure/master Eisen believed him to be a proper and hard working warrior from the very beginning. So his quietness while eating that first bite is just him reflecting on these new realizations and gaining a whole new appreciation for the gifts he has been given. They all believe he's a warrior and a hero.
The thing I like about this episode is it shows that you don't have to be chosen to save the world, to carve a name in history, and Himmel did it without even care of what people say about him being a fake hero. His determination and willing to bring peace to the world is the only weapon he need to defeat the demon king.
Fern dont think all men are pervs, she call stark perv, because she is proyecting. Fern is probably the biggest perv in the show.
I wonder who she learned that from? Frieren? Heiter?
@@unknown_318 probably herself and her solitary life, living with a priest and no other person of her age.
Its always the quiet ones. 😮
Fern is thinking THOUGHTS about Stark
I think the thematic implication of Stark looking at the sword was that what is typically seen as heroic qualities isn't what really matters. Himmel failed to pull the sword, but is still the hero by going against fate and succeeding in the end. In the same vein, Stark was reminded by his brother, because to him, what made his brother a hero wasn't that he was a strong fighter (although he is, the best in the village even) but because he has shown kindness to him unlike their father.
Start immediately thought of his older brother when he saw the hero’s sword still embedded on the stone. It’s because he thinks his brother is a hero, his hero. It’s little details like this that make this show so meaningful.
Fun fact: 12:41 that smirk was added in anime only by the producers as a homage to Anya of Spyxfamily as she is the VA for both Anya and Frieren.
It's unbelieveable I am crying again for this episode.
When watching the show I couldn't help remembering that Fern was the one who immediately used the see-through-clothes spell on Stark, who she'd just met, every time she calls him a perv. Stones, glass houses, all that.
Absolutely love this show. Deals with so many adult themes and lessons to learn. I love it pure and simple
An anime that can make you cry, laugh, feel all kinds of emotions, is a good anime.
It's amazing how well this show uses humor to balance out it's more emotional moments.
In a lesser show, the joke this episode ended with would have completely stepped on the moment. I've seen a few reactors to this anime because I'm always interested in seeing how others react, and it's there are so many moments where i see reactors go from teary eyed or full on crying in one moment to being able to laugh in the next. And those moments of laughter and levity allow the viewer a moment to catch their breath while processing in my opinion. Exceptionally great writing to pull off such a feat.
There's a common pattern with the heroes in Frieren. Frieren as we saw in the 10th chapter, is the only survivor of a demon attack, Fern is a war orphan, Stark lost his family because of a demon attack, Eisen prayed for his family who died beacuse of demon attacks, and in this chapter we know Heiter was a brat in an orphanage. I don't know about Himmel's family, but all the other main characters in Frieren lost their families because of violence.
As a dude that lost a kind brother early on my childhood, this made me cried like a baby
That's the thing about "Frieren." The one thing that makes this show so great.
You literally can't watch a single episode in this series without getting at least a little "misty," because every single episode smacks you upside the "feels," with a vicious backhand! lol
Cry and be free! The smirk face that Frieren makes with the potion is an easter egg to the voice actress's other role of Anya in Spy X Family. Great episode and wonderful reaction. Thanks!
Your analysis/ thoughts add a lot of value to your reactions. Thank you for sharing them with us 😊
Its not the sword that made the hero but the hero that made the sword.
And man... that second half of the episode 🥲
Stark's brother Stoltz is voiced by the same VA that does Loid Forger, Takuya Eguchi.
Thankfully Season 2 has officially been announced!
You are coming up to my favorite episode, number 14!
The ring also appeared in episode 1 after Himmel’s funeral, before Frieren said bye to Heiter and Eisen, but it’s easy to forget that
Another call back is the fact that Frieren bought that potion in episode 3, and Fern did indeed tell her to return it lol
The Ancient Magus Bride has a similar but different vibe