Vinland Saga

This is the First Time I've Encountered the "BEST of the BEST"

-How it was done- 8
the story were told in great style, I've never seen anyone who would put such a prologue in 50 chapters, or 50 months, I mean, that's a gamble in Manga Making. The Art was Superb, it was able to give the expression and the message without showing too much scene. The characters design here are not the best looking, but the best in showing who they are. But the background is superb, which is hard to pull.

So far, the only disadvantage of this manga is the the Chapters Story, this is not for People who can't Marathon a manga, but for people who can read straight 50 chapters with inconsistent pages at least 1250 pages worth.

-Plot- 10
the plot is not something to be taken lightly, this was based on the history of the Europe, I'm good at History, and the things that were taken here is accurate. And I know about Vinland Saga in its original form, and it's really true that the first ones to land America was Vikings.

Since I love History and Strategic Warfare, this one was able to show not Strategic war which I was expecting, but It's the Art of War. It was able to show the Honors of Great warriors, it isn't something that can be taken lightly, especially in respecting someone. This is even better than half baked characters which has no reason to fight the people, this is a manga that was able to portray "Why People became Bad" the best example will be shown in this manga, this is not something for "Bad vs Good" but the "Difference of Opinions" which sparks every battle.

And to be Honest, This is the only manga that was able to portrayed the Difference of Atheist and Christians. They've shown something that was written on the Bible, which is really true. The best way to describe this manga is, "No God, There's Glory and Heaven, but with God, there's Hell in this world" So if you can see that, then you will see the Difference of Good and Bad in this manga, which can't be seen Clearly.

-Worth- this is not something to called 10/10, but 10 x 10^9
If you wanna see the best way to live, then Read this, this is not your ordinary philosophical manga, but it's the Proverbs of Life in this world, this the only Manga that was so Accurate in terms of Meta Physics, Biblical Message, Atheism, Art of War, Proverbs, Transformation and more. And to be Honest, this is the only 10/10 in my hobby of reading manga and watching anime. This manga will help you in your daily lives. This is not a Manga for Story, but for Life.

"God's divine creation is so brimming with love... and yet there is no love in the hearts of men." -Canute

I believe this work to truly be the best manga series currently running, and believe I can back this assertion with valid examples. 'Vinland Saga' is available from Kodansha Comics USA in 5 double-sized volumes (containing the first 10 Japanese volumes), with the 6th and 7th double-sized volumes scheduled to come out later in 2015.

-Story-

This series is brutal and it's mature, but those two things are not the same. There's no shortage of graphic carnage and gory battles, but any mangaka worth his or her salt can splash some buckets of blood around and call their story 'mature'. Where this story earns its praise for maturity is in how it handles that brutality. There is no romantization of the Viking Age here, the Norse glorification of violence is not just devastating the people they come into contact with, but even their own culture (suppose you're a Dane who DOESN'T want to go around murdering and raping everything in sight? Too bad- at best you'll be an outcast). In some way every character has to react to the violent culture of the Norse and their reactions are critical in determining their personality. Some embrace it, some run from it, some try to change it through politics, some find solace in religion, some despise it and lose themselves in the hatred of everything. While plenty of manga (and other media in general) simply use brutality for shock factor and call themselves 'deep and mature', this manga actually successfully uses the brutality as part of its main theme. But 'Vinland Saga' doesn't simply wallow in nihilism either (another easy trap for 'brutal' stories to fall into), it has rays of hope. Not easy to reach, not without its own cost, sometimes not without going through Hell first, but still real.

This story uses brutality well, incorporating it into a deeper theme instead of losing itself to gore and nihilism; and it uses hope to counterpoint the brutality without resorting to saccharine slap-happy schlock. The only thing keeping 'VS' from a perfect story score is that the series has yet to end in the US market (I am uncertain of how far it has progressed in Japan). So far, however, it has been magnificent. 8/10

-Art-

Seriously, look at this manga! Since it's on a monthly release schedule Makoto Yukimura can afford to go for quality rather than quantity. The first chapters were on a weekly release schedule, so they are somewhat less impressive (but still excellent, it's only that the monthly chapters are utterly jaw-dropping). It's clear that a great deal of research went into this series, houses, clothes, utensils, and weapons are all highly detailed- no settling for slapping some medieval stereotypes on the page and moving on. The panels are simple squares and rectangles with clear borders between them, broken up by the occasional splash page- with a series this detailed special care must be made to make sure each image is distinct and the flow is easy to follow. The aesthetic goes for a high level of realism, with very little stereotypical 'manga' influence (no chibis or gigantic eyes here). The art is absolutely stunning. 10/10

-Characters-

Characters make a story. If the cast doesn't have engaging conflicts and interesting development, neither the art or the plot will be able to make up the difference. Thorfinn is a ball of rage and pain as he tries to avenge the father he hardly knew. Canute is a timid and frightened young prince who must conquer or surely die. Askeladd's mind has plots within plots and is more than meets the eye. Thorkell.... OK, he IS pretty easy to figure out, but that's the point. Even the secondary characters have distinct and believable motivations and a few surprises. Nobody feels like a plot device or a cardboard archetype who's only there to do some specific thing because 'the story said so', the cast truly seems like real, flawed (often badly, occasionally horrifically flawed) people interacting with each other. 10/10

-Enjoyment-

There are only two reasons to write about a manga in this much depth: 1) It sucks on a truly incredible scale 2) It is utterly magnificent. Take a wild guess which is my opinion.

