Vinland Saga

TL;DR - For those who are looking for violence, but interested in something new and introspective, then THIS is the manga for you. The author masterfully explores mature themes and calls morality into question in interesting ways.
For those who prefer intense action and violence ONLY, I recommend the first arc that ends at chapter 54, which has been animated into season one by WIT studio. Then, I would continue on into Tokyo Ghoul or Attack on Titan, because throughout Vinland Saga, violence is a strongly debated idea.


Vinland Saga is truly an epic - and I do not give it a 10 lightly.
I think that many people come into this show/manga and love the gruesome action of the first arc. I loved it too- the epic fight between Thorfinn and Thorkell is beautiful and I love the way action seems so vivid. I think that many people will agree that the first arc centers around Askeladd, and he shines as the best character of the first arc, even overshadowing the protagonist, Thorfinn. SPOILERS, his death was one of the best ends to an arc I have seen in a long time.
Many people get into the show for the fights and are thrown off by the next arc when Thorfinn becomes a slave and decides to try and find a path of peace. I was so captivated by the art style that I stuck with it, and several of my favorite moments came during this arc regardless of the new attitude toward violence. I have heard reviews or thoughts that the nonviolence ideal that Thors tries to embody as a "true warrior," is Japanese in nature and has no place in the show, or that it is just him being a "beta pussy," pardon my French. But this really affected me on a personal level because I realized that like Thorfinn, I had become obsessed with violence, action, killing, and had taken it all at face value. When Thorfinn reflects back on the 11 years he spent with Askeladd's gang, and the hundreds of people he killed, he does not have a good reason for killing any of them, and most did not deserve to die when the Vikings stormed their towns to pillage and find a spot to hole up for winter. His father made the same realization, that violence is not everything, and when he had his first child he wanted nothing more than for that child to grow up in peace, without enemies. In a chapter in the late 90s, Thorfinn allows himself to take 100 punches, and when asked why he did not fight back, he replied so eloquently, ending with how he "has no enemies," a callback to an early chapter with Thors. We have come, as readers, to miss the violence, and I realized that we as readers were just as bad as Thorkell or the Jomsvikings that lived to fight.
Thorfinn's change into a character that wants to protect the weak is not him becoming a weaker person, which he proves in the Baltic War arc, though I will not get into that now (I LOVE THAT ARC!!). He wants to protect those weaker than him because he spent 11 years helping the Vikings kill innocents and soldiers alike, and then spent 4 years as a slave himself, befriending the weak. He does not want to cause that pain anymore and realizes that the people he killed were not killed for any reason. These themes of nonviolence contrast with the rest of the world, where the innocent are killed.
I really began to empathize with Thorfinn as a character, who has changed as a result of his experiences but has a past that lurks over him and tries to pull him back into the violent chaos that was his childhood. This conflict is the true heart and soul of the series, and it is nothing like I have ever experienced. After catching up, all I could do was reread the chapters and daydream about this show because it was that special.
This may not be for everyone, but this show has a great cast with questionable morality and fantastic art. As I write this, the show is entering its final major arc, and I cannot wait to see how the author will wrap up this fantastic series.

Story
The setting for the story is England and Denmark, in the eleventh century and follows the lives of the infamous Vikings. The author Makoto Yukimura does a great job at detailing the lifestyle of what life was for the Viking people. A few examples of this are how he shows Vikings doing simple tasks such as cutting their nails, cutting their hair and gathering food. The story centers around Thorfinn and his obsessive goal to kill the man (Askeladd) who murdered his father. The story is extremely dark and makes no effort to hold anything back. The main cause of its dark nature is due to the Vikings that cared mostly about fighting and the glory they believe is achieved from it.

Characters
The main characters are well constructed and each one feels unique. That is what drew me in the most the characters are three dimensional, they each have clear motivations, goals, and shortcomings. This extends to secondary characters as well, a character can be introduced and only get a few chapters devoted to them and still feel like a real person. Thorfinn, the main character, first appears to be badly written and a waste of space. The story was great but he was plain terrible. Being the main character he was overshadowed by other characters which made me question his role in the story. But as the story progressed I began to realize I was witnessing the birth of a truly great character who transformed an already great story into a magnificent one.

Art
The art is superb and only improves as the story goes on. The detail Makoto Yukimura puts into his story is so well done it is clear that a lot of hard work went into creating it. There were times I found myself going back or looking at a page after I was done reading the text just because the art was absolutely stunning.

Enjoyment
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and know my love for it will only continue. Even though it can be seen as all about killing and violence if you give it some time you will understand the many relatable themes that are present.

