If you’re looking for a cute read with humor and what appears to be a budding romance, this might be your book. I think that’s what this type of story needs, for not every tale needs to be a masterpiece. I found this volume more enjoyable than the bits of the anime I watched because it moves forward with great speed, refusing to dither in a world and characters that have little depth. There are intriguing isekai elements that connect the story to our own near-future earth, which might ultimately give the manga the depth of storyline it’s lacking but if those never come to a satisfying fulfillment, that’s okay, too. Now comes the manga, which is light-hearted and fun. And who better to help in their restoration than…the very hero who destroyed them in the first place? The story of Leo joining forces with his enemy after the humans turned on him in mistrust and fear has already received an anime adaptation as well as the original light novel release. After being single-handedly conquered by the human hero, it’s in total disarray, but Queen Echidna and her four generals are committed to repairing their world. It reminds us that despite our shortcomings, we have the power to change lives for the better. Reading the manga is an experience every time, always bringing me nearly to tears (multiple times here in volume seven) even as it balances that emotion with humor. In any other series, that would be unexpected, but not so for Frieren. How amazing that in a volume that begins with the results of the mage exam and continues with a journey to a hot spring, with a small quest and a date(!) along the way, the themes of grace, sacrifice, and forgiveness changing people’s lives for now and into future generations would shine so brightly. The same can be said for the rest of the characters from antiquity, whose tutelage, kindness, and sacrifice have changed the next generation, who are now undergoing their own journeys of transformation and taking after their models in caring for others. And yet, as this volume emphasizes so much, his value doesn’t just derive from the world-class achievements, but also from the individual lives he personally impacted. A statute is erected for him in practically every town that Stark, Fern, and Frieren visit (with the one notable exception explained in this volume)-so many, in fact, that the latter notes the statues have been cast in over one hundred different positions. I dunno what else to say.Can an ordinary person change the future? Can someone who is self-absorbed, arrogant, anxious, depressed, or impulsive really impact the world for the better? Himmel the Hero represents the last one of those faults, and yet again and again, he’s both given credit as the adventurer who was most responsible for saving the world, and is the friend who totally changed Frieren’s life. And there's nothing technically wrong with the personalities of the characters, or even with the slice of life, low-drama setting. But it's still just boring. The girl is cute and the tools and items and stuff are all well-drawn. And it just doesn't evoke that gooey feeling in me. Sometimes, the dialogue can feel awkward and the settings can feel dry or stilted. Shuu is trying to improve feir technique and produce work which can get feir grandfather's seal of approval before the two of them get married (with the hope that fe will have reached that point by the time Shiina graduates university). And it delves into some of the techniques involved with copper-hammering. At times, it almost feels like a travel guide putting on display the local specialties within the areas of Japan the characters live in. But more than anything, this manga feels like a vehicle to show off the work of artisans. They have talks about the future-which largely feel kinda vague, honestly-and there is also some tension with Shuu's cranky grandparents that kinda-sorta gets resolved. It tells the story of an exuberant (and somewhat childish) girl named Shiina and the low-energy and antisocial artisan named Shuu that fe has just recently gotten engaged to. This one is tough because I almost want to like it-I feel like if it was just minorly tweaked, then I would like it-but the simple fact is that I don't like it.
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