-Overall-

The cast is a masterclass in character development. The art is stunningly real. The story takes full advantage of its setting and subtly communicates a deep and mature theme- the ONLY thing I can see undermining this series is a bad ending when it finally finishes (not that I hope it will do so any time soon). I will confess I have a love for historical fiction that might make me more predisposed to liking a series of this nature, but given the examples I've provided I believe I can honestly this is a series any fan of serious manga needs to read. 10/10

First review No spoiler. Only writing this cuz it's such a good manga. Never read anything quite like this. Can't wait to read more. It's pretty much perfect to me. Definitely recommend. If u like Vikings and character progression you'll like this manga. Tons of action too. Art is amazing. Characters are not bad at all. Enjoyment is through the roof. Honestly my favorite right now. I really hope this manga continues on into a bigger masterpiece. The people who gave it lower reviews don't understand the complexity of what's going on and are simple minded. I'm just tryna find more stuff to write but this review is too short so stop reading this cuz it's only filler from here on.

I'll keep this review brief.
I started reading this manga because it was part of the recommendations for the "Kingdom" manga. Let me tell you for anyone who wants to read this for the same reason; there's so little similar about the two mangas you'll probably end up as pissed as I am.

I've never wrote a manga review before, but after reading about half-way through I got so annoyed by the complete and utter genre change from action/drama to a buddhist/hippy/drama, I just had to write my first one.

The manga starts off about a young boy thats struck with hardships and turns into a hard person and warrior. And as the manga progresses it seems he is trying to reach enlightenment, through the author's views of enlightenment. Theres alot of religious/anti-religious banter and rants that occur through-out.

At the end of the day, I absolutely hate this manga for what it has turned into and the people that've recommended reading this after Kingdom. Kingdom starts off a certain way and keeps on that track and the character development all continues along the same path. Vinland Saga starts off one way and transforms the manga into something else.

I don't recommend this manga to anyone looking for a war/action/strategical supplement to Kingdom. If you enjoy sob stories and read the Gandhi biography over and over, then you will enjoy this.

Vinland Saga depicts a mythology in the most realistic from. You’ll be disgusted seeing the horrors of war yet before you throw down the manga you’ll realize it has established a tight grip on you. In the most basic form the manga deals with war and slavery. But the allure of the manga lies in its depiction of revenge and forgiveness. The story follows the adventures and misadventures of Thorfinn who after witnessing the murder of his father swears revenge. Revenge can drive a man insane and its effect on 6 year old boy is incomprehensible.

Manga depicts gore scenes with grotesque beauty. True nature of war is shown without holding anything back i.e. Pillaging villages, raping and selling the victims into slavery. It also takes us into the psych of a warrior’s mindset showing how a warrior justifies killing in the promise of Valhalla. The first half deals with warfare and is successful in reeling in the readers with lucid action scenes and Viking fantasy world. It focuses on the warrior's perspective and readers can’t help falling into the disgusting notion of glorifying war. The geographical explanations are both accurate and educating; it is significant in contributing towards the reader's understanding of the Viking world.


As we go deeper the manga offers a lot more than bloodshed, it shatters the war glory illusion and tells the story from the point of view of the victims, the slaves. It’s a mature and bold thing to do because a lot of mangas focus on glorifying violence which becomes their selling point. The character development of the Protagonist, Thorfinn is marvelous. But this is also a negative point, the series focuses substantially on the protagonist that I felt that no justice was done to secondary characters. If more time was invested in other characters the development would have been immaculate.


The manga gives us a lovely message. Thorfinn who was an assassin takes up a plough in his hand instead of knife and realizes the horrors he has caused. War causes withering while agriculture brings out growth in people. Understanding the consequences of the atrocities causes by power-hungry warmongers, Thorfinn vows never to fight and turns the other cheek towards is attacker. This reflection of Gandhian philosophy is powerful and sends a strong message to the readers. Not only Gandhi but George Orwell’s “1984” WAR IS PEACE can be seen in the actions of King Canute who uses brutal force to establish utopia.


Vinland Saga is an ongoing manga and there is a lot of potential for character exploration; I hope they start focusing on other characters, till then it remains one short of masterpiece rating.

Overall: 10

Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura is a personal favorite of mine. I think it is widely underrated (in the west at least).The art and the character development are nothing short of masterful.

Story:
Vinland Saga is a historical fiction based on Vikings, the norman conquest of England, and the eventual voyage to Vinland (AKA North America). The story can basically be split up into 3 parts. Without spoiling anything, the first part is about revenge. There is a lot of good, realistic fighting in this part. Most people fall in love with Vinland Saga for its realistic depiction of Viking warfare. The second part is about transformation. This is where a lot of people stop reading. In their defense, this part is almost completely different from the first part (at least until it transitions into part 3), but I personally, really enjoyed the character transformation in this part. The ongoing part 3 is the quest to Vinland. The actual “Vinland saga” basically just started, but this isn’t the type of series where the end goal actually matters. This story is all about the journey and Thorfinn’s evolution as a human being.

Characters:
Vinland Saga is really a character driven manga. The characters are what makes it shine. Many of the characters, even minor characters, are well developed and very believable. The main focus is on Thorfinn’s evolution, but it also goes into the difficulties of ruling a kingdom, court politics, the realities of war, and other interesting topics. “The crown does queer things to the heads of the men who wear them.” is a Vinland Saga quote that reminds me of Game of Thrones.

