Transcendent. Sublime. Ethereal. I’ve run out of words to describe Vinland Saga season 2. This series has gone far past the normal bounds of anime and has become cinema in the purest sense of the word. When Vinland saga s2 was announced I was initially skeptical about how it’d be received in the west given its slower paced nature as well as how I personally would like it. Keep in mind everything we saw in 24 episodes this season took place over the course of years in the manga. So it was a much slower process and at times I felt it dragged on. My worriescouldn’t have been further misplaced. MAPPA stepped in for WIT and gave an absolute masterclass in direction, tension, adding anime original content which enhanced and perfected many scenes and storylines from the manga, etc. There were several episodes during this season which were literally just characters talking, yet I was so absorbed in them that the 25 minute runtime felt like 5. There may not be as much of the transitional action scenes from season 1, but there’s no shortage of engaging content in this season. At its core, this season is philosophical struggle. A juxtaposition of two characters. Thorfinn and Canute. While Thorfinn has gone from a violent and angry young man to a peaceful and kind one who wants a world without war, Canute has had the opposite journey. He believes war is the only way to bring peace. As the neutral outside observer, we of course know that neither side is 100 percent correct and that real life is more grey than black and white. But seeing their character arcs develop independently and then ultimately come to a head in that penultimate episode.. just no words for the job MAPPA did bringing the character drama and emotion to life in this season. The buildup and foundational groundwork that went into everything just to have a perfect sendoff in the final two episodes is something we do not get much in this medium and it needs to be appreciated. Speaking of the penultimate episode, it’s been years since a TV anime has made me cry. Even longer since a work of fiction has made me cry not out of sadness, but out of appreciation for its sheer beauty. Episode 23 of this season was exactly that and is, as of right now, the best episode of an anime I have ever seen in my 20+ years of watching this medium. So the story’s great, what about the animation and art? Well, as we’ve come to expect from MAPPA as of late, it’s amazing. So many episodes of this season are full of screenshottable moments and art that makes you want to pause the episode just to appreciate it. During the few key fights we have this season, the animation and choreography are stellar. I could really go on and on for pages about how great this season is, but I’ll sum it up this way. This is the anime of the year, and I don’t see anything surpassing it. What it lacks in physical action, this season makes up for in character drama and emotional moments. A must watch for any historical drama fan or fan of the medium in general. This is the best this medium has to offer. Vinland Saga S2 gets the easiest 10 of the year.

Vinland Saga is the embodiment of anachronism and the self-fulfilment of the mocked utterance "If you kill your enemies, they win." Imagine yourself being sold into slavery in 11th-century Scandinavia after brute-forcing your way to the Viking conquest of England’s conclusion as a mercenary. At this point you’re well acquainted with the brutish nature of the Dark Ages and the horrors of mankind--ceaseless wars and raids, slavery, the razing of entire villages, violent wars of succession--and in particular the ruthless 'might makes right' warrior culture of the Vikings which one of your loved ones died at the hands of. Now imagine one day in that traumaticlife of yours you start preaching 21st-century first-world pacifist ideals as a hollowed-out, depressed slave because of a dream. Then give yourself a pat on the back if you think this is an inherently juvenile and asinine concept that first off could never see ideation in such a context, would never see the light of day even if you could conceptualize it, and would never work even if it did see the light of day; because unlike Vinland Saga, you have at least an iota of a grasp on reality. Vinland Saga Season 2 is not only ugly on the outside as an audiovisual experience but also on the inside as a grossly delusional historical fiction that insists upon itself with pretentious moral righteousness, wanting to have its cake and eat it with its faux philosophising whilst attempting to work within the confines of reality. It is a shounen in seinen’s clothing. What started out as a half-decent historical fiction that read almost like a gritty epic, with clear direction and dynamic characters to match, degenerates into aimless, feeble meandering with sluggish pacing and lethargic characters that reads more like a rant from the author than an actual story in its whiplash of a shift into a slice-of-life. The seeds of failure, however, were already sown from the very beginning of the series when Thorfinn's father spoke the essence of his philosophy on his deathbed "A true warrior has no need for a sword"--like a true 17th century Bushido-ideal samurai based in 11th century Scandinavia who uses "no sword" in the literal sense of the words as opposed to metaphorically. Whilst admirable that he cast aside his penchant for violence and surrendered a prestigious life of fierce warrior-ship in order to settle down with his wife and children and ensure them a peaceful life, the story would immortalise him as an aspirational wise man for orphaning a son and widowing a wife into misery because he surrendered to a death he could've easily avoided by sacrificing his family and himself for his moral code of pacifism. What if Askeladd--who’d already shown not to be trusted--didn’t uphold his promise, or if Bjorn massacred the Icelandic village anyway? Vinland Saga expects you to take Thor’s unconvincing dichotomy in faith as it begins using this fundamentally flawed premise as the foundation of the Slave arc and Thorfinn’s character piece, and the self-defeating polarity of venerating an ideology that just lead to a family’s demise is foreshadowing for the story's downwards spiral from this season onwards. Thorfinn, seeing how well pacifism turned out for his father and reaping its fruits first-hand, suddenly becomes one himself this season. Whilst anachronism is Vinland Saga’s biggest problem--how it’s flawed on a fundamental level because its thematic execution conflicts with its own established world due to the author projecting his modern-day moral standards onto a story about 11th century Vikings--its inoperative veer into a medieval farming simulator means the themes it wants to convey here aren’t even made palatable on an external, structural level. The Slave arc lacks a defined act structure and feels like a tedious detour from the prologue, with no narrative drive and momentum. There are long stretches of uneventful moments mostly accompanied by Thorfinn and Einar babbling in a struggle to come to grasp the basic concept of ‘self-preservation’ as the directing in all its unsophisticated artistry (or lack thereof) displays severed heads in order to depict the mental state of a man. All the philosophical ramblings with obvious implications mean pacing thrice as slow as the previous arc isn’t compelling when it fails to be the psychological character-driven introspective it pretends to be. What other stories resolve in 3 episodes, Vinland Saga takes 24 to do without a convincing conclusion. There is no reason for over a dozen episodes to be dedicated to the (bizarrely portrayed) mundane slice-of-life of slaves on a farm, it’s the most astroturfed way imaginable to advance Thorfinn’s already deficient pacifist epiphany; especially when such an overarching theme is something as basic as “Slavery is… bad!” You are taught this in elementary school. This could have been done in less than 3 episodes under the dynamism of the prologue, and Thorfinn’s pacifism would have at least been somewhat more believable in a plot with proper happenings gravitating him towards an active MC role instead of being a glorified exposition dump in disguise for what he’s thinking. The series’ soft reset completely bottlenecks the natural progression of the once hot-blooded plot and characters that the series laid out, and thus Farmland Saga struggles to justify its existence. It no longer moves forward in sharp incremental episodes but wallows in nigh-episodic bloat. The character who suffers the most from this stifling shift in direction is of course Thorfinn, who’s treated like a messianic figure for some reason that the narrative never challenges the ideals of. You can now break down his character arc as Sasuke Uchiha —> Jesus Christ. Honestly, Canute's way of peace is far more pragmatic and he should've been the main character after Askeladd's death. The plot is also cultivated primarily by poor character drama, unintelligent character decisions, accidental happenings and plot devices, which is why aside from most of the cast being lifeless husks, are also unlikeable. Einar is only angry about no longer being a free man and seeing his family members murdered before his eyes in the immediate moment, and he and the 10 unrestrained slaves being transported by boat by the few Danish raiders never attempt to resist or hijack the vessel. Gardar is introduced to serve merely as a tool for the series to once again unsubtlely preach “Here’s why violence is bad” in a scene that diminishes both his and Arnheid’s character after the two had already received incessant flashbacks that could’ve instead made way for more pivotal moments in the story like a certain reunion not being underwhelming. Even the climax of this arc is an illustration of shallow thematic execution; a culmination of the poor character drama and unintelligent character actions, where Thorfinn displays suicidal levels of restraint that should’ve gotten himself killed if not for the plot armour that the narrative places on his idealism, followed by corny dialogue and an unbelievable resolution that assassinates Canute’s character writing. "I have no enemies." Bravo Uzumaki Thorfinn.

