Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Director Reveals the Real Reason He Stepped Back
Keiichiro Saito reveals why he isn’t returning as lead director for Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End season 2 — and the answer is refreshingly blunt.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is back in a minute, but the director seat is changing hands. And the reason why is surprisingly candid and a little rough.
Who is steering season 2 (and why the change)?
Keiichiro Saito, who directed the first season, says he is not helming season 2 because he simply could not keep up with everything he needed to handle last time. He leaned on episode director Tomoya Kitagawa throughout season 1 and decided Kitagawa should take point this time.
When we worked together on the first season, I felt that Kitagawa-san had solid ideas and techniques. Even during the first season, I was unable to keep up with the things that I should have been looking after, so I asked Kitagawa-san to help me out. I could not think of anyone else to ask, so I asked Kitagawa-san.
That is about as honest as it gets in anime production. Saito is still involved as an assistant director, so he has not left the show entirely. Kitagawa, for his part, previously directed episodes 2, 8, and 25, and he says the core team is largely intact this season with a few new faces joining.
If you saw confusion about him "taking over from Yamada": quick fix — Kanehito Yamada writes the manga. Kitagawa is taking over directing duties from Saito, not the author.
- Release: Season 2 starts January 16
- Episode count: 10 episodes
- Streaming: Season 2 hits Crunchyroll on January 16; season 1 is currently on Hulu and Netflix in the US
- Staff shift: Tomoya Kitagawa moves into the director chair; Keiichiro Saito remains as assistant director
- Carryover crew: Art direction, color design, cinematography, editing, and key directing/animation staff return, with some newcomers
- Source material: Based on Kanehito Yamada's ongoing manga
- Reception: The series currently holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
Where season 1 left us
After a six-month run, season 1 wrapped with Frieren and Fern continuing north to Aurole. Fern passed her exams and earned First Class Mage status. Frieren, being Frieren, managed to get herself banned from the Magic Association for the next 1,000 years. Normal adventurer stuff.
What season 2 is promising
Director Yuichiro Fukushi said at Anime Expo 2025 that the new season sends Frieren and the current party into new territories with fresh dynamics, different combat setups, and shifting character mindsets. The big focus is on how those roles evolve and how Frieren herself grows through it.
Bottom line
Season 2 arrives January 16 with a tighter 10-episode run, a trusted hand in Kitagawa steering the ship, and Saito still in the mix. If season 1 was your thing (and that 100% Rotten Tomatoes score says it was a lot of people’s thing), it sounds like the show is keeping its DNA while pushing the characters into new territory.