#himmel statue

[mokkenene]

My husband, one of my besties, and I went to Japan, and while we were there we went to go see the Himmel statue before it was taken down. We handmade our costumes, and had a lot of fun going around the park in cosplay. We got asked for a few photos, and received lots of friendly waves. I even got called Frieren sama a few times! So happy we were lucky enough to be able to have this experience!

[mintybytes]

a familiar traveler

[akashis-waifu]

Neuvillette and Furina | Frieren and Himmel

Belated happy birthday, Neuvillette!

[cinnamonsikwate]

watching the first 2 episodes of frieren last year shook me so bad i still can't get myself to continue it, but between what i remember of it and the nightmares episode of dungeon meshi i can't stop thinking about the ways laios would prepare marcille for his death. what would he leave behind to remind her that he (and by extension all the people she loved and who loved her) are still with her in spirit, even if not in body?

[hazzzyrider]

I don't have the guts to watch the Frieren anime. I already cry on the regular when I read the manga every three months. It literally breaks me when I think about the premise alone. You're telling me to witness a near-immortal self actualize affection and intimacy for people she already outlived AND is in the process of outliving???????

Pretty sure I'll end up eating my whole fist if I watch it animated and voiced.

[everydayfrimmel]

May 29th, 2024

“Polishing”

500 words, canon-compliant

This one got his chin all wrong.

There's no reason at all for Frieren to take note of that. She has seen dozens, hundreds of these statues, most of them imperfect in some small way. A good three-quarters of those don't look quite right: he is too tall, or his build too lean or too stocky; his nose isn't quite right or his facial expression is one that, in all of ten years, she never saw on the real Himmel's face. She's no longer surprised that even people who sculpted Himmel during his lifetime couldn't get him right all the time.

But there is really no reason she should even remember what looks right and what doesn't anymore.

It's been eighty years. His face should be fuzzy in her memory by now, and when she tries to recall it, it is. But the moment she is presented with an imperfect replica, she purses her lips, displeased, and remembers with clarity that shocks even herself how different he looked in life. Even though she had been the first to argue that all of these statues were excessive back then, the wrong ones make her a little bit peevish.

Even after half a life spent away from the rest of the world, Frieren has seen more faces than she knows what to do with and forgotten them all. She tries to tell herself that it's curious that she remembers this one well enough to criticize a statue for failing to capture him well, but if she is honest with herself, she knows why.

Just like she knows, whether she will admit it or not, that he knew what a mirrored lotus meant, and that she knew what the way he looked at her meant, somewhere in the back of her mind, only chose every single time to pretend she didn't know as much as she did. Just like she knows now that she was very, very foolish to hide, to be so confused and frightened of something as warm and safe as Himmel. Perhaps the statues - the immense, gaping knowing that it takes to look at a bronze rendering and be able to point out how it fails to capture the original - is her strange sort of penance for that hiding-away. She comforts herself with the thought that it has to be.

"You'd have hated the way they did your chin," she murmurs, polishing - by hand, there is no spell that gives the feeling of having done her proper duty - a rusted cheek. The cloth rubs off nothing but a thin layer of dirt, and the copper of his face is still green beneath. "You always were too vain for your own good."

Perhaps she should thank him for that, though. It's that vanity that's kept his face so fresh in her mind, years after she ought to have forgotten what it looked like.

(Or maybe she's lying to herself. Maybe there is no preservative in the world as powerful as affection.)

[amethystsoda]

Me: surely this episode of Frieren won't make me cry this time

*narrator voice* she was wrong

[microwaving-tesilid-argente]

saw a comment on youtube about how himmel was probably so obsessed with having statues not just because of narcissism, but because he wanted to leave behind his image for his long-lived friends. i am in shambles.

[lanarchive]

fav part of frieren so far <3 also ily

hello hi i love YOU! my favourite part omg………. i have so many and i literally JUST got to the thirtieth chapter….. most recently tho is frieren picking a random ring for himmel to give her only for it to be a ring of eternal love (which he NOTICES and his face goes so soft and im just 🥹🥹🥹🥹)

[reckless-rider]

the animation for Frieren is so pretty

[haru-rain]

The biggest reason Himmel wanted statues of him and his group was so that Frieren wouldn't feel alone...

He didn't want her to be the only one to remember the faces of the hero and his group. He didn't want their adventures to become a fairy tale.

He wanted everyone to know that the hero Himmel and his group really did exist, and that their adventures were not just a myth that people told themselves without really believing it...

