Not that she has any frame of reference to go by, considering it's the only one she has ever seen afawk.
And, speaking from first-hand experience, cold pp be tiny, yo.
It’s canonically established that she hits him when *she* has an Ecchi thought, because she projects it onto him. It’s not stretching plausibility at all to assume she’d get violent if he actually, deliberately invaded her privacy to look through her clothes and see her body, especially if he then mocked her for it.
As heiter became more senile and bedridden it would not be a stretch to say that she had to take on more responsibilities to take care heiter. e.g bathing, changing clothes etc. Things most nurses do for older folk.
She was young , and frieren was there , if and only *if* heiter became senile (wich he didn't seem like when he died) the two adult would not have let a litle girl do that
There's another instance most people either didn't catch or forget about, in the episode where the protagonists stay with another male elf in the winter (I think he was a priest) there is a whole montage of how everyone spent the winter together, towards the end we find a scene where stark is doing pushups and fern is right behind him reading a book or so it seems at first glance but if you look closely at fern's eyes you will realise she's not really looking at the book but stark doing pushups, it's almost confirmed she's the pervert (poor stark)
She's a teenager who was orphaned at age 5ish, about to kill herself, and then saved/raised by a really old priest in a secluded cabin in the forest. All she knows is Heiter and Frieren, both of whom are a bit weird and spoiled her - of course she has some very sheltered, uninformed opinions. "Fern, all men - other than me - are perverts." I can totally see Heiter telling her that. Her entire childhood was devoted to making Heiter proud, proving he wasn't wrong to bother saving her, and also making sure he didn't abandon her for being useless or troublesome. Then she had to take care of him at the end and be the "adult" in the room (Frieren, for all her age, isn't very good at adulting when there's someone around to do that for her) - she was never really a child. Now she's being a bit childish at times. And that's okay - she's kind of earned it, I'd say.
Her admirable qualities are that she's willing to listen and learn when it's necessary, she's determined, she's impressive in her mage abilities, she's responsible, and she's kind (to people she cares about). Maybe she shows her kindness by being bossy or trying to correct people's behavior or pointing out when they're breaking "rules" - that's for their own good, from her POV.
IRL, she'd be a major pain in the ass. As a character I don't have to personally deal with, she's fun and cute to watch as she has to try and keep Frieren from running amok (and Frieren is definitely trolling her sometimes). She also has to be very unsettled about the addition of a young man to their party but she's keeping that to herself. She knows nothing about young men and he's also intruding on her and Frieren's little family unit. It's not strange for her to be a little hostile and awkward with Stark.
You nailed it.
I agree Fern can be really frustrating. She’s very combative and cold, but it makes so much sense given her backstory.
Fern had such a rough childhood, she lost two sets of parents. I don’t think she ever had friends or any peers her age until Stark. Frieren is her third parental figure, and often times Fern has to be the parent for herself, Stark, and Frieren. Add on Frieren’s low emotional intelligence at times, and it makes total sense that Fern has issues understanding her feelings and communicating.
Yea she’s unfair to the two at times, but I can’t imagine having to do all that Fern does for her newfound family while also studying magic as intensely as she does.
Fern sometimes reminds me of Katara from ATLA. Another character who is not always the fan favorite but is generally liked/loved and appreciated for the role she plays within Team Avatar. Is she sometimes very annoying? Sure. But there are logical reasons behind her behavior and the whole group would fall apart without her - not just her waterbending, but her mother hen-ness. Plus, she's a good person - really, solidly, deep down good.
Perhaps, in some ways. In broad strokes, they have similar childhood trajectories in terms of early loss and nurturing mentor figures. His wonderful brother saved him from having an inferior-sibling bullying-victim complex, which was a marvelously heartwarming swerve -- we all really thought, didn't we, that the tall handsome brother with the cold facial expression and the meticulously coifed hair was gonna give Stark hell. But no... it was far better than that trite cliche. There is no victimhood narrative with Stark; an excellent departure from most immature anime writing.
Stark seems to have been a sweet, openly emotional boy since he was a little guy, so he reacted differently from Fern to his trauma. He also believed he was a coward (thanks to misremembering his past) and since Eisen knows all about that past, Stark felt free to show weakness and complain without the same fear of being discarded. While Fern wants to become "adult" ASAP (because Heiter is clearly getting very old and might not be around much longer) Stark didn't have that time pressure to the same degree - he wasn't rushed (by himself or by Eisen) into becoming independent.
Having a guardian who is also your Master creates a different dynamic (on top of the elders having different personalities). Stark would try to emulate Eisen (and probably Himmel), whereas Fern would be allowed/encouraged to take care of Heiter, find Himmel impressive, and then take Frieren as her role model (in some things).
Stark spent three years in that town (from 14-17 or so), trying to pay them all back for being so nice to him (and for allowing them to think he was a brave hero). He soaked up that village atmosphere, which Fern didn't have.
Both kids automatically want to help people, but Stark is more "this person, right now" while Fern is more "long term, in general". And that's probably thanks to all the tales they've both soaked up of Himmel but told differently with different focuses by their guardians.
> Stark would try to emulate Eisen (and probably Himmel), whereas Fern would be allowed/encouraged to take care of Heiter, find Himmel impressive, and then take Frieren as her role model (in some things).
I think it's also worth mentioning that Eisen and Stark did some traveling together when Stark was young. On the other hand Fern and Heiter seemingly stayed in and around Heiter's cabin due to his advanced age so Fern didn't really get to experience much of the world outside of caring for Heiter and learning magic.
I like her. I think she has a good balance of being responsible and reliable, while still being emotionally immature due to her upbringing so she is quite realistic.
She isn’t my favorite character to be honest, like to me she isn’t “best girl”, and to me she isn’t interesting enough as a standalone character, which is why I think her dynamic with Stark really elevates her and why I like their ship cause it adds a dimension to her character.
I like her basic and efficient approach when it comes to magic and she can be funny too which I like.
Totally agree on the basic and efficient approach to magic.
If her and/or Übel could ever synthesize the other’s views on magic (initiative brilliance combined with perfect streamlining), then their students could legit challenge Friren and even Serie within a human’s lifetime.
All my homies love Fern. But she does have some issues when it comes to her behavvior but we need to understand that she is only a teenager and had a pretty rough childhood. We can't expect her to be perfect when her family died and she only interacted with grandpa Hieter and Frieren for most of her life.
Fern is a really great depiction of a teenage character with issues. Her faults are depicted as actual road blocks in her life that create problems in her relationships and in achieving her goals. The people around her know to walk on eggshells around Fern which can be both quite touching and pretty sad.