Art:
The art is probably the most interesting thing about this manga for me. Not only would I give it a 10/10 for just how well drawn it is, but it’s also very well researched and thought out. The weapons and wardrobes are all what was actually used during the time period. The first time I noticed how much attention was paid to detail was when I saw the cut, calloused hands of a common woman. Most mangaka wouldn’t put effort into a detail like that, but it is an important aspect of the era. Women who have to do all kinds of house chores with primitive instruments would not have dainty woman hands. It’s small details like this that really help draw you into the time period.

Hello, coming in for my 2nd review( HUGE Landmark, jk). WARNING!! Subjectively speaking, this review contains spoilers.

Vinland Saga is definitely one of those series that anyone could easily pass up any day, just by looking at the cover. Most people would probably figure "It's going to involve a lot of violence", which is absolutely true. But a lot of people probably wouldn't realize that the series has a lot to do with ideas relating to philosophical standpoints ( unless you happened to read the other series called Planetes, by the same author Makoto Yukimura).

In the beginning of the series, you are introduced to the young boy Thorfinn, the mc of this series, and the main driving factor which allows this series to be so good. You see how violence shapes his life, and the commitments he makes changes over time. The people who surround the mc have a great impact on what does, thinks, and believes ( either in a positive or a negative way). Not only does this character become very dynamic, but the series shows so much as to why he changes over time.

It is clearly obvious with this series that the author (Makoto Yukimura) has researched immensely of the subjects of the Nordic Vikings. Whether it is weaponry, ethics, and language barriers, he nails the realism of the Viking society, and portrays it perfectly. Without a doubt, I could look up some of the items that are used in the series, or the ethical conflicts, or the historical tribes named ( such as the Saxons).

Another great aspect is how this series never seems to be boring at any point. Even if it is a menial task, such as chopping wood, the author always includes something to throw in that seems like a realistic situation to grab the readers attention. And when I mean he throws something in, I am not referring to a violent conflict. However, that does happen a lot in this series, but many times it is the opposite, or something not violent at all.

Thank you for reading my review. If you have not already read this series, I encourage you to do so. Please also take a look at the other work by this author, Planetes, which is definitely also worth reading.

I just can't find any faults with this series..

Story 10/10
It somehow manages to make the very barbaric idea of Vikings into a beautiful tale of loss, revenge, discovery and redemption. I won't spoil anything because this is a series best experienced on one's own. Also some great humour involved with the more charismatic characters.

Art 9/10
It only improves as the series progresses with a very consistent and rather cartoon-like art-style for it's violent backdrop that fits perfectly, with great expressions on character's expressions. This battles are barbaric and brutally wonderful, and it's times of peace are wonderfully depicted with stunning attention to detail.

Characters 10/10
This is where I feel the story truly shines. Although the series may look like it would just be fighting after fighting, character development is very prominent and as, dare I say, as masterfully done as Meruem in Hunter x Hunter. You will love characters, then love to hate them, then love them all over again. It is simply breathtakingly well done.

Enjoyment 10/10
Kind of obvious given the above. I should mention the great 2 in 1 hard-covers that are given with the English release. They are a very nice addition to the package.

Overall 10/10
Just a brilliant series, I highly recommend picking this up.

Makoto Yukimura’s award-winning Vinland Saga is the #1 manga I look forward to reading every every few months when a new volume is released. Why? Well, maybe because it's maybe the best historic - fact and fiction story I've ever read. After all the it's-amazing blah blah blah praises I've heard from the anime community, I finally decided to give this manga a go a couple weeks ago and once I started, I just could not put the manga down. Who knew that a mere manga about Vikings-love-revenge could result in one of the greatest tragic stories ever both inside and outside of the manga community. From the historic settings to the masterfully developed characters to the captivating plot, this manga doesn't leave anything out.

I'm sure most of you have read Berserk and loved it considering it's one of the most popular, and highest rated manga here on mal; I'm going to tell you that Vinland Saga is much more violent, touching, deep, romantic, enjoyable and to an extent, sinister. Vinland Saga takes us back in time a thousand years, to the world of the historic Vikings. What did Vikings do back in the day? They conquered and slaughtered. Sure the entire manga isn't all realistic and doesn't follow history exactly, but Vinland Saga still stays true to it's reality-based horrors and battles; you could call a realistic mythology.

The basic outline of the story follows the adventures and misadventures of a young viking, Thorfinn's path to revenge, love, betrayal, and redemption. After witnessing the murder of his father as a boy, Thornfinn swears revenge against Askeladd, his father's murderer as well as Thornfinn's cunning commander. But Thornfinn's reason for joining Askeladd's band of Vikings isn't solely for his revenge, there are hidden deeper meanings of Thornfinn's reason for life that date back to his past in Iceland and the mythical country that's said to be peaceful and perfect to the west of Iceland - Vinland. But in the midst of his revenge and search for this mythical land, he gets caught up in the middle of a great war for the Crown of England.

