A stage greeting for the second chapter, "Aura of the Guillotine," of the "Special Screening of Season 1 Retrospective - Memories of the Journey," a retrospective screening of the first season of the TV anime "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End," was held at TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo) on October 11th, and Ayana Taketatsu, the voice actress for the popular character Aura, appeared. Aura only appeared in three episodes of the first season, but her overwhelming presence became a hot topic. This was Taketatsu's first appearance at a "Frieren: Beyond Journey's End" event. It was an unusual stage greeting, as a cast member of a character who does not have many screentimes appeared alone on stage.
Taketatsu said, "I'm nervous because I never thought I'd be performing alone. To be able to stand as Aura...I'm surprised!" and revealed her thoughts about Aura's popularity, saying, "I never expected it. Without me knowing, the character has become so big, merchandise has been released, it's become a buzz, and it's loved, so I'm happy and filled with gratitude. It's become so popular that I can't keep up with my feelings."
Aura is a demon with immense magical powers known as the "Seven Sages" directly under the Demon King, and is also known as "Aura of the Guillotine." She left a big impact with lines such as "Aura, kill yourself" exchanged between her and Frieren.
Taketatsu said that the line that made the biggest impression on her was, "Himmel's gone now," and revealed the behind-the-scenes story of the recording, saying, "At first, I said it in a slightly mean way. The director told me, 'Say it more calmly, to convey that he's gone,' and 'There's no need for malice,'" before performing the line live.
"Frieren: Beyond Journey's End," a manga written by Kanehito Yamada and illustrated by Tsukasa Abe, began serialization in Weekly Shonen Sunday (Shogakukan) in April 2020. Frieren, a magician in the hero's party who defeated the Demon King, is an elf and thus long-lived. After experiencing the death of a companion, she embarks on a journey to "discover humanity." The manga has been selected for the Manga Taisho 2021, the 25th Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize Newcomer Award, the 69th (2023) Shogakukan Manga Award, and the 48th Kodansha Manga Award in the Boys' category. The manga has sold over 30 million copies. It was also announced that the latest volume, volume 15, will be released on December 18th.
The first season of the TV anime aired on Nippon Television's anime slot "FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT (Fura-ani)" from September 2023 to March 2024. The second season will air on Nippon Television from January 2026. The second season will air on "Fura-ani" every Friday at 11:00 PM starting January 16, 2026.
