Introduction:
I love a story with great character development, but more than that I love a story with a message and Vinland Saga is just that. Based on historical events and Norse legends, Vinland Saga continues to enthrall me with its intricate storytelling, complex characters, and breathtaking animation. The first season was a remarkable journey of the Viking world, it introduced us to great characters such as Askalade, Thorfinn and Canute. The second however takes us deeper into the hearts of its Viking world and fully develops the world and its characters. It heavily touches on character goals, vengeance, duty, honour, and their relentless pursuit of personal identity.
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Thorfinn is no doubt a troubled character who has had to grow up in what I can only describe as hell. But at the end of the day, for better or worse, he's killed people. So many to the point where he's lost count. In the first season, he has no emotions, gets manipulated by his enemy, and lives a miserable life just for the sake of revenge. You don't hate him but you also don’t like him. You feel sad for him, at least I did.
Conversely, this season he's finally awakened. He can see through people's intentions through his past experiences, and despite being a slave, he is no longer a slave to revenge. He’s also able to reflect on his wrongdoings. Thorfinns has actually developed true goals and ambitions, making him not only likable but alive at the same time. I personally loved the way the anime took its time with him. From eavesdropping on Snake reading the Bible about loving your enemy, resorting to peace instead of violence, and atoning for his wrongdoings through labour. I'm sure there are many other examples, but all this shows change. I think the most important lesson for him was when he finally realized what his father Thors, along with his ancestors were trying to do all along. —Making for some great foreshadowing.
Moving on to Canute, It's clear that the series has built him up as the main antagonist. Creating a parallel with Thorfinn; with their shared goal of ending war and conflict. But what truly separates them are their chosen paths to said goal. Canute, a once devoted Christian; now an atheist, is fighting God for peace on Earth. Meanwhile, Thorfinn, a theist, now embodies Christian values as he seeks to establish peace on Earth. Despite their shared goals, Canute's methods make him no better than the very evil he aims to eradicate.
Music & Animation:
I personally saw nothing wrong with the animation. I still prefer Witts Studio after looking back on season one. MAPPA however still delivered. I have no complaints aside from some minor nitpicks such as still shots used in scenes. In addition to this, some scenes felt a bit dragged to pad the episode time, but it didn’t bother me too much. The background shots look incredible, especially the landscape of the farm. The soundtrack was incredibly well done as well interim of setting the overall tone. Whether opening or ending, I really loved the theme song, especially from LMYK (Without Love) so much that I’ve added it to my Spotify.
Characters:
One flaw was the side characters. To be frank, they weren't as interesting as the ones from the season one. That's not entirely a bad thing because Snake, Pater Enir, Arnheid, and Sverkell were great. I don't feel as if we needed them to be anything more than that, they just weren't as memorable or impactful as the ones from season one. As for Arnheid's character arc. It was nice but felt a bit stretched or dragged, especially with the flashbacks. And just when I thought her pain and suffering ended, that narcissist Ketil showed his true colours. Don't get me wrong it was gut-wrenching to watch but still didn't change the way I felt about Arnheid.On the other hand, it was nice to see Olmar's character development. I honestly didn't see it coming. I'm still bummed out that they didn't get revenge for Arnheid, but that wouldn't really make that much sense.
Closing thoughts:
In conclusion, this season was as intense and thrilling as ever. Going in, I was initially scared because of the noise the community was making, but it turned out it was all rubbish. I've never been so disappointed in my community. I find it absurd that people were calling this season a farming simulator. I keep seeing review after review calling this season boring, slow, etc. —Were they even listening to the story and the message it was trying to convey? Did they actually read the dialogue at all? The fact that people care more about mindless gore and violence; over a well-written story is beyond me. It unironically makes them sound like Vikings. The only valid criticism I could understand is animation and pacing. At the end of the day, this a seine anime and reviews like this are why children should look elsewhere.
Besides some minor nitpicks, MAPPA absolutely delivered. I really enjoyed Thorfinn's character development along with the rest of the cast, especially Canute. Above all, the animation along with the music was solid. Mature members of the audience will love this season as it really embodied the seinen genre extremely well, at times feeling like a cinematic work of art.
This was a worthy successor to the first season. Yes, I will admit it was slow, but we kind of needed it to be. Thorfinn got character development that takes some characters hundreds of chapters/episodes. I really enjoyed the writing and overall messaging. "You have no enemies; no one in the world is your enemy. There is no one you need to hurt." I'm glad Thorfinn took after his father and is continuing his path. Thors was truly ahead of his time. I can't wait for season 3. 