What do I love about the plot? Not only is it mind-blowingly genius, and absolutely captivating, but there's absolutely no sugar-coating anything, no cute, childish crap, no bullshit. There is only the harshness of reality back in the 11th century. What's the first thing we get to see in the manga? People being turned into Slaves, Mass Murder, Torture (More people get their eyes cut out in beginning than I've ever seen combined from any other stories), Rape, and a supposedly heroic main character who sits back, watches, and laughs at the horrors unfolding before him. This is portrayed perfectly, for War in reality, isn't one where some main character decides to befriend a couple enemies through compassion, and suddenly they go super-sayan and end up defeating their enemies-a greater army because they have "the will to win"... No, War is a disgusting event in which everyone that's part of it will end up suffering, and Vinland Saga portrays that to it's finest. The first half of the manga truly depicts and draws the reader into horror-the world of the Vikings. The plot is my favorite historic-drama story I've ever read, it's just on a whole new level of greatness. It strives to teach the reader's about the Viking's history, while keeping us entertained by adding fiction and allowing the readers to not only read it, but live it. You think this story is only about revenge and war? Oh how you couldn't be more wrong. The Viking's were merciless, but that doesn't deny them from being a human being does it? It's an instinct for survival of their own. What does it mean to be a human? To have a conscience, to show compassion, to love others and to have others love you back? Thorfinn's brutal journey to revenge (think, there must be a reason Thorfinn's father was murdered right? What do you think that reason is? That is an ongoing mystery in the series~) yet maintain his humanity and experience a magical thing called "love" sets the tone for what's to come for this masterpiece~ But beyond just the story, the themes and philosophical questions brought up in the story keep the readers thinking, which is half the fun in reading. The psychological emotions that the characters experience translates directly to what the readers feel: This series just takes psychological minds to a whole new level. This manga has officially made me a fanboy.

But truth be told, the "character" aspect of this manga is the greatest part of this story. The first thing that really stands out about Vinland Saga is the writer, Yukimura Makoto’s ability to weave together the characters’ past and present to create a deeper understanding of the characters’ motives and characterizations. The reader gets to go on a grandiose journey from 6 year old Thornfinn to adult Thornfinn and learn all about his history, as well as the history of the Vikings-events that happened in real life during the 11th century Europe. Anyways, all the characters are multi-faceted and intriguing, especially the two main characters, Thornfinn and Askeladd. Everyone is developed to their maximum potential.

Askeladd, did you know that that name is derived from a North European Folk Tale hero, Askeladden? I sure as heck didn't, until I read about it. From the get-go of the series, we see the evolution of Thorfinn from happy child to bitter teen because of what Askeladd did to Thorfinn's father. So obviously the first thing we think is that Askeladd is the bad guy. But as we delve into his past, and how/why he became the cruel, mercenary man that he is currently, more questions arise about the concept of evil/good and right/wrong. Askeladd's design and development is one of the most memorable character developments I've ever seen. Thornfinn isn't much different at all. Thornfinn, is he even a hero? Certainly he's a morally ambiguous character whom can't be distinguished as purely good or bad; it's left to the readers to decide for themselves accordingly to their own beliefs and ideals whether what Thornfinn is doing is truly righteous or evil. He's awfully similar to Light Yagami in many ways; absolute power corrupts absolutely. It's disturbing how true this saying is. Thornfinn too starts off as an innocent boy and as tragedies unfold one after another in his life, his ideals and personality changes, turning Thornfinn into one of the most ruthless main characters of all time, and this anti-hero is who we're supposed to root for. Mmmmm, fascinating indeed.

Hah, the art puts every single other manga's art to shame. I proclaim Vinland Saga as the manga with the best art. The art just adds onto the realism aspect of this masterpiece. The detail put into each character's (Viking's) portrayals should be lauded. Holy Moly, absolutely stunning. Askeladd practically oozes underhanded nastiness without being drawn as an exaggerated farce of a man with his emotionless wrinkled up face alongside his intimidating Viking beard. Thornfinn looks like a wild savage beast trying to find his humanity yet at the same time prioritizing his revenge above anything else, including his own life. The portrayal of the historical setting is a true work of art~ Every volume, the art just improves too~ The memorable vicious, gory scenes are all beautifully portrayed as well, without hiding anything - perfect.

This is the single-most enjoyable manga I have ever read, period. I'm sure you won't be disappointed either~

that is good manga but i think the progress in the story is too slow lately , the art is really cool and have many reality , the story is really unique i think the end is near so i will add some details to the review after i see the end hoping it will be great one , the character and their development into the story is really great

some good points that i think they are making that manga great
there are really few manga that not talking about japan and their culture
there many types of character at the story with unique background , thinking style and appearance
the development of both the story and character , u will see a lot of things changing during the story the theme itself the style the way of thinking the character , read event that u never predict

In my opinion, the manga is very overrated. With a pretense for realism, there is nothing realistic in it at all. The manga is full of convenient developments, plot armor, unbelievable personality changes. Many characters look interesting at first, but eventually degrade into typical stereotypes from a shonen manga, losing any believability. Strategy and politics look realistic only until the main characters are getting involved, then things just start to bend conveniently to make the heroes shine.

The manga is not bad, by any means, compared to other similar works out there, but one shouldn't expect anything more than a viking-themed time-killer, and imho it certainly does not deserve its place in the top 50.

Yes this manga is amazing, and what my little head could put into words would only reinforce that. The story is dark, brutal and very well written. Since chapter 1 the characters in Vinland Saga are amazing. However through recent chapters the character writing have went down into decline. This is because I feel like what the writer is currently doing is just introducing too many characters and is not fleshing them out and giving them good enough of a personality some of them are feel like cardboard cut outs especially the ones of Thorfinn's group for some exceptions of course. But overall I think everyone should read this.

A gritty historical adventure manga with a strong story, great character development and beautiful artwork makes this manga one with few peers.

I only have two very minor issues, I feel that at times the pacing of the story is slightly out and some scenes could benefit from another page of 'screen time'. I also would like some of the side characters to have a more fleshed out story but this could be done to reduce bloat which I completely understand.

I personally find the art style to be exquisite and the attention to detail makes for breathtaking landscapes and stunning battles. The intense fights are made all the more engrossing by this effort and it draws you in as a reader. Because of the deep engagement you feel the visceral emotion, it is like being present and I can only compare the raw gut feelings you get reading this to the ones I had reading Vagabond. The complex characters and meticulous character development are so effective due to the emotions the story and art elicit; this combination means the characters are so human and alive that the empathy you feel is very real.