The audience’s reception of Vinland Saga S2 has been pretty bipolar. On one hand, we have the fans saying Thorfinn has had fantastic character development and is now a very wise and mature figure, while on the other hand, critics say this season was slow and boring like a farming simulator. However, very few people seem to share my main issue with the show. Thorfinn is a hardcore pacifist, which is alright, but the show tries to present him and his philosophy as *THE* right way to live your life, and that anyone who uses violence has yet to come to the “enlightenment” that Thorfinn hasarrived at. I think a great example to illustrate this would be Thorfinn’s iconic “I’ll run away” line, which is basically his response to Canute’s violent expansionism. I’ll reiterate that there is nothing wrong with Thorfinn’s ideology, but at the same time, there’s also nothing wrong with standing your ground and fighting back. Vinland Saga fails to realize this. Ketil is portrayed as this insane, bloodthirsty man who beats up pregnant women simply because he chose to fight for what is rightfully his. Yes, Ketil’s paltry farm guards had no chance against Canute’s Vikings, but what matters here is the intention, and Ketil has every right in the world to try to defend his homeland, even in a losing cause. Meanwhile, Thorfinn pulls up at Canute’s camp to show off his masochism in the most obnoxious way imaginable. The 100 punches deal was dumb for a variety of reasons. First, there is no way an ordinary person can bear a 100 punches. Thorfinn was only able to do it because he used to be a Viking, aka the antithesis of his present ideology. Second, 100 punches was just an arbitrary deal made without the knowledge of Thorfinn’s past. What if the deal was a 100 punches by a 100 different people? Even Thorfinn wouldn’t be able to bear that. The point I’m trying to make is, there’s absolutely no need to subject yourself to such suffering simply because someone tells you to. If you want to do something and someone is trying to stop you, you either defeat the guy by force or give up on your objective. The whole idea that you’ll prove his violence wrong with your silent suffering is so embarrassingly childish. But for whatever reason, Canute, who went from being a devout Christian to an unholy, immoral aggressor in the span of 10 minutes in S1, again did a 180 and decided to shrink his fleet in England after Thorfinn told him to do so. And guess what happened next. The people whom Canute had so brutally oppressed suddenly realized his goodwill and were all too happy to let themselves be ruled over. The amount of plot contrivance Yukimura adds just to justify his puerile pacifism is honestly hilarious, and it’s baffling to me how so few see the show for what it truly is. As for the production, MAPPA did a fairly decent job, but I guess the manga is the superior version. Despite finding his ideology disagreeable, I do think Yukimura is a great mangaka, and his panels, at least from what I’ve seen here and there on the internet, are absolutely gorgeous. Either way, the experience isn’t going to be much different if you agree with the points I’ve made. Thank you for reading.

