OP: “River” by Anonymouz
If there were ever a sure thing in anime, it’s Vinland Saga. The manga is among the most highly-regarded of the last couple of decades, and the first season of the anime was a masterpiece. Not flawless – even most masterpieces aren’t – but thoroughly great. But that said, there was the fact that this season moved from Wit to MAPPA, and in truth any move away from Wit pretty much amounts to a downgrade unless it’s to Bones (which would never happen). As well, this arc of the manga – widely referred to as “Farmland Saga” by readers, sometimes derisively – can be divisive.
As such, there was at least some intrigue going into this premiere. And considering director Yabuta Shuuehi (who followed the series from Wit to MAPPA, thank goodness) has been teasing the sequel since before the first season ended, it’s been a long time coming. We do know that it will be 24 episodes, which gives it plenty of time to adapt this arc fully and even add some original material (we’ll return to that topic). That could be a split cour, but if so there’s no indication of it yet (which makes Spring look even more ludicrously busy).
If you follow mangaka Yukimura Makoto’s twitter (which you should as he tweets some good stuff, sometimes in English), you saw that this week he shared his editor’s original take on this saga – “Fist of the North Star plus Anne of Green Gables”. That’s a combination that really shouldn’t work, but it absolutely does. Yukimura is writing about the human condition here, in comprehensive terms. This is not a Viking war saga, even if it has Vikings and wars in it. What he does by tying these elements together is humanize the story in a way it never could be if it were just another action series about the beardy guys with funny helmets.
It might perhaps be a case of lucky timing, but there’s a symmetry in that both seasons of the anime start with a story about a slave. It’s also worth noting that in both cases the anime added a lot of original material – in the first instance to flesh out the backstory of Thors, and in this case that of the slave Einar (Takeuchi Shuunsuke, who continues to impress). Not only was this the right decision in both cases, the fact that it blends so seamlessly with the source material is a great credit to series writer Seko Hiroshi, one of the best in the business.
In effect, this plays out as if it were the premiere of a series in which Einar is the protagonist – the fact that we understand the context only makes it that much more effective. We get a taste of Einar’s life in the north of England with his mother (Shiota Tomoko) and sister (Touyama Nao), happily living on a smallholder farm. But we know the history, and we know what happened to peasants in the north of England a lot of the time in those days. Indeed, the family has already lost the father in a previous Viking raid, and while Einar “trains” in preparation for the inevitable next one, it’s obvious that he’s going to be no match for what’s coming for him.
The attack, when it comes, goes exactly as you’d expect – to wit (MAPPA?), how it almost always did. These are Thorfinn’s people, we can never forget, and utterly brutal and savage when it comes to conquest. The mother’s sentiments are nothing in the face of harsh reality, and neither is Einar’s determination to protect them. There were only two likely possibilities for people like Einar when the Vikings came – death or slavery. For his family it’s the former, for Einar the latter – starting with a sea voyage back to the Norse country that many captives did not survive (despite the Vikings best efforts to the contrary, for they were valuable property).
It’s not until Einar and his fellow slaves are taken to market that the story begins to return to the familiar. His escape attempt is fruitless and met with brutal reprisal – he’s a stranger in a strange land, with no home left to return to even if he could. There no reason for anyone in his position to hope for more than survival at the whims of a moderate master – that’s what it meant to be a slave in this time and place. But Einar’s luck begins to turn with the arrival of Leif Erickson, (still) searching for Thorfinn and falsely led to believe he was one of the slaves. Einar hears Thorfinn’s name, and thinks to himself how lucky Thorfinn is to have someone searching tirelessly for him (and he’s right). It’s the difference between the two of them – Thorfinn is still a person, and Einar is not.
Einar’s second bit of luck, seemingly, is to be bought by the (seemingly) kind Ketil (Tezuka Hideaki). Not only because Ketil appears to be a decent sort and is a farmer to boot (though that was hardly unlikely in this setting), but because Thorfinn resides at his farm (in some context that’s not yet clear). Einar remembers that name, clearly, and that’s going to alter the course of events in ways that aren’t clear but are certain to be significant. We don’t know in exactly what frame of mind we’ll find Thorfinn, but it seems very likely he’ll have much in common with Einar – two young men with the anchors of their lives gone forever, searching for a reason to keep living.
In sum, this is all simply great. My honest assessment is that the backgrounds and animation are not as gorgeous as Vinland Saga’s first season, but while that’s sort of a shame it was something I totally expected. Having Yabuta and Seko back is the main thing – even if they can’t completely hold the line on production values (Wit’s standard was impossibly high) they can shepherd Yukimura’s story exactly as he would want (and to be clear, the series still looks really good). In terms of depth, subtlety, and just general literary sophistication, Vinland Saga is just out where the buses don’t run. We don’t get anime like this often and when we do, we need to treasure it – to appreciate just how special it is and how lucky we are to have it. And to have it back…
ED: “Without Love” by LMYK
Raikou
January 11, 2023 at 12:29 amIt’s really clear that production wise, Wit still beats Mappa in term of Vinland Saga.
Well, At least the director and series composition still handles it.
I like the original stuff added, really builds up Einar.
Also the Nordic poems at the beginning is really an improvement. Hoping they would do that each episode.
Guardian Enzo
January 11, 2023 at 12:43 amYes, I thought both poems were used very effectively (though very differently).
Marty
January 11, 2023 at 12:47 amWeirdly enough, I’ve only heard the term “Farmland Arc” in a positive manner, but that might just be the fans I’ve encountered biasing my view.
