Underplayed Gems

Vinland Saga (2019)

Vinland Saga poster
Original title
ヴィンランド・サガ
Genre
adventure anime and manga, drama anime and manga, action anime and manga, historical anime and manga, drama anime, Action
Country
Japan
Length
2 seasons, 24 episodes
Rated
TV-MA
Rating
8.5 of 10 from 969 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this series is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A young Viking named Thorfinn joins a band of mercenaries after his father is killed. The first season follows his quest for revenge amidst war and politics in Denmark, while the second season shows him working as a slave on a farm and reflecting on his past.

epicbrutalmeditativeemotionalslow-burnthoughtfulvisceralgrimintrospective

What happens

Vinland Saga (Japanese: ヴィンランド・サガ, Hepburn: Vinrando Saga) is a Japanese anime television series based on Makoto Yukimura's manga series Vinland Saga. The first season of the series was produced by Wit Studio and aired in 2019; the second season was produced by MAPPA and aired in 2023. The story follows the life of Thorfinn, who becomes involved with Vikings and war following his father's death at the hands of Askeladd. The first season follows the Jomsvikings and Vikings mercenaries in a conflict to find a new king for the Danes, while the second season focuses on a group of slaves living on a farm. Despite the two seasons being produced by different studios, director Shūhei Yabuta and writer Hiroshi Seko worked together on both. They aimed to bring more original content to the adaptation in order to further develop the characters, like Thorfinn's transformation into a Viking, the nightmares that haunt him, and Einar's life before becoming a slave. The series was streamed by Amazon Prime and Netflix for a worldwide release. The first season of the anime has received critical acclaim for its animation, direction, writing, cinematography, action sequences, voice acting, and themes; particularly the handling of the Vikings' violence. The second season received similar responses for its themes of slavery, pacifism, and Thorfinn's psychological state. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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