The concept of a Mangaka, encompassing both exceptional artistic talent and exceptional writing, has always been a challenging feat to achieve. To possess one can already be considered lucky, but to excel at both is truly rare. While there have been exceptional Mangakas, Makoto Yukimura's Vinland Saga Season 2 unfortunately falls short of this mark. Part 1: A Mockery of the Norse Culture Vinland Saga Season 2 can only be described as a direct mockery of the source material that served as its inspiration. In contemporary Manga adaptations, one would expect a deeper exploration of the chosen setting. However, Vinland Saga neglects to incorporate any elements ofNorse mythology and culture. The omission of such crucial aspects is a glaring flaw, especially considering the story's focus on pacifism. This deliberate exclusion undermines the depth of the narrative and showcases the shortcomings of Yukimura, who can merely copy the aesthetics at a superfiscial level but not the substance. In contrast, even mainstream series like Vikings (2013) contrasted the Old Norse religion with Christianity, sparking engaging debates on life, death, and the Viking way of life. Part 2: Pretentious Defenses and One-Dimensional Redemption The zealous defenders of Vinland Saga dismiss any criticism, hailing the show as "profound and insightful," while labeling dissenters as individuals who merely revel in mindless violence, incapable of grasping the show's depth. Such claims come across as pretentious and fail to acknowledge the audience's own preferences. Let's not forget that Season 1 primarily focused on action and violence. Moreover, the redemption aspect of the show proves disappointingly one-dimensional. The main character, Thorfinn, undergoes an abrupt transformation from an Uchiha Sasuke archetype to a Jesus Christ-like figure, leaving no room for nuanced character development. While it is common for shounen anime to embody a specific idea through the protagonist, Yukimura positions himself on the moral high ground by advocating 21st-century pacifism in the Viking era, all the while eliminating any other ideologies that could challenge his narrative. Conclusion: In my preliminary review, I maintained a rather comedic tone, but the praise bestowed upon Vinland Saga Season 2 seems excessive considering its actual merits. The talented artists who brought the animation to life deserve better material to showcase their skills. Ultimately, Vinland Saga Season 2 fails to meet expectations, leaving viewers longing for either a more thought-provoking plot or more action. Peace.

Season 1 offered us an exceptional experience, with incredible openings and endings, and high-quality dubbing that added even more depth to the characters. The animation of the fights was beautifully done, and the battles and wars were closely tied to a story of revenge, promising a perilous journey towards a utopian destination: Vinland. We hope to see this explored further in the following seasons. In summary, Season 1 presented us with a captivating and successful set of elements. However, Season 2 is a disappointment in many ways. The absence of fights, battles, and wars has taken away the very essence of the Viking world. Instead ofpursuing epic quests, the characters now seem to spend all their time crying over nothing and digging holes, waiting for wheat to grow (oh, miraculously after 10 episodes, we realize that indeed the wheat grows well in the ground), which doesn't align with the Viking spirit at all. The story stagnates for numerous episodes, which is frustrating for fans who were expecting a continuation that would match the first season's level. It's hard to understand why Season 2 was conceived in this way, disregarding elements that had worked so well before. The absence of fights and alcohol, which are prominent aspects of the Viking universe, is a very regrettable idea. Many other animated series have also declined in quality by continuing beyond their initial strong point, and unfortunately, this one falls into that category. As a result, Season 2 was a considerable waste of time and greatly disappointed me. Although I would like to give it a 0 for this letdown, the lowest rating being 1, I will give it a 1/10, no more. It's a shame to see a series with promising potential sink in this manner.

Vinland Saga's second season retains the beautiful visuals from the first and still contrasts those with the cruel nature of the world it portrays. However, the tone and overall nature of the show have changed significantly. For most of the season the setting has been changed from the battlefield to just the field. The season has little action and has become much more drama oriented. While the lack of action may be a turn off for some viewers, my problem with the second season lies elsewhere: I'm old enough to have gotten most youthful idealism out of my system, so I simply dontreasonate with the now turned pacifist protagonist. The show goes from amazinly writen to silly as soon as pacifist Thorfinn enters the fray, making the tone oddly inconsistent. All that being said, the show has good production value and, when not disturbed by Thorfinn's pacifism, can be quite gripping. In conclusion, if you go into this season expecting action and a "badass" protagonist, you are going to be disapointed. But if you are looking for a gripping drama, and are not put off by the idea of viking Gandhi, this show is for you.

Vinland Saga Season 2 is a complete disaster and a waste of time. It's supposed to be a historical anime about Vikings, but it's more like a soap opera with boring dialogue, unrealistic characters and plot holes. The animation is terrible, the music is annoying and the voice acting is cringeworthy. Thorfinn is a pacifist who can't fight for himself or his friends. He's constantly lectured by Einar, a farmer who thinks he knows everything about life and morality. Leif Erikson is a useless old man who can't navigate or sail. The story is full of clichés, contradictions and inconsistencies "I have no enemies". Thereis no excitement or emotion in this anime. It's just a dull and depressing mess that tries to be deep and meaningful, but fails miserably. Vinland Saga Season 2 is a 1/10 and I don't recommend it to anyone.

The idea that Thorfin had any meaningful character development this season is simply WRONG. The premise of pacifism, more specifically the ideals that Thorfin was preaching is simply flawed. Consider the following: Without hate, love is meaningless. If you do not hate those who destroy what you love, you do not love. In just one small sentence, the whole premise of Thorfin's season 2 "character development" is rebutted and we didn't need 24 episodes to realize pacifism is a fundamentally flawed premise. Throughout the show, the viewer is force fed this idea that to be morally virtuous, one must 'have no enemies' and forgive literally everyone unabashedly.Even when faced with an adversary who opposes your desires directly, one must submit in order to avoid violence! In the anime, Thorfin shows this is his ideology time and time again by letting people walk all over him (and even at times, being ok with paying the ultimate price of death!). It pains me to watch Thorfin being used as a metaphorical martyr for a fundamentally flawed ideology. The contrast between season 1 Thorfin and season 2 Thorfin is not a natural character's development. It's like the author tried to shoehorn in the idea of pacifism being good, on a character which is (and should be) incompatible, at a time where it would be impossible. Thorfin's ideals completely flipped 180 seemingly over night, for not real justifications (as explained above) It makes no sense. Only watch this season for continuity for the coming seasons I guess...