Makoto Yukimura has put in countless hours of work to produce this masterpiece and his dedication has shone through, a union of talent and hard work, I could not reccomend this to anyone enough! An absolute must read, even if you are not into violence or history I recommend flicking through this manga just to get a look of the amazing artwork.

Anime Recommendation and Review.

Manga - Vinland Saga
Author - Yukimura, Makoto (Story & Art)
Genres - Action, Adventure, Drama, Historical, Seinen.
MAL Rating - 8.72

Vinland saga is a Historical Seinen manga based on true historical facts along with . It is more like famous manga Kentaro Miura's Berserk and Takehiko Inoue's Vagabond. If you are a fan of Vikings TV show then Vinland saga is basically a manga version of it with Realistic art, Gore and blood, Tragedy, Self Reflection, Emotions, Adventure, Dreams, War, Conflict and Vengence!

Plot summary
Thorfinn is son to one of the Viking's greatest warriors, but when his father is killed in battle by the mercenary leader Askeladd, he swears his intent to have revenge. Thorfinn joins Askeladd's group in order to challenge him to a duel, and ends up caught in the middle of a war for the crown of England.

Art - 10/10 : The art is quite realistic and detailed.Each and every armor, tools, clothing, weapons etc. are well drawn that each part has perfectly look and feel as a Viking or Saxon Merch.

Here is photo -[ http://i3.mangareader.net/vinland-saga/91/vinland-saga-3947335.jpg ]

The Vinland provide the excitement and feel of being a Viking.Though it might be crime to feel like that now in this age and era.It has tons of Slashing and hacking of flesh of human kind.Blood and Gore is about at average level and thus its Seinen.

Here is photo -[ http://i2.mangareader.net/vinland-saga/91/vinland-saga-3947367.jpg ]

Story - 10/10 : As you can guess from the plot summary, the story is well equiped with Good story.It contains Drama, Tragedy, Comedy(not much) and catchy phrases.
Eg.“A true warrior needs no blade” – Thors
Each and every character is unique and has different personality and psychology befitting their character design.You may not have any problem with characters being out of the line or their behaviour is weird.The mangaka placed utmost care in handling the psychology of the character.

The story is Very Brutal. There is no good or Evil in this manga, it is just you and your views towards it. The Vikings are very Brutal rac as they are also called as 'Pagans'. The Vikings used to raid, rape, kill and destroy the innocent saxons village. Same goes with Saxons as they used to kill Danes village(non-raiders).

Enjoyment - 9.5/10 : You might be thinking why is it all so high? well The art is very realistic and mistakes bound are very few.The Story and concept of the manga is really unique and entertaining.I have enjoyed all the moments from the manga as the adventure of thorfinn leads from Vengence to Self-Enlightenment.

I dare you to read this manga to read thorfinn's Adventure to New World.
Overall - 10/10

Something Worth Your While (In A Nutshell)
Vinland Saga is a Japanese history manga that was drawn and written by Makoto Yukimura, who is also the creator of Planetes. Vinland Saga received an anime adaptation in 2019, the final 24th episode aired on December, 29th. Thorfinn is the son of one of the Viking's greatest warriors, Thors. However, his father is killed by the mercenary leader Askeladd, who is not as powerful as Thorfinn's father, but cruel and smart. Thorfinn joins Askeladd's mercenaries to sharpen his warrior skills and to challenge Askeladd to a man-to-man duel. While trying to retaliate for a wrong done to his father, Thorfinn becomes involved in Askeladd's plot to influence the coronation of the next King of England.

Kojima Is Genius
Yukimura Makoto is a genius, too. His career began as an assistant of Shin Morimura (Hana no Uta, Kangaeru Inu). Since childhood, Yukimura adored manga, especially such genres as shounen and seinen. He was greatly influenced by the works of Katsuhiro Otomo, Polar Star's Fist by Tetsuo Hara and Doctor Slump by Akira Toriyama. After reading the Fist of the Polar Star, Yukimura started to dream about his own manga. His debut work is ΠΛΑΝΗΤΕΣ . It is a science fiction manga that is highly appreciated by many fans around the world.

History Class Is About To Begin
Take your seat, please. Yukimura always does his homework well and this time is not an exception: not only did the mangaka thoroughly study the history of the Vikings, but he also tried to live according to their way of life. According to Yukimura, many people that wanted to shoot a movie that would focus on the Vikings did that simple mistake, they focused on the battles way too much, however, the creator of Vinland Saga studied both the way of life, culture and battles. Not only did he read the history books, Yukimura also wore the Viking armor, lived in their houses, fished and cooked it according to the ancient Scandinavian recipes. He shared his impressions in the manga, too. He did it for a reason. If a scene takes place in a hut, Yukimura found it important to experience the life of the Vikings for him to be able to depict the interior, focusing on every small detail. From the location of chests and chairs to the layout of the chimneys and hearths.

That Is Not A History Book But Quite Close Nevertheless
Yukimura shows many things many people never thought would be needed to display. How did the Vikings cut their nails? Did they cut them at all? How did they clean their ears? What was the situation with personal hygiene, parasites and the toilet? Yukimura noticed that he was interested in such things much more than blunt history. Everything is important, if you want other fans to appreciate your work. Another fact I want to stress is that you need to understand that the time Vinland Saga portrays is close to impossible to portray true-to-fact, many northern peoples back then could neither read nor write: only people from noble families possessed such skills, but many of their notes usually glorified the Gods or great warlords of that time.

