I tried watching Vinland Saga a couple of months ago but dropped it halfway through episode 2 because I wasn't in the mood so I wasn't really paying any attention to it.
The other night, after constantly seeing pictures and moodboards of the series on twitter, I finally decided to give it another chance and I'm SO glad I did!!
Story:
The story starts off slow, which may not be ideal for people but it will get picked up around ep 3 or 4 and THAT'S when things starts getting VERY interesting and addictive. Yes, it's about vikings but it also approaches a different take. 'How would things turn out if the Vikings won against England?' is the plot summary of the prologue arc. It also focuses on its characters and their backstories which I honestly loved because I don't want to watch several episodes where the flow is disrupted because of flashbacks. Explaining who the characters were and why they were the way they were was brilliant!
Art:
The artwork was stunningly beautiful. I had to pause and rewind a couple of times just to take in the beauty of the background. The attention to detail was exquisite. Everything about the artwork was just breathtaking and I had the strong urge to either live in that anime world or pick up my coloring tools and draw. Which is funny because I don't know how to draw!
Sound:
You honestly cannot ignore the soundtrack in the anime because it perfectly fits each key plot point of the series and you can tell how the soundtrack connects with the characters or the events. I just listened to all of the ost and it had a mix of GOT and LOTR vibes and it was heavenly. A lot of piano work which I greatly appreciated and enjoyed.
Character (SPOILERS):
Vinland Saga has so many interesting and complex characters that it’s a bit difficult to pick a favorite. Though, I have to say that I strongly got attached to Thors and Askeladd.
Thors was just so amazing and pure and he just wanted to end wars and live a happy and peaceful life.
Askeladd, I'm not sure where to begin with Askeladd. I can’t really call him a villain, especially after learning about his backstory, but he did things that are morally wrong (r*ping and k*lling women) that I can’t overlook. But his character was just so complex. I couldn’t predict anything while watching the series and i was often impressed and amazed by his intelligence. He was smart, cunning, witty, assertive, calculating and strong. He had a very important role to the plot and legit became the mc of the series so you must understand how frustrated I felt when they killed him off!!
I'm trying to picture s2 without him and I honestly can’t. Askeladd literally constructed 90% of the plans/plots in the series and was the greatest of all time. I know why they had to kill him but still I don't know why they had to do it! Why kill such an interesting character like Askeladd??? I was looking forward to seeing Askeladd, Thorkell, Thorfinn and Canute work together as a team and assassinate the king, imagine my disappointment at the end of the series though.
Enjoyment:
The enjoyment level of Vinland Saga was on the same level as Attack on Titan and Death Note. I wasn't bored at all. I had a lot of fun watching it and now I feel depressed that I finished it. Literally thinking about rewatching it even though I finished it last night.
Overall:
A beautifully entertaining anime series that is very underrated. It's as epic as AOT and DE, has beautiful and stunning artwork and, finally, has the same sense of adventure as OP.
I STRONGLY recommend everyone who is reading this to watch Vinland Saga. You WONT be disappointed.
