So, the penultimate episode 27 of the anime " Frieren and the Journey to the Beyond " (Sousou Frieren), titled An Era of Humans, began as expected. After the first test of the first class mage exam, we were kind of expecting a more relaxed episode. And that's what happened after the second test as well.
- Frieren: AI shows character as it would look if it were real
- Kusuriya no Hitorigoto arrives dubbed on Crunchyroll
Check out our review of episode 27 of Frieren
The thing is, we only got half of Frieren's episode 27 off to a smooth start. Only the first half of Episode 27 followed the wizards who took the second test. And we saw the group with Kanne, Lawine, Denken, Richter, and Laufen. Where are Wirbel, Übel, Land, and Methode?
One thing I liked about this part of the episode was that we saw a mix of winners and losers. Kanne aced the second test, while Lawine failed. Similarly, Denken and Laufen passed the second test with flying colors, while Richter failed. It's important because it shows that failing the exam isn't the end of the world.
As long as you're in the field, you can try again in three years. And this is something Denken made a point of emphasizing to Richter. He said Richter is a strong magician who had such bad luck. And in three more years, he'll be even stronger.
And speaking of Richter, we also saw him repairing Fern's staff in his shop at Frieren's request. Initially, Frieren told Fern to get a new staff because fixing hers wouldn't be worth it. Richter even agreed. But both Frieren and Richter realized they were wrong.
Sure, a new staff would be better than Fern's old one. But a new staff wouldn't be Fern's staff. This staff is important to her. She's had it since she began training as a mage. And she's taken good care of it over the years. In the world of magic, that counts.
The First Class Wizard
Who was the first First Class Mage again? Thanks to Episode 27, we learned that his name is Lernen, and he still holds his own as a First Class Mage today. Normally, he oversees the third and final test of the exam. But this year will be a little different.
Do we know anything else about Lernen? Well, we know that, until this episode, he was the most seasoned of the First Class Mages. How do we know this? The series itself holds him in the highest esteem. And, he's the only First Class Mage who realized Frieren was holding her mana.
None of the others noticed. They simply assumed that, despite being an elf, she had the same mana as a human mage. Lernen noticed her mana output falter for a moment and saw it as evidence of mana suppression.
He's never seen Frieren's true mana production. But he thinks it's on par with Serie. But by saying this, he ends up exposing his own limitations. Serie does indeed release a massive amount of mana, seemingly on par with Frieren's unsuppressed output. But this isn't Serie's true mana production.
You see, even though this mana suppression is a scam, Serie does it too. The absurd amount of mana Serie releases is what's left after she suppresses her own mana. So, I can't even imagine how much mana she actually has. She might have more than any other living creature.
And since Lernen never realized this, we can imagine that Serie is even better at suppressing her mana than Frieren. Frieren's mana wobbled in a way that Lernen noticed. Serie's never wobbled. And that's why Lernen is no longer the most seasoned First Class Mage.
One complication attracts another
Frieren ended up ruining this year's First Class Mage Exam. She's "too much of a mage." But wait, let me try to explain. How does being too much of a mage ruin the exam? Shouldn't that just mean she has an easier time passing? Yes, but there's more to it.
The problem is that Frieren ended up taking other mages with her who aren't all that great. Like Kanne and Lawine. Without Frieren in their area, they probably would have failed in the first test. And in the second test, you could argue, as Serie did, that Frieren carried everyone who passed.
Yes, if Frieren hadn't been there, Frieren's replica wouldn't have been there either. But Frieren (and Fern) managed Frieren's replica on their own. And they helped the others come up with a plan. So, at the end of the day, having Frieren there was a positive.
That's why Serie chose to handle the final test herself. She needs the test to be so tough that almost none of the remaining mages will pass. And her choice of test is a one-on-one interview with her. If she thinks the mage in front of her is too weak, he's done for.
Kanne is the first one we see kicked out. She failed immediately because Serie felt Kanne was in a bad mood with her own sister. And the same thing happened to everyone we saw, except Frieren and Fern. Frieren still failed for personal reasons. But Fern passed.
Fern is the first person (we don't know about Frieren) who realized Serie was holding her own mana. That's why I said Lernen is no longer the most seasoned First Class Mage. Fern passed him. But we didn't see Denken meeting Serie. So, he may have passed the test too.
So, what did you think of Episode 27 of "Frieren and the Journey to the Beyond"? Were you expecting the final test in this episode? How do you think Lernen compares to Frieren and Fern? And did Denken pass the test? I'm looking forward to finding out in the final episode.
If you enjoyed this review, don't forget to share it with everyone you know. And follow us on social media so you don't miss any upcoming articles.
