List of Theme Songs for the Anime "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" | Second Cour OP by Yorushika "Haru" / ED Continues with milet

"Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" is a TV anime that aired from September 2023 to March 2024. The story follows Frieren, an elf mage who enjoys a lifespan much longer than that of humans, and her adventures.

The premiere aired as a two-hour special and was broadcast nationwide on Nippon TV's Friday Road Show. Afterward, it aired every Friday at 11 PM in Nippon TV's new anime slot "FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT (FuraAni)".

This article provides a comprehensive summary of the theme songs of "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" such as opening and ending themes, as well as insert songs used within the show.

What Kind of Anime is "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End"? What’s the Story?

After a ten-year adventure, the party of heroes finally defeats the Demon King. Frieren, the mage who traveled with the heroes, is an elf with a far longer lifespan than humans. Fifty years after the defeat of the Demon King, Frieren, who had set off alone, reunites with her former companions and finds that Himmel the Hero and the others have grown old. Realizing once again how brief human lives are, Frieren regrets not trying to understand humans better and sets out on a journey to learn more about them.

The animation was produced by Madhouse, known for titles like "A Place Further Than the Universe" and the first season of "One Punch Man." The background music (BGM) was composed by Evan Call, who also created the music for "Violet Evergarden" and NHK's historical drama "The 13 Lords of the Shogun."

Second Cour Opening Theme Song for "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End": "Haru"

The OP theme for the second cour "First-Class Mage Exam Arc" of "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" is "Haru" by the rock band duo Yorushika. As an opening theme, "Haru" is a powerful and dynamic song. It was digitally released on January 5, 2024, coinciding with the broadcast of the second cour.

During the First-Class Mage Exam Arc, many new spells appear, and battles between mages are featured. In the promo video for this arc, scenes of various mages casting spells to the uplifting sound of "Haru" leave a strong impression.

According to Yorushika’s composer n-buna, "Haru" is a song that longs for clear skies from a cloudy state. He wrote, "I hope this song can add a flourish to the world of Frieren and their journey."

About Yorushika, Second Cour Opening Theme Artist

Yorushika is a male-female rock duo consisting of composer n-buna and vocalist suis, known for their literary lyrics and guitar-driven sound. They have been active as Yorushika since April 2017.

n-buna writes and composes all of Yorushika's songs. He began as a Vocaloid producer (VocaloP) in 2012, releasing original songs like "Umiyuri Kaiteitan" using Hatsune Miku, which surpassed 10 million views on Nico Nico Douga and 24 million on YouTube as of December 2023. He also provides songs for various artists, notably composing "HEART" for Eir Aoi, which was used as the theme song for "Sword Art Online The Movie - Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night."

Vocalist suis has also sung the Japanese version of the end song for the Disney+ anime film "Luca" and performed as a featured vocalist on Hiroyuki Sawano’s project SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]'s album tracks.

Yorushika's popularity is evident with their "MVs" such as "Tada Kimi ni Hare," surpassing 200 million views, and "Dakara Boku wa Ongaku wo Yameta," exceeding 160 million views on YouTube.

Previous anime tie-up songs by Yorushika include "Hana ni Bourei" for "A Whisker Away," "Telepath" for "Kaina of the Great Snow Sea," and "Shayou" for the first season of "The Dangers in My Heart".

First & Second Cour Ending Theme Song for "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End": "Anytime Anywhere"

The ED theme for both the first and second cours of "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" is "Anytime Anywhere" by singer-songwriter milet. The song matches milet’s powerful yet gentle vocals with a grand accompaniment that aptly evokes the world of "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End".

For the special initial TV broadcast, a different ending song, "bliss," was used, but "Anytime Anywhere" is already used in the streaming versions.

On December 8, 2023, it was announced that "Anytime Anywhere" would remain as the ending theme for the second cour, with new animation introduced from episode 17. In the second cour, a different part of the song is used compared to the first, which gives viewers a fresh experience.

"Anytime Anywhere" is written and composed by milet, who commented on X (formerly Twitter), "I stepped into the world of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, feeling deeply the presence of Frieren and her companions, and layered sounds in hope of enveloping both strength and loneliness as they continue to remember their loved ones."

Regarding her feelings while singing "Anytime Anywhere," milet wrote, "No matter how many times I am reborn, I want to see you again. Even if I am reborn as a flower, I want to bloom by your side. Even if I became a star, I would want to circle near you. Being able to sing with you in my mind is my greatest happiness. These are the feelings I put into this song. No matter where or when, I hope this music can be by your side."

"Anytime Anywhere" was arranged by Evan Call, who also composes the anime's in-show music. He commented, "Recording with milet was a fantastic and stimulating experience. Our journey is about to begin!"

