The breakout anime of 2023, into 2024, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has taken audiences on a journey with the immortal elf Frieren as she tries to better understand humanity despite their different perspectives on time, life, and death. It has now been announced that a prequel novel is in the works.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Prelude will serve as a collection of five short stories that are not featured in the manga. These stories will focus on the characters of Frieren, Fern, Stark, Lawine, Kanne, and Aura and are being written by Mei Hachimoku, whose previous work includes the light novels The Mimosa Confessions and The Tunnel to Summer, the Exit of Goodbyes. Though Hachimoku is not one of the original creators of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, the prequel will be overseen by co-creator Kanehito Yamada.
Storywriter Yamada, along with artist Tsukasa Abe, launched Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End in Shogakukan’s Weekly Shonen Sunday in April 2020. Since then, it’s achieved great success, and its animated adaption has captured the imagination of anime enthusiasts around the world. Centering on the story of Frieren, the series takes manga readers and anime viewers on a slow and thoughtful journey as the immortal elf tries to understand humanity after losing those close to her.
The main story picks up after the adventurers have vanquished the big bad of the land, the Demon King, and after decades pass, Frieren learns a harsh lesson in the mortality of humans. Regretting not spending more time with her friends, she embarks on a mission to get to know humans better and takes on an apprentice in the form of Fern, a human mage. Together they venture north to reach the resting place of souls, where she hopes to see Himmel and the others once more and come to terms with life and death.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End Prelude will include stories from Frieren’s time with her adventuring party, allowing us a little more insight into her relationships with each of them, hopefully more so when it comes to Himmel, a friend she holds in high regard. The novel is set to be released on April 17, as the anime’s first season finale approaches. Though the first season may soon be over, a second season has not been confirmed by the anime’s studio, Madhouse. Given its popularity and the fact there is plenty of material to adapt, we are keeping our fingers crossed in the hopes we will get one.
(featured image: Madhouse)
