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EP. REVIEW: Vinland Saga Season 2


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tintor2



Joined: 11 Aug 2010
Posts: 2175
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2023 9:21 am Reply with quote
Gotta say the extra content for Einar helped to improve his character it was simply "told, not shown" there. Thorfinn's voice actor also seems to change the tone, reminding me more of Atsushi. Still the torture on Thorfinn was so violent it only lacked the music from Reservoir Dogs. It seems calmer but the series still has some violent roots
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MFrontier



Joined: 13 Apr 2014
Posts: 14244
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2023 9:28 am Reply with quote
It's nice to have the series back and so far they've been doing yet another incredible job adapting the material even though Farmland Saga is a bit of a tonal/pacing contrast to season 1.

Also it just amuses the heck out of me that both Thorfinn and Einar's sisters were in Nisekoi.
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Tuor_of_Gondolin



Joined: 20 Apr 2009
Posts: 3524
Location: Bellevue, WA
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2023 9:39 am Reply with quote
Anyone that actually wants to wake Thorfinn up is sure to regret it.
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MFrontier



Joined: 13 Apr 2014
Posts: 14244
PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2023 10:31 am Reply with quote
It's nice to have the series back and so far they've been doing yet another incredible job adapting the material even though Farmland Saga is a bit of a tonal/pacing contrast to season 1.

Also it just amuses the heck out of me that both Thorfinn and Einar's sisters were in Nisekoi.
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ZiharkXVI



Joined: 29 Jan 2009
Posts: 390
PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 2:12 am Reply with quote
Amazing few episodes. Easily my favorite anime this season (course I knew I would enjoy it - Vinland Saga being a favorite of mine).[/code]
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CrisGer A.A.



Joined: 26 Feb 2011
Posts: 170
Location: 世田谷区 Setagaya Ward
PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 1:38 pm Reply with quote
it was a hope of mine that this series and the story might delve into some of the interesting history of that era. Instead it is a constant attempt to shock and horrify and debase the viewer for continuing to watch this angry and hate filled tale. It says a lot about the author and the director and those who had to make the series they had no courage to stand up against and refuse to help spread this very sad and dark stuff. This is not entertainment. I do not have a word for it but the dark and angry angst of it all is a sad example of how debased anime and modern people can become. The world went thru some terrible stuff not too long ago but it seems that it is becoming forgotten again.

much better things to make anime about.

Sorry if this seems harsh, but I have lived a long time now and I hate to see very hard fought and won lessons being lost in the name of fame and success.
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Ohm_0_



Joined: 26 Feb 2021
Posts: 19
PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 10:13 pm Reply with quote
CrisGer A.A. wrote:
it was a hope of mine that this series and the story might delve into some of the interesting history of that era. Instead it is a constant attempt to shock and horrify and debase the viewer for continuing to watch this angry and hate filled tale. It says a lot about the author and the director and those who had to make the series they had no courage to stand up against and refuse to help spread this very sad and dark stuff. This is not entertainment. I do not have a word for it but the dark and angry angst of it all is a sad example of how debased anime and modern people can become. The world went thru some terrible stuff not too long ago but it seems that it is becoming forgotten again.

much better things to make anime about.

Sorry if this seems harsh, but I have lived a long time now and I hate to see very hard fought and won lessons being lost in the name of fame and success.


What an incredibly weird comment. For starters, a show has no obligation to do what you want it to do. The author has a specific story he wants to tell and he will do so. You being dissatisfied with that is fair but it is not a flaw of the show itself. It is just you. And the comments about the Authors and the studio lacking 'courage' is pretty weird. Newsflash, that time period had slaves and stories that happen to be very dark. The author wanting to focus on that story is his own business
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Gem-Bug



Joined: 10 Nov 2018
Posts: 1331
PostPosted: Sun Jan 29, 2023 10:40 pm Reply with quote
CrisGer A.A. wrote:
Sorry if this seems harsh, but I have lived a long time now and I hate to see very hard fought and won lessons being lost in the name of fame and success.


Not harsh, just ignorant. For someone who's lived a long time, you have no idea what you're talking about nor what this story is trying to convey. The "3 episode" rule is fine if you aren't jelling with the art or something, but you can't really make a judgement on the overall themes of the series at this particular point, sorry.
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tintor2



Joined: 11 Aug 2010
Posts: 2175
PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2023 9:13 am Reply with quote
The director talked about this episode on twitter. Basically, they really wanted to expand more the relationship between Thorfinn and Einar from the manga even if it meant eating more episodes. With Yukimura's approval, the changes were made and the story was altered. Thorfinn's nightmare was one of the best surrealist scenes ever seen in this series. The staff carefully used the same soldier Thorfinn killed back in season 1 when he was a child until the famous elder but not by having Askeladd's forces sent to her but by having Thorfinn himself behead her. A complete retelling of Thorfinn's past without any dialogue
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 24218
PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2023 9:39 am Reply with quote
Just read James's reviews for episodes 1-3 and 4. Excellent. It's always nice when a superb show gets the reviewer it deserves. I'll definitely enjoy watching VS2 and then coming here to read James's take.
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter



Joined: 07 Mar 2009
Posts: 24218
PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2023 9:45 am Reply with quote
CrisGer A.A. wrote:
it was a hope of mine that this series and the story might delve into some of the interesting history of that era. Instead it is a constant attempt to shock and horrify and debase the viewer for continuing to watch this angry and hate filled tale. It says a lot about the author and the director and those who had to make the series they had no courage to stand up against and refuse to help spread this very sad and dark stuff. This is not entertainment. I do not have a word for it but the dark and angry angst of it all is a sad example of how debased anime and modern people can become. The world went thru some terrible stuff not too long ago but it seems that it is becoming forgotten again.

much better things to make anime about.

