Vinland Saga (2019) Detailed Anime Review
Director: Shuhei Yabuta
Studio: Wit Studio
Genre: Action, Adventure, Historical
Year Built: 2019
Episodes: 24
Anime Rating: 10 / 9.5
The Vinland Saga, taking its story from real events, takes place in the 1010s. Thors is one of the leading soldiers for the Danish army. However, after a war at sea, he pretends to be dead and disappears, and takes his wife and daughter to Iceland. According to Thors, “a true warrior is the one who wields his sword” and adopts this principle, he begins to live a village life in a small village. Before long, he also had a son named Thorfinn. However, Thors’ past haunts and the Jomsvikings find their way. According to Floki, the leader of the Jimsvikings, King Sweyn intends to conquer England, and if Thors participates in this war, he will be forgiven for escaping.
Thorfinn, the son of Thors, is a cheerful, cheerful child full of dreams. One day he dreams of seeing with his own eyes the land called Vinland, where he listens to continuity in the village. This place, called Vinland, according to the stories, is green and has fertile soil. He also reveres his father and wants to be a Viking warrior when he grows up. When the Jomsvikings arrive at their gates, Thorfinn secretly sets off, hiding on Thors’ ship. In reality, Floki aims to kill Thors, and for this, he hires Askeladd and his mercenary group. Unfairly, Thors is killed in front of Thorfinn’s eyes, and Thorfinn’s childhood ends there. He also goes after Askeladd in hiding, and now his only goal is to kill Askeladd, who killed his father. Even if this takes years…
Also See: Is Vinland Saga Season 2 Confirmed?
The Vinland Saga, as I said, takes its story and many of its characters from real history. Whether it is King Sweyn, nicknamed “The Crossbeard”, the Jomsvikings, Sweyn’s son Knut, called Canute in the anime, are always real characters. Oh, how close to real the characters are, of course, that is discussed. Also, the anime has a much deeper fiction than a revenge story I told above. The transformation of Thorfinn into a ruthless murderer alongside Askeladd and our getting to know Askeladd more and more in each episode; When the time comes, we love it, we hate it when the time comes, or as the episodes progress, the fact that the event comes out of this duo and includes political issues has created a wonderful fiction.
When it comes to Vikings and wars, action-packed scenes have also taken place in the anime. With lots of blood, broken body parts, and aesthetic fights, the Vinland Saga does a great job. It is especially enjoyable to watch the fights in which Thorfinn uses double blades. Of course, there is a little exaggeration. Some details add color, such as Thorfinn’s keenness to death and jumping to a fairly high altitude, Thors being an army alone, or Thorkell being an invincible giant. What makes these details beautiful is undoubtedly the drawings. When the anime’s realistic and high-quality drawings are combined with fast action scenes, the result is the pleasure of watching number ten. When quality voiceover and sound effects are added, a technically sound anime emerges. There are two opening and two closing pieces in the anime. My favorites are the first opening track “Survive Said the Prophet” and the second closing track “Drown”. Really perfect pieces.
The Vinland Saga was an anime that exceeded my expectations. Watching Thorfinn’s development since his childhood reminded me of Berserk’s Gut. Really, what happened to Berserk? Anyway, our topic is Vinland Saga, and I am waiting for the new season to come out quickly because, unfortunately, it ends halfway like almost every anime series. Let’s not say half. Let’s say that part of it is closed, and we’re about to move on to the new section.