This is such a breath of fresh air. Rather than focusing on fights, instead this is about a long-lived elf who experiences time, and therefor life, much differently than the companions she’d made on a journey to fight and destroy a demon king. Over the course of decades, this first volume takes place after that, and we begin to see and understand how she approaches life and relationships.

I would call this “cozy” probably? There is a plot to each story but they are quiet and heartfelt, and more about character. All the great moments come from emotional connection and the accumulation of small moments that make memory connections of events in the (sometimes very distant) past. It becomes clear, though long lived, Frieren has a lot of growing and capacity to do so, yet to go.

There is also a sprinkling of fantastic world building happening, albeit slowly and in a “soft” fashion.