[tayasui-mono]

It's honestly so fucked up that there is a Himmel statue in every single town that Frieren visits, that kind of love is so heartbreaking and pure and comforting. He wanted to comfort her and be remembered and take care of her even in death. And it hurts so much that they have to separated by death, but it's also, it doesn't matter that he's dead, his feelings for her surpassed his lifetime. Whenever you see a Himmel statue, it's like he's right there anyway, so there is no opportunity to grieve him because he's right there and he cares so much.

[nnobara]

you're always getting statues made, himmel. because i want everyone to remember us. unlike you we don't live that long. but i guess the biggest reason is so you won't be alone in the future. what does that mean? we're not fairy tales. we really existed.

[pardon-my-scifi]

I will never be okay about Himmel and Frieren. Dude had statues built of the party so that she could always remember their faces and never be alone. Dude made sure debts were paid to Frieren far into the future. He wanted a chef's recipes to be the same 100 years into the future so that she could remember them and have something to look forward to. And now everything Frieren does is influenced by what Himmel did/told her. She spent months trying to find his favorite flower so she could cast a spell to plant them at his statue. Just AAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!

[frostfires-blog]

Sousou no Frieren Hanakotoba Analysis

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-> 1) Blue-Moon Weed [蒼月草│Sō gessō]

The Blue-Moon Weed (Sō gesso │ 蒼月草) is a blue, fictitious flower in the universe of Sousou no Frieren endemic to Himmel's hometown. The flower can be described as having blue anthers, yellow filaments as well as five petals that range from deeper blue at the tips to lighter blue in the centre. Although the Blue-Moon Weed is fictional, it appears to be inspired by real-life plants—namely Baby Blue Eyes and the Asiatic Daylily.

During episode 2, Frieren cleans a statue of Himmel the hero, afterwards a local herbalist proposes planting some flowers around the statue to brighten the area. This causes Frieren to recall how Himmel once told her his favourite flowers were Blue-Moon Weeds. This motivates her to search for these flowers over the next six months, despite these plants not being sighted for decades. After much frustration on Fern's part, the two eventually discover a small meadow of Blue-Moon Weed flowers atop an abandoned watchtower. This allows Frieren to use her spell to decorate the area around the statue with these flowers.  During this incident, we learn that Frieren’s penchant for collecting odd spells partly stems from Himmel expressing his appreciation for them—particularly the flower bed-making spell which is currently her favourite. Although Frieren couldn’t grant Himmel’s desire to show her Blue-Moon Weed flowers before his death, she was still somewhat able to fulfil this desire by finding the flowers and planting them around his statue as a tribute. Her willingness to devote half a year towards finding the flower showcases her remarkable dedication and nuanced sentimentality.

-> 1,2) Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila sp.)

The most apparent inspiration for the Blue-Moon Weed is likely Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila sp.). Although the leaves of the Blue-Moon Weed have an elongated shape, the shape and method of attachment differ from those of Nemophila—the shape and colour of the flowers are very similar to Nemophila. Baby Blue Eyes flowers are known as Rurikarakusa (ルリカラクサ) in Japan. In hanakotoba, Nemophila symbolises success everywhere, daintiness and forgiveness. In Western floriography, they represent victory, tenderness, sensitivity, harmony and trust. These symbolic connotations are closely linked with Himmel’s personality and accomplishments. Nemophila also represent the transient nature of beauty and life, encouraging us to treasure every moment and appreciate simplicity—which is a core theme in the series and is a lesson that Frieren is slowly learning throughout her journey.

The scientific name for Baby Blue Eyes, Nemophila, is derived from Greek and roughly translates to "loves small woodlands". This is derived from Nemophila's tendency to grow around the margins of woodlands. In a way, this is reminiscent of Himmel and Frieren's first encounter in the forest when the former became lost. After pointing him in the right direction, Frieren casts the flower bed-making spell leaving a lasting impact on Himmel. Specifically, it is hinted that Himmel sought Frieren out to be the party's magician since that event was the first time he perceived magic as being beautiful.

-> 1,2) Asiatic Dayflower (Commelina communis)

Another possible inspiration for the Blue-Moon Weed is the Asiatic Dayflower (Commelina communis). In Japan, this plant is known as tsuyukusa (露草) meaning "dew grass“. However, in ancient times it was called tsukikusa (月草) meaning “moon grass” which is similar to the name of Blue-Moon Weed. Although the two plants both possess blue-coloured flowers and similar leaf shapes; how the leaves attach to the stem differs, as does the shape of the flowers. In hanakotoba, the Asiatic Dayflower symbolises nostalgic relationships, secret love, transience and changes of heart in love. In Western floriography, they symbolise harmony, growth, prosperity and abundance. These symbolic associations—particularly those of nostalgic relationships, growth and changes of the heart in love—resonate heavily with Frieren’s relationship with Himmel. While the flower’s symbolism of secret love and transience resonates with Himmel’s feelings towards Frieren.