Does Vinland Saga live up to all its HYPEEEEEEE? Does it live up to the title "Masterpiece" like Berserk and Vagabond in a similar genre? No, it doesn't. It come closer to Naruto at this point.. Hell, he runs like him and even preaches similar bullshit now.

I'l go over the main problems i had with Vinland Saga.

The first problem: Thors, who preaches about his pacifism in a viking setting which for those that are critical of the historical/viking setting will be a huge turn off because it doesn't fit the setting whatsoever. The second problem for some
is that he goes around defeating his enemies with his fists which is pretty stupid and comical in general.. The one thing i did like was that Thors foreshadowed what was to become of this series, an anti war message. The phrase "a true warrior needs no sword".
Despite me not being a fan of how Vinland later on it was foreshadowed nicely.

The second problem: Thorkell, basically just a Zodd rip off from Berserk turned into a comedic dumb ass. In all seriousness his character is pretty funny and his strength is very over the top. He hasn't served much of a purpose other than being comedic relief with signs of slight development.


The third problem: Thorfinn, your typical edge-lord thirsty for revenge. To begin with again, some might be turned off by how annoying that archetype is already and dropped it instantly. However he does get some good development
later in the story, but becomes another generic archetype, a pacifist.. Despite me enjoying the farm arc, the change has made his story rather boring, predictable and generic.

The fourth problem: Canute, his character development felt far too sudden and drastic that it comes across as forced. BUUUUUT, he is the only reason i will probably keep reading to see what becomes of Vinland Saga. I think that his story will perhaps be the only redeeming quality Vinland Saga has left and might change my mind later on in the story.

Would i recommend Vinland Saga after trashing on it? Yes surprisingly, and that reason is because of the AskaLADD. His character is definitely one of the best characters in anime/manga and makes AT LEAST the first arc well worth the read.

"A masterpiece is always born as a masterpiece"
I never believed these words until....I read Vinland saga.

This manga is truly a masterpiece at its finest, I never once in my entire life have ever read something so unique and exciting! the world is cruel and brutal yet tender and caring at the same time. Not many works of fiction have achieved that and not to mention the characters!
I have read works that have been praised for their excellent characters such as berserk, but the characters do not compare to that of Vinland saga you have all sorts of characters from drunkards to nobles there is a vast variety of characters that make it truly a more realistic world filled with life! but at the same time, each character serves their purpose. it truly is special how much life can be contained in a chapter! I have put this manga on my reading list for a while to read it some time else but I am so stupid to wait to read this! (spent my time-wasting on shitty isekais) overall this is one masterpiece of a manga or even one of the greatest piece of fiction! yes, it is truly worthy to be called a masterpiece!

Fan of series such as Berserk or Vagabond? This is for you. Be warned, the following text might contain some spoilers as I go on.

Story & characters:
Whew, this one is NOT for the faint of heart, for it has a very realistic and unromantic set-up. There is no lack of extreme violence, betrayal, murder, rape and all the filth mankind has come up with. Set in the golden age of vikings, the story focuses on Thorfinn, son of Thors. His father was considered the alpha viking, the most badass of badasses during his life. However, a lad named Askeladd came along and cunningly - albeit somewhat dishonorably - killed Thors in front of Thorfinn's eyes. Unsurprisingly, this caused Thorfinn to become a murderous madman, following Askeladd wherever he went in hopes of dueling him to death. Askeladd, with years of experience, skill and intelligence was however far too overwhelming a foe. He cut Thorfinn a deal: do what Askeladd says, and he shall have an attempt to duel him for every deed done.

Thorfinn had the perfect genes and the perfect attitude for any mission: without a care for his life and skills to cut down an army, he succeeded at every command. However, Askeladd proved to be a far more talented man than what he expected. Throughout the story, Askeladd and Thorfinn have developed this twisted sort of adoptive father-adoptive son-type of relationship. While Thorfinn absolutely detests Askeladd, he is impressed by his immense skill and intellect. Not only that, but when a certain Canute (who tends to remind me of Griffith from Berserk) and Askeladd have a fateful encounter, his mixture of hate and appreciation for Askeladd come to surface.

While Thorfinn is undeniably the main character, there is no lack of interesting side characters. The previously mentioned Askeladd could be considered the deuteragonist - having a great backstory behind him that could be deserving a series of its own - and a plethora of other characters add great depth to the story. We find out about Canute, the king-to-be who has to change his naive worldview in order to survive. We find about Thorkell, who has the strength to PUNCH A FUCKING HORSE TO DEATH and history with Thorfinn's father. We find about Thors himself, him being somewhat shrouded in mystery throughout the series.