Imagination Is The Answer; The Only Answer
That is why the author had lots of room for imagination, which helped make this manga that awesome. But he never exaggerates. The whole story makes perfect sense. And as it has been mentioned already, it was important, because today we know about the Vikings thanks to the Skaldic poetry, simply put: sagas and chronicles, many of which were written centuries after the sunset of the era of the Nordic sailors. More or less reliable information also came from foreign sources and archaeological sites. So many things that we know about the Vikings are an interpretation. Sometimes close to reality, but often - completely fictitious.

More About Vinland Saga
The events of the manga cover the sunset of the Vikings, as well as two important historical lines:
The first is the Vikings raids on England at the end of the 10th century, as well as the history of the King Knut the Great, ruler of England, Denmark and Norway.

The second focuses on the discovery of North America, which the Vikings named Vinland (“wine country”). Here Yukimura refers to the "Saga of Erik the Red" and the "Saga of the Greenlanders." Yes, Vinland is not Iceland, Vinland is the area of coastal North America explored by Norse Vikings, where Leif Erikson first landed around AD 1000, approximately five centuries prior to the voyages of Christopher Columbus and John Cabot. Vinland was the name given to North America as far as it was explored by the Norse, presumably including both Newfoundland and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence as far as northeastern New Brunswick (where the eponymous grapevines are found).

The manga focuses on the hard life of the Icelandic Viking Thorfinn Karlsefni, whose childhood was spent in terrible conditions. His father, Thord Horsehead, was once a Jomsviking (the Jomsvikings were an order of Viking mercenaries or brigands of the 10th century and 11th century), but he became disillusioned with his comrades, deserted, and decided to live the life of an ordinary farmer. However, the past overtook Thors - after seven years he was found and treacherously killed by mercenaries, and the little Torfinn was forced to join the gang of murderers of his parent.

Time Heals
Years passed. Thorfinn turned into a ruthless warrior, driven only by a thirst for revenge. All this time, all he did was trying to have revenge upon the murderer of his father. To have a chance to kill the murderer, Thorfinn attacked settlements and killed people, but this was not his goal in life, all he needed was strength to kill. He never gave a single thought that killing was a sin. No one cared about it back then, killing was normal as long as you did not kill the nobles. Anyways, Thorfinn went through some terrible childhood and his character always changes during the events of the manga; he changes, his views on the world change as well. During his wanderings, he will meet worthy people (including the great navigator Leif Eriksson) who will become his best friend, as well as many other prominent historical figures. Thorfinn will assemble a faithful team and decide to go to a mysterious country called Vinland - an ideal world in which there is no cruelty and bloodshed.

Columbus Did Not Discover America
The Vikings did. The fact that the Vikings discovered America before Columbus and even lived there for a short time is a confirmed historical fact. Torfinn Karselfni did exist and indeed went to Vinland. At the same time, the story knows almost nothing about his past, or any ties with Leif Eriksson, the person who discovered North America. In the manga, Leif is Torfinn's mentor and a close friend of his family. Yukimura skillfully mixes imagination, history and real people. And the fiction here is quite justified, for reasons I have already stated before. On top of that, there are many legends about the same King Sven (for example, he allegedly knew how to command waves), but all we know about his real life is a handful of disparate historical facts; there is almost no information about what kind of person he was and what he looked like. Yukimura wrote his biography from scratch; the genius. On the one hand, Vinland Saga also focuses on people that never existed. Lucius Artorius Castus, or King Arthur, for example, the history has failed to prove his existence so far. The author of the mangaka took the inspiration from the 2004 movie King Arthur. Sometimes the mangaka confuses the dates and adds anachronisms. In one of the chapters, the author depicts high mountains in Denmark, something you will hardly find in this country. But the author apologized and also promised that the fans would never see this mistake in the anime.

Vinland Saga Cannot Be Historical Manga
True. Yet, it still has fewer mistakes in comparison, for example, with the Vikings from the History Channel. Many people who know a thing, or two about the history of the Vikings highly appreciate the work of Mr. Yukimura. As a Japanese, he did something many Europeans could not, Yukimura shows a strange, yet unknown culture for him. Of course, it was not without some imagination, but it never harmed the overall work.

Advantages And Disadvantages
The plot of The Vinland Saga is a frequent subject of controversy and criticism. On the internet, you can find the opinion that the manga has completely deteriorated and “it used to be better”. Readers can be divided into two categories. The former love manga and look forward to every new release. The second - quit reading about 70th chapter. Vinland Saga is somewhat similar to the Berserk manga from Kentaro Miura, which is still criticized for moving away from the gloomy atmosphere. Some readers are satisfied with the author’s vision, while others hate such drastic changes in the plot and the overall atmosphere of the work. The first 54 chapters of The Vinland Saga are a prologue. A giant eight-volume prologue in which readers are introduced to the main characters and gradually introduced into the cruel world of the Vikings. This part of the manga can be considered as a separate and complete work with its own ending. Everything further is a completely different story.

It Does Not Feel Dark Anymore
After that, more humor appears in the story, and the manga becomes something you would call a slice of life than anything else. The manga is called Vinland Saga for a very obvious reason, this is not Thorfinn Revenge, the manga is called Vinland Saga. Which makes the main theme of the manga quite obvious. The whole manga has three parts: prologue about the youth of Thorfinn, his way of a warrior and the new life in Vinland. Watching the same thing over and over again is boring, so it is only natural the creator of the manga decides to change its vector that greatly. However, no matter what changes might take place; it is always interesting to follow the characters of Yukimura. But do not forget that this is a manga, not a historical reconstruction. Realistic fights are generally very rare for Japanese comics.

