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This EPISODE encompasses MANGA chapters » #004: The Mage's Secret & #005: Killing Magic
HIDDEN ITEMS MARKED WITH THIS ICON, MIGHT CONTAIN MILD SPOILERS FROM THE MANGA. To show them, just click to expand (they’re hidden by default). They won’t ruin the experience of watching next seasons but might make them less surprising.
OPENING CHALLENGE:
Find where Fern and Stark appear as kids
In these rare frames that do not appear anywhere else in the anime. Answer at the end:
In this Episode at timestamp [1:30]27 AHD… When and where?
Warm is in the western coast of the continent. Around 7 years have passed since Frieren met Fern (she was 9 then). They are following the same route that the original party went on their 10-year adventure, that initially followed a road along the coast.
Warm is a coastal trade city that is peaceful and prosperous. There are a lot of passers-by and all kinds of stores, and merchandise. As well as good quality restaurants and other food places like bakeries.
In this Episode at timestamp [2:25]Frieren magic expenses…
Indeed, Fern told Frieren to return the “vulgar potion” that dissolves clothing (see how she uses it in EP. 12), which also happens to be very expensive also. Our Great mage is a disaster with money, and she may not have much left of what Heiter gave her for the journey before he died.
The magic theory book does not appear at that point in the manga, but it is a nice touch to have included it in the anime, as it introduces its use in the second part of the Episode.
In this Episode at timestamp [3:04]
Street stalls selling jewellery are a recurring feature in the series, whenever our beloved characters buy gifts for each other. Fern is surprised that her teacher is interested in hair accessories, as she does not seem to take particular care of her hair and leaves that task to her.
(Another recurring trope in the story).
Incidentally, the earrings Frieren wears belong to her teacher Flamme. Although she did not wear them for centuries, she began to wear them when started the journey in the Royal Capital with Himmel’s party. Perhaps she did so because the time had come to use the “magic for revenge” that her teacher had taught her?
What TRACK of the OST is played during the next scenes?»
“Sneaking and Shopping”
In this Episode at timestamp [3:38]CURIOSITY: Where did all the dogs go…?
If we had a penny for every time we saw a cat roaming around in Frieren, we’d be a little less poor… Jokes aside, dogs never appear in comparison. They are mentioned, but we truly haven’t spotted a single one. If you see a dog somewhere… let us know!
Episode at timestamp [4:40]Sneaky Fern
It’s lucky that Fern can hide her magical power so well, so she can follow Frieren —who is quite distracted by the shopping— without being detected.
In this Episode at timestamp [5:15]FANTASY TROPE: the adventurers.
Remember: in this world a lot of adventurers roam to make a living: hunting monsters, carrying out missions, raiding dungeons —although there are fewer and fewer unexplored ones left— and sometimes as bandits. After an adventure, if they manage to scavenge something, they’d probably love to eat well and treat themselves to dessert.
If you look closely, you will see what appear to be more adventurers swarming around the city and entering the tavern.
In this Episode at timestamp [7:10]Fern’s sweet tooth & Frieren favorite dessert
Maybe she hasn’t eaten much sweets in months, so no wonder she’s excited about it. Probably at the beginning of their journey near the city of Strahl she has seen Frieren ask for the Merkur Pudding in a restaurant or bakery, and she remembers well her choice. As Himmel did, she tries to remember Frieren’s favorite dishes.
Merkur means “mercury” in German.
In this Episode at timestamp [7:36]Himmel’s favorite dish…
We’ll see again Himmel ask for his favorite Ruf Omelette covered in red sauce in EP.22. The Frieren reminisces in the famous restaurant Bell… Stark also dines one of those omelettes that evening.
(Ruf can mean “call” or “reputation” in German).
CURIOSITY: Eisen’s sour grapes
Sour grapes is the food choice for Eisen, and Frieren notices so she’ll learn a spell later to make them so.
What TRACK of the OST is played during the next scene?»
“Pudding with Friends.”
In this Episode at timestamp [8:15]TIMELINE: Fern’s birthday is a “Pivot date”
- It is Fern’s sixteenth birthday.
- Thanks to this event, that occurs within in the 27th year AHD, we can determine that Fern was approximately nine years old when she first meets Frieren (at 20th year AHD).
- At this point, they have likely been travelling for about two and a half years.