By far, though, Thorfinn's story is the most intriguing. Unlike many main characters in series of this type, he never stays completely the same. He feels like an actual person, with his hopes, views and thoughts changing as he encounters different situations. One of the most praiseworthy aspects of him is his ascension to adulthood, as he matures and begins questioning his thoughtless slaughter and sins committed during his voyage with Askeladd. He has to face consequences of his rash actions, and learn to deal with situations in a completely different way compared to his previous efforts.

Art:
Great. Not much to add to that. While for a time this was a weekly release, if my memory serves right, after becoming a monthly one the quality had a clear upgrade. You will not be left wondering what the fuck is going on - unlike many action series like to do, with some lackluster response like "use your imagination" - and you really get the immersed in the cruel, dirty and violent world of vikings. While not insanely detailed, it is very well drawn and deserves at the very LEAST a nine out of ten in my opinion.

All in all, it's amazing how Yukimura has managed to create a manga that is both very intelligent and knowledgeable but an action-packed adventure with no shortage of interesting moments. I have a hard time thinking of who not to recommend this manga to, unless we're talking about children or those who get shivers from the sight of blood. This is one of my favorite manga ever, and I promise to torture myself by watching Sailor Moon from start to end, if you ever find me a better viking series.

(Mild spoilers ahead)

Well, It's indeed a saga.

I will start by saying that anyone that wants to read this manga must be prepared for some level of dissapointment, not because it's bad, because is a story that has many changes and that can and will alienate a lot of people.

The overall story, at least without the last arc that is still in progress, can be split in three parts that are almost completely tonally and thematically different. The first one is a revenge story about a young viking that wants to kill on a duel the man who killed his father. This part is actiony and has some really profound characters and tension thorough, so evidently is the part that most people like and that becomes evident when the next part arrives.

The second part is almost a 180 degree turn to everything that have been done until then. Instead of a viking, the protagonist ends up as a slave and the fighting is almost reduced to zero. But the thing is that the focus changed from a historically based story about vikings to a growth story about the protagonist searching a purpose, thinking about what he had been doing during the past ten years and following his father footsteps to be a warrior that does not need violence.

A lot of people find it boring and some find it ridiculous considering the time it's set in, that there's no way such a pacifist ideal can work in such a rough time but the story itself recognizes that fact and that's way the protagonist goes through some really hard times to stick to hs ideals and still be of help to the people around him. There's moral dilemmas, some deep introspection and lots of character growth. It's a great part, but evidently, the pace of the story is a lot slower and the lack of action added to the always prsent but now finally applied pacifist ideals alienate the people that started reading for the battles and the war themes.

The last part, is even more alienating that the last one but for different reasons. After the things in the Farmland arc, Thorfinn ends up crossing the baltic sea with a certainly curious group of characters and ends up involved in a war for the leadership of the strongest group of vikings of the time, the jomsvikings. The thing is, that this is clearly a seinen series, evident mostly for the second part, but even that changes when this arrives as it gets more and more shonen characteristics that progressively changes the tone again until is completely different than the other two parts.

I will say, it's certainly a decay. Various new characters are introduced but they are not nearly as profound or developed or interesting as the previously presented ones. Comedy, until that point basically null, becomes fairly common and even the art starts shifting to favor it which makes the serious tone that it had until that point dissapear completely. There's even certain character that was pretty interesting although half-cliche in the first part that comes back and becomes completely cliche and basically a comedy source. In fact, with him there's at least three characters that fill that role and even could be said that a group of characters is almost like a team rocket level of villains. Certainly, is a lot cheaper, easier, less serious, less nuanced and a way less refined story that was being presented until then.

But, in it's favor, I will say that this part is a fucking blast. It becomes basically a shonen, but I will admit that a pretty fun one at it. The comedy, although breaks with the tone of the past stories, is actually funny. The events are interesting, the fighting and war come back and now that the protagonist is following an pacifist ideal figuring a way to get him and all his friends out of the war is certainly a interesting challenge to follow. There are various groups of separated characters doing different things and at the end they all end up contributing to the events so the story and the war progresses. It's certainly an inferior story that the other ones, but again, it's a fun story at least.

Overall Vinland Saga is a really good manga. Certainly decays in the third part and that must be taken into account considering the type of story this is. Is not perfect and certainly someone that is in not for the overall story or to follow the protagonist will be dissapointed at some point in some degree, but even with everything I would say that it deserves a try. Is evident the author has some real talent and it has a lot of passion.

To end it, I will mention that the art is really good, it improves a lot in certain point but becomes simpler in the third part to favour the new tone. So even that is changing, kind of fitting for a story all about the changes and growth of it's protagonist.

Looking for an intelligent manga with intense violence, action, complex character development with a little bit of viking touch? If you answer yes then this epic manga is a must read.

