On the list of running Frieren gags, Stark randomly coming across master warriors and getting trained is one of my favorites. It might not be as good as Frieren with mimics, but it is pretty good. Overall, this was a slow episode to allow for a cooldown following the intensity of the finale to the first round of the exam.

Lots of great character moments this episode:

• The return of pouty Fern faces. It came back with a vengeance this episode.
• Grandpa Denken treating his (metaphorical) child and grandchild to dinner (also Laufen just rolling with being spoiled like a grandchild)
• Übel turning her eyes toward Land and wanting to get to know him better, much to his dismay.
• Kanne and Lawine basically having a date and meeting up with Frieren and Fern
• Stark doing his warrior thing after being recruited to kill some monsters by Wirbel

Just a solid episode that had to juggle lots of characters going about their daily lives when they have a day to relax. Second round of the exam is coming up. I don’t remember it super well, so I am looking forward to it!

People often joke that Fern is the party’s mum, but let’s be frank - all three are different mixes of maturity and childishness. (This was Fern’s turn to be immature.)

And it’s interesting that Frieren is immature in a different way than the other two. Stark and Fern don’t have life experience, and it’s kind of hard to control your impulses when you’re a teen, you’ll get angry and lazy and all of that. Frieren however knows when to be childish, and there’s always some vague hint of bittersweet in this, almost as if saying “I know that I can be selfish here. Ultimately it doesn’t matter”.

This episode was also great to highlight the relationships formed by the first test. Let’s hope that glasses-kun is wise enough to avoid this problem:

(Übel is literally “problem” in German.)

A little slice of life episode.

Who hasn’t gone back in search of an old restaurant or dish that they enjoyed in the past?

Freiren and Denken were lucky.

Many times, those places and those tastes are gone forever. They maybe even weren’t even that good. But it’s the memories of who we were with that made those places and those tastes special.

Freiren ordering the same omelette for Stark as Himmel got the first time she ate here, and that ridiculous pile of steaks.

Richter tending his humble… repair shop? Bloodthirsty repair mage…

Ubel the empathic sociopathic killer?

Stark masters the essence of martial arts!

Next episode review mentions mimic. Frieren is doomed.