One of the most boring anime I've watched in a long time. Nothing happens. It's fine that a viking-based anime doesn't have action. But where action lacks, there needs to be a better story, dialogue or something to carry it. None of that was noticeably better than the next anime. Fanboys will tout the character development, but it was mediocre. I really don't see what's the big deal. The best argument for the anime is a setup for a further part of the story, in which case, maybe it raises the overall ranking of the whole show. But this specific season was incredibly painful towatch. I had to drag myself to keep watching. Even at 1.25x speed, it seemed slow. Coincidentally, the music works pretty well at that speed as well. Writing this review solely so the reviews aren't swayed in the "Recommend" direction.

This is my first review, I'll try to keep it short and not add spoilers. It's a 10 outta 10, a straight up masterpiece. Sure it's a 180 from the first season but it shows the same theme as the first season in a different light. To be a true warrior. What it means to be a real man, to be strong. Its narrative is incredible, using techniques such as biblical allusion and the classic show not tell. The real star of this season though is Canute. He's become one of my favourite antagonist in all of anime, joining the likes of L and Johan.I adorehis character so much. To his charisma and the way he present himself. His character development is amazing. The parallels and contrast between him and Thorfinn and the parallel with King sweyn as well(a bit more obvious), is so well written and so well done. Thorfinn is also an incredible character. From an innocent young boy to a revenge filled angsty teen to a matured, calm and peaceful man. Its sublime writing and could only be done by the likes of a genius. Canute and Thorfinn are 10 outta 10 characters. The cast is great as well. Wulf, Thorgil, Einar, Arnheid. Even Ketil and Olmar. All amazing characters and written very well, having good character motivations and changing as the plot moves forward. I guess the only complaint would be the Pacing. But I don't really have qualms with it. It's slow but it fits the vibe perfectly and after episode 16 there is never a dull moment(not that there was a ever a dull moment to begin with imo). There also isn't as much action as the first one. Instead it puts its characters and plot forward, letting that bring enjoyment to the audience. The two openings are amazing as well as the endings. The score is really good. The dialogue is spectacular. I mean "I have no enemies" is an amazing quote in itself. The plot and themes are great, executed to perfection. It looks really good animation and art wise. Mappa did a good job animating this. And the characters include two of my favourite characters in all of anime. No all of fiction. And the rest of the cast is great too. Honestly, I can see the reason some would be disappointed. Its nothing like the first season only having a few similarities here and there. And yet, its still the same show. It is the only route the show could have gone. I can't really describe this show well enough but give it a watch. Finish the anime before you make a judgement on it. Trust me, it is an experience the likes never see before and an improvement upon the second season. To be strong, helping those abandoned and those wanting to escape from the harsh realities of the world. To become a true warrior, to become a real man. Thorfinn has embarked on the journey Thors wanted for him. Watch Vinland Saga season 2 man. I'm pretty sure they are other people who gave better reasons than me or explained more. All I can tell is to watch vinland saga. It changed my life, helping me become a better person. And I'm sure, at the end of it, undoubtedly, you would feel the same way.

Have you ever written a paper that needs to be 5 pages, but ran out of ideas after 1 so you just find different ways to repeat yourself until you hit the 5 page mark? That is the core of the problem with Vinland Saga season 2, it would have been an ok show had it been somewhere between 8 and 12 episodes. If you enjoyed the first season, this will likely be a letdown. The story takes a major turn in a boring direction compared to season 1, but the story is not bad, there just is not 24 episodes worth of story that itcovers. Be ready with the skip ahead 10 seconds button.

While the first season was all about the visceral fights and violent atrocities, the second season of Vinland Saga leans heavily on introspection and personal growth. Unfortunately it's frequently a bore-fest with snail pacing and excessive melodrama. There are many moving and memorable scenes, but the context and build-up can feel draining and saturated with cloying sentimentality and depression. There are very few adult anime that can stick to humorless brutal realism mixed with the everyday mundane without being tempted to spice it up by going completely medieval, which it eventually does, but never forgetting it's original vision. That being said, while the acting itselfis stellar, the dialogue is about as simplistic and as sparse as it gets, almost like there was a word budget of some kind, and they needed to spread it out and milk it for what it's worth, contributing to the very slow pace. I know this is the Viking age, but they might as well be neanderthals chatting about taking a dump. There's some serious questions about the premise of the entire story, of the logic behind the MC's inner drive, and of the McGuffin that is Vinland. It's like listening to five year olds discussing how to achieve world peace. While the moment to moment struggles can be engaging, the overall goals are beyond naive and elicit eyerolls constantly. And it's all the worse when the excellent music tries to accentuate the frivolity of many of the conflicts. Excessively long and repetitive sequences of the MC's inner demons also don't help. This will also irritate many people, but I am firmly in the "this is an ugly anime" camp, seemingly deliberately so, with its thick lines, furrows, wrinkles, scars, and heavyset bodies. It's in the same vein as Attack on Titan's final season, also another MAPPA eyesore, but not as horrible. It's a really mixed bag here, with enough good points and a unique story to make you want to watch, but also forcing you to trudge through lots of mud all the while.