About milet, Ending Theme Artist

milet is a singer-songwriter who made her major debut on March 6, 2019. She is known for her unique husky and profound vocals. Although she is from Tokyo, she spent her adolescence in Canada and is acclaimed for her fluent English lyrics.

Her debut song "inside you" ranked No.1 on 11 music streaming platforms. In August 2021, she performed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic closing ceremony, and has appeared three years in a row at NHK's annual Red and White Song Battle.

In the April 2023 anime season, she collaborated with the rock band MAN WITH A MISSION to sing both the OP "Kizuna no Kiseki" and ED "Koi Kogare" for "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Swordsmith Village Arc".

Other anime theme songs she has performed include "Flare" (2nd cour ED of "Ranking of Kings"), "One Reason" (theme song for "The Deer King"), and "Prover" (2nd cour ED for "Fate/Grand Order -Absolute Demonic Front: Babylonia-").

First Cour Opening Theme Song for "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End": "Yuusha"

The OP theme for the first cour of "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" is "Yuusha" by the musical duo YOASOBI. It is an upbeat song with a chorus that conjures the world of fantasy, typical of YOASOBI's style.

Regarding the creation of "Yuusha," YOASOBI remarked, "We were particular about how much of the ever-present melancholic atmosphere, and Frieren's emotional growth as she discovers feelings she had never known during her journey, we could pour into this song."

YOASOBI, known as the "unit that turns novels into music," bases each song on a source novel. "Yuusha" was created from an original short novel "Sousou" written under the supervision of Frieren's original author Kanehito Yamada, which is available on the anime's official site.

YOASOBI has previously produced anime tie-up songs such as "Shukufuku" (theme song for "Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury") and "Idol" (theme song for "[Oshi no Ko]"). The novels that serve as the basis for their songs are published on official anime and manga websites.

About YOASOBI, First Cour Opening Theme Artist

YOASOBI is a musical duo made up of composer Ayase and vocalist ikura. Both are fans of the "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" manga, and commented, "It is a great honor to be involved with this work in the form of a song."

Their debut song "Yoru ni Kakeru," released in November 2019, was the first in history to surpass 900 million streams. In April 2023, their anime theme song "Idol" for "[Oshi no Ko]" was a mega-hit, with its music video surpassing 300 million views in just 143 days on YouTube.

The TikTok LIVE global broadcast on April 24, 2023, had 630,000 viewers in total and 120,000 simultaneous viewers, breaking records for domestic artist performance livestreams on TikTok LIVE as of April 2023.

Vocalist ikura is also active as a singer-songwriter under the name "Rira Ikuta." Under this name, she sang "JUMP," the official theme for Fuji TV's "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022," and "Tampopo," the theme for NHK drama "Ôoku."

Composer Ayase started as a VocaloP (Vocaloid producer) in December 2018. He revealed that there was little income from his VocaloP activities and he made a living through part-time jobs, but after the success of YOASOBI's "Yoru ni Kakeru," his life changed dramatically.

Special Ending Theme Song for "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" Premiere: "bliss"

The initial TV broadcast of "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" was a two-hour special, for which "bliss" by milet was used as the special ending song. It also serves as an insert song in episode 11.

"bliss" features orchestral sounds paired with milet’s vocals, creating an epic piece describing the world of Frieren and her companions. While the lyrics were written by milet, the music was composed by Evan Call, who also wrote the show’s BGM.

Describing her impression when hearing "bliss," milet said, "I was moved by the surging swell and vibrancy that can be felt in the sounds and atmosphere. The music conveys not only the joy of living but also envelops the pain and suffering that come with it." Regarding the lyrics, she said, "I wrote them while thinking about the invisible connections between people, and between people and nature."

For the recording of "bliss," milet said she focused by immersing herself in an amorphous love and darkness within. "While riding the undulating melodies and waves of orchestration, I felt as if I was tripping into the world where Frieren and her friends live and singing freely," she reflected.

Composer Evan Call mentioned that he aimed to create a song that fit both the worldview of the background music and milet's voice, so she could sing it with ease. After reading milet's lyrics, he felt they perfectly matched Frieren and expressed her inner feelings in song. He added that milet's vocals exceeded his expectations and moved him deeply.

Are There Any Insert Songs in "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End"?

In "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End," the special ending theme "bliss" from the premiere is used as an insert song in episode 11. So far, there have been no episodes featuring new insert songs.

Summary

The opening theme for the first cour of the anime "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" is "Yuusha" by musical unit YOASOBI, and the ending theme is "Anytime Anywhere" sung by singer-songwriter milet.

For the second cour, "First-Class Mage Exam Arc," the opening theme is "Haru" by the rock duo Yorushika, while the ending theme continues to be "Anytime Anywhere," just like in the first cour.

The two-hour premiere special featured "bliss," composed by Evan Call with vocals by milet, as the special ending song. "bliss" is also used as an insert song in episode 11.

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

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