Vinland Saga Is Beautiful
A separate praise deserves the art of Yukimura. The author paints landscapes in detail, and the battle scenes are so dynamic and consistent that during reading you regularly want to go back and re-experience all the battle scenes. It is very difficult to think through and draw a battle in such details, which will be easy to “read” and will not turn into a mess. The “fighting” manga often has mediocre dynamics and sloppy detailing, Yukimura thought about everything. He paid special attention to the hands of the characters. He believes that hands are the most expressive part in a person. You can always fake a face, but your hands will never lie. You need to spend a lot of time in order to convey the true personality of the hero through gestures and movements. The art is so charming and breathtaking that you might imagine yourself a Viking, or an adventurer, when reading this masterpiece. This is something that you will find quite never, a mangaka that tried to make the readers’ experience something they will never forget. I do not know about you, but Vinland Saga is something I will never forget, it is not one of the most epic, it is the most epic manga and anime adventures I have ever seen and experienced.

But I Am Too Busy And Do Not Have Time For It
Then go and find the time, silly. This is something you must read, if you are after some kickass adventure manga with a historical twist, read this series NOW. There is also the anime if that is what you prefer.

*This review is spoiler free*

Just breath.

So…

It…

Sigh

This series… I just…wow. This is one case of judging a book by its (beautiful hard)cover gone completely right. It just happened to catch my eye when I was cruising my local library seinen (older male) manga shelves, and I picked it up without even glancing at the premise. I’ve been sitting here trying to sum this series up into a coherent review but, nope, I just can’t right now. This is one of those few series out there that makes you question the other books on your favorites shelf. Ugghhh, I feel…like…sigh

Noooo *metal slap*, I need to get serious here, I LOVE this series too much to not try my best to form an actual review here.

Okay so in short- this on-going saga, which I have currently read every volume available in English (seven 2-in-1 omnibus volumes/100 chapters) as of today, is something I’d normally never touch in my life: A historical fiction. At that some of you may have groaned inwardly like I would have, but trust me, you’d be seriously missing out if you pass this up. For one thing the art is a MASTERPIECE, and if you’re even a halfway decent manga/art fan, heck even if you’ve never even heard of manga (Japanese comics), this series is a MUST. Overall, hands down TEN/TEN Unicorn Horns.

The long explanation:

The story-line? 8.5/10 and Brilliant. It’s like a masterful fantasy series in picture format, but without any actual fantasy…if that makes sense. It took me a shamefully long time to notice it was historical fiction despite the names, and setting…and introduction- let’s just not talk about that -but by then it was too late and I was hooked. The story follows Thorfinn and the Viking band through epic battles, pillaging, and a bit of Game of Thrones-esque plotting. It also explores some complex themes (primarily morality, human nature, revenge, the (im)possibility of real peace/non-violence, etc.). It’s beautifully paced, surprising refreshing, sometimes brutal, sometimes sweet, and often profound in some ways.

The characters? 9/10 and Generally complex. Even after 14 volumes I still don’t think I have concrete understanding of most of them. They caught me off guard a few times, but not in a bad, wholly uncharacteristic kind of way, but in an unnervingly human kind of way. Though Thorfinn’s static character and single minded drive for revenge can be can get pretty irritating at times (and is the reason its not quite a 10), it's a necessary precursor for a fundamental mental shift and what I believe is part of the building blocks for future epic-ness. So for those that may be bothered by his tunnel vision, just bear with it. Besides, while Thorfinn may be the main character, you get quite a bit of depth from other major and minor characters as well. I’m still in awe at how enchanting and... full the characters are.

And of course. The artwork? 10/10: Sigh. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at manga art in quite the same way. Seriously. I’ve read a ridiculous amount of manga in the short time I've awakened to its existence, and Yukimura’s is very likely the BEST I’ve seen so far. It’s not the typical manga style but it is f***ing MASTERFUL. The backgrounds and scenery, the fight scenes (which are remarkably easy to follow btw), and the EXPRESSIONS. UGH. The amount of detail in each panel gives me delightful chills just thinking about it. Even if the story-line was just okay I’d still buy it just for the art.

Recommendations? Everyone. Anyone. If you enjoy a gripping story, engaging, complex characters, and BEAUTIFUL art this series is for you. Even if you don’t, this series is for you.

Mmm…That hardcover though…

This is really good and I just create this account to start writing this review for Vinland Saga, It was a good start where he started off being filled with hatre to someone who given up on life then to someone really wants trying to have a new live out there to seek eternal peace for everyone. The characters all isn't just your same type of character like some other animes/manga but there is really serious development for all the characters which is also in a good way so I really recommend everyone to not drop this and read it all the way even if its boring during some parts and Im sure you will not regret it

Recently I've read "Vagabond" only to know that it went on hiatus, thus being depressed I found a similar manga called Vinland saga and lo it was as if I hit a gold mine. Vinland saga might be similar to berserk and vagabond, but hell no!!! It's actually closer to Fullmetal Alchemist.

Hatred, revenge, failure, realization and finally redemption that what Vinland saga is about. What I found amusing was not the brutality of wars but the ideals or philosophy it conveys effectively.

In this story there are no dragons, there are no mythical beasts, perhaps that’s what it is as of now, but it's just an alternate history of age of Vikings where people try to make the world a better place. Some use power, some use love, some run away, it shows various ways people might struggle to make theirs and the surroundings a better place.

