On Friday, January 6th, anime studio Twin Engine (Golden Kamuy, Dororo), announced a new collaboration between their famous historical anime Vinland Saga and the 2022 American film The Northman. With Vinland Saga 2 airing this Winter Season, the timing could not have been better for the epic announcement.
Vinland Saga tells the story of a young Viking boy named Thorfinn whose father is killed. He sets out on a long journey of revenge as he grows up and becomes stronger to find his father's killer. It is set during the war between the English and the Danes, around 1013 AD. Vinland Saga was successful as both a manga, which has been published since 2005, and as an anime. The first season aired in 2019 to good reviews, and the second season has begun airing this week.
Meanwhile, The Northman is a live action film directed by Robert Eggers based on the legend of Amleth and Norse mythology. It follows a Viking prince named Amleth who also sees his father killed as a boy, narrowly escaping death himself. His goal is also to find and kill his father's killer as an adult, and he trains and plots to reach his goal. It was also well-received by audiences when it released last year.
Both Vinland Saga and The Northman have a lot in common. They are both stories about Vikings (though they take place about 100 years apart historically). Both center in a young male lead whose father is killed, and both are stories of revenge that take place over a long period of time. Both Amleth and Thorfinn feel that they were not strong enough to save their fathers, and are determined to become better and stronger.
A collaboration between the two Viking stories is unexpected, as Western movies and anime collaborations are not very common. With these two, though, the comparisons are just too perfect to pass up. Not to mention there is also a growing public interest in Vikings and Norse mythology, especially with games like God of War: Ragnarok, Valheim, and Assassin's Creed Valhalla releasing recently and even the continued popularity of Marvel characters like Thor and Loki.
The timing of this collaboration could not be better for Japan. Vinland Saga 2 begins airing on January 9th, and The Northman will come to Japanese cinemas for the first time January 20th, 2023. While the nature of the collaboration between the Viking revenge stories has not been announced yet, we are hoping for more than just crossover art and posters. Hopefully, we can look forward to some kind of short animation, especially if it's a story with both Thorfinn and Amleth together, or even a short manga!
We will likely hear more about the collaboration in the next two weeks before The Northman releases in the theater in Japan, and in the meantime, we will be enjoying Vinland Saga 2. Stay tuned for more details!
Vinland Saga 2 premiered on January 9, and is available to stream on Netflix and Crunchyroll.
Source: AnimeNewsNetwork