Vinland Saga
a review by charl0
a review by charl0
In general, the characters in Vinland Saga are some of the best that I have encountered in any piece of media, let alone in anime. Yukimura Makoto manages to capture the highs and lows of humanity in a way that I would doubt even the most acclaimed authors of the world could begin to describe. Children are children, and their environment shapes who they are and who they will become. Yukimura captures this in a way that felt as though I was being ran through the chest, but in a way that felt less painful than it did revealing. I was shown something that I will consider for a decently long time.
Additionally, Askeladd is the single-most complex villain for an anime, or indeed, once again, any piece of media that I have ever had the displeasure/pleasure of watching interact in the world. He is human in a way that many villains aren't, with all of the complexities that come alongside it. I want him to succeed, even when I don't. He is a character that I believe personifies the philosophy that those who would look on criminals as evil or despicable have had the luxury of not needing to scrape survival from the dirt.
Vinland Saga hypothesises about the histories spanning the early 11th century. While we don't have many details, the anime masterfully paints a portrait of Thorfinn Karlsefni's early life, as well as the Canute the Great's rise to power over England, Wales, and Denmark. The details and events portrayed by Vinland Saga feel just as though I were reading excerpts from the Graelendinga Saga -- grounded in reality, while revelling in the embellishments and just slightly larger-than-life ability of historical, legendary men.
The only criticisms I have for Vinland Saga in this regard is that the pacing feels just a bit on the slow part, and there is an extreme lack of women with agency in this portion of the story.
To some regard, I was left satisfied, if unimpressed, with the majority of the visual language used by the series. I admit that there are some breathtaking moments, and there was never truly a time where I felt as though any poor visuals as a whole even existed.
And, here, is where Vinland Saga did very little to impress me in terms of skill or groundbreaking. The animation is passable, if not gently above average, for the industry. The background work is decent enough, but the amount of movement from moment to moment, as well as how that movement is executed, is lackluster, and even borders on stiff at times.
The use of sound throughout Vinland Saga is nothing beyond impeccable. A score where it truly counts, and impactful use of sound effects play as masterful accents to the talent that each voice actor lends with impressively emotional delivery. (I am referring specifically to the Japanese voice actors, as that was the version of Vinland Saga that I watched.)
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I believe I've made it abundantly clear that I thoroughly enjoyed my time watching Vinland Saga. I watched it for the first time in a Discord server of a streamer that I watch from time-to-time (@mirakurutaimu) on her insistence that it was worth my time. I hopped in at 1:00 p.m. on a Wednesday, and I did not stop watching with the others until around 11:42 p.m. For those who have trouble with arithmetic, I spent 11 hours of a Wednesday just to sit and watch this series because I was hooked from the moment I started. While it may have been on a whim, I am incredibly pleased with my experience watching this series.
The experience I had while watching Vinland Saga is unlike a grand majority of anime that I've consumed over my lifetime. It is truly an example of storytelling unlike any other, and the characters have more emotion and personality than some folk I've called neighbour. If you had any lingering doubt about watching Vinland Saga, wipe it away. Watch it. If you can watch it now, watch it now. It is well worth your time.``
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