Has Frieren’s “Shoboshobo Face” Evolved? In “Frieren: Beyond Journey's End,” Her Mouth Turns Into “ω” After a 1,000-Year Ban

One of Frieren’s (voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki) greatest charms is her surprisingly expressive face. Especially memorable is the dejected, emoji-like expression she made when she was handed a “1,000-year ban,” which warmed the hearts of many viewers who thought, “This is the classic Frieren face.” Although Frieren usually comes off as cool and expressionless, the fact that she rarely shows her emotions makes the moments when she does even more impactful. Among these, her “shobon face,” with horizontal-line eyes and a mouth shaped like “ω,” is a fan favorite.

In episode 28, the final episode of the “Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End” anime, Frieren once again showed this shobon face. After Fern (voiced by Kana Ichinose) passed the First-Class Mage Exam, she was invited to attend the privilege award ceremony, with Frieren and Stark (voiced by Chiaki Kobayashi) joining as her guests. However, Frieren headed to the reception with a distinctly displeased look, her eyebrows drawn in a downward “8” shape.

At the reception, she was informed, “By decree of Lady Serie, Frieren is banned. Please refrain from entering the facilities of the Continental Magic Association for the next 1,000 years.” Frieren, who has a complicated relationship with the great mage Serie (voiced by Mariya Ise), responded, “It can’t be helped. I upset Serie,” and left the reception. Yet again, her face at that moment was the familiar shobon look.