I’ll warn you before itself that this isn’t like “Berserk” where MC is a badass going on rampage nor does it dwell in a lot of supernatural elements where spirits talk as in “Vagabond”, but this is a story of humanity and love.

What makes this manga interesting is not the MC but the side ones which influence the situation.
I don’t want to mention characters as it would only be spoiling so I’ll just mention about one person: Thorkell, he is a ruthless savage who only longs for wars but at the same time he is a person who has a dark sense of humor who makes you laugh crazily, in that way every character depicts the presence or feel.

There is also one drawback many might object is the time-skip, tbh I think I praise the author for avoiding unnecessary pages by drawing those parts as it is better left for imagination rather than spoon feeding everything, cos there is a lot of plot to be completed and it would just be another filler arc.

Many a time there are situation where you might have "hope" for things to go well in the story but finally they end up the same you thought would happen without being given the hope, you might call it cheap trick to provoke unnecessary tear-jerking moments but in fact if you and I were in that situation we would be making the same hasty decisions which might eventually land us in that same shit.

Art is good, also the fighting scenes are well drawn, but as I said it doesn’t focus more on unnecessary crap, so don’t expect berserk or vagabond badass scenes here or the quality of art as every chapter is drawn in just a month.

Thereby I would say that Vinland Saga is the best thing I’ve read and I don’t regret the time I've spent to read it even though I have an exam tomorrow, that much worth is the story. It is easy to understand the philosophy, realistic, thrilling and best thing is we have hope that we get a new chapter released at the end of every month without fail, unlike Berserk and Vagabond which have no clue when they might end.

I was very impressed by the historical setting and eye for detail, the underlying story at first appeared to be one of bloody vengeance, but the MC makes such a drastical turn in character that i found it hard to continue during later chapters (around 90-ish chapters in).

It's not that the story isn't engaging, it's just, such a far cry from how it started off that the MC just isn't as engaging to follow anymore, to me at least.

I came in hoping to find the Norse counterpart to "Kingdom", but was in that regard; dissapointed.

Vinland Saga is well-drawn, very compelling in the first 60--70 chapters, but loses it's footing and quickly becomes far too preachy; will try to pick it up again later...

Revenge, murder, sorrow, emptiness, redemption, and aspiration. The story of Vinland Saga takes place in the 11th century during the age of Vikings. This tale follows Thorfinn on his path of revenge to his tale of redemption and aspiring to be different. From immersive storytelling, to the beautiful art style, showing how brutal the age of Vikings were, Makoto Yukimura creates a masterfully written story that everyone should read.


Let's first start with the story. I will try not to go into much detail in order to refrain from spoilers but here we go. The story starts out with the main character Thorfinn joining his father Thors on an expedition overseas. Thors crew comes face to face with another Vikings group, Askeladd’s group, that was hired to murder Thors as he was a threat to them being one of the strongest Vikings of their era. Thorfinn watched as his father was brutally murdered by Askeladd and everyone else on that voyage was also murdered by Askeladd’s gang. Instead of killing Thorfinn as well, Askeladd decides to take him under his wing and promises Thorfinn that he will take him under his wing and when he is old enough, he can try and take his head. Thorfinn is subjugated to these harsh wars all in order to be able to face Askeladd and kill him. This war story that Askeladd subjects Thorfinn to takes up the majority of his childhood and makes Thorfinn’s childhood full of regret, anger, revenge, and murder.

One problem that I do have with the story is that the author feels it is necessary to add time skips throughout the story in order to not bombard the reader with so much information. I felt that one of the arcs that was skipped due to a time skip was very necessary and would have been cool to see what actually happened. But nonetheless, I understand the author’s reasoning for these time skips as there is already so much to digest, even more would be too much.

Now let us talk about the characters. Unlike many manga and anime, the story is not heavily focused on the main character. In this case, we get to learn so much more detail about the side characters and are able to see their character development throughout the manga. The author also does not stray away from the gore and the brutality that went on during this time period. Things such as rape, plunder, pillaging, colonization are all displayed throughout the story and are displayed with an exquisite art style.

Speaking of the art style. That is what I am going to talk about next. The art style in this manga is magnificent. It is arguably more gory and gut wrenching than manga like Berserk or Vagabond. The art style allows the author to really show how brutal the 11th century Viking era truly was. The wars and fights are very realistically drawn and the background is drawn masterfully as well.

One thing that the drawers do really well is the faces of the characters. The immense amount of detail that is used for facial features is insane. The reader is always able to tell how the character is feeling by just looking at their facial expressions. I cannot stress enough how beautiful the art style of this manga is and you’ll just have to read it to understand.

Now let us discuss the characters. This is definitely the best part of Yukimura’s work and he has not slacked off once while writing chapters for the manga. The characters are introduced carefully into the story allowing for character development to occur through the interactions of the main cast and the side characters. As I have stated before, the readers are able to go through and see how Thorfinn changes from a boy wanting revenge to a man wanting redemption and peace.

Even Askeladd has been shown with immense character development and always plays a role throughout the story even though he is not the main character. Side characters are also very important to the story and are not excluded and not given any background on because they are just side characters. Each side character is carefully crafted and is used to develop the main character and progress the story.

Now for the enjoyment factor. This is probably one of the most well crafted manga I have ever read in my life. From start to finish I was on the edge of my seat waiting for what was going to happen and was able to catch up to the latest chapter all in one sitting. I recommend this manga to everyone that is reading this and hope you guys will see what I see in this manga.