- Her next showcased birthday (she’s 18 there) will take place during the 29th year AHD in EP.14 (“Privilege of the Young”), and somewhat later (EP.15) they state how Fern has been journeying for around “FOUR YEARS” with Frieren. That probably does NOT include her brief stop at the city of Strahl after Heiter’s demise: that likely took some months, even half a year. So their journey officially started around year 25 AHD, five years after Fern first meets Frieren.
In this Episode at timestamp [8:30]
One of those many occasions when Frieren tries to get to know Fern and treat her accordingly (see EP.27 when her staff is broken). The elf mage has often seen her disciple fascinated by butterflies; in fact, Fern knows a spell to project them, as we saw at the end of the previous episode.
What TRACK of the OST is played during this scene?»
“Fern’s Birthday.”
In this Episode at timestamp [9:52]The reason for the Journey (so far).
Frieren is still trying to realize the full significance of many events that happened during her original journey with the company of heroes. That’s why, retracing the steps of the original 10-year adventure is so important to her.
In this Episode at timestamp [10:12]
An elf might sometimes think of her “cup size”.
Yes, it is what you think: in this scene, Frieren is comparing herself not only in height, but also in ‘bust size’ with Fern.
Another joke about Fern’s ‘cup size’ will be featured at the beginning of EP.18 “First-class mage” when Frieren says she can’t clearly see the sky, while laying at her disciple’s lap.
2nd part of EP.02 » 27 years After Himmel’s Death (AHD) in the Größe Forest
In this Episode at timestamp [10:25]A new scenario to train defensive magic…
Shortly afterwards, we are in the Große Forest, in the central lands, and heading north.
For some time now, Fern has been fighting monsters with offensive magic. But it is time to learn how to use defensive magic too.
What TRACK of the OST is played during the next scene?»
Quite appropriately this: “Magical Defense Training.”
In this Episode at timestamp [11:02]Partial defensive spell…
This kind of “partial” defensive magic is vulnerable to attacks that seek gaps or bend its path. Fortunately, this type of trajectory is uncommon, although we will see Frieren will throw this “curveball” too when facing the chaos flower in EP.15, to prevent the monster plant from reflecting her attack.
In this Episode at timestamp [11:15]…vs FULL defensive area.
Creating a 360º defensive barrier is apparently not difficult in itself, but it is quite hard to maintain for more than 20-30 seconds. You need a lot of mana to do so, and one of the few mages we will see doing this is Frieren herself: both when she faces Denken (EP.21) and versus her own replica (episodes 25 and 26).
It’s still a common technique used by many mages. In EP. 24 “Perfect Replicas when protecting the second-mage class Edel, her companions Dünste and Blei also use that kind of spheric protection, but is broken in less than 15 seconds by Serie’s copy.
In this Episode at timestamp [11:30]A strenuous training
In EP.08, Lügner wonders what kind of training Fern has been subjected to in order to have such endurance and coolness. The answer is: a very hard training, involving shooting and defending against multiple shots.
In fact, for a while, Fern’s teacher will also charge her with getting rid of the monster packs whenever they encounter them: surely both to improve her training and her battle skills. All with the excuse that ‘she is faster at shooting and so battles end sooner’.
In this Episode at timestamp [9:56]Fern’s quirks: awkward on difficult ground
One skill that Fern is not very good at is climbing, jumping, and walking on narrow logs: she seems quite insecure in those situations. We will see many times that she struggles with it… and prefers to use the flying spell when possible.
In this Episode at timestamp [12:28]Why does Frieren think that Fern needs to learn more theory —after she talks about how powerful defensive magic is?
Probably because she does not understand why that magic was developed in the first place, because of Qual. Also, if she read about modern trends, she would realize that defensive magic is NOT that powerful against spells that use massive attacks with physical objects. And that it has its limitations against other types of mages, as will be seen in the first-level mage exam on several occasions.
In this Episode at timestamp [13:37]A “Sage of Corruption” or a “Sage of Destruction”?
Qual had his own title due to his power and magic, but he was not considered one of the seven highest-ranking members of the Demon King’s army (the sages of Destruction). Why?
We don’t know for sure, but we do know the identities several other members. Aura was one of the survivors of those seven, until Frieren confronted her in episodes 9 and 10.
WARNING: MILD SPOILER OF SEASON 02 from the MANGA (click to reveal)
The only survivor of the Seven Sages has a special story that will be told during the second season. We will also see who was the Hero of the South who managed to kill some of them.
Was Qual sealed away exactly 80 years ago, as the straw-hat villager says?
NOPE: it was longer ago than that. He is rounding it off, just as when he says that Himmel came about 30 years ago.