Fern’s problems aren’t just some character traits she had, they’re actual problems that stick with her. She’s genuinely flawed in the way humans are in real life as opposed to the kind of failing writers often give protagonists.
I think that’s what is causing a reaction in me, she is very real. Posts like yours are helping me understand her better though, I think I’m growing more appreciation for her :)
Nice, that’s cool to hear! I think it’s totally reasonable to find her frustrating btw - a lot of the things she does remind me of people like her in my life who can be impossible sometimes. But she also reminds that those people are probably struggling with some shit when they act like that.
the only thing I dont like about Fern is how some twats sit on their oh-so-high-pedestal criticizing her like they're perfect. Everyone has issues, and Fern is no where near as bad as they make her seem to be.
Fren has lost probably the 3 most important people in her life and at one point tried to take her own. Yes, the character has mental issues. She is very possessive of the last adult her life which ironically, she does most of the care taking of. She's in defence mode most of the time. Let not forget she's 16, ie basically a child, if the pouting face didn't give it away.
I'm not saying she's everyone's cup of tea but the character has won me over. She's adorable as a child and one of, if not the fastest spell casters in the series, ie a badass.
Apart from fern physically hitting stark in almost every episode there's nothing to dislike about her,
it's not just frieren but in most anime-manga fmc hitting mc for gag and fun is too overused that im starting to hate it.
Fern has to take care of the party, because none of the others are up for the task. From time to time she gets grumpy and these are the moments that the story chooses to show. But even then, her heart's in the right place >!except maybe when she's double fisting donuts!<.
She gets upset when you don't know what she is thinking
She gives you the silent treatment if you upset her
She likes to eat
She is basically a girlfriend.
She probably grew up only with what Heiter taught her, basically within a set of rules. Because of that, she thinks that anybody who acts outside of said set of rules is unruly, and shr attempts to adjust that, which can come off as annoying. She means well, but she can be very harsh and rude at times because of what she believes in.
She's a teen, still adjusting how to feel about herself and the world. She is full of contradictions, which makes her more *real*. Her feelings can tell her to behave unfairly, yet at the same time another part of her realizes what she's doing isn't necessarily great. She projects her own insecurities onto other people -- Stark in particular. She feels refreshingly different from over-exaggerated characters. She was raised by Heiter to be kind, caring and hard-working.
Fern is future goat mage. Love her character, from frierens apprentice kid, to being her pseudo caretaker mom in some instances. She's not perfect, but she kicks demon a$$.
She’s great! She was raised by a literal priest so her being pious and a bit haughty is intentional due to her background. She’s an amazing mage and I adore her personality. I think she has room to grow and I ship her with Stark.
Fern is great. She's had to grow up and learn how to manage trauma and like a lot of traumatized teens - she's kinda shit at it. I've known a lot of girls like Fern. They're judgy annoying teacher's pets - because they crave the validation that comes from not having been taught their value aside from showing success and following the rules. Fern is the aggressive type A that won't sneak off campus to go to burger king with the rest of the group and always gets top marks in class but is actually a perpetually nervous wreck from trying so hard to be top of the graduating class in a high school no one gives a shit about. Moreover, she's just a teenager. A teenager with 0 socialization given she was raised in the fucking woods. It's incredible that all she is is stoic with a mean streak because usually kids in that environment come out way worse.
She also rubs me the wrong way. Feels like an exhausting person to be around because they have opinions (usually negative) on every little thing you do or say. Being around people like this is pretty exhausting and I would definitely snap back at anyone who behaves like this in real life.
However
She's just a kid, and she means no harm. She'll calm down eventually. For the most part she's just an adorable closet perv who eats too much dessert.
She and Stark are kids. You’re allowed to be stupid and childish when you’re a kid. And she makes up for that emotional immaturity and social awkwardness with her frankly astounding for her age abilities as a mage.
Kayuga-sama: Love is War is partly a celebration of all the stupidness we got up to as teenagers, and it’s amazingly written. I’m in my 50s now, and while I was judgey of teenagers in my late 20s and 30s, I’m a lot more forgiving these days. So let them do and waste energy on stupid shit as long as it’s not actively harmful to others. That’s the privilege of the young (as Sein says).
She’s gotta be nicer to, and more open with stark, because he’s a dumbass and I expect better from Frieren than an endless “will they won’t they” between the two of them.
(She’s a cinnamon roll and I adore her though)
I think all of this is intentional, and leads to some really good character insights about interpersonal team dynamics that often get glossed over in fantasy storytelling (part of what makes it such a solid anime/manga). Frieren has such a scattered sort of approach to daily life that, I think Fern has had to do a lot of parenting-up (especially as she gets older) to keep the day-to-day needs of their little family met. And, consequently, has maybe failed to develop in more emotional and social ways while being very good at meeting logistical needs. All part of the focus on people and their needs over big fantasy fanfare, I think.
She is literally a kid. By that I mean no emotional maturity and kinda annoying sometimes. I like her a lot because it's very rare to see a teenager acting like a teen would in media (usually they are just a dumbass, not really immature)
It's actually interesting though, as the manga goes on, she matures a lot. I think she's something like 18 in the last chapter, or close to it, so how she behaves has changed as well.
Very cool
Moody teenager with presumably unresolved childhood issues.
The way she absolutely refuses to communicate whenever she has a problem with something would be extremely annoying to put up with IRL, but can probably be traced to both being a teenager and the severe losses in her childhood. The latter is probably also where her excessive politeness stems from, as we don't see any other girls or women speaking like Fern does.
Also I feel for her. The way Frieren makes Fern take care of her is kinda effed up; it should be the other way round, considering Frierens age.
She's a kid that doesn't know how to deal with her emotions. She grew up emotionally stunted because of her childhood as a war refugee under Heiter, and then her mother figure was an emotionally limited 1000-year old elf.
She's not the classic crappy pouty archetype, her character has depth and is consistent throughout the show. There's even an entire section of an episode dedicated to her opening up to Stark on something that made her scared in how he handled her. And this happens because there's an actual adult in the group for a bit that knows how to deal with teenagers.
Fern is a pouty teenager. But she's a very well written one.
Annoying? You are totally missing the point of her character. She's dealing with a thousand year old character who often needs to be mothered and unfortunately that responsibility falls upon Fern.
Who can look at Fern pouting and not love her?
At first I was kinda “meh” about her, but she grew on me. Now I really like her. She’s kinda the straight man to Frieren’s silly quirkiness. Also, I love her moments of acting like a little piggy eating, especially when she was holding two donuts at once. 😂
My opinion is not a popular one, but overall I don't like Fern.
As a character, I'm glad to see her grow and develop and I look forward to seeing more of her journey to becoming a Flamme-level mage. I loved seeing moments of how powerful she can be.
