The anime adaptation of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End was released in September 2023 and since then, it has given audiences 11 breathtaking episodes. Although it’s still airing its first season, Frieren has become popular enough to give serious competition to established anime veterans.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has surpassed Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood to take the top spot in the “top broadcast anime” chart on MyAnimeList. The film took first place with a rating of 9.10, pushing Brotherhood to second place with a rating of 8.89. For those who don’t know, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has a huge fan base and has maintained the top spot on MyAnimeList for several years.
Of course, this isn’t the first time an anime series has forced Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood out of the top spot on MyAnimeList. There are several other shows that have pushed this anime down to second place, but Brotherhood always reclaims the first spot. This time, it’s newcomer Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End’s turn to challenge the Brotherhood’s might, and every fan is eager to see how long the new anime will maintain its position.
Before Frieren, Oshi No Ko, Attack on Titan, My Happy Marriage and several other famous anime usurped Brotherhood, but only for a short time.
Frieren: Beyond the Journey’s End revolves around an elven mage named Frieren who lives throughout centuries of history. As she travels through the ages, she encounters various characters and situations, causing her to ponder the nature of life and humanity. As time passed, she saw that everyone around her had grown old and her two old companions had died. After unfortunate circumstances, she realized that she had made a mistake by taking everything for granted. So she decided to try to build new relationships with humans and always be there for them.
The depth of character and emotional storytelling have been the highlights of the series since its debut. In particular, the manga’s high-quality animation and faithful storytelling to every detail have caused the anime to receive widespread praise.
The anime has received mixed reactions from the fan community. While some fans were happy to see their favorite movie in the top spot, some were disappointed. In addition, a large part of the fandom firmly believes that Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood will not take long to regain the first position on MyAnimeList.