Vinland Saga – 08

I think I can pretty much stop worrying about Vinland Saga after a somewhat atypical episode last week.  Truth be told I really wasn’t all that worried to begin with, what with the word of mouth this series has and the chops it displayed for its first six episodes. Still – I don’t deny it’s a good feeling to have Vinland immediately round back into form.  This ep wasn’t just back in-character, it was flat-out superb.  If it was a mistake for the anime not to tweak last week’s chapter a bit to facilitate a smoother transition, in the larger scheme of things it’s a tiny one that will surely be all but forgotten soon enough.

As that WSJ blip fades into the rearview mirror, so does France, with the story returning to English shores (where it appears much of the drama will take place).  Askeladd and his men return to the village, where we meet the headman Gorm (Miyazawa Tadashi) for the first time.  The villagers seem glad enough to see the pirates (and their treasure) back, though there’s a distinctly non-military ease to their interactions with each other.  For Gorm’s part he’s mainly concerned to ensure that Askeladd can pay for his mens’ upkeep (with a considerable markup, surely).  For all that Askeladd spends his days fighting for gold and other plunder, he seems distinctly less concerned with money than Gorm.

Gorm keeps a slave named Hordaland (Kondo Reina), a fallen aristocrat’s daughter named for a region in Norway.  Hordaland isn’t a very good slave, not being much used to manual labor, but Askeladd scolds Gorm that there are no bad slaves, just owners bad at using them.  Using people is something Askeladd is very good at, though it’s not slaves he’s referring to in this case.  Hordaland will prove to be a vital figure in this episode, and it won’t be entirely surprising if she proves to be one beyond it.

Askeladd, in fact, has obviously calculated that he needs to give Thorfinn satisfaction – and a duel – if he’s going to continue to make use of him.  He doesn’t seem worried, though it’s clear Thorfinn has advanced immeasurably since the two last engaged each other.  The duel is beautifully choreographed and drawn, and Thorfinn perhaps surprises Askeladd just a bit with the imagination he puts into his attacks – he even manages to knock Askeladd’s sword free at one point, though almost at the cost of losing the duel in that very moment.  But Askeladd need only manipulate the lad’s emotions to put an end to things quickly enough – and that’s all too easy to do, given Thorfinn’s lack of sophistication when it comes to psychology (not least his own).

Askekladd is a sad fellow, really.  He’s too smart to be fooled into thinking the world is anything but what it is – hard, cruel, filthy and violent.  He’s managed to get very good at what he fills his days doing, and it obviously provides him amusement – but he strikes me as someone who’s marking time in a life he knows has no real meaning.  He laughs at Gorm as he beats Hordaland, noting that the old man is just as much a slave as the girl – in his case, to money.  “Everyone is a slave to something” Askeladd tells a village youth wryly – and it’s clear what Thorfinn is a slave to.  But what about Askeladd himself?

As the pirates gorge themselves on meat and wine and dance on the tables, Thorfinn sits alone in the snow on his father’s boat, mourning his own weakness (though I don’t think he understands the nature of his defeat).  This is both a very beautiful and important scene, I think, for it shows us that Thors is still alive inside his son.  Subconsciously, at least, Thorfinn still hears the lessons his father tried to teach him, and knows that the life he’s pursuing isn’t really a life at all.  As black as Thorfinn’s future looks, if he’s still capable of feeling shame and remorse then his fate is not yet sealed.

I’m also struck that Thorfinn remembers the dying slave his father bought from Halfdan, even after all this time.  Again, this scene between Thorfinn and Hordaland is both beautiful and important, and indescribably sad too.  He remembers his father and Leif’s words about the land across the sea where slavery and warfare can’t reach (or so they believed, at least).  In a world so cruel and awful hope can be the cruelest thing of all, but how can someone like Thorfinn or Hordaland go on without it?  What’s the point?  The fact that all this – his father’s way, his memories of a dying slave, a dream of a better place – lives on inside Thorfinn is the proof that for him, all hope is not yet lost.

