Frieren: Grief Beyond Sadness
S3E7: This week, Josué and Rae are talking about Frieren: Beyond Journey's End, a beautiful high fantasy story that begins at the adventure's ending. They explore how Frieren (series and character) models a different way to grieve, one that centers on curiosity, reflection, gratitude, and celebration. They both share personal anecdotes about grief- Josué celebrating and recontextualizing his perception of his grandfather, and Rae rediscovering and revisiting her ancestors through family genealogy research. They then discuss the role of gratitude in grief-based practices as well as its role in living with intention fully in the moment and having no regrets in life.
[Producer's note: this was recorded during the first heat wave of July 2026 so our brains were a little more cooked than usual.]
Themes/Topics Discussed:
[Producer's note: this was recorded during the first heat wave of July 2026 so our brains were a little more cooked than usual.]
Themes/Topics Discussed:
- Death
- Feeling alone
- Finding Oneself/Identity Development
- Guilt
- Love
- Working with others
- Grief
- Loss
- Bereavement
- Mourning
- Disenfranchised grief
- Closure
- Grief-based practices
- Gratitude
Relatable Experiences:
- Acceptance
- Clarity/Understanding
- Coming of age/Getting older
- Death
- Loss (other than death)
- Guilt
- Moving
- Seeking closure with loss
- Living with intention/mindfully/fully in the moment to live without regrets
- Recontextualizing past experiences
Anime/Characters Mentioned:
- Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
- One Piece
Non-Anime Media Mentioned:
- Lord of the Rings (books and movies)
- The Hobbit (book & movies)
- Dungeons & Dragons
Contact Us:
- Join the discussion on the GT Forum at https://forum.geektherapy.org/ and connect with the Geek Therapy Network through the links at https://geektherapy.org/.
- Check out our other shows on the GT Network: https://network.geektherapy.org/
- Join us in the Geek Therapy Discord
- Follow Geek Therapy on Bluesky: @GeekTherapy.bsky.social
Conversation Starters:
What stories about grief have been the most impactful in your life? Which stories have helped you through your own grief?
[These show notes were proudly written with NO AI by a real human.]