Vinland Saga, you’ve heard of it, it is this incredibly serious, mature and realistic series telling a tale of Vikings, rich in great characters, whose visuals are breathtaking and it has one of the greatest stories to ever be conceived in manga and anime… except, all of this is a lie. Vinland Saga as a narrative isn’t really enticing, and the realism dies on the very first minute of the first episode of the first season where a guy chops 4 men standing separately in a square-like formation and a mast in the center of them with a single axe swing, and it doesn’t getbetter from there. As a series, Vinland Saga is not even that bad, but when it is sold as this “serious, mature and realistic” series when it is actually closer to a typical shounen nekketsu series in execution, then it comes out as a pretty bad and you can blame it as a big part of why Vinland Saga bothers me so much. Whenever I hear people saying that this season is boring, it makes me feel confused, it’s not like Vinland Saga had been fun in the first place. The first season had an easy to follow plot, so you can understand why people were bothered by the change, however, the pacing of the first season was horrible, to the point even someone who hasn’t read the manga like me can notice it was dragged far more than it should’ve just so it wouldn’t get to the so called Farmland Saga arc to have the teenagers entertained by fights between Vikings so they wouldn’t pay attention to the ridiculous characters, so when the more grounded second season came, it seemed like a complete 180 degrees change from the first one, as it was more centered on the characters and opportunities to showcase the writing and the contemplation of its own themes because, if no one noticed until now, the first season was the prologue of the story, and this is what the first season was building up to, and I know it’s not the fault of anyone but the people at Wit studio who thought that making the first season 24 episodes long was a good idea. There was this episode that was mainly focused on Thorfinn and Einar doing work at the farm, it was entirely about moving trees and stuff, and I actually found it entertaining, it was easily better than most of the stuff from the previous season, since we are seeing how Thorfinn changed from this shell of a non-character into someone different, who has different reasons to live aside from revenge. And actually, that is what makes Thorfinn much more better this season, last season he was an empty husk searching for revenge as his only motive and not having character aside from that, even Sasuke from Naruto is far more interesting than this, however, after Askeladd died, now Thorfinn has no more reason to keep searching for revenge, not because he finally managed to get it, but because after years he got to have a reasons to live besides revenge. When you look at his evolution, this makes sense, after all, his father was a pacifist, and as much as I could complain that this Viking who was on a lot of battles changing into a pacifist after holding the hand of his daughter a lot, that is not the point of what I’m talking, he taught Thorfinn that he should try to not use violence, but then he had turned out as the exact opposite of what his father hoped back in the first season, it makes you see he has grown up as a person by this season, maturing into a man similar to his father. However, this is a double-edged sword, as you can see now Thorfinn is even more of a pacifist than his father to the point of receiving as many punches in the face without reacting, he went from Sasuke to Gandhi across the span of this season. When this scene where, after Thorfinn received 100 punches to the face, he was able to talk with Canute once again, and after talking for a while and being asked what he was going to do, he answers saying "I'll run away" and the wind makes his hair flow as this big super serious moment that I'm sure many will be gushing over it, I couldn't help but think of a Mexican telenovela watching it, it was very funny, it is understandable why Canute was laughing midway their conversation with how dumb that sounded and with the way it was framed. Worst thing of all, Canute accepts it as if he didn’t rightfully win the battle in the farm to make it his, and then he goes away, reduces his army and everything ends well. And I can’t help but think that I had thought the big amount of unrealistic moments stopped after the end of the first season, but it seems like I was wrong, this was like watching a shoune MC pull a talk-no-jutsu but on a supposedly serious series. This was always the problem with the supposed realism of Vinland Saga, you can see the autor tried to build this realistic world and then put characters with obviously superhuman abilities that don’t get any explanation because well, this is trying to be realistic, so any mention of obvious superhuman abilities will take away that, sadly, not mentioning them also takes the realism away since I’m not blind. And I don’t know how to feel about the rest of the characters, Vinland Saga’s cast was always a mixed bag, when you will receive really interesting characters such as Askeladd, who was definitely the biggest spark of the first season and probably of the entire series, no wonder he is the favorite character of most of the fans, to characters like Thorkell, who is extremely annoying and the bringer of some of the most unrealistic scenes of the first season and whom I’m happy basically isn’t present on this one. This season isn’t different on that aspect, we have Einar, a man living happily with his family until a bunch of Vikings invade his hometown and kill his mother and sister, so he is sold as a slave and he gets to the farm, he is an example of a character who doesn’t actually change, he is the same across the whole run of the series as he always had the opinion that slavery was bad and would prefer if it didn’t exist. Unlike last season, this one has some more naturally handled developments, such as Olmar’s, who went from this bratty, spoiled, stupid, bothersome person to a calmer man, he had to get through a lot of dumb decisions to get there, from asking Canute to be part of his army, to unintentionally making his father’s farm enter in a fight with Canute’s army, and after seeing the horrors of war, he definitely changed for the better. We also continue where we were left after the change with Canute in the previous season, he is looking to be the rightful king, but at the same time has his hallucinated father’s floating head telling him that he isn’t that much different from him, and this is his conflict during the season, which is definitely better handled than his absolutely unnatural sudden change of personality in the first season. And it seems like no matter the studio, Vinland Saga can’t get good animation, comparing the anime to the manga is like day and night, Wit did a terrible job in Vinland Saga, there wasn’t a single shot that wasn’t a close-up that looked actually good, every time the background characters were a little afar from the screen they were on clanky ugly looking CGI that burned my eyes, fighting scenes would be as minimalistic as possible as if this series was hundreds of episodes long instead of the 24 episode season where a clearly capable studio was working. However, this season looks even worse, that’s right, the already ugly looking Vinland Saga started looking worse and by no other hands than the people at MAPPA, it seems like every series they take from Wit immediately starts looking worse, just like what happened with Shingeki no Kyojin. Now, the character art from close didn’t look that bad, but when it was from afar? Well, they didn’t even have drawn faces, they unironically wouldn’t have mouth or eyes as if they were a hentai protagonist, if you cannot even bother drawing your characters then how I’m supposed to care about them? And not only that, they kept the ugly CGI walking soldiers from the previous season, just that since in this season less Vikings appear the CGI also appears less, sometimes it’s difficult to decide what is worse, trying and failing hard like Wit did or not trying at all like MAPPA did. I have come to the conclusion that Vinland Saga is just like Monster, a so-called “mature and serious” anime that, when you watch it, it’s devoid of everything something that actually deserves to be called that would have, ranging from realistic characters, to good animation, to good directing, and it is very high on it’s supposed ideas of matureness, but unlike Monster and its total inability to say anything of intellectual value, Vinland Saga has a thematic value even if it is as simple as that saying which goes “revenge is never good, it kills the soul and poisons it”. Thank you for reading.

