"I Successfully Died of Sweetness Again" – Abe Tsukasa's Original Illustration of Fern & Stark from 'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End' Sparks Chorus of "Just Date Already!"

The official X account for the original manga 'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End' has released an original illustration by Abe Tsukasa, generating significant buzz.

The published image was posted along with gratitude for viewers of anime episode 32. It depicts Stark (CV: Chiaki Kobayashi) and Fern (CV: Kana Ichinose) sitting side by side on a bench, rendered in soft colors and delicate touches. The illustration captures an impressive moment showing the subtle distance and expressions between the two—Stark appearing to blush slightly while looking away, and Fern with a bag on her lap, glancing sideways as if conscious of him.

'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End' is a manga by Kanehito Yamada (original story) and Abe Tsukasa (artwork). It was adapted into an anime in 2023, and the second season began airing in January 2026. Set in a world "after" the hero's party defeated the Demon King, the story follows Frieren (CV: Atsumi Tanezaki), an elf mage who has lived for over a thousand years, as she embarks on a journey to understand humanity. It's a fantasy that depicts her reminiscences with former heroes and adventures with new companions Fern and Stark.

In response to this post, fans shared enthusiastic comments such as "This is too precious," "The first date episode was great," "Fern's expression really hits hard," and "I successfully died of sweetness again." Additionally, some fans expressed their feelings by quoting a manga panel of the in-story character Sein saying "Just date already!!!"

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