This was an excellent premiere to what should be a Shoo-in (idk if that’s how it’s spelled) for anime of the year. If MAPPA goes THIS hard every episode and allows the arc to flow naturally, we might be experiencing some of the best storytelling manga has to offer finally be adapted to the anime medium.
Something that is slightly annoying is how some people are reacting concerning Einar. I don’t know if shounen or Isekai has given people an unrealistic expectation out of characters, but people seem to think that Einar is weak or a coward for not successfully defending his sister or “fighting off the slavers” on the ship. I’m just saying, not everyone is a Thors or a Thorfinn, and unlike a super hero story, people don’t get “last-minute” powerups to defend their loved ones.
While I adore this arc, it is gonna divide some anime-onlys as the story goes along.
Guardian Enzo
January 11, 2023 at 9:30 amI haven’t seen that, but it doesn’t surprise me. Walk a mile in Einar’s shoes before you criticize – that’s the point. The Vikings banked on this – they were seasoned warriors who thrived by avoiding fights with armies and instead taking on farmers and bakers.
In Einar’s case I also think Takeuchi Shuunsuke is proving to be a fantastic young seiyuu. Look at the work he did in My Sempai is Annoying – he has tremendous range.
Stewart
January 11, 2023 at 1:51 amThis is one of my favorite arcs in anime/ manga and I’m glad to see it getting an adaptation almost as good as the first arc did and I hope it does well enough that the third arc of the manga ( and the current final one) can also be adapted. I’ve also seen some anime onlys disappointed at Einar for not fighting of the vikings,trying to escape from slavery more times and even for not leaving his dying mother sooner. It’s pretty strange considering he’s a farm boy in shock who has never participated in battle before. I noticed Einar’s characterization was changed somewhat in the manga adapted portion of the episode. In the manga he was more lively and optimistic despite his situation. This makes sense though given the added backstory scenes and gives him even more room to grow alongside Thorfinn in the long run.
DonkeyWan
January 11, 2023 at 4:04 amThere is a subtle change in how the anime deals with the story, versus the manga. Small things, for example in the manga the scene where they dispose of one of the slaves overboard is more matter of factl dealt with, with Einar appearing more surprised than anguished. There is a moodier feel to the anime, darker, with more portent. The manga shocked by portraying horrific events (like disposing of an ill person overboard) as little more than routine, with less menace and threat than the anime. So, a slight tonal shift. In the Manga also, Einar gets felt up by a would be purchaser, played very much for laughs, but again demonstrating by indifference how callous and uncaring the owners were to slaves and their emotions. In the anime this is toned down, but the mood remains the same, bleak (this is all in chapter 5 for anyone who wants to see it).
So, while the anime is perhaps not quite catching the tone of the manga, it is still very much on point with the messaging. And that is why it shines. I have said this before, but what differentiates Vinland Saga from other action anime is its attention to character growth and development. Take Kingdom for example. The protagonist has hardly changed in his outlook, he just keeps setting new but comparable goals; leading a 100 soldiers, leading a 1,000 leading 10,000 etc. His success is not measured by maturation but by victory and plaudits. Vinland saga, in contrast, dedicates a whole arc to exploring the development of it’s protagonist after the events of Season 1. It sacrifices action and pacing to this task, and my worry for the season is that it may test the patience of those who have been baited by the fighting and battles from Season 1. However, I urge you to persevere, there are so many outstanding moments that stay with you, long after the excitement of the fights are forgotten. One of those is captured above, the face of Thorfinn, subdued, defeated. It only appears on screen for a moment and yet it stays with you, the image of a man who has lost all sense of purpose and direction and is operating almost on instinct.
This arc is my favourite in the entire Manga, it shows the other side of the fighting and the glory of battle, the grubby exploitation of stolen resources. I think it will be very hard to portray, but if done well will outshine season 1.
Marty
January 11, 2023 at 4:55 amIf I remember correctly, wasn’t Einar’s escape also played for slight laughs? Like, his face seemed much more comedic when he was running away with the stolen food.
DonkeyWan
January 11, 2023 at 5:14 amYeah, that is another example. It’s one criticism I have of the Manga that, it sometimes plays humorous notes that are at odds with the rest of the story. Sometimes it works well, at others it jars. Remove them though, and the overall impact is much darker and moodier tone, which seems to have been the choice for the anime.
Marty
January 11, 2023 at 6:52 amFully agree.
I think this is one of the examples when the adaptation can elevate from the source material.
The ONE time I regret a humorous moment being taken out was when Askeladd threw that axe to the random Norman soldier from Ch. 1, only because that episode (7) already had a humorous tone to it.
tony
January 11, 2023 at 8:32 ammy main annoyance is how einar and his sister literally just sat there waiting to be captured/killed ? its like omg it was fucking killing me there mother told them to run i understand they were sad but it like omg the complete lack of survival instincts killed me. I rather them run and get captured instead of sitting there with the teary eyed kids and the villians just conveniently sit and wait as their mom dies. I was half expecting both hi mand his sister to get shot with arrows immediately with how long they took to actually react.
DukeofEarls
January 12, 2023 at 8:38 amWith Askeladd gone, the top item on my wish list for this season is a journey to Vinland and interaction / battle with the skraelingers (Norse term for Native American). We’ve already covered a “post Roman Empire world” in season one, a contact with the New World would be absolutely mind-blowing territory for me as a fan of history and anime. The name of the show being Vinland Saga, and the real Thorfinn Karlsefni’s life story make me feel like it’s inevitably on the horizon for this show. I can’t wait.