Every "not recommended" review I've read so far completely misses the point of season 2 of Vinland Saga, and even the show as a whole. Season 1 explores Thorfinn's revenge after his father is killed by Askeladd. I remember hearing people complain about how Thorfinn was a terrible character because "he had no character development". Season 2 explores Thorfinn's character growth as he comes to realise that his views on violence and war in his youth were wrong. This is done exceptionally well by placing the story on a farm, where Thorfinn realises the value of life through growing crops. If you ask me, that's agenius way of showing the importance of life and how much effort it takes to raise a living thing. Yes it is slower paced than season one. But the story was never meant to be about Thorfinn being a mindlessly violent warrior with no foresight. This is why Vinland Saga as a manga is compared to greats such as Berserk or Vagabond. I fully believe you have to be of a certain age or maturity to understand the second season on Vinland Saga. I'm seeing a lot of negative reviews about how season two has no action, is a "slice of life", or is boring. While it may have little action, or be slow enough to be considered a slice of life, the whole point of the show was for Thorfinn to realise that "you have no enemies". This is a central motif from season one, so for anyone thinking that season two is a completely different show altogether; not really. Vinland Saga is a show about Thorfinn realising the mindless violence of the Vikings with no attention to what war does to a person. Hence Canute says to Thorfinn in episode 23, "even the Vikings are capable of producing someone like you". Don't bother reading the negative reviews, they're all spewing the same bullcrap. This show is a masterpiece.

Yeah, I'm not one to complain about a lack of action when compared to Season 1. I, for one, think it's great when authors take risks and lead the story in a completely different direction. But, but, BUT! The story and character development aren't in any way an improvement over Season 1. I'd go as far as to say they are a complete disappointment. I mean, really? That is the conclusion Thorfinn reaches? And it's presented as some divine enlightenment? Lol, yeah, sure. I get that a young mind might be impressed with his unapologetic pacifism in the face of each and every cruelty the world throwsat him, but it's just not how it works. I liked Season 1 for the nuance and moral ambiguity. It mostly presented questions with no definite answers, but the way it did so and the context really made you ponder different things. Season 2, on the other hand, doubles down hard on absolute non-violence being the right answer to all the problems. In a Viking era, no less. Naive. Too naive. So naive, in fact, that it just stops being believable or relatable in any way. Even Season 1 showed just how much of a problem being defenseless poses in the 11th or so century. You simply get killed. Cause, really, who gives a damn about your lofty ideals. You get put into the ground, while your family gets graped and slaved away. Run away? Sure, what a solution, how didn't anyone think about that? Why don't the whole Ukraine just up and run from the Russians? And then the whole Poland, Germany, France and so on. Never a better time to colonize Mars, I guess. Extremely childish and simple-minded. The promise of Season 1 is wasted on this being the big revelation and a conclusion to Thorfinn's development. Disappointing, really.

Vinland Saga Stories would probably be a best name for this second season, specifically because it doesn't have much of anything previously established, and mostly build up on top of new stories and events to the point that the original characters look only as special contributor than the main focus of the show, they are they but they don't feel like leading the ship, but only taking a ride along. Personally i dont mid slow paced stories, if they are written well i will like them, but something in this second season makes it feel inherently bad as a slow paced show, the fact that it'stied to an very action based aggressive background creates somewhat of a contradiction to what was shown, with greater weights on their backs, they would've needed to follow a specific path, and unfortunately several things in this season felt for me out of character, out of place, poorly explored and even distracting or time wasting. Maybe it was because of the way the first season was presented, it simply made the second season impossible to be properly adapted in a way it would've given the same feelings and emotions of spectacle as in the first one. People who liked the first one for the action and impact, gore and violence will mostly hate the sequel for this boring slow feeling that it has now. The first great question i had from the middle to the end of this season was: What was this all about? In the first season you would have easily answered: greed, power, revenge, the price of your actions, how far would you go and what were you willing to do for what you want or believe. But what about this second season? What was this all about? slavery? love? hatred? penance? forgiveness? And even if you could say it had a bit of it all, was it even tied well to everything that was happening? Did it really made things lead up one to the other? This story isn't about Thorfin or Canute, even if the show tries to portray them as the main protagonists, this story is about Einar, Arnheid, Ketil and all the other supporting characters. You could even at any time remove Thorfin and Canute from the equation and it would've ended with a similar plot, with similar events, and for me at least, this is a significant flaw in the story for a Vinland Saga Season 2. When the two greatest ties to everything that was previously established could so easily be removed and forgotten without changing anything on how things would happen, you have a significant problem on your story's structure They don't even feel the same, Thorfin doesn't feel like Thorfin, nothing on his struggle makes sense to how he was previously established, i can understand him having internal conflicts because of his meaning of life being stolen from his hands and now none of his misdeeds being justified, but i don't get it how he got from that into vegetative state, and how he somehow got enlighten with his dad's words of peace at the very last most convenient moment, even less how Einar of all things was the Trigger for all that supposed returnal and progression, it alt felt unearned and forced Canute felt worse, he did already had a very promising possible conflict, with the pre-established bases, ready to be built, would've he followed on the teachings of his adopted father and his concepts about religion, or continue the ruthless lineage of his biological family, and it all was thrown away and replaced with a generic "i will bring chaos because god is unfair", and "the power of the crown corrupts". It was made even worse because not even a single time where the crown thing was used made a single sense, he didn't had any clear reason to engrave this message so hard on his mind, from someone who never gave him any reason to do so, and somehow these generic worlds of power corrupting where what haunted him the most? I don't even think they've chosen the right subjects to tie the events of the story well. Why is Snake, Ketil, Sverkel and friends all so underdeveloped and under explored? When they all are the ones mostly tied to the main events of the story, when they all had so much potential with their backstories and past events, it all just to be wasted and replaced by the Arnheid and Gardar's cursed lovers story, something that was simply stretched too long, to the point i could even made the assumption that their story was actually supposed to be the main story to be told, and everything else was just forced to fit along, rolled around to be named as a Vinland Saga I don have any other problems with anything else shown in this season other than it doesn't fit what was pre-established about Vinland Saga, i would've had even less problems if it wasn't tied or made as an direct sequel to Vinland Saga. The wait it ended up, this was a disappointment for me, a very mid "sequel" to a highly praised show

