‘Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’ season 2 takes a more lighthearted route

At the beginning of “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End,” Frieren is distant and aloof, as she doesn’t care about anyone, though it comes from a position of being detached from the passage of time.

Fast forward to the present, and she allowed herself to open up to the world little by little.

So, there’s no surprise that season two, which aired its final episode on March 27, is more lighthearted than its predecessor. After all, Frieren learns to live, throwing remarks like she’ll work in the mines for 300 years, and enjoying mundane hobbies like eating popsicles.

“I do feel like with Frieren in particular, you see her come out of her shell a little bit more and experience more emotion,” Mallorie Rodak, the voice behind the character’s English dub, told Inquirer Entertainment in a Zoom interview.

“She’s so excited about going to the hot spring. She’s excited to talk about her tantrum — her epic tantrum — so that to me was just like a classic comedy gold moment for the character.”

The elven mage, being more relaxed, was fun for Rodak to bring to life in the anime. “It’s really, really fun to record all the different Frierens onscreen, you know, crying in their own way. I do think there are a lot of funny comedic elements to season two.”

Season two was not just about Frieren opening up. It shows Fern and Stark coming into their own as well. Each of them experienced the worst of what life has to offer, but it doesn’t mean they’re going to stop living. 

“Younger Fern feels like she owes this debt to Heiter, and that’s part of why she’s so determined to shoot through the boulder on his deathbed,” Jill Harris, the actress behind Fern’s English dub, said. 

“She’s living her life for Heiter, but I feel like, as the series has progressed, she started to live her life more for herself. He wanted her to live, not live the life that she thought he wanted her to live, but to live her life. That has been really powerful watching her realize that,” she continued.

Jordan Dash Cruz, the voice behind Stark’s English dub, said his character’s journey in season two is about taking courage as a sacred warrior. “It’s cool to see him come into his own with that aspect. He went from being this very scared individual who’s dealing with self-esteem — he still kind of struggles with that — but he’s found his place in the party.”

“I think that they’ve started to, or at least we’ve seen them grow more as a team in combat as well. Now we’re in the Northern Plateau, and there are all these monsters, so we can’t take a break for even a second,” he continued.

From a niche audience to a legion of dedicated fans

Survival is one of the enduring themes of “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” throughout its run.

Viewers see it in season one when Frieren decides to live again after Himmel dies. In season two, it’s about Frieren, Fern, and Stark relearning what it’s like to appreciate life’s most mundane things, which is a form of survival as well.

“With Frieren, her concept of survival is survival through the centuries because she’s lived for so long, and she’s had these different eras of her life. It’s really fascinating to see the Elven lifespan in this context. Very few modern fantasy media delve into the concept of a long Elven lifespan and what it would look like to see everyone that you’ve ever known or loved pass away,” Rodak said.  

“It has also been interesting to see other elves be introduced into the story in season two. They’re taking a long Elven lifespan but have a completely different spin on boredom, or wanting to have a little bit of mischief, and in terms of how they’re remembered centuries later,” she further shared.

The anime started with a small circle of niche fans. It has now evolved into a cultural phenomenon, adding to the pressure to capture its magic and allow viewers to feel it. “Watching it blow up adds some pressure. But my goal is to provide a good English adaptation if you have trouble reading the subtitles or you just want to watch it in your own language,” Harris said. 

“To hear people say, ‘No, I wait for the English dub. I like the English dub.’ That’s always so, so, so good to hear because I mean, we’re just trying to honor the Japanese and to do a good adaptation,” she continued. “To hear that our adaptation is so highly regarded and has gotten people into the show and even into anime is just so huge.”

Witnessing fans expressing their love for “Frieren,” with many going out of their way to attend conventions, is an incredible feat for Cruz. What makes success sweeter is meeting people who have “so much love” for the English- and Japanese-dubbed versions. 

“It’s been incredible to see, and I’m just excited to be a part of the journey. I know that Jill, you mentioned doing our best for the English dub and people watching it how they want, but seeing just so much love for both the sub and the dub,” he said.

“It’s been a lot of fun to see. I’m excited to see where the series goes, and I’m hoping that all the fans continue to stay along for the ride with us.”

Meanwhile, Rodak acknowledged that the pressure was definitely on them when the fanbase grew. But coming into the booth with Harris and Cruz — having formed a pact like the trio — makes the journey worthwhile.

“For season two, certainly the pressure was on a bit, but as soon as I got back into the booth with our amazing director, Jade Saxton, and hearing Jordan and Jill in my headphones, it immediately felt like coming home. The party was back together to continue their journey,” she said. 

A chuckle was heard among Rodak, Harris, and Cruz when they were asked what they hoped to see with Frieren, Fern, and Stark at the end of the series.

“I hope Frieren is sleeping, just having a nap, you know, that’s what she wants,” Rodak said with a knowing smile. 

Having embraced his newfound courage, Cruz hopes that his character will improve his fishing skills. “I hope that Stark finally catches, like, a big fish. That’s true. That’d be great.”

For Harris, she wants to see Fern waste her time in a bakery.

“I want Fern to eat as many baked goods as her heart desires. She deserves it,” she said while smiling.

The third season of “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” is confirmed to premiere in October 2027.