It’s an unexpected and welcome turn for a series that consistently keeps its readers on their heels. So while this first volume was different than expected, it was not in a bad way! I still wish it would have more focus on the romance, since it’s what I was most looking forward to, but I would still recommend The Coppersmith’s Bride if you enjoy learning about new places and new things! ~ the afterword for volume three of Your Forma, the excellent science fiction series about artificial intelligence and investigators who dive into criminal suspects’ memories, author Mareho Kikuishi explains that the first two volumes involved people who benefitted from technology, while this one focuses on those hurt by it. It was cool because this was the first time I’ve read a manga that took place in this prefecture, and it made me want to visit should one day I travel to Japan. Definitely not a bad thing, as I found learning about Japanese coppersmithing super interesting! More often than not, I felt like I was a tourist invited to experience how amazing and charming the Niigata prefecture is as we met a few different artisans. The romance is cute, but in some ways this almost felt like a love letter of sorts as to why the Niigata prefecture is so amazing. ~ since the middle of last year, I have been low-key on the hunt for more manga that has the friends-to-lovers trope, and that was why I was so excited for one of J-Novel’s new releases, The Coppersmith’s Bride! Not only is this cover super cute, but a gyaru who is suddenly proposed to by her “smithing nut” childhood friend? And the story follows them through the beginning of their engagement? Count me in! While that premise sounds right up my alley, I was surprised to find that this story is more “educational” than a cute love story. If you’re looking for a cute read with humor and what appears to be a budding romance, this might be your book. I think that’s what this type of story needs, for not every tale needs to be a masterpiece. I found this volume more enjoyable than the bits of the anime I watched because it moves forward with great speed, refusing to dither in a world and characters that have little depth. There are intriguing isekai elements that connect the story to our own near-future earth, which might ultimately give the manga the depth of storyline it’s lacking but if those never come to a satisfying fulfillment, that’s okay, too. Now comes the manga, which is light-hearted and fun. And who better to help in their restoration than…the very hero who destroyed them in the first place? The story of Leo joining forces with his enemy after the humans turned on him in mistrust and fear has already received an anime adaptation as well as the original light novel release. After being single-handedly conquered by the human hero, it’s in total disarray, but Queen Echidna and her four generals are committed to repairing their world. It reminds us that despite our shortcomings, we have the power to change lives for the better. Reading the manga is an experience every time, always bringing me nearly to tears (multiple times here in volume seven) even as it balances that emotion with humor. In any other series, that would be unexpected, but not so for Frieren. How amazing that in a volume that begins with the results of the mage exam and continues with a journey to a hot spring, with a small quest and a date(!) along the way, the themes of grace, sacrifice, and forgiveness changing people’s lives for now and into future generations would shine so brightly.
The same can be said for the rest of the characters from antiquity, whose tutelage, kindness, and sacrifice have changed the next generation, who are now undergoing their own journeys of transformation and taking after their models in caring for others. And yet, as this volume emphasizes so much, his value doesn’t just derive from the world-class achievements, but also from the individual lives he personally impacted. A statute is erected for him in practically every town that Stark, Fern, and Frieren visit (with the one notable exception explained in this volume)-so many, in fact, that the latter notes the statues have been cast in over one hundred different positions. Can an ordinary person change the future? Can someone who is self-absorbed, arrogant, anxious, depressed, or impulsive really impact the world for the better? Himmel the Hero represents the last one of those faults, and yet again and again, he’s both given credit as the adventurer who was most responsible for saving the world, and is the friend who totally changed Frieren’s life.
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