For now, though, the land that matters is the one that’s about to be totally engulfed by the flames of war.  King Sweyn (Sugo Takayuki) prepares to make sail from Denmark with an armada of Danes and the Jomsvikings.  Sailing with him is his son Canute, who the king wants to succeed him rather than the one called Harald, but Canute is apparently frail or afflicted to the point where the king and especially his retainer Ragnar (Urayama Jin) are worried for his well-being in battle.  And the battle is already joined, as the invaders’ march southward has run up against resistance in the small merchant town of London.  There, this fellow (Ohtsuka Akio) – who we’ve met before – seems to be having more fun than anyone else…

 

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16 comments

  1. J

    One interesting fact that the anime actually changed is that this is in fact not the first time that Thorfinn gets rewarded with a duel from Askeladd – in the manga, during the scene when one of Askeladd’s men said that Thorfinn is out there sulking and doesn’t want to trade his nightwatch shift, they mention that he’s always like that after he lost to Askeladd. I wonder why the anime portrayed it differently here – who knows what their thought process was. I’d also argue that it’s safe to mention Otsuka’s character by name already, considering that Thors already called him by name in the first episode – Thorkell is lots of fun to have around, and I’m super happy that they got a perfect fit for him as far as his voice actor is concerned. Otsuka is always a great addition to any voice cast an anime can have.

  2. Y

    Did they portray it differently? I thought the men did say Thorfinn’s always like that. Also agree about Thorkell’s voice. It’s deeper than I’d imagined in my head, but Ohtsuka just embodies his character immediately.

  3. Pretty much impossible to go wrong with Ohtsuka, if we’re honest.

  4. B

    For a bit of historical trivia, king sveyn, prince canute and best boy thorkell the tall is based on actual historical persons.
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweyn_Forkbeard
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cnut_the_Great
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorkell_the_Tall

  5. Many of these characters are based on real people (Leif Erickson most famously, I would argue), but I try not to send people to the history books in the posts themselves because, well- history is spoilers, in this case.

  6. D

    lol, even the url for Canute wikipedia link might give you some idea….

  7. Having the same issue with Kochouki posts, but since like 6 people outside Japan are watching it not such a big deal there.

  8. R

    I’m liking Askeladd more and more. He’s like running a business — bold, shrewd, decisive, cunning, manipulative and cruel. I’m pondering if he has a moral compass, or it’s too expensive to have one at times like this? I’m not sure if time will tell, but the fact that he asked Thors to lead makes me believe that he still has a slight sense of humanity, or am I being fooled? What an interesting character.

    Yes, totally love the scenes where Thorfinn remembers Thors, his lessons, the slave and Leif’s story. Still love where Thors said true warriors don’t need a sword, and love how he lets Thorfinn — in Thorfinn’s subconscious mind though — find the meanings of those lessons himself. I’m anticipating a beautiful character story ahead…

  9. There’s a reason I love this story so much. The events that will be happening are just awe inspiring. Watching it animated is one thing, but reading these weekly posts make it so much better. I’m glad people are enjoying this story as much as I do. 🙂

  10. Nothing like a good historical epic that’s intensely personal at the same time.

  11. I think running a business is exactly what he’s doing. Certainly I think that’s how he sees what he’s doing.

    In that context his offer to Thors is especially interesting. Maybe he realized that under a man as exceptional as Thors it would be even more successful, and make more money. Or maybe the warrior side of him was thrilled at the notion of serving under such a man. Either way, I think he made the offer knowing there was zero chance it would be accepted.

  12. R

    @Onix: Agreed.

    @Enzo: I know it’s too soon to tell, but we may have a tight race for the AOTY this year. At this point, I still like Dororo better, but Vinland Saga has just started… Anyway, I’m thankful.

  13. Those are certainly my top 2 right now. But there’s actually (spoilers) a few shows coming up in the fall which might potentially get close. Compared to what we’ve had the last few, it looks like a modestly interesting season.

  14. R

    Now I’m happily spoiled…can’t wait for your season preview post in a few weeks!

  15. Look to the Sky, for it is Hi (score) that forehands and backhands are sent. But do not avert your gaze from the Beasts in the fields and classrooms.

  16. J

    I’d agree with that. Which leads to a rather astounding conclusion – a pitch-perfect adaptation of Mob Psycho 100 may not be even the second or third best show of its year.

    If you told me that in January I would not have believed you. As the bar lamentably continues to be lowered, we can at least rest assured that the cream will always rise to the top.

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