Frieren – Anime Playlist

With Frieren appearing on Netflix over the weekend, finally sat down and bought the music from it (and other shows) that I’ve been meaning to buy.  This means it’s time to resume a project I’ve been procrastinating on far too long – my Anime Playlist.

So, hit the jump and let’s talk about Frieren and it’s soundtrack!

Yūsha (勇者, lit. ’Hero’), Yoasobi

(From Wikipedia)

OP 1

First up, though I bought the full length song…  I wanted to post the TV length version because I want to call attention to the part starting at 1:18.  I love how the image of the Party Of Heroes splits from an image of Frieren’s companions in the anime.  Eventually Frieren herself emerges, trailing the Hero’s Party – but leading her own.  The rest of the OP is visually average, but that one short segment says so much.

Ah, I should also call out Serie’s quick appearance.  My wife and I spent the entire first cour speculating who she might be.

Since this is the version I purchased.,I’m including the official music video so you can hear the whole song.  While I recommend listening to it, I can’t recommend watching it.  Visually, it’s a mess, like they took several different ideas and mashed them all together.

Journey of a Lifetime – Frieren Main Theme, Evan Call

I chose Journey of a Lifetime for no other reason than I simply love it.  It’s a beautiful piece of music and what more reason do you need?

I chose this particular video because I love the sequence of the various artists at work creating the soundtrack.

The clip also includes the song Zoltraak.  An interesting piece which I pondered long and hard on, but ultimately decided I didn’t like enough to pay for.

Journey of a Lifetime was also used as the background music for this wonderful Memorial Trailer (slash AMV) released shortly after the final episode aired.  I still watch it now and again for the memories it brings.

Well worth watching.

Waltz for Stark and Fern, Evan Call

Though I didn’t end up buying this song, I did think long and hard about doing so…  If nothing else because the dance sequence was so well done.  I love how uncertain Fern was at the start, but how much she was enjoying herself by the end.  Stark on the other hand seemed terrified through the whole thing.

Anytime Anywhere, Milet

Two different parts of this song are used for the EDs for the first and second cours.

ED 1

Lovely imagery.  Blue Moon Weed, the flower of Himmel’s hometown makes an appearance.  As does something resembling Qual, birds resembling Stille, and a bundle of drying flowers that recall Flamme’s hairstyle.  I love how it slowly shifts towards emphasizing the passing of time and when Frieren herself appears… She’s small and lonely against a distant shifting landscape.

ED 2

The imagery here is… very emotional.  I initially missed it myself, but then saw the bare bones somewhere on the web or social media.  I wish I could remember where so I could give proper credit.

It starts with Frieren standing by a grave (Fern’s?), and then she stretches out and begins to remember and dream.  Lost and alone, she chases Fern’s symbolic butterfly – and then when the butterfly perches on a Blue Moon Weed held out by Frieren…  The butterfly emerges from its cocoon as Fern herself.  The animation ends with Frieren still stretched out dreaming…  But her head is resting in Fern’s lap, and she is comforting Frieren with a gentle, almost motherly, expression on her face.

The official music video is neither particularly bad nor particularly good.  I’m not at all sure what they were going for here…

That’s why, even if I’d be reborn once again
I guess I’ll still choose this place
So if my path ever crosses with yours
Then I’ll choose a present where I won’t
let go of your hand anymore

(Source)

The chorus however lives rent free in my head…

Like the first OP, the ED also features in an official (and emotional in spots) AMV.  Also well worth watching.

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*Whew*  Four songs, nine videos, just shy of seven hundred words…  That’s gotta be some kind of a record for an Anime Playlist post.  But, yeah, Frieren is very much worth it I think.  (And no, I’m totally not avoiding working on the thing due the week after next that I promised myself I’d finish this week.)

That all for me!  What are your favorite songs from the series?