The story is set during the golden age of the Vikings (11th century) particularly during the invasion of England. The main story is about Thorfinn's quest to avenge his father's death by defeating Askeladd (his father's murderer) in an honorable duel and he plans to accomplish this by working for him and doing whatever Askelad asks and in return he is granted a chance to kill him in an honorable duel. The story however is not just focused on Thorfinn, in fact more focus is given to the other members of the cast particularly Askeladd who might actually be the real main character of the story and other historical figures such as Thorkell and Canute and their participation during the conflict of the era.

I personally loved the way each character both historical and fictional mix together during the viking age, i mean come on there is already an abundance of samurai and knights in the manga market but this might possibly be the only manga where the main characters are bloodthirsty Vikings who enjoy killing their enemies, enjoying their women and selling their defeated foes into slavery. (Absolutely Fresh!)

The artwork is extremely well-made, the attention to detail is nothing short of incredible. Each character, not only the main characters are very detailed and you can easily tell each one apart from one another and the weapons, environments, clothes, items all really look very accurate well at least based on what I've seen on the discover channel. There are plenty of battles that really show the grotesque nature of the medieval ages and the horrors of war have never been depicted this way before in any manga I know of. Often times the fight scenes are a bit exaggerated similar to the manga adaptation of Battle Royale.

The characters simply blew me away, I have never read a manga with such deep character development. Each character has a very unique and human feel to them. The characters here are unpredictable and each major character has a very detailed background that help progress the story and keep things fresh. I especially loved the way the characters here rely on their strategy as much as they rely on their brute strength.

Overall: Vinland Saga is an intelligent epic manga filled to the brim with intense action and a large cast of complex characters that make this one of the best mangas this reviewer has ever read. The excessive violence and antagonistic nature of the characters may be too much for some readers though.

If you see the scores I gave this manga series you may think that I am either a overexcited fanboy or this manga must be damn good. Long story short: it is damn good!

Story (10) : Vinland Saga takes place during the Viking invasion of Great Britain. It is a historic manga so there won't be any magic, dragons or super-powers of any sort. Most of the time VS is absolutely realistic, which is cool because this became pretty rare and still the author manages to keep things interesting without all those "eye-catchers".
The story has so many surprising plot twists I don't want to spoil, so I just keep my mouth shut from here but let me say just this: the story is really really really unpredictable in an awesome way and if you expect this manga to be action based and all about Thorfinn fighting more and more powerful foes you may be surprised. The story is way more intelligent.

Art (9) : Why not 10? Well the drawings are pretty detailed when it comes to battle scenes and the main characters. The style fits perfectly to the atmosphere. But some minor characters look kinda similar and that's why it is great but not outstanding art.

Character (10): I should give 2 extra points for this because the character development in this manga really raises the standards for character development in manga series in general so consider this rating a 12 for godlike. The best thing about this: you won't find many stereotypes in the characters and they will surprise you at many points. Also Yukimura is not very reluctant when it comes to killing off major characters so prepare for some George R.R. Martin moments.
I can't describe it any further without spoiling all the fun so just see for yourself.

Enjoyment (10): What can I say? This is by far the best manga i read in my life. To me it is the Game of Thrones of manga. I really just devour the story I love the main character and it contains almost no manga/anime stereotypes. At no point I had the feeling that I've seen this all before so it really feels like an all new experience and I can't wait for the next issue to be released.

It was a long trek since I started this manga. There were two attempts. The first, I lasted until 6 chapters, the second, with effort and scrolling, I finished 'till the latest update of chapter.

The manga details the prologue around the first 50 chapters and after that, the real story.

And when it comes to details in the story, well, let me tell you, it equals to describing thick fantasy books.

I don't mind this style. I mean, if done well, it could be a great captivating read. You'd bury yourself to the world the manga enforces.

It's just that, I've seen this kind. Can't tell you a specific title of a manga series but it just seems I've read this kind to many series, movies, anime, books , etc. It was predictable. And when you read a lot of pages just to get to that predictable point, it's just no fun.

Though, the only thing that should have keep me on edge was if this or that one's going to die next. Well, let me tell you, almost all women, girls, children gets killed, raped. And so, normally, I couldn't care less to any introduced characters they put in. When so many are whores, killers, murderers.

== Story ==

As said, the first 50 chapters is part of a prologue. It describes the boy in vengeance. He suffered a lot. But when prologue, I'd assume little characters are going to matter. Right I am, many in it got killed. and 50 chapters? Talk about long. He come on this journey and neglect the teachings he was brought up by, with abandon, he becomes stronger as time passes. But along the way, an unexpected event turned this brutal environment we were suppose to head and teach us the value of life and repentance.