Sorry if this seems harsh, but I have lived a long time now and I hate to see very hard fought and won lessons being lost in the name of fame and success.


Based on your comments, I assume you are seeing VS as a nihilist experience and that's certainly not a crazy interpretation. It does encompass some very painful and dark material. After all, it's faithful to the time it portrays which was not a warm and fuzzy world. If the show truly was just nihilistic and nothing more, I wouldn't have any interest in it. I don't believe it is saying that existence is inherently negative and there's never any hope for something better. The show also indulges in bits of whimsy among the despair. In episode 4, I cracked up at the part where Einar is told the pretty slave woman he has the hots for had raised the alarm about he and Thorfinn being lead away.

The expression on his face and the "hero" treatment of the woman's face in his imagination was quite funny. There is light piercing the dark.
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Theozilla



Joined: 27 Sep 2014
Posts: 150
Location: Oakland, California
PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2023 10:31 am Reply with quote
For those who are interested in reading along with the manga, this episode adapted the last 10 pages of chapter 59, all of chapter 60, and the last scene in the episode homaged a couple pages (but didn't directly adapt) from chapter 61. Next episode is likely adapting the entirety of chapters 61-62.

I assume James meant to say Fox instead of Snake at the end of the review, Fox was the one who was tormenting Thorfinn not Snake.

The story-boarder of this episode was Atsushi Kobayashi (you can see some of his others credits here: person#90289), who also boarded some of the more visually striking episodes from season 1 of Vinland Saga (and is apparently a relatively prolific animator/boarder).

Though what was interesting about this episode was how there was a number of additions and changes to the content this episode adapted from chapter 60 of the manga. Some of these include stuff like additional lines of dialogue during Thorfinn and Einar's conversation with Pater (the squinty-eyed ex-slave), cutting of some internal dialogue/monologues from characters and relying more on visual storytelling to convey information.
However, the most notable changes this episode had from chapter 60 of the manga was the night-time scene with Thorfinn and Einar at the end of the episode. In the manga Einar actually stops himself from trying to choke Thorfinn before he even lays a hand on Thorfinn (with Einar instead internally thinking the "it's not as though he [Thorfinn] was responsible for killing my family..." line to himself), the manga chapter also didn't give us a peek of what Thorfinn was dreaming about (so no trippy dream sequence). The scene after Einar woke Thorfinn up also differed as well, with the manga focusing on Einar realizing Thorfinn is extremely not used to being treated kindly by others (hence why Thorfinn had no response to Pater's earlier kindness and why Thorfinn asks why Einar wakes him up from his nightmares), and then Einar declaring that he and Thorfinn are friends now (the chapter ending with a small comedic moment of Thorfinn asking "what does that mean" in a nonplussed manner).

The anime's decision to instead emphasize Einar's rage more and connect his rebuke of Thorfinn's despairing pessimism back to the lesson/philosophy of Einar's mother was an interesting creative choice. I'm not sure which version I prefer personally, but based on the Twitter of Makoto Yukimura (the mangaka of Vinland Saga) it appears to be a change he is okay with.

For those who are curious, in this series Thorfinn was born on February 3rd 996 (while the real-life Thorfinn Karlsefni, the character is based on, is estimated to have been born circa 980-985). And it being September of 1015 during the events of this episode, means Thorfinn is well his way into his 19th year.
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tintor2



Joined: 11 Aug 2010
Posts: 2175
PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2023 11:19 am Reply with quote
Theozilla wrote:



For those who are curious, in this series Thorfinn was born on February 3rd 996 (while the real-life Thorfinn Karlsefni, the character is based on, is estimated to have been born circa 980-985). And it being September of 1015 during the events of this episode, means Thorfinn is well his way into his 19th year.


Without spoiling anything, a future chapter has Thorfinn trying to recall his age.
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MFrontier



Joined: 13 Apr 2014
Posts: 14244
PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2023 6:35 pm Reply with quote
The staff are doing an amazing job conveying the emotional pathos and development for both Thorfinn and Einar, which is one of the main thrusts of this arc.

Also, Arnheid in the running for the second angel of this season after Mahiru.

Askeladd cameo!
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OldManLav



Joined: 23 Mar 2020
Posts: 9
PostPosted: Wed Feb 01, 2023 1:58 pm Reply with quote
Damn this show is just too good. Love how they fleshed out the nightmare sequences and seemingly Einar as a character. For something that I might even classify as a slow burn, those 30 minutes have flown by every week. Next episode can't come soon enough!
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