"Truly on a Monster Level": Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Live Drawing of Genau and Methode Sparks Awe Over Incredible Artwork

On the official X account for the Frieren: Beyond Journey's End anime, illustrations of Genau (voiced by Tarusuke Shingaki) and Methode (voiced by Reina Ueda) drawn live by character designer Keisuke Kojima have been released, sparking a wave of reactions online.

The illustration was drawn during the Frieren: Beyond Journey's End event at "Anime Expo 2026." In the artwork, the text "AX 2026" appears in the upper left, and Genau is depicted raising his right hand in front of his face amid a swirl of black feathers, with Methode reaching out her left hand before him. The piece stands out for its intricate lines, which seem almost unbelievable for a live drawing, and its powerful composition that captures the characters' appeal.

The Frieren: Beyond Journey's End anime is a fantasy series based on the manga of the same name, written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe. Set in the world "after" the hero's party defeated the Demon King, the story follows Frieren, a mage who has lived for over a thousand years and helped defeat the Demon King alongside the hero, as she embarks on a new journey with the people she meets along the way. Frieren's quest to better understand humanity, while retracing memories of her past adventures, has resonated with many readers and viewers.

Kojima, who handled the artwork, mentioned on his own X account that the drawing was done as a timed challenge, revealing, "I had only decided on the rough composition." He went on to say, "I managed to pull it off with some tricks for drawing super fast! I was so nervous..." reflecting on the tense behind-the-scenes process unique to live drawing.

In response to these posts, fans have shared comments such as, "This casually surpasses what 'live drawing' is supposed to be...", and "Being able to draw Genau and Methode like this through live drawing is truly on a monster level...", along with many other remarks praising the astonishing skill and fine detail of the illustration, including "This quality is honestly amazing" and "Methode almost looks like she has wings growing...!"

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