== Art ==

Gruesomely detailed. There is a certain ruggedness to the style of drawing. The Main character got a really suitable face for his purpose. Cruel and bitter. Enemies were quite well drawn. From one look, there no chance you could mistake them for good bunch. They reek of malice.

== Character ==

The character is predictable. His actions, his face, reactions are predictable. Being a kid around adults, we could expect this so, but after growing up, he still is. I mean, the story or arc his heading to has been done enough to be as predictable as a kid. Expect him to be brash, hard head and all that is expected from a kid whose been through hard life.

== Enjoyment ==

Me no likey this series. It's brutal expected from a savage time. But more from that, more than 10 times I've said it in this review, the story/arcs were predictable. Though its quite good for a bit of history lesson here and there, assuming they be a bit accurate in their time. So if you like history, since its full of it, and brutal encounters, and life lessons, then this is for you, though I warn you, there is a high chance it is Predictable for your taste.

Story - Not your typical revenge story. Almost funny in a way, if it were not so brutal. The revenge arc is fairly interesting, where we mostly see Askeladd's and later Canute's characters being developed, with some of Thorkell as well. Thorfinn got practically no character development during the revenge arc and only really developed after he became a slave. I found the farmland saga quite refreshing and not at all boring compared to the previous arcs, even though there was less action.

Art - Outstanding. On par with Berserk I would say, although cleaner and slightly less detailed.

Character - Thorfinn is strange, I think the word "edgy" might be appropriate. He seems almost too hostile to be human, and I don't really understand how he could change from a seemingly normal person into an asshole over a single event. It could be argued that he was an asshole to begin with. He did not even ask about his mother, after over a decade of being away from her. Then he turns into a mindbroken slave - well, actually just a really macho silent guy. Was he always like this? It just seems kind of weird. Maybe he's just not used to being treated nicely...(well actually there were plenty of times where he was treated nicely, so that's not really an answer). He gets more talkative and friendly later on in the farm arc though, so perhaps he finished puberty then. His comment on the heavy plow seemed quite random and out of place though. All this happens without much explanation so I'm left wondering how did it all happen, and whether if it was even plausible. Askeladd was a complex character, and appears to reveal a different side of him to everyone he meets. His ways of testing people are fairly simple, although I do wonder if they are reliable. He also claims to be able to see through people with one look, which I again doubt is possible. Thorkell is your token Blood Knight, although better written than most Blood Knights I've encountered so far, he still acts far too immature considering all the life experiences he's had. Does he really want to know what it means to be a "true warrior"? Just start a family already! Canute turning from a useless pussy into a heartless bastard in a flash was quite unexpected, although I suppose mental instability can swing both ways.

Enjoyment - The characters felt quite real and genuine to me, which was a rare experience. The dialogue wasn't just chitchat, it revealed key information about the background or characters. The action was done just right, not so much that it was just pointless killing but also not so little that it amounted to nothing but "farmland saga". I felt a genuine sense of wonder at the world created by Vinland Saga.

Overall - Absolutely amazing series, if you're looking for well-developed characters you can relate to, great action, and a fair degree of historical accuracy then this is for you.

Don't get it twisted.
This manga is good.
For the first half, at least.

I first read this manga a few years back, watched the anime that just aired, and caught up to the manga again just now. And honestly, Vinland saga's story gets worse and worse once you get to the part where the anime drops off. It's a whole completely different story.
Is it a bad thing? Well, yes. The entire genre of the story is basically changed, and so is the pacing. And if I'm being blunt here, I don't quite like the direction the story goes. The story goes from a hardcore blood and iron cutthroat battlefield to a sort of coming of age story that's frankly, kind of mediocre.
I get that Thorfinn had to come to his own conclusion about his father's lessons, so to speak. That was clear very early in the story. However, such a conclusion could be realized without changing the entire genre of the story. Anyways, I can't really agree with how the story came out to be. But, if you like a kind of cheesy coming of age story, you will surely love Vinland Saga's second half. Maybe I'm sulking that the story isn't what I anticipated. Maybe I'm not "cultured" enough to get think that the second part of the story was interesting. Or maybe the second part of the story is just not that good. Hey, I can recognize something as good even if I personally dislike it. And sorry, it's just kind of boring.

