“The Only One”: Frieren Producer Talks Anime Versus Other Series

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Every production team working on an anime aspires for their series to stand out as exceptional; fans of anime are always debating which show is the greatest of all time. However, the group behind Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End has approached this challenge with a unique perspective. Yuichiro Fukushi, who was the animation producer for Madhouse’s highly-regarded anime, didn’t aim for Frieren to be simply the best one; instead, he desired it to be the only one that truly matters!

Evan Call, the composer for both Fukushi and Frieren, had a chat with J.R. Waugh, Anime Editor at ComicBook, during Anime Expo 2025 (thanks to Crunchyroll). At this event, they delved into the series’ renowned reputation and critical success. While Fukushi was aware of the popularity of the manga by Kanehito Yamada and Tsukasa Abe, he aimed to elevate the anime even further.

Frieren’s Animation Producer Wanted the Series to Be One-of-One

Fukushi was inquired about the comparison of “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” with other fantasy anime productions. In a candid response, he expressed that he doesn’t have any specific opinions on how this series measures up to others within the genre. He started by saying, “This is purely my personal perspective.

As stated by Yuichiro Fukushi, the creators of Frieren aimed to make their series distinct within the fantasy anime genre. They didn’t focus on surpassing other fantasy anime; instead, they strived to create a version that was unlike any other in its category. Fukushi further explained that the entire production team felt a strong desire to make it exceptionally unique, with an emphasis on being ‘one of a kind’ rather than ‘the best’. This mindset is clearly reflected in the first season of the show.

It seems that the team managed to establish a distinctive atmosphere thanks to the backdrop designs from Studio Wyeth, as stated by Fukushi. He further elaborated, “The primary sources of inspiration for crafting this uniqueness were indeed the background art from Studio Wyeth, the concept artist Seiko Yoshioka, and not least, Mr. Evan Call.

Frieren Lives Up to Its One-of-a-Kind Aspiration

In 2023, the debut of Frieren caused a stir in the anime community, rapidly climbing to the peak of MyAnimeList’s all-time chart and maintaining its position at the time this is being written. The series is also recognized as the 50th best TV show ever on IMDb.

Frieren significantly transformed and challenged conventional aspects of the fantasy genre. The most significant change was its core concept; instead of following an adventuring party during their quest to save the world, it focused on them after their mission had been completed. This shift was accompanied by numerous creative choices such as characters deviating from their typical roles, innovative camera angles and compositions, and a thoughtful, methodical tempo.

Season 2 of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End releases on Crunchyroll in January 2026.

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2025-07-12 01:09