Adapting Makoto Yukimura's highly acclaimed seinen manga Vinland Saga is no easy task for anyone. That being said, the two studios to have attempted this in its first and second seasons have a show that is nothing short of phenomenal. Although Vinland Saga can easily be categorized as one of the most anticipated anime in each season it has aired in, it sometimes almost seems as if the series does not get the same spotlight as other major titles, which set the standard for generating hype with each successive release. Following the action packed, revenge fueled, historical war epic that was Season 1 of Vinland Saga, Season 2 presented a drastic change of pace, shifting the action from the battlefields of England to the pastures of Jutland, Denmark.
The tone shifts from one driven by battles and struggling for survival, to a more introspective tale of finding one's true purpose. Adapting the Slave Arc, Season 2 has completely altered the series while still retaining the essence of what it was at its core, with even more depth than before. In this vein, it has paved the way for the story to go where it always intended, explaining what it means to be "a true warrior." Hence, where the first season was phenomenal in its own right, its successor has set the bar even higher in several different fields.
5 Blending Genres And Moods
To put it simply, the change in mood between Season 1 and Season 2 is astounding, to a point where the casual observer may not even recognize them as being part of the same story. Where the first season, which covers the War Arc, is filled with scenes of battle, high stakes fights, death, and destruction, the second season progresses at a much slower pace, with an almost pastoral feel, until the tides of war find their way to the shores of Thorfinn's life once again. Covering the Danish invasion of England at the turn of the century, Season 1 is a prologue to the main story of sorts.
It depicted Thorfinn's journey away from home, the loss of his father, his years spent seeking revenge against his father's killer Askeladd, and the many trials he faced along the way. The pace of the story is extremely fast throughout, and conflict is ever present at every stage. After the death of Askeladd, the narrative in Season 2 takes on a slower, more introspective style, when Thorfinn works as a slave on a farm, coming to terms with the horrors he endured in his youth. This drastic change in tone may be a lot for viewers — especially those unfamiliar with the manga — to process, but the manner in which it has been handled by the staff at Mappa Studio deserves a lot of praise.
4 Developing Thorfinn’s Character
From a wide-eyed young boy to a battle hardened soldier whose life was consumed by revenge, Thorfinn changed a lot during Season 1 of Vinland Saga. Growing up in a time of war, he was educated on the battlefield and began killing when he was still a child. As his skills sharpened, he became one of the strongest fighters in Askeladd's forces, and even earned the respect of Thorkell, one of the Vikings' strongest combatants. The progress he made as a warrior was always fueled by his hatred towards Askeladd, alongside his desire to defeat him in a duel and avenge his father.
The death of Askeladd at the hands of Canute left a void in Thorfinn's life. Without any sense of purpose, he became an empty shell, haunted by his past, but with no idea of how to move forward. Fortunately, his experiences on Ketil's Farm and relationship with Einar made him grow from an angry young boy into a man who wanted to do some good with the life he had been given, one who acknowledged his sins, and the role Askeladd had played in his life. Episode 9 of Season 2, titled "Oath," is a standout moment in this progression giving a face and voice to the demons in his mind. This profound change in Thorfinn's character is one of the highlights of Season 2, which showcases the protagonist's coming of age in a way that is truly sublime.
3 Illuminating Canute’s Inner Turmoil
Another character who changed considerably after Season 1 is Canute, the King of England, and later Denmark, after succeeding his brother Harald to the throne. Once a timid young man who had been sheltered from the world all his life, the end of Season 1 showed Canute maturing into a King, culminating in him killing Askeladd to claim the throne after the latter struck down his father, King Sweyn. In Season 2, Canute is almost unrecognizable as a ruthless, sharp, and calculating ruler who demands respect. He even orchestrated the death of his brother Harald to gain the throne of Denmark, illuminating how he was now following in his father's footsteps.
Unlike his father, Canute still retained some semblance of a conscience, where he began to see visions of Sweyn whenever he doubted his own actions or started to feel any sense of guilt or remorse. Torn between his formerly idealistic self who sought to create a "paradise on earth," and the realities of wearing the crown, Canute's character gained a new dimension in Season 2, where the internal conflict within him was beautifully illustrated in his conversations with the specter of King Sweyn, who represented the evil within him.
2 Portraying The Horrors Of War
Season 1 was filled with scenes of war, from battles between the Jomsvikings and their adversaries, to the Danes pillaging English villages as part of their campaign of conquest. Although the scenes here did not intend to glorify war by any stretch of imagination, the scenes that really stole the show in th story were the fights. Most notably, Thors' fight against Askeladd, as well as Thorfinn's duels with both Thorkell and Askeladd are real standout moments in the first season, rendered by Wit Studio's fluid and dynamic animation. The battles in this case were mostly fought between soldiers who were somewhat evenly matched.
When the conflict in Season 2 begins, what viewers see is not a fight between equals, but rather, a group of the strongest soldiers in the land going up against helpless farmhands, who were rallied to a lost cause by a man desperately clinging on to the little power he had left. The horror of war, as seen through the eyes of innocent civilians, is far more gruesome, and Ketil's forces were no better than clueless lambs being led to a slaughter. Even the destruction of Einar's and Arnheid's villages, and their tales of loss and helplessness being a new dimension to the anti-war message of the series, setting the stage for the story's next act.
1 Conveying The Message Of Peace
Glamorizing war is something Vinland Saga never intends to do, but the intense battles of Season 1 may have left viewers more in shock and awe rather than averse to the idea of conflict. Season 2 explores the reasons behind war in greater depth, and condemns the act of taking up arms to kill one's enemies as something that can never be justified. There is no one who illustrates this better in the second season than Thorfinn himself, who vows to never use violence as a means to solve disputes, and decides that he will never take another life again.
Even when confronted by opponents that he could easily defeat, Thorfinn fights without any intent to kill, and refuses to go back to his old violent ways. This, by far, is one of Season 2's biggest triumphs, where the message that was hiding beneath the surface in the previous season finally takes center stage, as Thorfinn finally learns the value of using words over his fists or blades. He finally begins to understand the words of his father, and becomes a "true warrior."