Currently the entire manga can be divided into 3 major arcs, however in my opinion the latest 2 are wildly different from the very first, and in some ways I have found them inferior and even disappointing. [No spoilers and very rushed ;]

The first arc (54 chapters) can be considered prologue, but damn is it nearly perfect. Great dialogue, characters and character development. Even the story itself is nearly flawless. We get to witness some of the adventures of our main character, Thorfinn. This is where the manga shows us the horrors of war, while also often presenting the idea of pacifism.
What really seals the deal is the insanely well written characters. Not only do even minor characters shine brightly, I don't think anyone will disagree with me when I say that this arc contains one of the greatest antagonists ever: Askeladd, whom Thorfinn follows in order to one day defeat him in a duel to avenge his father.
The only part in this specific arc I found to lack was in the character development for prince Canute, one of the more important characters, and where it took the story, due to it feeling slightly rushed. Now, this could have been the intention, but to me it did not feel all that realistic or interesting to see.
The first arc however ended in an unexpected bang, making me really excited as to where the manga would go after that. (10/10 arc)

Unfortunately after the prologue the entirety of the manga starts to revolve a little too much around pacifism and getting away from war, and the writing and characters start to feel a little more dull and lazy overall. This is where the manga loses most of it's charm for me, but make no mistake: it's still worth reading. Just don't expect to see any epic fights, as it's no longer the focus of the manga at all.

Let me start by saying this is a very good manga, objectively speaking that is. The world of Vinland Saga is one of great depth and one built upon layers of history. The towns, cities, farms and campgrounds feel well thought out and are meticulously detailed, bringing the story to life with a strong sense and feel of believability. Many of the side characters in Vinland Saga seem to have been written to overwhelmingly overshadow the main character, to the point where I had fully believed that the story was in fact NOT about Thorfin, which I believe would have been a good thing. The main bone I have to pick with Vinland Saga lies within the writing of the main character, one who feels so underdeveloped and forgotten about by the author that he ends up feeling very forced onto the reader during the later half of the series. I wont spoil anything, but basically Thorfin changes his personality drastically after a series of events that unfold over a few years. To put it bluntly, he ruins the story for me completely by becoming a self sacrificing pussy. He creates these idiotic and irrational principals to live by that make him put up with insane amounts of unnecessary bullshit and suffering, many times it has become so brutal that I skip multiple pages because of how overly cringe worthy his bullshit can become. If you can look past and put up with a character that is incredibly arrogant and has an idiotic persistence, I recommend this manga

Historical fiction is often a hard subject to tackle, especially for anime/manga. The pandering nature of the medium somewhat limits the spectrum of takes on historical events in a fictional retelling, usually falling into the comedy "parody" or shonen-action genres. Vinland Saga is not either of those. It's everything historical fiction should be. It’s fun, it's sad, it's epic, and it's thoughtful. High adventure, fast paced action and political intrigue are abound in Vinland Saga, balanced out by an equal amount of philosophical introspection and character development. All around, it's an uncommon masterpiece.

Vinland Saga, as stated before, is historical fiction, and set in a uncommon era for the medium, and especially uncommon for anime/manga. Touching off during the Danish invasion of England in 1013, we follow Askeladd, a mercenary leader and Thorfinn, a vengeful youth serving Askeladd only for the opportunity to avenge his father's death at Askeladd's hands. Vinland Saga’s story possesses this amazing and tantalizing sense of grandeur and epic scale to its conflicts that makes every chapter feel fresh and exciting. For every chapter with adventuring and warring this is another for plotting, thinking and contemplating. And for every moment of triumphant victory there is a moment of bitter defeat and death. It’s a fantastic ride, and continues to be.

Character-wise, Vinland Saga is not lacking in the slightest. The cast is a mix of fictional characters loosely based on Nordic legend and real historical figures. Thorfinn starts off seeming like some bitter, whiny, revenge obsessed shonen protagonist, but he quickly comes into his own. His development takes off as the story progresses. Askeladd is nothing short of my favorite anti-hero in all of manga. He's ruthless, cruel, and bitter, but at the same time he possesses a sort of charm about him. He takes no pleasure in his actions, with his motivations shrouded in mystery. He’s just overall a great character. But, the crown for character development in Vinland Saga has to go to Cnut, one of the aforementioned real historical figures. He goes through transformation through transformation, and always accompanied by serious philosophical pondering and questioning. These parts are an absolute joy to read. Surrounding these three pivotal characters is a retinue of side and minor characters, from the real life Thorkell the Tall to the not real members of Askeladd's company. Each character retains a certain aspect that makes them unique and likeable, all adding flavor to an already fantastic plot; It’s just more excellence on top of excellence.

Vinland Saga started off with a somewhat simplistic art style. It was still good, but there were no great details to characters faces or anything to really write home about. Keyword started off. As the manga progressed, the art becomes darker, more refined, and much more detailed. Wrinkles on character's faces become apparent, creating some awesome panels of badass men being badass. The action sequences are very fluid and a blast to look at, and the grand panoramic scenes are nothing to scoff at either. As it stands now, the art is very impressive and a feast for the eyes in spots, acting as an excellent supplement to a great premise.

