[Photos/Images] This Old Man is Too Cool! The Unlikely Physical Combat of Denken in "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" 1st

Isn't it common for wizards to be rendered powerless once their magical energy is depleted? In the anime "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End," an experienced wizard loses a magic battle, and just when it seemed like the end, he took an unexpected action that thrilled the viewers.

Currently being streamed in its entirety, the 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 Shonen Sunday." The story is set in a world after the demon king has been defeated, following the journey of Frieren, an elf wizard who has lived for over a thousand years (voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki), as she travels to learn about humans with her apprentice Fern (voiced by Kana Ichinose) and warrior Stark (voiced by Chihiro Kobayashi).

The original comic has received numerous awards and tremendous support and acclaim, with over 22 million copies in circulation across 13 volumes. The TV anime, which aired from September 2023 to March 2024, became a huge hit, with related terms trending on X (formerly Twitter) after each episode aired. A second season of the anime has also been announced.

In the first test of the first-class wizard selection exam, examinees were divided into several parties and tasked with capturing a bird called the meteoric iron bird <Stille>, which is difficult to catch. Capturing a Stille is no easy feat, and as skilled wizards, the scenario often turned into a party battle to steal the Stille from parties that had already captured it.

Here, a magical battle between Frieren and Denken (voiced by Jiro Saito) took place. Denken is a cunning court wizard, and with his extensive experience, he is said to wield powers equivalent to a first-class wizard. Their battle was intense, but as expected, Denken could not match the legendary wizard Frieren, who had defeated the demon king, and he ran out of magical energy.

Thought to be out of options after failing to seize the Stille from Frieren's party, Denken discovered another party holding the Stille. However, his magical power was already depleted. As Denken began to move, saying, "Follow me," his comrade Richter (voiced by Eiji Hanawa) asked, "What do you intend to do?" Denken replied, "Brace yourself. Be a man," and threw off his coat. Then, shouting, "It's a fistfight!!!" he charged at the opponent.

Denken, who seemed the least likely to engage in physical combat, surprised viewers with his unexpected brawl. The scene delighted fans, eliciting reactions such as "He's got so much guts," "Denken is the best," "The gap made me burst out laughing," "I've come to like Denken," and "What a great character!"

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

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