Serie and Frieren Synchronize With “Shoboshobo Faces”! Fern’s Choice of Magic Leaves the “Living Grimoire” Disappointed in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End

Could the “shoboshobo face” actually be an expression unique to elves? In the anime Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, one of the main appeals is the protagonist Frieren’s (voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki) charming range of facial expressions. However, even Serie (voiced by Mariya Ise) has displayed a notably “displeased-looking face.”

As an elf who has lived for over 1000 years, Frieren always maintains her composure. This makes the occasional humorous “facial performances” all the more striking, attracting many fans who are drawn to the gap. In particular, the melancholy “shoboshobo Frieren” has become a beloved look among fans.

However, in episode 28, the final episode of the first season, there’s a scene where the great mage Serie—also known as the “Living Grimoire”—shows her own “shoboshobo face.” After Fern (voiced by Kana Ichinose) passes the First-Class Mage Exam, Serie grants her any magic she desires. Rather unexpectedly, Fern requests magic that can “completely remove stains from clothes”—a practical and everyday kind of magic. Even Serie is dumbfounded and exclaims, “Are you serious...?”