At the time of this writing, Vinland Saga looks like it is only gearing up for its main act, which baffles me considering the quality of its apparent preamble. It’s a story of adventure, of war, of politics, and of men seeking paradise. So just do yourself a favor and read it. I promise you won't be disappointed, because Vinland Saga truly is a-

10/10
Masterpiece.

The art is pretty mediocre at the beginning, story is a simple with no really solid end goal, characters are well built though I'll give it that, enjoyment was just kinda a no.

The main character was a major turn off in the recent chapters but i'm happy that he's found his happiness and morals. It just makes me sad that he just turned into someone who so focused on not fighting or "no killing" in any situation, other than that the development on the characters is great. Also another thing to add, the story i noticed got a lot more light hearted since Thorfinn became a better person which is what made me enjoy this very realistic and sometimes dark manga a lot less.

In a world which knows nothing but violence, war and betrayal, it is still possible to find your glimmer of light.
Vinland Saga takes you away to the 1000s, an old, long forgotten era, where seamen known as Vikings are the ruler of the sea. They murder and plunder without inhibitions.
The protagonist of Vinland Saga, Thorfinn sun of Thors, is one of those Vikings. Only with revenge on his mind he travels from battle to battle, day in, day out.

However, you will learn that everyone has his own reasons, his ambitions to go that path of violence. And even among those Vikings there are libertines such as Thors(father of Thorfinn)who kinda works as a moral authority.
It's my belief that Thors character may leave the biggest marks among all readers. That's propably due to his perfectly adjusted use of rethorical questions. Questions which can bother me even know, but that's not bad though.

Apart from that the story is kinda predictable and therefore a little bit underwhelming. Sometimes you may realise that characters act completely out of their former pattern. The authors logic is also questionable, when he can't even complete a plotline appropirately. The best example would be Askeladd, one of the most mysterious characters in the manga. Due to that the author wastes too much potential.
On the other hand there are quite a few times when the protagonist, Thorfinn, lacks temper.
Another point of criticism is misplaced and unfounded character developement.
Later in the story a character will go against his own principles and it will result in death That's purely arbitrary. I can't spoiler you, but see it four yourself.

I enjoyed Vinland Saga to a certain point, sure, however, I also 'raged' due to the authors unfounded caprice.
As I mentioned before there was potential the author never considered to begin with.
Furthermore I had many problems to admit Thorfinn as a protagonist. Most of the time he is nothing more than a side-kick without relevance. That changes later with further progress though. I could offer criticism the whole day about Vinland Saga, but it won't change the fact that it's still really entertaining.
It's thrilling, it's thought-provoking. Vinland Saga won't become boring.


See yourself and maybe you will come to a different conclusion.

Complete 10/10, this manga is highly underrated. It has some examples of the best story and character progression I've seen in any manga. The characters seem so human and act according to human emotions unlike other manga where the character acts based on "This would be cool." In the start of the manga it did seem cliched to be honest however later on and choosing to stick with it proved me otherwise. The main character shapes the environment he lives in. Every action he or others take has a reaction, that may seem trivial but honestly it is rare commodity in manga or anime these days. Vinland succeeds at engrossing the reader in a story and characters and the world around them. The art is different but still okay, but the story, world and characters sell it.
10/10 Great read

I really wanted to give this Manga a 10.
It starts out very well, with a plot hook that makes you want to know what happens onward. The reason I can't possibly give this manga more than 6 is because of the characters. Almost all the main characters are so incredibly Japanese. It hurts seeing a character that is portrayed as a Norse warrior do things, and think things, that fits for a Japanese peasant.

One comment in particular stuck with me. And this isn't a big spoiler as it comes up very quickly and is often repeated.
"A true warrior don't need a sword".
How do I start elaborating on this? What on earth does such a Japanese mentality have to do in a manga about vikings? And the worst of all, is the pacifistic attitude portrayed. It doesn't fit into the setting at all...

I went into this, not expecting it to be historically correct at all. But the blatant disrespect it shows towards the culture of the time, and the force-feeding of Japanese culture into a Manga about Norse people is just too much.
When starting reading this manga the expectations were very high, because it started out very well. The way it develops is frankly an insult to old Norse culture, while it oddly enough glorifies the church? That one really took me off guard.

Really wanted to like this manga, but I can't advice it if you want something that actually represent Viking culture at all. The pacifistic attitude is way over the top stupid.

Revenge, compassion, humanity, love. Pointy weapons making minced meat of people.

