New Crunchyroll Fantasy Anime Is Following in Frieren’s Footsteps in Remarkable Ways

Warning: The following contains spoilers for Unnamed Memory episode #2!!

Summary Unnamed Memory draws parallels to Frieren, with similar relationships and story arcs.

The emotional depth in Frieren surpasses Unnamed Memory due to its focus on friendship and loss.

Unnamed Memory, despite being less emotional, could potentially match Frieren's tone with further exploration.

There will undoubtedly only be a few anime that will ever truly capture the magic and tone of Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, but a new fantasy series on Crunchyroll called Unnamed Memory is beginning to make remarkable strides that are definitely noteworthy for fans of Frieren. Granted, only the latter half of the second and latest episode of Unnamed Memory really brought these correlations to light, but if this trend continues, Frieren fans might have something special on their hands to look forward to every week this season.

Essentially, what Frieren is to Fern is what the witch Tinasha is to crown prince Oscar. Although Unnamed Memory's first episode mostly revolves around the unique agreement between Oscar and Tinasha, it begins laying the foundation for a potential sense of loss that Frieren explored effortlessly.

Viewers only learned in Unnamed Memory episode 1 that Tinasha knew and was likely very close to Oscar's grandfather, but the fact that she eventually agrees to live with Oscar in his kingdom set the stage for what was to come.

Unnamed Memory's Plot Is Mirroring Frieren to Near Perfection

Produced by ENGI; based on the original novels by Kuji Furumiya

The true ties to Frieren are more apparent in episode #2, beginning with a scene about halfway through when Tinasha imagines a moment from her past to one that was transpiring at that very moment in the same room. From there, Tinasha even embarks on a particular mission that bears a striking resemblance to one of Frieren's first arcs with Fern when they encounter the demon Qual.

So, while much less bittersweet and emotional overall, Unnamed Memory is clearly going in the same direction as Frieren and could even match the overall tone if the focus continues to explore Tinasha's past in this way.

While there are many parallels to Qual in Unnamed Memory, the execution isn't as emotional since the correlations to the past are mostly tied to former and current villains. Meanwhile, Frieren puts more emphasis on long-lost friends, with Qual eliciting both memories and revelations about Frieren's deceased party member, Himmel. A village elder whom Frieren remembers fondly in the same episode is also a much more heartwarming version of what Tinasha experiences in Unnamed Memory with the now-elderly grandson of her former enemy.

Unnamed Memory's Plot Has the Potential To Have the Same Impact as Friren

The two series, while having a lot in common, have many striking differences as well – which could help Unnamed Memory give its own crucial message

So, while much less bittersweet and emotional overall, Unnamed Memory is clearly going in the same direction as Frieren and could even match the overall tone if the focus continues to delve into Tinasha's past in this way. It's possible, since her relationship with Oscar's grandfather has been alluded to but not yet explored, providing the opportunity for a very promising prospective story line and possibly even an overall shift to match Frieren.

Truth be told, it's more accurate to say that Frieren matched Unnamed Memory, since Unnamed Memory began as a novel in 2013, and the light novel adaptation started a year before Frieren's manga in 2020. Frieren was therefore more likely than not inspired by Unnamed Memory and just capitalized on the second and possibly later episodes to be more emotionally tinged. Regardless, Frieren has touched the hearts of many anime fans, and it's possible for Unnamed Memory to do the same if its source material paved the way in such a manner so many years earlier.

Unnamed Memory is simulcasting on Crunchyroll.

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