Vinland Saga is finally back, with a new studio, a new story direction, and some new characters but the same staff. The first season is often described as a prologue, and judging from the tone that the first episode set that description is accurate. What starts off as an angsty story told through a child’s eyes is looking to become much more by further exploring the topics of freedom, humanity, and love.
The new season starts with Einer, a young man from England who gets captured and sold as a slave. His will is slowly fading, but an accidental meeting with Thorfinn will change his life. We see Einer go from a young man who wishes to protect his family to an empty husk, ready to accept anything just to survive and fulfill his mother’s dying wishes. Leif makes an appearance too: he is looking for Thorfinn, still not ready to give up. All this is in stark contrast with Ketil, who is a rich farmer and seemingly not too brutal with his slaves. How their stories play out we will soon see, because the second season of Vinland Saga is listed with 24 episodes.
Interestingly enough, I think this is the second time that studio MAPPA is taking over from WIT Studio when it comes to fan-favorite anime. Just like in Attack on Titan’s case, the change comes with a complete shift of focus. But unlike AoT, it seems like Vinland Saga might actually get a chance to keep up the quality of animation we saw in the first season. The scene with Einer on the ship (above) really stood out to me. I’d also like to praise the opening, which while simple, is beautiful to look at and in perfect sync with the theme song.
Vinland Saga Season 2 is streaming on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
© Makoto Yukimura, Kodansha/VINLAND SAGA SEASON 2 Project
