Vinland Saga is a Japanese historical manga series written
and drawn by manga author Makoto Yukimura. The series is published by Kodansha
and was first serialized in the youth targeted Weekly Shōnen Magazine before
moving to the monthly manga magazine Afternoon, aimed at young adult men. As of
June 2019, the series has been compiled into twenty-two bound volumes. Vinland
Saga has also been licensed for English-language publication by Kodansha USA.
The title, Vinland Saga, would evoke associations to Vinland
as described in two Norse sagas. Vinland Saga is, however, set in
Dane-controlled England at the start of the 11th century, and features the
Danish invaders of England commonly known as Vikings. The story combines a
dramatization of King Cnut the Great's historical rise to power with a revenge
plot cantered on the historical explorer Thorfinn, the son of a murdered
ex-warrior.
An anime television series adaptation by Wit Studio aired
from July to December 2019.
Young Thorfinn grew up listening to the stories of old
sailors that had traveled the ocean and reached the place of legend, Vinland.
It's said to be warm and fertile, a place where there would be no need for
fighting—not at all like the frozen village in Iceland where he was born, and
certainly not like his current life as a mercenary. War is his home now. Though
his father once told him, "You have no enemies, nobody does. There is
nobody who it's okay to hurt," as he grew, Thorfinn knew that nothing was
further from the truth.
The war between England and the Danes grows worse with each
passing year. Death has become commonplace, and the viking mercenaries are
loving every moment of it. Allying with either side will cause a massive swing
in the balance of power, and the vikings are happy to make names for themselves
and take any spoils they earn along the way. Among the chaos, Thorfinn must
take his revenge and kill the man who murdered his father, Askeladd. The only
paradise for the vikings, it seems, is the era of war and death that rages on.
If Don LaFonaine narrated Vinland Saga from the start, he’d
begin the show with “In a world….” In Vinland Saga, we are introduced to a
Viking world, a world of historical fiction rich with culture and testing the
limits of survival. Based on the manga of the same name, it’s a show that
teaches more than about survival. If you’re ready to embark on this epic
adventure, then be ready for a 24-episode saga like you’ve never experienced
before.
Thorfinn Thorsson is the Icelandic protagonist, a character
with complex personality driven with an ambition. After the death of his
father, he becomes a warrior, someone who will do whatever it takes to get his
revenge. In this 11th century, the audience must understand how barbaric life
is. Every day is an adventure where possibilities are almost limitless. Vinland
Saga is very engrossing with a rich culture and preaches to the elements of
historical fiction. This anime adaptation adapts a story to get us familiar
with its Viking world, the harsh life of Thorfinn Throsson, and what it means
to survive.
Besides Planetes, Vinland Saga is mangaka Makoto Yukimura’s
most prominent work. The anime adaptation remains faithful throughout the series,
but the director does mention that “there will be some adjustments to the
manga”. With that in mind, the audience shouldn’t need to worry too much
because Vinland Saga is fundamentally an adaptation for fans of the original
series. The first few episodes takes off to showcase the violence and barbaric
nature of the 11th century. From the harsh weather to immense amount of
bloodshed, it is obvious the producers wanted to make the anime feels as real
as possible. Wit Studio managed to carry a calibre of high production quality
throughout a great deal of this series. The landscapes and Baltic Sea are illustrated
with gorgeous visual quality enhanced by its realism. The scenes in some
episodes contains elements of photorealism, characteristics that makes this
show’s visual quality nothing less than a near masterpiece. There’s a Viking
culture that we must quickly adapt to such as the rough clothing, crude ships,
and historical weapons. Vehicles are replaced by horses and technology is
crafted by the hands of humankind. In essence, this anime retains a beautiful
setting but with dark elements of complex storytelling.
With the characters in mind, Thorfinn is the central
protagonist as we focus on his rebellious life. During his childhood, he was
happier like an ordinary kid before his life changed forever. Now, he carries a
vengeful attitude with a rebellious nature while trusting almost no one but
himself. He is what I describe as a survivalist, someone who is opportunistic,
wild, and unpredictable. He is fundamentally a decent person although some of
his actions are questionable throughout the series. It’s hard to judge his
character altogether in this adaptation but based on his actions, you could say
he is far from a heroic protagonist. What is important is the relationship he
develops with others in particular, Askeladd, the man who manipulated Thorfinn
into his service. This becomes a complex relationship because Askeladd was
contracted to kill Thors, Thorfinn’s father. As leader of his own Viking band,
he is an important figure because of his influence on Thorfinn. And the more
you watch Vinland Saga, the more you’ll realize how much certain characters
have influence over others.
Taking some steps back, the audience should also be familiar
with Thors, the father of Thorfinn. As one of the most powerful character in
the franchise, Thors is a testament and symbol of warrior. And despite not
being around as much as the other characters, Thors teaches us what it means to
be a true warrior. This is somewhat in contrast to Thorkell, a barbaric man
with inhuman strength and widely considered to be one of the most brutal
warriors in the series. He loves the thrill of fighting, to always find
powerful opponents, and tests his strength. After encountering Thorfinn, he
comes to respect the boy for his inner strength and determination. He is even
somewhat honorable in that when facing against worth opponents, he prefers to
settle it in a fair fight, without interference or bias. In my eyes, he is a
breakout character to always keep an eye on.
But Vinland Saga isn’t just about barbarism and violence. It
has a society ruled by order with laws and dictatorship. From within the story,
we meet Canute, a prince with a cowardly personality and bishonen-like
appearance. Created as a foil as some of the main characters, he starts off as
a meek man but transforms into a strong headed prince after losing someone
close in his life. And that’s what makes Vinland Saga so meaningful. Character
deaths are impactful and causes people to change as in the way it’s meant to. I
can honestly say from heart that character evolution in Vinland Saga is one of
the core fundamentals of the series. It’s not just about evolving characters
either but showing the reality of death. It’s a clever way to avoid character
assassination by changing their personalities through events. As I watched more
of the show, it becomes more and more intriguing to understand each one.
Unfortunately, a 2-cour adaptation does limit the potential of full character
development. There’s much more to be found in the manga but that’s for another
story.
If I said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times. Vinland
Saga contains a cruel world and filled with moments of despair, emotions, and
conviction driven by action. If you’re here to see fan service, it’s served
with bloodshed and body horror, not half naked women. It has little time to humour
as its time period isn’t an era to enjoy life. It’s to survive in it. What will
seduce the audience to this series’ theme ultimately come down its hallmark of
creative realism. It manages to be exactly what it advertised from the start
and in Thors’ words, make a “true warrior with no sword”.
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