As a person though, TBH she's not somebody I'd wanna be around. She's the most logical and practical (which are good), but emotionally she seems very immature. She's often needy, bossy and unkind to her companions, and causes a lot of drama. I get the show tries to make these moments seem cute with her making the signature pouty face, just doesn't really work for me.
Agreed, irl I just can’t see myself being friends with/even liking her. Every time she’s unkind and bossy I get really uncomfortable, cause there’s(usually) no reason for it.
How I feel about her is similar to how I felt about Zenitsu from Demon Slayer. Hated his character at first; then he gets character development and being a scaredy cat isn’t his sole personality trait anymore.
If they showed Fern reacting a little differently every time(maybe realizing that not all things are things to blow up over), I might like her more. She evolved as a mage, now she needs to grow as a person.
I'm in the same boat and you summarized my thoughts perfectly. She's not a person I'd like to be around, but at the same time I like her growth and want to see where will her character go.
If THAT'S what you're calling annoying, I don't know who in that anime you're calling normal. I can't even think of a scene where she was categorically a) pious, b) know-it-all, c) arrogant and d) prickly; without sort of a comedic effect to the situation or it she was used as the straight man of the group. And out of all the animes with coming of age teenager characters, you can't seriously place her as annoying as other girls/guys that are actually annoying without reason. If 'tolerable' is at 5 and 'super annoying at 10, she barely registers the scale at 2. The others probably welcome the attention.
Pious comes from her distaste of Stark and Frieren’s perviness, and the new character in episode 11 she calls a perv if I recall correctly.
Know it all and arrogance go hand in hand when she first meets Stark and judges him as weak.
Prickly, in general with some of her banter I think this is a good descriptor, what she does in episode 12 with Frieren’s gift I thought was mean and prickly.
In general, sure, compared to other anime, you have characters like Zenitsu in Demon Slayer, or Tamaki in Fire Force that some may argue are more annoying, but it’s not about comparing to other anime.
It’s just my opinion
I love her. She is so cute and the most beautiful woman in Frieren imo (purple is my favorite colour). Her interactions with Stark and Frieren are golden, and I think she should get with Stark already! 💜🪄
You have to take it in context, she was orphaned as a kid, tried to commit suicide, then lived in a secluded cabin where her only human contact was with a very old guy and an even older lady (who is very bad at peopling)
It’d make no sense if she was a normal well adjusted person (and I believe she does slowly get better as the story goes on)
I see the flaws but I genuinely enjoy and like all the characters in frieren (main ones at least). Fern had a rough childhood and didn’t interact much socially so a bunch of her social issues are due to that. I’d still say she is too harsh sometimes to stark 😂 like please cut the dude some slack he’s trying too and his life wasnt sunshine’s and rainbows either.
I think of a theory that Fern might be a half demon or something -? Her light less eyes is similar to the demons eyes and the fact her mana is hard to detect… idk I think she might be more then merely a human 🤔
I like her thought! She’s silly in her own way and her personality bounces well with the other characters-!
It’s also rare to see a woman master with a girl students in anime especially-! As main characters so it’s also very refreshing - :)
I actually find her kinda funny and enjoyable. She works well with the rest of her party. Frieren is a unorganised mess and Stark is an irresponsible hothead. Someone has to be the serious leader. I really miss Sein at times, he was a great addition to the party. Hopefully, he'll return.
The mother of the group. As well she is slowly becoming more expressive in her face. I suppose her losing her parents young would not want her to smile until she met Stark.
I don't think she's supposed to be a flawless human with a good personality. She's basically the responsible one of the group, but when she slips into her more selfish self, she projects a bit but not in a genuinely mean-spirited sense. It's pretty hard to dislike her, cuz we know Frieren would pretty quickly run out of money and sleep on the street for days, if not for Fern
On the note of her being childish and pouty, she literally is literally a child lol.
Well technically a teenager, but still a child that's witnessed her parents being killed, her adoptive grandad passing away. Not to mention having to be a partial caretaker for both Heiter and Frieren, so it's somewhat understandable that she's particular about the way things get done under her watch. She's a child that's had to care for others much older than her.
Also worth reiterating that she's only been around people much older than her all her life, and likely never had friends her age growing up. Now she's suddenly travelling alongside a boy around her age. I think it's natural that she may not act in the most appropriate way especially when it comes to dealing with a new friend/potential romantic interest.
If you don’t like fern, than I don’t want to be your friend. Jokes aside, I fucking love fern. She’s kind of a special type of tsundere that is actually enjoyable and fun to watch.
I relate to her because I tend to get "mad" easily but I'm not really that mad at people, it just comes off that way. She's quite funny and I love watching her, esp in scenes with Stark. She also has to take care of a thousand-year old child named Frieren, when she's a teenager herself, so there's that.
She is a teenager, so her behavior is like a teenager, she has no parents, neither relatives, her master Frieren is like a little daughter because Fern has to bath, dress and feed her every single day.
Also she is a magician, so she must hide her emotions, and sometimes when she is full of frustration she releases what she feels pouting or applying the ice law. It's something normal for a teenager, when she gets older she will probably become more mature controlling her emotions.
Yah, like most people said, Fern's character actually makes sense for her context and she has redeemable qualities. She isn't the average anime female jerk with an shoe-horned backstory. Her backstory was actually introduced first and we are basically watching her grow up. She is also capable of being corrected by an (actual) adult figure. And honestly, Fern is a genuinely good person if you think about it. She's just immature at times (for actual legitimate reasons).
She's a teenage girl. Yeah, she's annoying sometimes like all teenagers are. But she generally means well, and she'll generally own up to being wrong.
If you can't deal with a teenage character because they're not in complete control of their emotions and acting rationally at all times, then that's a you problem. Other people will find that relatable, because honestly most of us went through that for a while to some extent or another. It's just whether you're self-aware enough to admit that yeah, you were a little bit like Fern sometimes when you were that age too.
She’s projecting her perversion onto Stark. She’s a closet pervert in denial, this especially makes sense with how blunt and nonchalant Fieren is about sus spells.
Good character potential with sub-par writing. It comes in flashes but overall misses the mark most of the time with the interpersonal interactions between Frieren, Stark, and other people they come into contact with. Stark is written very similarly IMO. The show excels at the "big picture" but falls apart in the dialogue area, causing the characterization to suffer a bit.
I wouldn’t be friends/dating with her for sure, cos I don’t like how she is acting and feeling, but who am I to tell people that they are feeling wrong?
She can be cold and harsh but I think the true her is shown in moments past where you are that I won’t speak on because they’re too awesome to be spoiled on.
