I'm watching Frieren on Crunchyroll and I don't really get why everyone talks about it so much. It doesn't seem like anything special compared to other fantasy anime I've watched, maybe I'm missing something?
When I first saw it I thought the same thing, then I realized it works exactly like cooking well - it's not about crazy ingredients or impossible techniques, but knowing how to balance them and give them the right time. Frieren has this narrative rhythm that captures you gradually, not with over-the-top scenes but with moments that stick with you, and the characters develop in a way that makes you feel they're real, not constructed to get an audience. I think people talk about it so much because it's rare to find a work that's not in a rush to get anywhere.
It probably depends on what you expect from an anime. Frieren isn't your typical shonen action where characters are screaming and fighting each other with absurd powers - it's more of a slow burn that focuses on characters and nostalgia, the sense of time passing, relationships that last. In 27 years of work I've learned that people appreciate things when they're well-built, and this anime is exactly like that. The basic plot seems simple but the way they develop it is sophisticated, with an emotional depth that a lot of fantasy anime don't have. The dialogue is smart and doesn't try to be super cool in a forced way.
And then you have to say that the manga it's based on is really well-written, and the adaptation was done with care. Most fans talk about it because it touches on themes that appeal to older people too, not just kids - melancholy, the journey, searching for meaning. Cat lovers like me also appreciate how the characters are characterized with small details that matter. If it doesn't click for you right away it's not like you're missing something, it just depends on everyone's taste. Maybe it's not your anime, and that's fine.
I get what you're saying. Frieren is definitely a slow burn and it's not pure action like other anime, but I think people talk about it because it genuinely has good writing - the characters feel real, the relationships between them aren't stereotypical, and the whole thing about the protagonist discovering the meaning of life after a quest ends is like a theme that hits people. Plus the mangaka has this narrative technique that creates tension even in calm moments, stuff that a lot of fantasy anime don't know how to do - instead of epic fights you get these small moments that still stick with you. If it hasn't grabbed you yet maybe it's just that slow burn isn't really your thing, which is totally fine.
As someone new to retail I've learned that the things that work aren't always the ones screaming the loudest, and I think Frieren is like that - it's one of those titles that captures people not because of special effects but because the characters feel real, their relationships actually touch you, and the story takes its time without rushing, which honestly after so many absurd battles feels completely different. If it doesn't blow you away in the first episode you probably aren't into that kind of thing and that's fine, but a lot of people love it precisely because it's "anti-hype" compared to the usual shonen.
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