They probably faced Qual in the first or second year of their journey. If it lasted 10 years, and Himmel lived another 50, and 27 years have passed since his death, it was probably about 85-86 years ago to be precise.
In this Episode at timestamp [14:03]Shrines with offerings: where and why?
In this episode, we will see more prominently some altars to the goddess, to thank her for the harvests probably. They feature a big figure of the Sun, and also a symbol of the moon cycles, along with a big vessel container in the center —representing abundance probably.
In this Episode at timestamp [14:11]Old Himmel traveled some distance…
Old Himmel would be able to make that journey by carriage or accompanied at times, because the distance from the capital is not that great and the road is quite safe. Even so, it would probably involve travelling a few weeks (to go and back) during the year.
In this Episode at timestamp [14:47]Sealing magic?
Why is this the only time we hear of Frieren using a “sealing” spell against a demon?
It is possible that it was a spell that required a special grimoire or specific ingredients, the kind that disappear once the spell is used. Obtaining the same grimoire or the same elements may not be easy or even possible. (As we saw when she needed a dark dragon horn to make one spell possible).
Also: Frieren’s replica uses a sealing spell (to close a big door) in EP.25 but it’s powerful and sometimes implies danger to the very caster. So sealing spells might have some drawbacks that make them a “last resort” only.
In this Episode at timestamp [15:24]Why does Frieren state in EP.18 that she ‘lost’ against Qual and other demons?
Yes, she managed to temporarily stop Qual with the seal, but Frieren always considered that confrontation a ‘defeat’ as a mage. Apparently, when she comments in episode 18 that she has lost to other mages, it does not always mean that they have completely defeated or injured her: only that she has been unable to stop their magic or that she has had to use other tactics, might have had to flee — or resort to “extra special help”.
Here we can hear this Soundtrack piece»
“Qual”.
NAMES: Does “Zooltraak” mean anything?
While some people claim that the origins of the spell name derive from “Soul Track” it is never stated in any material from the authors and it’s just a straight translation based on sound similarity —nice, but probably incorrect.
There are many unverified connections with German or Dutch dialects, such as “Zerdruck” (to Crush) or “Zolt rack” (Salt strike).
Truth is, we don’t have an official explanation on the name, and any explanation is simply speculation.
It might simply be a menacing word, that implies an intimidating power just by the sound.
In this Episode at timestamp [15:40]Why did so many wizards and adventurers die because of Zoltraak?
Not only because the defensive magic of that era was inferior, but also because it is a very fast spell, one that leaves little time to prepare and flee. And not only it can be fast, but it also allows for multiple simultaneous bursts to be cast.
Even Himmel, one of the fastest heroes we know, was in serious danger against Qual.
In this Episode at timestamp [16:39]Why does Fern need to have a good night’s sleep?
To fully replenish their mana, mages need to rest and sleep for a certain amount of time. In addition, Fern has to be completely focused and mentally agile when facing a demon like Qual. So, off to bed, sweetheart!
In this Episode at timestamp [17:23]How long do demons live?
We don’t know for sure, but some, like the Demon King, have probably lived well over 1,000 years… while others go beyond 500 (like Aura).
In this Episode at timestamp [18:03]Why does Zoltraak sometimes have such a dark appearance?
It is probably a variant based on the original formula used by Qual (which is in fact, quite dark) . The one later developed by humanity to kill demons has likely changed in appearance, as it has been modified considerably from the one used by this ‘sage of corruption’. (And is probably more efficient in mana expenditure?)
In this Episode at timestamp [18:40]The era of Humans’ magic
One of the human race’s strengths, despite their apparent vulnerability, is their ability to work together. Demons are individualistic and do not typically share their magic with others. However, human mages across the continent established schools, studied Qual’s magic together, and shared their findings with everyone.
This made possible something amazing: to understand the magic of a sage like him and develop enhanced variants, as well as improving defensive spells and equipment. In about 80 years, thanks to this joint effort and learning —and the knowledge Frieren passed on to them first-hand, perhaps during the return trip of the adventure itself—, the unthinkable was achieved.
In this Episode at timestamp [20:20]Would Qual have won if he had been given the opportunity to learn more about modern magic?
We can see that he is indeed a genius: capable of swiftly understanding what defensive magic involves and what its weak point is. Frieren was right to want to eliminate him quickly, because: had he remained alive, he could have developed even more powerful magic in a few decades. Then again, current defensive spells would be less effective, even powerless against him!