(this is more of a critique than a review and contains spoilers) Is it a good show? Yes. Is it an extremely deep and expertly written masterpiece? nope. While I liked this season I think it has flaws and I'm not talking about the lack of action. These flaws were also in the first season, but this time they are more noticeable because of the lack of spectacle early on. My biggest problem is that the character development in Vinland saga feels cheap and unnatural. Lets take season 1 Canute as an example. instead of gradually becoming more of a leader and taking small steps to get over his fear, it's likea switch is turned on in his head. suddenly his fear is completely gone and he's not even flinching when Thorkell throws a punch at his face. yes it's a cool moment, and yes he had a revelation that changes him, but Canute's development goes from A to G instead of the more realistic and slower A B C D E F G. (Like with Zuko and Walter white) When we see Canute in season 2 he is changed even more, poisoning his own brother, becoming a killer for the greater good. He is a completely different person from the weak girly coward. This extreme character development sounds great on paper but the rushed execution ruins its potential. Instead of him talking to the goofy head of his death father, we could have had a scene of him breaking down, crying, thinking to himself ''What have I done? I killed my own brother!'' Also how much more interesting would it have been if he was forced to kill his own brother because of some kind of circumstance. instead he just does it because his brother could become a problem later on. (this made him really unlikable to me) Vinland saga doesn't need more action, it needs higher stakes and most of all it needs to test it's characters more on their morals. they should have to make extremely hard choices. choices that change them as people. this is how good character development is done. (again think about Zuko or Walter white as good examples) Having characters change because of a dream or some kind of hallucination is cheap and takes a lot less skill to write. And this is what happens to Thorfinn in this season. Yes He realized he want's to live because of instinctively dodging snake as well as him feeling guild for killing people because he spoke to Einar. But the big moment that changes him is a cheap hallucination where he talks with Askeladd in the underworld. instead it would have worked better if his big moment was relevant to the bigger story. (not just punching some bozo side character and getting knocked out from behind) A moment where he was forced to kill someone, but decided not to. This choice could have had negative consequences(other people getting killed because he didn't kill one person) testing his new morals. Imagine if Einar got killed by Canute at the end of the season. That would have really tested Thorfinns new morals. He would have had to just walk away with Einars body in his arms, accepting he fucked up, not letting his anger take over. But of course something like that didn't happen because Thorfinn activates his talk no jutsu and for some kind of reason Canute finds it hilarious and is like 'fuck the shit I planned. Lets take this huge risk by removing most of my soldiers from England.' and of course this works without any consequences. Even tho he killed their 2 former kings with poison.(which makes him look weak) rumors about him killing with poison would have definitely spread around England. why would everyone accept him as the new king? Thorfinns "I have no enemies" bullshit only works because he isn't properly tested. He doesn't have to make any hard choices. Everything is just handed to him. he was never a real slave. his master was nice to him and gave him freedom. Thorfinn throughout his whole live was almost never in any real danger that he didn't choose to be in himself. I'm all for pacifism but Thorfinns pacifism is just annoyingly naive and unrealistic. Thorfinn indeed never had any real enemies. neither had his dad. because they had the privilege of never being oppressed by someone stronger than them. The reason Thorfinns live sucked was by his own choice. And the only reason he can follow his new pacifism beliefs without being a big brain strategist is because he killed so many people, which made him a strong fighter even without a weapon. The show might seem extremely deep if you compare it to basic shonen for 12 year olds. But If you look at it a bit more critically it's a good show, but far from "peak fiction" 7/10

I will try to make a more in depth review later, when I have more time, so for the time being here are my spoiler free thoughts. The second season tries to take the show in a completely new direction. The fast paced action of season 1 is nowhere to be seen around here, but in its place we get a much slower story about Thorfin struggling with his past and learning to live a peaceful life. As you can imagine, there is some awkwardness to the transition and there are some problems here and there, but its nothing dealbreaking. If the show stayed like thatit would be an easy recommend from me. Sadly, the second half of the show is not like that. The trouble starts with episode 13, when a jojo character spawns in the woods and uses his stand "Let the bodies hit the floor" to give the entire main cast brain damage, after which they all take a massive shit on everything the first half tried to achieve. I hoped that the last arc could rescue the show, but instead we got one of the stupidest endings I have ever had the displeasure of seeing.

