[Photos/Images] The Arch-Nemesis is Indeed the Mimic!? Freiren's Adorably Frizzy Vertical Curls When Escaping 1st

What if the 1000-year-old elven mage Frieren (voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki) comes back with such a dejected look on her face...? There's an irresistibly cute scene where Frieren ends up with a comically styled hair due to her own explosive magic and reports back despondently.

The currently streaming anime "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" is based on the manga of the same name, written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe, serialized in "Weekly Shōnen Sunday." Set in the world after the demon king has been defeated, it follows the story of Frieren, the mage from the hero's party that defeated the demon king, as she embarks on a journey to understand humans alongside her apprentice Fern (voiced by Kana Ichinose) and the warrior Stark (voiced by Chiharu Kobayashi).

The original manga, which has received numerous awards and immense support and acclaim, has exceeded 22 million copies in circulation with 13 volumes currently published. The TV anime aired from September 2023 to March 2024 was a major hit, with related keywords trending on X (formerly Twitter) after each episode. The production of a second season of the anime has also been announced.

Frieren is a highly skilled mage who defeated the demon king alongside the hero. She has a side as a magic enthusiast, interested in all kinds of magic, and is so passionate about collecting magical tomes that she often falls prey to the mimic traps disguised as treasure chests, nearly getting devoured. In such instances, it was a usual scene for her companions to pull Freiren out by her feet as she was about to be swallowed headfirst by the mimic.

In episode 23, Frieren and her group were challenging the dungeon conquest for the second phase of the first-class mage selection exam. While progressing through the dungeon, Frieren discovered a treasure chest and, despite Fern's restraint, opened the suspicious chest, which turned out to be a mimic that almost devoured her upper body. As usual, Fern saved Frieren, and then curiously asked how she escapes from mimics when she's alone.

Apparently, when Frieren is about to be eaten by a mimic, she uses attack magic to explode her way out from the inside. However, she seems reluctant to do so, admitting, "But it makes my hair all frizzy, and I don't like that." Hearing this, Fern, recalling past instances, seemed to realize, "So that's why your hairstyle changed sometimes..." In Fern's ensuing flashback, Frieren, who was supposed to have straight silver twin tails, returned from outings with curly hair as if permed and said dejectedly, "I ended up with vertical curls..."

Viewers found the sight of Freiren, caught in an explosion and looking unlike an excellent mage, absolutely adorable, commenting, "Her absent-minded expression is just too cute," "Her slightly goofy side is soothing," "Her dejected face is so cute," and "She's so cute I could watch her forever." The vertical curls also garnered reactions like "Curly Frieren" and "Lady Frieren."

(C)Kanehito Yamada, Tsukasa Abe/Shogakukan/ "Frieren"Project

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