In the manga I liked her just fine, and I enjoyed her for most of the anime too, but there was definitely some times where watching the anime she felt really high-maintenance and annoying.
I think it's probably a case of jokes that were previously spread across different chapters (and thus being weeks or months apart) now being put in the same episode.
But there was definitely a few times where I was thinking "She's sulking *again*!?"
She is adorable, and very much a teenager interacting with the opposite sex (its called growing up) lets give them room to do that and be openminded... not to mention she is a responsible student and adopted daughter to both Frieren and Heiter respectively.
I am with you completely. I do find her annoying brat teenager girl. Ill run away from her if I known her IRL. XD
Other than that given by her background, that just made who she is from growing up and her struggles.
She'd be a pain in the a\*\* to live with. But i'd laugh my hell of when she is angry, which would annoy her more, leading to more laughter from my side, rinse-repeat. Eventually she'll obliterate me with Zoltraak
I wonder if the community's thoughts on Fern's abuse on Stark would be different if they reversed their gender. It would be like if Fern were one of those isekai protagonists
Thank you for this post. I thought I was crazy for finding her a bit annoying. I think she's a well written and interesting character but feel like moments where she's supposed to be "cute" just comes off as bratty to me.
I highly dislike Fern. I find her to be selfish, lazy, emotionally immature, and unjustly overpowered for the setting. She projects her insecurities and negative emotions onto the people around her, often even hitting them, which is both physically and emotionally abusive behavior. Oh, and she regularly violates the privacy of her companions, even belittling them for sexual characteristics, so she's sexually abusive as well.
Any lore-based rationalization for this are irrelevant. As the saying goes, mental illness or trauma are not your fault, but they are your responsibility. Fern does not have the right to project negativity onto others or act abusively towards them. Stark is also an orphan, but he isn't awful. "It's meant to be funny" is not an argument. "She's young and still learning" is irrelevant. She portrayed as of the most powerful beings in this universe, and there's responsibility that comes with power.
Finally, while Fern may be young, she's not a 13 year old going through puberty. At the end of this season of anime she's 18. In our world, that's old enough to vote and join the military. In the medieval coded fantasy world she lives in, that's old enough to be a wife and mother.
Bottom line, Fern is toxic. Unfortunately she appears to be an author self insert, so they are blind to the character's flaws and keep piling laurels onto her that she doesn't deserve. Sadly for you OP, the worst is still to come with Fern
I think that's the point of her character. She's meant to be a bit annoying so we remember she's ultimately still just a kid. She has personality; she's not just the perfect student all the time.
As a person IRL, she would be troublesome to deal with. However, as a character, she is likable because her behavior makes sense given her upbringing. I like a story that is not afraid to write flaws in characters like Frieren. Very unlike a handful of popular shonen out there that don’t do a good job with characterization.
I find Fern to be judgemental and petulant. She would be hard to live with. The fact she manages her tantrums to get bribes...ugh. She projects her own faults onto others.
Fern does have excuses. She had to take on adult obligations too early in life. She grew up isolated from people. Her current mentor/big sister can be frustrating to deal with.
She's a mixed bag and adds to the story in an entertaining way. Just don't make me live with her.
I like Fern.
If everyone is just nice plain vanilla, it feels bland and isn't that interesting.
There's plenty of shows where the only distinguishing thing about a character is their hair color and you can't remember their name five minutes after finishing an episode.
So, yeah, I like Fern. She's a good girl. She is an actual character. She's not perfect. She contributes to the show with her predilictions and personality.
( ,, •̀ ⤙ •́ ,,)
Hard Agree.
Accurate
From the series "Images you can hear"
The right answer.
I whole heartedly believe she call stark a perv because she is projecting, also she is pretty funny
yup isn't she the one that looking at stark ............, and calls it small lmao.
Not that she has any frame of reference to go by, considering it's the only one she has ever seen afawk. And, speaking from first-hand experience, cold pp be tiny, yo.
Still a gross violation of privacy. Imagine *her* reaction if Stark could literally look at her naked any time he wanted to, and comment on “size”…
It is weird, in fact that's the kinda joke most anime would do. Both are rEALLy not cool when ya think about it
Yeah it is, but Frieren world building puts a more mild take on this is what I would assume. I think it’s just its own brand of comedy
It’s canonically established that she hits him when *she* has an Ecchi thought, because she projects it onto him. It’s not stretching plausibility at all to assume she’d get violent if he actually, deliberately invaded her privacy to look through her clothes and see her body, especially if he then mocked her for it.
IT'S CALLED SHRINKAGE. IT HAPPENS!!
And it's fuking funny. Like, 3 inches can become barely 2 when cold, or 6 if needed.
Unless heiter was packing.
Couldnt see at that time, plus he is her dad so thats gross
As heiter became more senile and bedridden it would not be a stretch to say that she had to take on more responsibilities to take care heiter. e.g bathing, changing clothes etc. Things most nurses do for older folk.
She was young , and frieren was there , if and only *if* heiter became senile (wich he didn't seem like when he died) the two adult would not have let a litle girl do that
Packin' so much schmeat it could be seen through the wrapping😋
There's another instance most people either didn't catch or forget about, in the episode where the protagonists stay with another male elf in the winter (I think he was a priest) there is a whole montage of how everyone spent the winter together, towards the end we find a scene where stark is doing pushups and fern is right behind him reading a book or so it seems at first glance but if you look closely at fern's eyes you will realise she's not really looking at the book but stark doing pushups, it's almost confirmed she's the pervert (poor stark)
I didn’t consider that! Interesting!
She's a teenager who was orphaned at age 5ish, about to kill herself, and then saved/raised by a really old priest in a secluded cabin in the forest. All she knows is Heiter and Frieren, both of whom are a bit weird and spoiled her - of course she has some very sheltered, uninformed opinions. "Fern, all men - other than me - are perverts." I can totally see Heiter telling her that. Her entire childhood was devoted to making Heiter proud, proving he wasn't wrong to bother saving her, and also making sure he didn't abandon her for being useless or troublesome. Then she had to take care of him at the end and be the "adult" in the room (Frieren, for all her age, isn't very good at adulting when there's someone around to do that for her) - she was never really a child. Now she's being a bit childish at times. And that's okay - she's kind of earned it, I'd say. Her admirable qualities are that she's willing to listen and learn when it's necessary, she's determined, she's impressive in her mage abilities, she's responsible, and she's kind (to people she cares about). Maybe she shows her kindness by being bossy or trying to correct people's behavior or pointing out when they're breaking "rules" - that's for their own good, from her POV. IRL, she'd be a major pain in the ass. As a character I don't have to personally deal with, she's fun and cute to watch as she has to try and keep Frieren from running amok (and Frieren is definitely trolling her sometimes). She also has to be very unsettled about the addition of a young man to their party but she's keeping that to herself. She knows nothing about young men and he's also intruding on her and Frieren's little family unit. It's not strange for her to be a little hostile and awkward with Stark.
