Every once in a while a piece of media comes along, be it a song, a film or a TV show, that is so earth-shattering that you can only stop and stare at it, endlessly, mesmerised by its beauty. That's Vinland Saga and the metamorphosis it has undergone in its second season.
Season one was already one of the best anime to come out at the time, establishing itself as a flawed masterpiece while still being a must-see. A compelling narrative with a strong emphasis on showing how cruel, violent and merciless the world really is, stunning visuals that featured incredible and well choreographed fights, and one of the most beautiful soundtracks of the year. However, the pacing was off at times, combined with a constant barrage of new characters being introduced at an excruciating pace, without being all that useful or meaningful to begin with, and a slightly annoying protagonist. I'm not saying that Thorfinn was a bad character, mind you. In a way, he had to be annoying. But he goes through one of the best character developments I've ever seen. Not just him, but the whole mood and genre changed completely.
Season 1 walked so Season 2 could run.
Vinland Saga changed from a historical action drama to a slower and more methodical historical drama. From the first few minutes of the first episode, the viewer can tell that this is the Vinland Saga they have seen before. There was almost no action at all, apart from certain points in the story where the fighting itself was used as a real plot device rather than to entertain the viewer. Almost all of the characters had meaningful and satisfying character development arcs, each with a different message over the course of the 24 episodes. What is a "true warrior"? What is redemption? Can you really prevent conflict using only your wits, without spilling blood? When all these ideals collide, chaos ensues, and it is up to each of us to decide how it will end. All of this culminates in some of the best episodes in anime history. The raw emotion on screen is unlike anything I've ever seen, not by relying on cheap melodrama, but by depicting the most unhappy and sad stories on screen.
On the more technical side, the animation was beautiful, although it had less "sakuga" than the previous season and more "limited" movement and still frames. But damn, those frames were beautiful. When most TV anime is delayed or released half-baked, Vinland Saga stands out for its (mostly) polished look. Also worth mentioning was the stunning background art, one of the things carried over from S1. The soundtrack was also impressive, taking some already emotional scenes to even greater heights (and even more tears). Both the openings and the endings were exceptional and fitting for each part of the season.
Vinland Saga S2 is definitely the best anime I've seen this year and, quite frankly, one of the best pieces of media I've seen in a long time. A beautiful journey told at an impeccable pace, with very good visuals and direction. I couldn't have asked for a better adaptation of an already masterpiece of a story about facing the ghosts of the past and facing the consequences while finding the true meaning of life and redemption.
Nothing less than a life-changing experience. I'm going to miss watching this show every week.
"You don't have enemies. Nobody has enemies. There's no one you can hurt. I rely on a sword like this because I am not yet a master.
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