On the 28th, voice actress Atsumi Tanezaki attended the event "Anime Broadcast 1st Anniversary Commemoration 'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End' Special Screening" to celebrate the first anniversary of the initial broadcast of the TV anime 'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.' Upon the announcement of the production of the anime's second season, she read a letter and paid tribute to Atsuko Tanaka, who played the role of Flamme and passed away on August 20.

Atsuko Tanaka was a popular voice actress known for dubbing numerous actresses such as Nicole Kidman and Jennifer Lopez, and for anime roles like Motoko Kusanagi in 'Ghost in the Shell,' Misuzu Suenaga in 'Salaryman Kintaro,' Caster in 'Fate/stay night,' Hanami in 'Jujutsu Kaisen,' and Flamme in 'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End.'

At the screening, Tanezaki, who plays Frieren, watched episodes 1 to 4 of 'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End' once again. Reading a letter, she reflected deeply, saying, "From the moment I saw the words of Flamme's journal at the beginning of the first episode, tears overflowed."

Regarding the passing of Tanaka, she conveyed, "By watching the work, we can meet Atsuko Tanaka's Flamme anytime, as many times as we like. If we think about it, she is always alive."

'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End' is based on the manga of the same name serialized in 'Weekly Shonen Sunday' since April 2020. It's a "post-adventure fantasy" that depicts the aftermath of a hero party that defeated the Demon King. The story follows the elf mage Frieren, who embarks on new adventures with new companions in a world after the hero's death.

The new story will begin where Season 1 left off, following Frieren, her apprentice Fern, who has obtained the First-Class Mage qualification, and the warrior Stark, as they resume their journey from the land of Oisirs, the site of the First-Class Mage Exam.

The teaser visual that was released shows a quiet, serene scene with Frieren’s bag, Fern’s staff, and Stark’s axe placed under the shade of a tree, accompanied by the shadows of the three characters. The peaceful imagery hints at the beginning of a new journey for the trio. In the announcement video, fans could hear a newly recorded voice line from Frieren, played by Atsumi Tanezaki, saying, “Shall we begin the next part of the journey?”

Unfolding in an innovative timeline "after the Demon King's defeat," the series has captivated many readers with its emotionally resonant drama and lines, battles involving magic and swords, and unexpected humor woven by the characters. It's a popular work that won the Grand Prize at the 'Manga Taisho 2021,' and its comics have surpassed 22 million copies in total. The TV anime was broadcast from September 2023 to March 2024.

At the screening, in addition to Tanezaki, Nobuhiko Okamoto (voice of Himmel), Kana Ichinose (voice of Fern), Chiharu Kobayashi (voice of Stark), Hiroki Touchi (voice of Heiter), and Yoji Ueda (voice of Eisen) also participated.

Anime 'Frieren: Beyond Journey's End' Official Web Page (JP)

Source : ORICON NEWS