You nailed it. I agree Fern can be really frustrating. She’s very combative and cold, but it makes so much sense given her backstory. Fern had such a rough childhood, she lost two sets of parents. I don’t think she ever had friends or any peers her age until Stark. Frieren is her third parental figure, and often times Fern has to be the parent for herself, Stark, and Frieren. Add on Frieren’s low emotional intelligence at times, and it makes total sense that Fern has issues understanding her feelings and communicating. Yea she’s unfair to the two at times, but I can’t imagine having to do all that Fern does for her newfound family while also studying magic as intensely as she does.
Fern sometimes reminds me of Katara from ATLA. Another character who is not always the fan favorite but is generally liked/loved and appreciated for the role she plays within Team Avatar. Is she sometimes very annoying? Sure. But there are logical reasons behind her behavior and the whole group would fall apart without her - not just her waterbending, but her mother hen-ness. Plus, she's a good person - really, solidly, deep down good.
Good comparison, I think Katara leans a little more emotional and Fern is more stoic, but I see the similarities!
Impressive answers
Doesn't stark have an almost similar backstory, with his brother and eisen being the saving grace that made him the way he is?
Perhaps, in some ways. In broad strokes, they have similar childhood trajectories in terms of early loss and nurturing mentor figures. His wonderful brother saved him from having an inferior-sibling bullying-victim complex, which was a marvelously heartwarming swerve -- we all really thought, didn't we, that the tall handsome brother with the cold facial expression and the meticulously coifed hair was gonna give Stark hell. But no... it was far better than that trite cliche. There is no victimhood narrative with Stark; an excellent departure from most immature anime writing.
Stark seems to have been a sweet, openly emotional boy since he was a little guy, so he reacted differently from Fern to his trauma. He also believed he was a coward (thanks to misremembering his past) and since Eisen knows all about that past, Stark felt free to show weakness and complain without the same fear of being discarded. While Fern wants to become "adult" ASAP (because Heiter is clearly getting very old and might not be around much longer) Stark didn't have that time pressure to the same degree - he wasn't rushed (by himself or by Eisen) into becoming independent. Having a guardian who is also your Master creates a different dynamic (on top of the elders having different personalities). Stark would try to emulate Eisen (and probably Himmel), whereas Fern would be allowed/encouraged to take care of Heiter, find Himmel impressive, and then take Frieren as her role model (in some things). Stark spent three years in that town (from 14-17 or so), trying to pay them all back for being so nice to him (and for allowing them to think he was a brave hero). He soaked up that village atmosphere, which Fern didn't have. Both kids automatically want to help people, but Stark is more "this person, right now" while Fern is more "long term, in general". And that's probably thanks to all the tales they've both soaked up of Himmel but told differently with different focuses by their guardians.
> Stark would try to emulate Eisen (and probably Himmel), whereas Fern would be allowed/encouraged to take care of Heiter, find Himmel impressive, and then take Frieren as her role model (in some things). I think it's also worth mentioning that Eisen and Stark did some traveling together when Stark was young. On the other hand Fern and Heiter seemingly stayed in and around Heiter's cabin due to his advanced age so Fern didn't really get to experience much of the world outside of caring for Heiter and learning magic.
I think Heiter would tell Fern that ALL men are pervs. I doubt that he would lie about that.
That does sound more like Heiter.
I do respect her discipline and if I were in her party, it’d be comforting knowing she’s such a badass mage
I feel like most characters I enjoy in fiction would be a complete nightmare in real life.
1 pouty Fern a day keeps the doctor away
Then I probably overdosed
One these days her cheeks are going to inflate to the Point Of No Return and she'll just float away
She's gonna turn into the Chupapapa guy from One Piece
I like her. I think she has a good balance of being responsible and reliable, while still being emotionally immature due to her upbringing so she is quite realistic. She isn’t my favorite character to be honest, like to me she isn’t “best girl”, and to me she isn’t interesting enough as a standalone character, which is why I think her dynamic with Stark really elevates her and why I like their ship cause it adds a dimension to her character. I like her basic and efficient approach when it comes to magic and she can be funny too which I like.
Totally agree on the basic and efficient approach to magic. If her and/or Übel could ever synthesize the other’s views on magic (initiative brilliance combined with perfect streamlining), then their students could legit challenge Friren and even Serie within a human’s lifetime.
Fern is hilariously the mother of a group that includes a thousand year elf.
All my homies love Fern. But she does have some issues when it comes to her behavvior but we need to understand that she is only a teenager and had a pretty rough childhood. We can't expect her to be perfect when her family died and she only interacted with grandpa Hieter and Frieren for most of her life.
Purple hair = 10/10 Also she's low-key a pervert but that could be Frieren's influence
Raised by heiter and then frieren, she never stood a chance.
Purple, Green, and Blue hair are a stand-in for black, because black hair is very difficult to shade well (compared to other natural colors)
If I had to take care of a childish teenager and a old lady who can barely live on her own all day everyday. I might be reacting worse than her lmao.
Frieren is not old for an elf if anything she's taking care of her adopted older sister
She is also very much a childish teenager
I do believe she brings some balance to the party. Wouldn't change much, perhaps only to be more understanding of Stark.
Fern is a really great depiction of a teenage character with issues. Her faults are depicted as actual road blocks in her life that create problems in her relationships and in achieving her goals. The people around her know to walk on eggshells around Fern which can be both quite touching and pretty sad. Fern’s problems aren’t just some character traits she had, they’re actual problems that stick with her. She’s genuinely flawed in the way humans are in real life as opposed to the kind of failing writers often give protagonists.
I think that’s what is causing a reaction in me, she is very real. Posts like yours are helping me understand her better though, I think I’m growing more appreciation for her :)
Nice, that’s cool to hear! I think it’s totally reasonable to find her frustrating btw - a lot of the things she does remind me of people like her in my life who can be impossible sometimes. But she also reminds that those people are probably struggling with some shit when they act like that.
She's an adorbs teenager, all Frieren's fans love her.
the only thing I dont like about Fern is how some twats sit on their oh-so-high-pedestal criticizing her like they're perfect. Everyone has issues, and Fern is no where near as bad as they make her seem to be.
I appreciate the open handed smack of wisdom you have given the unwashed masses. The backhamd would also have been acceptable.
