Review of Vinland Saga Season 2
What do you look for when you watch fiction? That’s a question I can’t answer for anyone but myself. When I watch fiction, I want a story that elicits emotion, a story that can give me goosebumps, and a story that leaves me feeling better than before I consumed it. This can be done through many factors, but I find that one of the most effective ones is having great character or plot moments, especially if they are thematically interesting. Vinland Saga Season 2 has delivered some of the best character moments I have witnessed in the medium of anime. For the sake of spoilers, Iwill not divulge the thematic progression of the main characters, but it is done in an impactful way that builds deeply and meaningfully off of the first season.
People describe this second season as such a large departure from the first when I do not think that’s entirely true. I went back and rewatched the entire series, the second season included, before the release of this final episode. Unless you paid absolutely no attention to the thematic setup in the first five or so episodes of the first season, the second season’s events are a natural progression and serve to deliver on all the points that were set up through character building. Even the end of season one clearly indicates that this is where the story is going. If you believe this turn to be sudden, I suspect you were not paying close attention or considering the clear foreshadowing.
Additionally, people keep calling this season “slow” or “poorly paced.” With any due respect, if you believe Vinland Saga is slow-paced, I do not trust that you have a grasp on what slow pacing actually looks like. An anime like Monster, for example, is exponentially slower than this. American TV shows such as Breaking Bad, too, are even slower. Heck, have you seen any movie made before 1980? Those, you could argue, are slow. But this? Not really. This show does not drag out its points for too long and is usually rather concise before moving on to the next thing. It seamlessly transitions between different places and characters quickly and ties their stories together well. On a related note, there is never a dull or uninteresting moment in season two. The season constantly maintained my interest and kept my attention. This season, as I’ve come to expect from Vinland Saga, contains no filler. It gets straight to the point.
Also, I have seen people acting as though there is no action this season. This is false. The action is plentiful and brutal in this season. That being said, the action is Vinland Saga Season 2’s selling point, as it is not glorified as much as it is shown to be horrible. The selling points here are the characters and themes.
I should mention the animation. MAPPA is controversial, but I think they did an absolutely fantastic job with the season. The detail of the characters and the movements they acted felt on-point. Even Yukimura, Vinland Saga’s author, has complimented how impressive this task was. I am a huge fan of this somewhat more realistic art style. The moments that needed fast fighting choreography got exactly that. The moments that needed detailed stills got exactly that. The backgrounds, the pacing, the directing—they were all on point. Oh right, and the music is great (openings and endings especially).
Overall, Vinland Saga Season 2 is probably one of the best seasons of anime I have watched. I personally enjoyed it even more than the first season and look forward to its further adaptation. It is without a doubt one of my favorite anime of all time. Just watch this show for yourself and experience this beautiful story with your own eyes and ears.