Rating: B+
Last episode, Frieren’s team, Genau, and Methode figured out that they were dealing with a demon who used four swords. This episode, that demon and his three subordinates get their formal introductions and we get our first sustained tastes of action in a while. We also, of course, get lots of head-patting.
If there were any doubts about why Serie passed Methode to first-class mage status, this episode should put them to rest. Granted, she’s shown before that she’s capable in combat, analysis, and general versatility, but that’s not her true strength. She can apparently cow even the greatest elf mages with her passion for hugging and petting the heads of adorable things, and even millennia-old elves still count in her mind. (She’s also sharp enough to perfectly understand how to make Frieren putty in her hands.) In one of the season’s funniest scenes so far, she even has Serie cowering behind Genau over this. Given the connection between what can be conceived and how magic works, the female demon may well learn the hard way that Methode was the worst possible match-up for her.
I thought last episode that the pairing of Genau and Stark worked in a couple of scenes, so Stark staying behind with him is no surprise. They may have different personalities but have more in common than either cares to admit: they both have lost their home villages to demons, are both capable melee-range combatants, and neither sees himself as being as good a person as they actually are. And, of course, both now have a regular female traveling companion who nags on them on their eating habits. The first stage of their fight against Revolte fully emphasizes that dynamic motion in action scenes that the series is known for, with a particular focus on the lithe movements of Revolte. Frieren has had some really competition this season on action spectacles, but what’s been shown of this fight so far shows that the series can still hold its own. I’m expecting exciting things from this battle next episode.
Fern’s newest match-up is a little more concerning, though not because Fern’s in particular danger; Frieren absolutely would not be giving Fern that confident “you go girl!” smile if she thought there was any doubt Fern could lose. No, the concern is more about this becoming a mere repetition of Fern’s epic one-on-one against Lugner. This may be a needless concern, as the series has not lacked for variety in its battles to this point and so can reasonably be expected to come up with something special here, too, but it’s at least a thought.
The one other interesting point here is something Revolte mentions to the young-looking demon: the off-hand reference to another demon who is actually studying humanity in what sounds like a scholarly sense. This has proven a flag to manga fans, who say that’s a reference to the next story arc after this one, But is that a tease for later this season or an eventual season 3? Whichever is the case, next episode should be one of the series’ most action-packed to date.
USA Anime 