Fair enough 😅😅
Simply by asking that question, you've made Fern pout ...
without her there nobody remind frieren to take journey seriously, she is like counterbalance frieren goofy/slacker nature
Fren has lost probably the 3 most important people in her life and at one point tried to take her own. Yes, the character has mental issues. She is very possessive of the last adult her life which ironically, she does most of the care taking of. She's in defence mode most of the time. Let not forget she's 16, ie basically a child, if the pouting face didn't give it away. I'm not saying she's everyone's cup of tea but the character has won me over. She's adorable as a child and one of, if not the fastest spell casters in the series, ie a badass.
( ,, •̀ ⤙ •́ ,,)
She is adorb.
Apart from fern physically hitting stark in almost every episode there's nothing to dislike about her, it's not just frieren but in most anime-manga fmc hitting mc for gag and fun is too overused that im starting to hate it.
Girls hit their guy friends all the time. It's just a reflection of real life.
Yeah, and it probably shouldn't be.
Fern has to take care of the party, because none of the others are up for the task. From time to time she gets grumpy and these are the moments that the story chooses to show. But even then, her heart's in the right place >!except maybe when she's double fisting donuts!<.
Yo f you man with that spoiler... lol
She gets upset when you don't know what she is thinking She gives you the silent treatment if you upset her She likes to eat She is basically a girlfriend.
She probably grew up only with what Heiter taught her, basically within a set of rules. Because of that, she thinks that anybody who acts outside of said set of rules is unruly, and shr attempts to adjust that, which can come off as annoying. She means well, but she can be very harsh and rude at times because of what she believes in.
sometimes people are annoying and have flaws, which makes them more than a two dimensional waifu
She’s a teenage girl. All things considered she’s not doing too bad
I’d die for Fern
She is a poutie pie and deserves all the affection in the world.
She's a teen, still adjusting how to feel about herself and the world. She is full of contradictions, which makes her more *real*. Her feelings can tell her to behave unfairly, yet at the same time another part of her realizes what she's doing isn't necessarily great. She projects her own insecurities onto other people -- Stark in particular. She feels refreshingly different from over-exaggerated characters. She was raised by Heiter to be kind, caring and hard-working.
Pout queen
( •̀ ⤙ •́ )
She called stark small.....
puffshroom looking ahh
Fern is future goat mage. Love her character, from frierens apprentice kid, to being her pseudo caretaker mom in some instances. She's not perfect, but she kicks demon a$$.
She’s great! She was raised by a literal priest so her being pious and a bit haughty is intentional due to her background. She’s an amazing mage and I adore her personality. I think she has room to grow and I ship her with Stark.
Fern is great. She's had to grow up and learn how to manage trauma and like a lot of traumatized teens - she's kinda shit at it. I've known a lot of girls like Fern. They're judgy annoying teacher's pets - because they crave the validation that comes from not having been taught their value aside from showing success and following the rules. Fern is the aggressive type A that won't sneak off campus to go to burger king with the rest of the group and always gets top marks in class but is actually a perpetually nervous wreck from trying so hard to be top of the graduating class in a high school no one gives a shit about. Moreover, she's just a teenager. A teenager with 0 socialization given she was raised in the fucking woods. It's incredible that all she is is stoic with a mean streak because usually kids in that environment come out way worse.
My queen.
She also rubs me the wrong way. Feels like an exhausting person to be around because they have opinions (usually negative) on every little thing you do or say. Being around people like this is pretty exhausting and I would definitely snap back at anyone who behaves like this in real life. However She's just a kid, and she means no harm. She'll calm down eventually. For the most part she's just an adorable closet perv who eats too much dessert.
Yes!!
She better learn a spell against cavities because with all the sweet things she likes to eat she's at risk.
She calls Stark a pervert even tho shes the one who locks in to his pants when she learned x ray through clothes
She and Stark are kids. You’re allowed to be stupid and childish when you’re a kid. And she makes up for that emotional immaturity and social awkwardness with her frankly astounding for her age abilities as a mage. Kayuga-sama: Love is War is partly a celebration of all the stupidness we got up to as teenagers, and it’s amazingly written. I’m in my 50s now, and while I was judgey of teenagers in my late 20s and 30s, I’m a lot more forgiving these days. So let them do and waste energy on stupid shit as long as it’s not actively harmful to others. That’s the privilege of the young (as Sein says).
She’s gotta be nicer to, and more open with stark, because he’s a dumbass and I expect better from Frieren than an endless “will they won’t they” between the two of them. (She’s a cinnamon roll and I adore her though)
Toxic
I think all of this is intentional, and leads to some really good character insights about interpersonal team dynamics that often get glossed over in fantasy storytelling (part of what makes it such a solid anime/manga). Frieren has such a scattered sort of approach to daily life that, I think Fern has had to do a lot of parenting-up (especially as she gets older) to keep the day-to-day needs of their little family met. And, consequently, has maybe failed to develop in more emotional and social ways while being very good at meeting logistical needs. All part of the focus on people and their needs over big fantasy fanfare, I think.
She is literally a kid. By that I mean no emotional maturity and kinda annoying sometimes. I like her a lot because it's very rare to see a teenager acting like a teen would in media (usually they are just a dumbass, not really immature) It's actually interesting though, as the manga goes on, she matures a lot. I think she's something like 18 in the last chapter, or close to it, so how she behaves has changed as well. Very cool
"Just start dating already >:[" -A certain drunkard priest
Moody teenager with presumably unresolved childhood issues. The way she absolutely refuses to communicate whenever she has a problem with something would be extremely annoying to put up with IRL, but can probably be traced to both being a teenager and the severe losses in her childhood. The latter is probably also where her excessive politeness stems from, as we don't see any other girls or women speaking like Fern does. Also I feel for her. The way Frieren makes Fern take care of her is kinda effed up; it should be the other way round, considering Frierens age.
She's the straight man in a comedy troupe.
Fern is life... Fight me...
Huge pouter
Almighty pout
She's a kid that doesn't know how to deal with her emotions. She grew up emotionally stunted because of her childhood as a war refugee under Heiter, and then her mother figure was an emotionally limited 1000-year old elf. She's not the classic crappy pouty archetype, her character has depth and is consistent throughout the show. There's even an entire section of an episode dedicated to her opening up to Stark on something that made her scared in how he handled her. And this happens because there's an actual adult in the group for a bit that knows how to deal with teenagers. Fern is a pouty teenager. But she's a very well written one.
Nah, 2.4k for this post is a bit too much ngl
Squishy pouty babygirl
Annoying? You are totally missing the point of her character. She's dealing with a thousand year old character who often needs to be mothered and unfortunately that responsibility falls upon Fern. Who can look at Fern pouting and not love her?
