One anime I’ve really been enjoying this season is the second season of Vinland Saga, an amazing drama about the struggles of several groups 1,000 years ago in England. It’s based on the popular manga by Makoto Yukimura. Read why I think everyone should watch this amazing anime!
The Story of Vinland Saga
Thorfinn is the cute son of the great Viking warrior Thors Snorresson, who decided to hang up his sword and become a farmer in Iceland. Thorfinn has an eccentric uncle named Leif Erikson who tells the bizarre story of a strange land he visited, which he named Vinland. When his father is called off to war, Thorfinn decides to stow away on his ship, so he can join in on his father’s adventures. What could possibly go wrong?
One thing leads to another, and Thorfinn is forced to become a warrior fighting under Askeladd, leader of a mercenary band. There he experiences battles and various horrors, all against the political backdrop of the Danes trying to win control of England from the Anglo-Saxons already living there. Thorfinn has many dark adventures but eventually decides to follow his uncle Leif’s route back to the fabled land of Vinland.
Learning about this important period in English history through anime was right up my alley, considering that I got through the COVID lockdowns by listening to two podcasts related to history and language. First was The Rest is History, in which Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook take their listeners through various historical subjects. They’re always entertaining and fun. Then came The History of English, in which Kevin Stroud narrates the history of English. He begins with the Proto-Indo-European language groups of 5,000 years ago, as they moved from the Russian steppes into new regions, and brought their language and technology with them. You’ll really learn the etymology and the history of how English grammar formed from this podcast.
An Amazing Story with Structure
One of the themes I write about is the tension between anime based on light novels vs anime that originate as manga. While light novel-based stories can be amazing, it’s less common for narou-kei works that started out as online web novels to have a well-considered structure as the story unfolds. Manga like Vinland Saga or Made in Abyss are created by seasoned writers and artists who have already proven themselves through years of work as assistants to other great manga-ka. I tend to prefer these works instead of most light novel-based stories.
Why is Made in Abyss one of my favorite anime ever? Blog post here!
Gripping Drama About the Weak and Strong
Recently I discussed the phenomenon of overpowered anime characters in which the hero is so strong, there’s never much anxiety that he won’t be able to overcome any obstacle. That’s certainly not the case watching Thorfinn, who starts out as a child who can’t fend for himself and goes on an amazing journey as a character, as season 2 unfolds.
I also love Vinland Saga for competently telling a story that’s focused on the drama of nation-building, following Canute (aka Cnut), the Viking who won the right to call himself King of England, while also focusing on the drama experienced by minor characters who don’t alter world events.
Vinland Saga is a Totally Fresh and New Concept
With each new season we get more of the same isekai, idol, harem and (increasingly) genderswap anime, and this is fine for fans of these genres. But to get a story this dramatic and well-written, which is filled with visuals of lands and times we’ve never seen in anime before, is a real treat.
It’s Proper Historical Fiction
While we all love Game of Thrones and other fictional stories of swords and battles, it’s even better when the story is based on actual history. The story of Thorfinn is based on real history, as told through The Saga of the Greenlanders and Saga of Eirik the Red. The characters and the world they live in, including the tension between the old Pagan gods and the new Christianity, are all represented in every facet of the story.
Who Should Watch Vinland Saga?
Who is this outstanding anime for? If you love historical anime based on beloved manga like Golden Kamuy, then you should definitely give it a try. If you appreciate the kinds of highly developed worlds that can only come from a perfectly executed manga like Made in Abyss, then Vinland Saga might be for you. Finally, I think any thoughtful person from England or Scotland or one of the Scandinavian countries should check it out, to see what you can learn about your history and language through the eyes of Japan.
While there are two English dubs of Vinland Saga to choose from, it’s a shame there’s not one done in the regional languages spoken by the characters in the show — or at least English accents that matched the Finnish/Icelandic/Welsh they speak. Or maybe I’m too much of a language geek…
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