Kodansha, the Japanese publisher, has announced the winners of the 48th Kodansha Manga Award. The Kodansha Manga Award features Shonen, Shojo, and General categories. The fantasy adventure Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, written by Kanehito Yamada and drawn by Tsukasa Abe won the Shonen category, beating other titles like The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity, Gachiakuta, Tank Chair, and Daemons of the Shadow Realm.

Despite the unprecedented popularity that other shonen series like One Piece or Jujutsu Kaisen enjoy, these series were unable to topple Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End from its position. Although One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen have a large fanbase, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End beat its competition with its subtle yet vivid narrative that pushes to tell a story as timeless as the titular character.

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

For the Shojo category, Rumi Ichinohe’s high school romance I See Your Face, Turned Away (Kimi no Yokogao wo Miteita), which follows two first-year boys and girls, took the crown. The other nominees were In the Clear Moonlit Dusk, Firefly Wedding, and A Sign of Affection.

The winner of the General Category is Tsurumaikada’s Medalist, a figure skating manga that’s getting an anime next year by Studio ENGI. Medalist was a runner-up in the 47th Kodansha Manga Award. Other nominees included Oshi no Ko, The Darwin Incident, Chiikawa, Nagatan to Ao to: Ichika no Ryōrichō, and Bōkyō Tarō.

Exploring What Makes Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End So Popular

Frieren, Fern, and Stark
Frieren, Fern, and Stark

In the beginning, Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End seems as unassuming as its titular character. However, beneath that unassuming surface, the series belies a depth that challenges the reign of fantasy stalwarts like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood with a moving meditation on companionship and mortality.

At its heart, the series subverts from the pervasive trend of ‘isekai’, a subgenre that has dominated the anime industry with narratives that only cater to the protagonist’s wish-fulfillment and fantastical escapades. Unlike the typical isekai protagonist thrust into the world with unimaginable powers, the eponymous character grapples with the consequences of her choices and the weight of her past.

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Frieren picks up where most anime series leave off, like continuing a story beyond the end of the hero’s journey. Frieren breathes into the theme of immortality and acknowledges the crippling weight of centuries on the aloof titular elf. The narrative juxtaposes the fleeting nature of human existence against the timelessness of elven lives.

Starting a Story After The Journey’s End

Frieren characters
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End characters

What sets Frieren apart is its unwavering focus on the little moments and finding meaning in the mundane. That is what truly lifts it from ordinary to extraordinary. The little moments are what makes fantasy so effective and precious, serving as a door to escape our horrid realities. However, as all journeys come to a begrudging end, the characters must bid farewell to their fantasy world as well and step into reality.

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In those aching moments, we see bits of ourselves in the characters, aching to take one more look at the world we are leaving behind. And this same longing for the little time makes Frieren start her story even as the journey ends. Through her touching journey, Frieren offers a meditation on the transient nature of human life and the impermanence of being.

You can watch Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End on Crunchyroll.

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