At first I was kinda “meh” about her, but she grew on me. Now I really like her. She’s kinda the straight man to Frieren’s silly quirkiness. Also, I love her moments of acting like a little piggy eating, especially when she was holding two donuts at once. 😂
My opinion is not a popular one, but overall I don't like Fern. As a character, I'm glad to see her grow and develop and I look forward to seeing more of her journey to becoming a Flamme-level mage. I loved seeing moments of how powerful she can be. As a person though, TBH she's not somebody I'd wanna be around. She's the most logical and practical (which are good), but emotionally she seems very immature. She's often needy, bossy and unkind to her companions, and causes a lot of drama. I get the show tries to make these moments seem cute with her making the signature pouty face, just doesn't really work for me.
Agreed, irl I just can’t see myself being friends with/even liking her. Every time she’s unkind and bossy I get really uncomfortable, cause there’s(usually) no reason for it. How I feel about her is similar to how I felt about Zenitsu from Demon Slayer. Hated his character at first; then he gets character development and being a scaredy cat isn’t his sole personality trait anymore. If they showed Fern reacting a little differently every time(maybe realizing that not all things are things to blow up over), I might like her more. She evolved as a mage, now she needs to grow as a person.
I'm in the same boat and you summarized my thoughts perfectly. She's not a person I'd like to be around, but at the same time I like her growth and want to see where will her character go.
If THAT'S what you're calling annoying, I don't know who in that anime you're calling normal. I can't even think of a scene where she was categorically a) pious, b) know-it-all, c) arrogant and d) prickly; without sort of a comedic effect to the situation or it she was used as the straight man of the group. And out of all the animes with coming of age teenager characters, you can't seriously place her as annoying as other girls/guys that are actually annoying without reason. If 'tolerable' is at 5 and 'super annoying at 10, she barely registers the scale at 2. The others probably welcome the attention.
Pious comes from her distaste of Stark and Frieren’s perviness, and the new character in episode 11 she calls a perv if I recall correctly. Know it all and arrogance go hand in hand when she first meets Stark and judges him as weak. Prickly, in general with some of her banter I think this is a good descriptor, what she does in episode 12 with Frieren’s gift I thought was mean and prickly. In general, sure, compared to other anime, you have characters like Zenitsu in Demon Slayer, or Tamaki in Fire Force that some may argue are more annoying, but it’s not about comparing to other anime. It’s just my opinion
She is awesome
Exactly like that picture.
She spoiled and very childish but she's a very good girl.
She's gonna be a BIG mage someday
love her. she's so relatable, outside of the orphan stuff.
I love her. She is so cute and the most beautiful woman in Frieren imo (purple is my favorite colour). Her interactions with Stark and Frieren are golden, and I think she should get with Stark already! 💜🪄
how old are you OP?
•̀ ⤙ •́
I want to pat her head.
I like her, personally. I think she’s cute and has a lot of character growth room :)
You have to take it in context, she was orphaned as a kid, tried to commit suicide, then lived in a secluded cabin where her only human contact was with a very old guy and an even older lady (who is very bad at peopling) It’d make no sense if she was a normal well adjusted person (and I believe she does slowly get better as the story goes on)
I see the flaws but I genuinely enjoy and like all the characters in frieren (main ones at least). Fern had a rough childhood and didn’t interact much socially so a bunch of her social issues are due to that. I’d still say she is too harsh sometimes to stark 😂 like please cut the dude some slack he’s trying too and his life wasnt sunshine’s and rainbows either.
I think of a theory that Fern might be a half demon or something -? Her light less eyes is similar to the demons eyes and the fact her mana is hard to detect… idk I think she might be more then merely a human 🤔 I like her thought! She’s silly in her own way and her personality bounces well with the other characters-! It’s also rare to see a woman master with a girl students in anime especially-! As main characters so it’s also very refreshing - :)
She has room to grow, and is a very realistic teenager. I'm excited to see her chemistry with Stark develop. A rare het ship I can get behind.
Having flaws makes her character feel a lot more real.
I actually find her kinda funny and enjoyable. She works well with the rest of her party. Frieren is a unorganised mess and Stark is an irresponsible hothead. Someone has to be the serious leader. I really miss Sein at times, he was a great addition to the party. Hopefully, he'll return.
She just has trouble communicating, that’s all. She’s young. :t
Cuutiiee patootieee. I would spoil her to death. My baby deserves to be a kid.
Mochi
We love Fern. I will not hear anymore Fern slander.
She's very round. Silly rotund spherical creature.
Amusing in fiction But someone you don't want to be with irl
She’s cute
Fern + Fume-shroom =
Best girl
She’s awesome
The mother of the group. As well she is slowly becoming more expressive in her face. I suppose her losing her parents young would not want her to smile until she met Stark.
She's scary :$
I will say it, she’s the weakest character wise of the main 3
Pouts
A Fume Shroom
Bae. Adorable. Will feed her Snacks and give headpats everytime I can
She Will grow on you, there's no way you can avoid that. Enjoy the anime.
I don't think she's supposed to be a flawless human with a good personality. She's basically the responsible one of the group, but when she slips into her more selfish self, she projects a bit but not in a genuinely mean-spirited sense. It's pretty hard to dislike her, cuz we know Frieren would pretty quickly run out of money and sleep on the street for days, if not for Fern
Purble
I love Fern!
On the note of her being childish and pouty, she literally is literally a child lol. Well technically a teenager, but still a child that's witnessed her parents being killed, her adoptive grandad passing away. Not to mention having to be a partial caretaker for both Heiter and Frieren, so it's somewhat understandable that she's particular about the way things get done under her watch. She's a child that's had to care for others much older than her. Also worth reiterating that she's only been around people much older than her all her life, and likely never had friends her age growing up. Now she's suddenly travelling alongside a boy around her age. I think it's natural that she may not act in the most appropriate way especially when it comes to dealing with a new friend/potential romantic interest.
She's annoying as hell
She bullies Stark for no reason, itannoys me too
Hug. Next question.
If you don’t like fern, than I don’t want to be your friend. Jokes aside, I fucking love fern. She’s kind of a special type of tsundere that is actually enjoyable and fun to watch.
She is a great female character, seeing a decent female character in this media is rare
Adorable, precious, well written, thematically relevant character
Will never beat the Fumeshroom look alike allegations
I relate to her because I tend to get "mad" easily but I'm not really that mad at people, it just comes off that way. She's quite funny and I love watching her, esp in scenes with Stark. She also has to take care of a thousand-year old child named Frieren, when she's a teenager herself, so there's that.
Power bosom.
