The Fall 2023 season is packed with some of the most thrilling and engaging shows of the year. Starting from Jujutsu Kaisen and Attack on Titan coming back, the season has new titles such as Undead Unluck, Ragna Crimson, Frieren Beyond Journey’s End, etc.
Narrowing down the prospective shows, and sidelining returning anime because popularity is their cheat skill, we are left with two shows. Frieren Beyond Journey’s End vs Ragna Crimson, now this is an exciting match-up! In this article, I will draw up both these shows and try to come up with an answer to who will be sitting on the throne at the end of the season
Frieren Beyond Journey’s End vs. Ragna Crimson
The show Frieren Beyond Journey’s End is about the character of the same name and her life after the adventurous journey to defeat the Demon King has ended. She is an Elf with superior magic skills and knowledge, however, she lacks a basic understanding of emotions. As she retraces her journey with new companions, she grows stronger than before, because now she has things she holds dear.
Let's goooo!!!
Ragna can't control his anger any longer🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥#Ragna_Crimson pic.twitter.com/6UM56nKC0m— Daily Ais (@KateKilo3684) November 4, 2023
The show Ragna Crimson, on the other hand, is a revenge saga of the character of the same name. Losing the person he cherished the most, he trains his entire life to exterminate the Dragons race who were responsible for her death. Having failed to do it in the future, he goes back to the past, giving himself strength to protect his friend this time around and succeed in his mission from the future.
What did each show do better than the other?
Let’s start with Frieren Beyond Journey’s End. The show has a slice of life vibe, but the action scenes it carries in itself are better than most action shonen of the current year. It has a brilliant set of characters that molds into the story like a perfect fit.
- Frieren finally understands the anguish of parting with a close one with the dead of Himmel. Regrets and guilt form within her as she was unable to respect and cherish her time with him. This can be seen throughout her journey, as she mourns his presence in each step she takes forward.
- Fern is a human who has grown out of kindness, saved by kindness, and one who lives to extend that same kindness. Under Frieren’s tutelage, she has also become an impeccable mage capable of defeating demons alone. She has continuously been the linchpin for Frieren to remember what it means to be human. A constant anchor to the human world, after Himmel.
- Stark is a human who has been trained by Frieren’s old party member, Eisen. A fierce and strong unit on the battlefield, he has been a continuous reminder of a Human’s unwavering grit and will.
It’s not only these core characters, the side characters have played an integral role in progressing the story and the development of the main cast. All the characters, no matter how small their part have taught us lessons about human love and perseverance. Fieren has constantly been a reminder of how strong the Human Race is against the unnatural might of time.
Looks like I’ve found my new Obsession #Frieren pic.twitter.com/blfJz2PiQA
— Bam²⁵ (@The25thNigga) October 28, 2023
Moving on to Ragna Crimson. A cruel tale of love that moves beyond time, is how one would describe this show. The show has bang-on action scenes with a good amount of strategic plays that would keep you entertained in each episode. The fights do not get repetitive as Ragna seems to continuously unlock his potential, allowing us to witness something new out of him every time he gets some action.
- Ragna is allegorical to human perseverance and mourning the death. He has continuously mourned for Leonica, and consistently wished to replace herself at that moment and be dead instead. This is how mourning usually becomes. One gets so engulfed in grief and guilt that they wish it was them.
- Crimson is symbolic of the seven deadly sins. Something that has struck mankind for eons, something we are incomplete without. Her teaming up with Ragna is a way of expressing how humans have been affected by the sins and catastrophe has struck itself onto humans for that very reason.
Their journey together to exterminate Dragons as a means to save what they consider the most important in their hearts, Leo for Ragna and Pride for Crimson, is an engaging story one should not miss out on. The characters are also visually appealing, making this show a guaranteed hit on your list.
I hope y'all are watching Ragna Crimson. This show keeps getting better and better! pic.twitter.com/tOKUCpMS2x
— Tomoki-kun ともき 🎵 (@fangdragontomo) November 4, 2023
Another thing that is visually appealing with content that is guaranteed to hit your heart is Spiel Anime’s Newsletter, which brings fun and juicy content from all over the anime community, not once but twice a week!!!
So… who wins?
Frieren Beyond Journey’s End wins by a long mile, and I have my reasons. For a show about traversing the world, it offers more than the other. Ragna Crimson is an endless attempt to kill the Dragons, it has a mono-directional intent for the story, however, Frieren Beyond Journey’s End is able to accommodate multiple stories in one. Under the premise of Frieren’s story, the show explores countless other stories.
WHAT AN EPISODE BRO! THIS IS THE ANIME OF FALL SEASON 100% pic.twitter.com/tnlfj2QNOa
— The one StrawHat (@strawhatone) November 3, 2023
The show has been able to bring in new characters in each arc that contribute effectively to the story. Meanwhile, Ragna Crimson brings in characters that happen to die in the very same episode without adding much to the story, besides making them stepping stones for the next commander.
Conclusion
This makes Frieren Beyond Journey’s End the rightful heir to the throne, however, it must be noted that these two series are ongoing and this is what I believe will happen. There might be an unexpected twist when the two series are about to end and the tables might turn. Nevertheless, both shows are amazing and should be experienced by everyone.