-> 2) Mirrored Lotus [鏡蓮華│Kagami renge]

The Mirror Lotus (Kagami renge │鏡蓮華) is a fictitious flower in the universe of Sousou no Frieren. However, its name suggests it is based on a real lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). Furthermore, the shape of the flower on Fern's bracelet is quite similar to that of a real lotus, which lends credence to this notion. In episode 14, it is noted that the silver bracelet Stark bought Fern for her birthday features a Mirror Lotus design. As Frieren studies the bracelet, she realises it has the same design as a ring she received from Himmel in the past. Sein then reveals that the Mirror Lotus symbolises eternal love.

Although Fern, Stark, and Frieren were unaware of the flower's symbolism, Himmel's interest in flowers suggests he recognised the meaning behind the ring he bought for Frieren—despite her assumption otherwise. As Frieren recalls receiving the ring, we see that after she selected it randomly Himmel was struck into silence and stared at it with a pensive expression. He then knelt before Frieren and placed it on the fourth finger of her left hand. This event, resembling a marriage proposal, reinforces the impression that he understood the significance of the flower. Furthermore, Himmel never married anyone else, alluding to the fact that Himmel must have pledged his eternal affection to Frieren through this ring. The significance of Himmel gifting Frieren a ring that symbolises "eternal love," as well as the multiple sculptures he had constructed around the world serve as a reminder of his existence. They serve as proof that his love for her transcends time and continues to accompany her on her journey.

Although Fern’s bracelet Fern and Frieren’s ring both have a mirrored lotus motif, the designs of the flowers differ in shape. The mirror lotus flower on Frieren’s ring is in bud state while the flower Fern's bracelet is in full bloom. This distinction references the difference between the two pairs’ relationships. While it is inferred that Himmel knew about the flower’s meaning, Frieren wasn't aware and only discovered it after his death. Himmel's romantic feelings for Frieren are still unknown to her, corresponding to the flower's bud shape on the ring, as their relationship remains frozen, unable to fully blossom due to the distance between them caused by their differing lifespans and Frieren's unintentional obliviousness. However, Fern and Stark discover the flower's significance together almost immediately after buying the bracelet. Although Fern, like Stark, was unaware of the mirror lotus' symbolism when she accepted the bracelet, she continued to wear it after learning about it and was enraged by Stark's proposal that she replace it with another design. If Fern hadn't had any romantic feelings for Stark, she would have been reluctant to wear the bracelet after this revelation. This, in conjunction with the flower's full bloom design on her bracelet, suggests that the pair will become mutually conscious of each other's romantic feelings and eventually end up together.

-> 2,1) Sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera)

In Japan, lotuses are called ren (蓮) or hasu (はす) and symbolise eloquence, sacredness, detached love as well as a pure heart in hanakotoba. Its symbolism of a pure heart is derived from how the lotus blooms into a noble and pure flower despite rising from muddy water. This symbolic connotation resonates with Himmel’s character, particularly his remarkable accomplishments despite his humble background. Lotuses are also globally associated with purity, rebirth, transformation and enlightenment. The lotus’s symbolic representation of enlightenment and transformation resonates with Frieren’s journey to learn and understand humans better to alleviate her regret of not getting to know Himmel better. In Asia, two lotus flowers blossoming from a single stem represent a desire for harmony and a shared heart. While in Western floriography, lotuses represent grace and estranged love. This sharp contrast between the lotus’ romantic symbolism in Asia and the West correlates with the difference in dynamic between the series’ main two pairings and their narrative conclusions. Additionally, despite Himmel’s feelings remaining unknown to Frieren, due to her leaving after their 10-year journey (i.e. estranged love), she shows a desire to understand him (i.e. a desire for a shared heart) after his death.

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╰➤ Other anime & donghua hanakotoba posts

[A/N: It'll probably be a while until I make another one of these posts—but if anyone has any requests feel free to send them. Also, lmk what other kinds of posts I should do in the meantime? Lastly, if you liked this post, check out my other hanakotoba analysis posts✿]

[philosmene]

First frieren fanart and it's a MEME to cope with the tragic lovestory plotline 🗣 anyways do you think Himmel asked her to do that pose for their commissioned statues

😸 Meme based on that labru meme by @/sweepswoop_ on twitter