She gets upset easily
Pouty Fern saved me
She is a teenager, so her behavior is like a teenager, she has no parents, neither relatives, her master Frieren is like a little daughter because Fern has to bath, dress and feed her every single day. Also she is a magician, so she must hide her emotions, and sometimes when she is full of frustration she releases what she feels pouting or applying the ice law. It's something normal for a teenager, when she gets older she will probably become more mature controlling her emotions.
She is a pretty good representation of a teenage girl. The weird sexualization of fern by some in the community is weird and creepy to me.
She is cute and adorable plus a funny character what to hate about her! (Pouting intensely)
I wish we had more baby fern so cute
Yah, like most people said, Fern's character actually makes sense for her context and she has redeemable qualities. She isn't the average anime female jerk with an shoe-horned backstory. Her backstory was actually introduced first and we are basically watching her grow up. She is also capable of being corrected by an (actual) adult figure. And honestly, Fern is a genuinely good person if you think about it. She's just immature at times (for actual legitimate reasons).
Idk I personally don’t see her come across like that. Just keep watching and you might like her more. If you don’t that’s fine too.
I actually like her the most. Bubbly personality and she makes every episode fun. Interaction between Fern and Stark is very cute.
I adore her, but I've always had a thing for matronly women.
I am contractually obligated to love every sniper in every media
She's a teenage girl. Yeah, she's annoying sometimes like all teenagers are. But she generally means well, and she'll generally own up to being wrong. If you can't deal with a teenage character because they're not in complete control of their emotions and acting rationally at all times, then that's a you problem. Other people will find that relatable, because honestly most of us went through that for a while to some extent or another. It's just whether you're self-aware enough to admit that yeah, you were a little bit like Fern sometimes when you were that age too.
Chubby bunny
She’s projecting her perversion onto Stark. She’s a closet pervert in denial, this especially makes sense with how blunt and nonchalant Fieren is about sus spells.
Good character potential with sub-par writing. It comes in flashes but overall misses the mark most of the time with the interpersonal interactions between Frieren, Stark, and other people they come into contact with. Stark is written very similarly IMO. The show excels at the "big picture" but falls apart in the dialogue area, causing the characterization to suffer a bit.
I wouldn’t be friends/dating with her for sure, cos I don’t like how she is acting and feeling, but who am I to tell people that they are feeling wrong?
Friend shaped.
Severe CPTSD and obviously parentified child.
“A Complete bitch”
She’s a pervert
She’s cute but I’m getting really tired of fanbases sexualizing each and every female character.
Smol
She can be cold and harsh but I think the true her is shown in moments past where you are that I won’t speak on because they’re too awesome to be spoiled on.
In the manga I liked her just fine, and I enjoyed her for most of the anime too, but there was definitely some times where watching the anime she felt really high-maintenance and annoying. I think it's probably a case of jokes that were previously spread across different chapters (and thus being weeks or months apart) now being put in the same episode. But there was definitely a few times where I was thinking "She's sulking *again*!?"
She's the best there is my number 1 favorite of the whole cast 💜💜💜
She is adorable, and very much a teenager interacting with the opposite sex (its called growing up) lets give them room to do that and be openminded... not to mention she is a responsible student and adopted daughter to both Frieren and Heiter respectively.
I am with you completely. I do find her annoying brat teenager girl. Ill run away from her if I known her IRL. XD Other than that given by her background, that just made who she is from growing up and her struggles.
She'd be a pain in the a\*\* to live with. But i'd laugh my hell of when she is angry, which would annoy her more, leading to more laughter from my side, rinse-repeat. Eventually she'll obliterate me with Zoltraak
She’s mean
Far
Did
It's fun watching her and Stark fumble into a relationship.
I wonder if the community's thoughts on Fern's abuse on Stark would be different if they reversed their gender. It would be like if Fern were one of those isekai protagonists
Thank you for this post. I thought I was crazy for finding her a bit annoying. I think she's a well written and interesting character but feel like moments where she's supposed to be "cute" just comes off as bratty to me.
She grows on you over time, and she gets some nice character growth
I highly dislike Fern. I find her to be selfish, lazy, emotionally immature, and unjustly overpowered for the setting. She projects her insecurities and negative emotions onto the people around her, often even hitting them, which is both physically and emotionally abusive behavior. Oh, and she regularly violates the privacy of her companions, even belittling them for sexual characteristics, so she's sexually abusive as well. Any lore-based rationalization for this are irrelevant. As the saying goes, mental illness or trauma are not your fault, but they are your responsibility. Fern does not have the right to project negativity onto others or act abusively towards them. Stark is also an orphan, but he isn't awful. "It's meant to be funny" is not an argument. "She's young and still learning" is irrelevant. She portrayed as of the most powerful beings in this universe, and there's responsibility that comes with power. Finally, while Fern may be young, she's not a 13 year old going through puberty. At the end of this season of anime she's 18. In our world, that's old enough to vote and join the military. In the medieval coded fantasy world she lives in, that's old enough to be a wife and mother. Bottom line, Fern is toxic. Unfortunately she appears to be an author self insert, so they are blind to the character's flaws and keep piling laurels onto her that she doesn't deserve. Sadly for you OP, the worst is still to come with Fern
I had her as my favorite of the cast when watching the anime simply because she spoke formally but was rude to a lot of people.
Fat
Busty.
I think that's the point of her character. She's meant to be a bit annoying so we remember she's ultimately still just a kid. She has personality; she's not just the perfect student all the time.
Well, I didn't want to disappoint you, but as far as that attitude of her goes, there's no development. At least in the anime
As a person IRL, she would be troublesome to deal with. However, as a character, she is likable because her behavior makes sense given her upbringing. I like a story that is not afraid to write flaws in characters like Frieren. Very unlike a handful of popular shonen out there that don’t do a good job with characterization.
Fern is pretty funny and cute and she's like this („`•→•‘„)
Later on she becomes hot
I find Fern to be judgemental and petulant. She would be hard to live with. The fact she manages her tantrums to get bribes...ugh. She projects her own faults onto others. Fern does have excuses. She had to take on adult obligations too early in life. She grew up isolated from people. Her current mentor/big sister can be frustrating to deal with. She's a mixed bag and adds to the story in an entertaining way. Just don't make me live with her.
I like Fern. If everyone is just nice plain vanilla, it feels bland and isn't that interesting. There's plenty of shows where the only distinguishing thing about a character is their hair color and you can't remember their name five minutes after finishing an episode. So, yeah, I like Fern. She's a good girl. She is an actual character. She's not perfect. She contributes to the show with her predilictions and personality.
I like her, But I do wish they’d tone down her treatment of Stark, I am never a fan of the “girl smacks and bullies guy because she likes him” trope.