Rating: A-
So even a series as grand and respected as this one ultimately has to break down and have a hot springs episode. But that just means it’s going to be done Frieren-style.
Once again, the episode is divided into two distinct parts, this time connected by a common theme: experiencing the hot springs prevalent in this volcanically-active part of the northern plains. The first part involves searching for a hidden hot spring way up in the mountains after their originally-intended destination turns out to have dried up. Surprisingly, Stark is the one who pushes for the side jaunt this time, based on something that it turns out he heard from Eisen about it when he was a kid. This does give the series opportunity to show its staple scenes of the trio traipsing over treacherous terrain and the episode’s requisite dose of action in a relatively brief battle against a three-headed, four-legged lizard with hydra-like characteristics (i.e., its heads can regenerate, so all three have to be destroyed or lopped off at once). That’s not a particularly difficult challenge for this group – with Stark being chased around front-lining and Frieren and Fern striking from the sky – but that isn’t really the point; how put-upon Stark is by his companions has become as much of a running joke as the small fish he catches (on display this episode) or Frieren’s sloppy sleeping habits (also on display this episode). And for the second time this season he also winds up on the bottom of a pile of the trio later on in this segment.
But the action scene is more just ticking off a few boxes than the point of this segment. The “hidden hot spring” does turn out to be little more than a foot bath, but that never was the point here, either. Frieren’s original quartet also visited here and experienced the view together while soaking their feet, and now she’s getting to do it with her new party, too. Eisen’s comments about this in Stark’s flashback are particularly telling here. Aside from frolicking in the flowers back in season 1 episode 2, Eisen has mostly been portrayed as a pretty grumpy character, the one most apt to question things in the original party and at least as apt as Frieren to complain. He had complaints here, too, but in one of the episode’s most deeply sincere moments he also acknowledges that, despite the bother of getting to that hot spring, he wouldn’t trade the memory of it for anything. That fits in quite snugly with the franchise’s overall theme about the value and importance of memories.
The second segment – where the trio is in a fortress city so Frieren can luxuriate in its hot springs – is the more decidedly light-hearted part, though it has its serious moments, too. This centers on a development that has been a long time coming: to throw Fern off from one of her pouting fits (this time about having nothing to do while waiting on Frieren), Stark jokingly invites her out on a date. Fern’s had to put up with a lot because of being around Frieren for so long, but I daresay nothing has stunned her as much as this offer by Stark:
The ceiling-level camera angle used to play out her mumbled acceptance as she left the room is an inspired choice here, helping to emphasis the irregularity of this scenario. Hard to say if Fern is more stunned by the offer or Stark is more left adrift by the fact that she took it seriously and accepted. Frieren’s expression as she’s licking on the popsicle as she walks in on this from a hot spring visit is also classic.
The scenes following it, with Frieren talk first to Stark and then to Fern about it, are also great. Frieren’s not completely blind to the fact that she’s one of the last people anyone should ask about relationship advice; after all, this is a woman who prides herself with a smile on having once thrown a three-day-long tantrum while with Himmel’s party and doesn’t seem to realize how hypocritical she’s being by accusing anyone else of lacking tact and sensitivity. But even in these lighter moments, the series’ trademark sentiment comes through. What Frieren knows about Fern and about dating isn’t something she’s developed through her own observations; they’re things she has been taught by others (i.e., Heiter and Flamme). She just remembers them. But as Stark points out, there’s meaning in the fact that she does still remember these things spoken by people now long past.
Somewhat surprisingly, the episode ends without resolving the date, so apparently some important encounter must happen while they’re on the date. (The Next Episode preview strongly suggests this, too.) So we’ll have to wait until next week to see how that plays out. Still, this whole episode is very much an exercise in the series doing what it arguably does best, so I have no complaints.
USA Anime 