(Short and simple) This is what seperates the men from the boys. No more to the pointless cycle of violence and bloodshed, but instead a realization and maturing as Thorfinn finally learns what it means to be a true warrior. As his father said, no one has enemies nor does a great warrior need a sword. Pros of this season: - Character development: Thorfinn and those around him mature as a person, while others die in vain protecting their pointless honor as a Northman. Every single character explores themselves to try to find what it means to be themselves. Some need to know why they mustcontinue to live in vain, some, about what it means guiding others, while others learns courage in surrender. This vast and complex development of the cast is what makes this show truly special. - Story: Yet again Vinland saga creates a masterpiece of a story. While yes, it may be nothing like season one, season two is unique in its own way respectively. It doesn't need violence to create a storyline, because the characters don't need to do that anymore. It moves on develops with the characters of the story (as any good story should). This season is about reflection on sin, and how to forgive. Cons of this season: - Animation: MAPPA had some very lazy animations that were clearly just a still image being slid across the board. While I wouldn't say it was slide show level, it was coming close. Overall they did a good job, but the quality was inconstant which ruined key scenes. - Slow story: Some points of the show are deliberately slow, but sometimes having something stretched out isn't exactly exciting to watch, especially on a weekly basis But overall a banger show, would recommend.

Vinland Saga's second season takes a notable departure from its predecessor, from being “fight after fight” to “speak after speak”, shifting from relentless battles to thought-provoking conversations. This change in pace is a refreshing reminder that a SEINEN anime can be just as COMPELLING when focused on the POWER OF WORDS rather than constant action and will emphasize that WORDS HIT HARD as one stabs a sword to another. This anime is a complete package of what can be expected from an anime with a huge lack of action. How would a major character shift from being such a badass with his murder-killing to someone whocan be admired and respected because of the words that come out of his mouth? Well, it really starts with Vinland Saga's philosophy. This second season is basically where things really start in everything that this anime and its manga will take you throughout. Its story is rooted from the philosophy of exploring the consequences of violence, the pursuit of revenge, the longing for peace, and the existential questions that arise in a tumultuous world. This philosophy is the foundation of what drives Vinland Saga to be lacking in such action that it becomes a good thing, seriously. Its aversion to violence is its biggest appeal in the series. Thorfinn, the once-feared viking warrior, finds himself in a drastically different circumstance, completely broken and unable to find a purpose in life. As he grapples with the consequences of his violent past, he undergoes a transformative experience while working as a slave on a wealthy man's farm. As he meets others like Ketil, Einar, Arnheid, Pater, Sverkel, Snake, and many more, he begins to witness the varied perspectives and lives of those around him. These encounters challenge his beliefs and reshape his understanding of the world. Through meaningful interactions and heartfelt conversations, Thorfinn gradually starts to question the futility of his past pursuits and seeks a new path towards redemption and personal growth. Vinland Saga will be full of dialogues and quotes that offer profound insights into the human condition and challenge conventional notions. Among them is a quote, "You can start learning things one at a time. If you're empty, then you can fit anything inside you. In fact, it's better to be empty if you want to be reborn." This thought-provoking statement reflects the series' exploration of personal growth, redemption, and the transformative power of embracing change. Not much more of these quotes will I write because that would take the fun away. To continue, we witness Thorfinn confronting the haunting manifestations of his past. In poignant and emotionally charged scenes, he is forced to face his nightmares head-on, grappling with the weight of the countless lives he has taken. The relentless barrage of the dead bodies of those he has slain serves as a grim reminder of the path of violence and vengeance he once walked. These haunting visions pierce through Thorfinn's facade, shaking him to his core and challenging his very existence. Through this intense and introspective journey, we witness Thorfinn's internal struggle as he seeks solace, redemption, and a way to reconcile with the pain and guilt that relentlessly haunt him. By delving into the emotional bonds, shared experiences, and personal journeys of the characters, Vinland Saga's second season not only adds depth to Thorfinn's character but also highlights the interconnectedness of individuals within the narrative. Through meaningful interactions and heartfelt conversations, Thorfinn and his fellow characters navigate their own paths of growth, redemption, and self-discovery. This emphasis on relationships and human connection underscores the series' exploration of the power of interpersonal bonds and the potential for profound change. By immersing viewers in the intricate dynamics of these characters, Vinland Saga invites us to reflect on our own connections and the transformative impact they can have on our lives. Moreover, Vinland Saga presents a captivating exploration of contrasting character paths, a juxtaposition, underscoring the series' overarching themes of personal choice, the influence of circumstances, and the pursuit of an authentic path. As Thorfinn seeks redemption, Olmar challenges traditional notions of manhood, and Canute navigates the complexities of leadership, their individual journeys serve as representations of the broader human experience, inviting viewers to reflect on the profound impact of personal choices and the transformative power of embracing one's true self. By interweaving these character arcs, Vinland Saga deepens its exploration of the human condition and engages viewers in a thought-provoking contemplation of personal growth, resilience, and the quest for meaning. There is so much ground to cover in reviewing the story and characters of Vinland Saga’s 2nd season and I’ll leave that for you to discover. Now aside from the story, let’s discuss the other parts that comprise this anime such as the animation and voice acting and music. The animation is in great standards in my opinion. I’ve seen better but there is no problem with the animation level of this anime. It follows the same style as the first season. With this in mind, the action sequences present in the first season are not as evident in the second season since the season itself revolves more on the characters themselves. We will also be endowed with various panoramic and scenic views that are pretty eye-catching. The seiyuus did an excellent job in their voice acting as everyone fitted each character they portrayed. The OSTs and music for the opening and ending credits were great as well and were filled with such visually and aesthetically appealing animations to support the music. Now for my personal thoughts, this is an anime that is definitely not for kids, and I’m not saying this as a warning but as that’s the nature of this anime. This is an anime that speaks for the mature-minded as the “Power of Words” approach into creating a compelling storyline speaks for the amount of comprehension and understanding that a viewer must have to fully grasp the entertainment side of this anime. Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with how the adaptation turned out despite some changes to the sequencing of events compared to the manga all for the sake of Shuhei Yabuta-san and the whole staff’s belief of how the story can be delivered in a better way in animation terms without cutting out major parts and while fully respecting the original work.