The Mystery of No Season 2 Announcement in “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” Finale – Is There Potential for a Sequel?

Why Wasn’t a Second Season of the TV Anime Announced?

“Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” quickly gained popularity following its serialization start in “Weekly Shonen Sunday” and went on to become a hit with support from a broad audience thanks to its TV anime adaptation. Unfortunately, the TV anime concluded with its 28th episode, “It’ll Be Embarrassing When We Meet Again,” aired on March 29, 2024.

The lack of a second season announcement, despite the series’ hit status, was a hot topic among fans after the finale. Given its popularity, a sequel would naturally be expected. This sparked various speculations among fans.

To note, the TV anime adapted up to the 60th chapter of the original manga, equivalent to volume 7. Currently, the manga has been compiled into 12 volumes, containing up to chapter 117, with the latest serialized chapter in “Sunday” being chapter 127.

This means that, while barely, there is enough material for a second season. However, no official announcement was made. Some fans were disappointed, but is it truly the end for a second season?

The answer can confidently be “NO.” This is because the last cut of episode 28 displayed the message “The journey to Ende continues.” This can be interpreted as the staff’s indication of a sequel.

So, why was there no formal announcement for a second season?

This is speculative, but it might be due to the uncertainty around the necessary production period. It’s not about the lack of original material but rather the challenges in maintaining such quality, including securing staff and allocating production time.

“Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” was announced for anime adaptation in September 2022, with the clarification that it would be a TV anime made in November of the same year. The actual TV broadcast started in September 2023. Therefore, a significant amount of time had passed from the announcement to the broadcast.

Announcing a second season prematurely, without being able to specify its broadcast date, would inevitably lead to fans’ frustration. Thus, it’s conceivable that the decision was made not to announce a second season in the finale.

Recently, it has become common for split-cour anime to announce their next series in the final episode, so it might be tempting to expect a precedent to follow. As a fan, one would hope to patiently wait for the second season of the TV anime.

However, there could be another reason for the lack of a second season announcement for the TV anime. It’s possible that the next anime installment might not be for TV.

Could the Continuation of “Frieren” Not Be a TV Anime?

The continuation of “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” outside of TV anime could very well be a theatrical movie. This is purely the author’s speculation, so please forgive me if it turns out to be incorrect.

Given the current popularity, a movie production seems like a natural progression. It could solidify the popularity further, which is essential for a hit TV anime to cement its status more firmly. However, the content of such a movie would be up for debate, with various opinions likely existing.

A common suggestion online is the adaptation of a popular long arc from the original manga into a movie. To avoid spoilers for those who haven’t read the manga, I won’t mention the arc by name, but it involves the court magician “Denken” who appears in the “First-Class Mage Exam” arc, with the content also serving as a collection of foreshadowing.

This arc spans from chapter 81 to 104 of the original work, covering about three volumes of the comics. If aired on TV, it would span over two months. Many would likely want to see this story, known for one of the most intense battle scenes in the source material, in theaters. Personally, I think the likelihood of this episode becoming a feature-length film is low.

The reason is that adapting the not-so-abundant stock of the original manga into a movie might hinder the development of the TV anime. However, there’s also the approach seen with “Demon Slayer,” where the content released in theaters is re-edited for TV anime.

Then there’s the concern among fans that the movie could be an original work. In recent years, there have been examples of original movies where the manga authors were involved in the anime production, resulting in works that closely resemble the source material. So, perhaps there’s no need to worry on that front.

An original storyline unique to the movie could promise an exciting development. If the movie is a big hit, it could follow the precedent set by other popular anime works, with new movies released annually.

Personally, I think a story that depicts Frieren and the characters she has met along her journey reuniting would be incredibly thrilling. For example, an anime-original story where the Elf martial monk “Craft” rushes to Frieren’s aid in a crisis is sure to raise excitement levels just by imagining it.

For an official sequel, all we can do is wait for an official announcement. It might take several years, but I’m prepared to wait patiently. The “Frieren withdrawal” in the meantime is unavoidable. Though, only for Frieren, half a century without news would be quite problematic (laughs).