MUSIC: “Evolution of Magic”, the first time we hear the ‘Zoltraak’ theme.
This track, used during the fight with Qual, is the thematic melody that will be the base for the expanded “Zoltraak” piece that has over 16 M reproductions in Spotify, and many millions across multiple YouTube videos. It was featured in EP.09 of the Anime during the battle between Stark & Fern against Linie & Lügner.
In this Episode at timestamp [20:20]MAGIC HISTORY: Why is it so significant that Frieren can fly?
As explained in EP.14, it was not possible to adapt the magic of monsters and demons to flight until 40 years ago. Sometimes during the 10-year journey, Frieren would briefly hover people and objects using levitation magic. However, flying to a considerable height was not possible for humans.
Qual knows that humanoid magicians of his era were not capable of flying.
That’s why he’s taken by surprise when he realizes that Frieren is doing just that: and it’s enough time for her to cast a powerful Zoltraak spell that takes her a few seconds to prepare. Knowing Frieren, she prepared this as the best strategy to end this battle quickly.
In this Episode at timestamp [20:33]What is that water we see in the hole made by the Zoltraak?
Qual is on a cliff when Frieren sealed him. They had probably cornered him there, but he was an ‘even more dangerous beast’ at that moment.
When Frieren casts such a powerful Zoltraak at him, it ends up drilling the ground. Perhaps it is the sea or a lake/river nearby, what lies beneath that cliff.
In this Episode at timestamp [20:37]The “poetic justice” in Qual’s death
Qual, who killed so many people with his Zoltraak, is now the victim of an improved version of his own spell, which is no longer really his own.
But because demons are so arrogant and proud of the magic they have developed over centuries — see Lügner’s explanation in episode 8 — he can barely say as his last words: ‘Frieren, that’s my spell…’
In this Episode at timestamp [20:25]Could Fern have died at Qual’s hands? Why is this frame so relevant?
At the end of the scene, we see Fern exhausted on the ground. It is possible that, had the battle continued, her mana would not have been enough to keep casting many more defensive spells. Why does Frieren put her on the defensive end then? Perhaps to teach her a lesson, and also because she knows that the best strategy is to kill him as quickly as she can. In any case, even though Fern has made a lot of progress in these seven years, she still wouldn’t have been a match for a demon as powerful as Qual, just on her own.
The next time she faces a demon, Fern will surely have reflected on what Qual did to her — overwhelming her with attacks and forcing her to constantly defend herself — and decided that it is a fantastic and effective strategy that she can successfully replicate.
In this Episode at timestamp [20:55]Fern reads the History of Magic book now…
When will she put that knowledge to good use?
Probably in the first-level wizard exam, when he won’t be afraid to face the modern magic trends that controls matter or elements.
In this Episode at timestamp [21:27]Himmel don’t do that, it’s just a kid… right?
We don’t know what makes us laugh more: seeing Himmel jealous that a boy looked up Frieren’s skirt, or Heiter saying to him, “Go on, look up mine”.
By the way: that child must be around 90 years old today, but he looks so lively, it seems he wants to reach the age of 100.
(This funny animated scene deserves to be watched frame by frame, by the way… shame that it is impossible in some web platforms to do so).
In this Episode at timestamp [22:28]Our Hero’s true feelings
Himmel didn’t just trust Frieren: we know that he felt a special affection for her during the journey, that turned into true (platonic?) love.
In this Episode at timestamp [22:35]Frieren’s patting begins here.
Although Frieren has not been particularly warmhearted for most of her life, in recent years she has picked up this ‘degenerate monk’ gesture that he used with her during the journey and when Himmel died.
Thus, she will begin to praise those around her in this peculiar manner, much to our delight and as moments of great humor or tenderness.
(Note: this detail does not appear in the manga).
In this Episode at timestamp [22:43]Does the straw hat over the altar mean that the “old boy” dies at this point?
No, that’s not what it implies.
As we will see —and as the “boy” from the village says— although it is late autumn, the sun still ‘beats down’ on some days.
But winter is coming (as we will see at the beginning of the next episode) and he will not need it till next year. It may also be that he has already decided to leave it as an ‘extra offering’ to thank the goddess for having freed them from Qual.
Another explanation: at this very EPISODE at minute 14:06 this “old boy” dusts off the same altar with his bare hand. SO for him it’s very important to protect and maintain clean the altar and the offerings below (like, to scare birds away) —and he might have left the hat on top, to do that: as he does not need it for himself for a while.
END of EPISODE#03 GUIDE