Vinland Saga almost has nothing in common with Makoto Yukimura's previous much praised work, Planetes, except for his passion for technical realism. He grounds his work with research, yet at the same time leaving it open for creative exploration. It’s not dry and lifeless, and at the same time it’s not completely in the realm of fantasy. Vinland saga walks the thin line well. Razor blood soaked thin.

This manga is brutal. More brutal than Berserk, Vagabond or anything of that ilk. Not to slight those manga, but one is a fantasy and the other is an adaptation of a romanticising novel. This manga is brutal because Vinland Saga's atrocities are reality-based and certainly not romanticised, whereas other manga usually are more fantastical or divided clearly between good and bad, right and wrong, black and white, or simply 'here is the protagonist, just root for him'. Not so in Yukimura's love letter to old fashioned beheadings, as Vinland is about Vikings.

Vikings pillage villages, they rape and plunder. There is no mercy and no survivors if they can help it. There is no such thing as a Viking displaying the positive nouns mentioned in the first sentence of the review. If Vikings arrive in your village, you will be killed or if you’re extremely lucky sold onto slavery, no matter if you’re young, old, man, woman or child. Based in reality and unflinching, our youthful protagonist, Thorfinn, is a passive-observer to atrocity and active-partaker to violence when it’s in his best interest, to further his goal. Revenge for his father.

Yukimura gets Thorfinn's flashback out of the way early in the story, and it’s a good decision as the boy is so fresh-faced, so loveable and innocent; his love for his father so pure, that to suddenly cut from the flashback back to the present and all the while leaving an essential gap in-between; the question that’s on the reader's mind for most of the manga is: how the hell did that young boy end up like this?

The flashback provides us with the motivation, the reasoning, but doesn’t reveal the details, the important montage of scenes showing a boy growing up and losing his humanity in the process; we don’t see it seep out of him gradually, which would be fascinating and make for great drama. As of this review, we have yet to see this transition from normal child to adult killer, but I have no doubt Yukimura will provide us with more glimpses of what that boy went through to get to where he is when the story begins.

Thorfinn is a jaded efficient killer. Silent and moody, he rarely speaks and when he does he is blunt and to the point. He watches the world burn and die around him without blinking because he is already burnt and dead inside. He can walk past a woman getting beaten and raped without a care in the world; this is the protagonist we're meant to root for. Yukimura doesn’t go all out and have Thorfinn inflict misery on innocents, which would make the manga even more interesting, but would also alienate a large percentage of readers too. As it is, as mentioned earlier, Yukimura walks that thin line with skill.

What Vinland Saga is more about than anything else is revenge. It is one of the best ideas to base a story around. Not the 'man on a mission' revenge, but the exploration of the concept, the idea of it all. Yukimura occasionally takes a break from the main story to focus on the concept via random characters, most humorously with a Christian priest who attempts to teach some Vikings about the concept of 'love' which they just don’t get. This side-plot not only explores revenge and forgiveness, but dovetails into Thorfinn's own predicament neatly, forcing him to reflect on what he's doing with his life.

The main story follows Thorfinn’s target who he sticks to like glue, always ready to challenge him to a duel to the death, his only requirement for completing his revenge. The brunt of all this rage and inexplicable adherence to honour, is an ambitious man seemingly lacking any of it himself, Askeladd seeks to rise in power through convoluted means and avoids becoming a cliché or a bore. His design is almost amiable at times, with a laid back expression on his cunning face belying his actual ruthful nature to achieve his goals. In short, he is not a one-note villain; he is many faceted like a few characters in the manga. Yukimura flips in and out of actual history through this man’s arc, giving the reader cliffs notes on the politics of the time.

The art, to be blunt like an axe disintegrating your face, is fantastic. There is a leap in quality from the first volume to the second, and it is maintained consistently throughout thanks to Yukimura and his budding assistants. There are plenty of memorable action sequences that are staged perfectly; lots of scope and perspective, and the composition is visceral. The violence is in your face and disgusting. Knife and sword thrusts are at times awkwardly landing into skin; fingers are thrust knuckle-deep into eye sockets. It all makes you squirm but you love it because you're reading it in the safety of your own 21st century home.

So the violence is remarkably gross and blunt, sometimes gratuitous to please the crowd, but mostly it’s just disgusting. The gore-hounds reading this will love it for that, but everyone else will feel repulsed, but in a good way because this is a story set amid war and conflict in the 11th century. What do you expect, bloodless elbows into the ribs?

The story travels around Europe, from Denmark to the UK to Wales to Iceland, we watch the invasion of England affect different players to the drama and pull them in towards each other through interesting means. There are sieges, manhunts, duels, chases, explosive action, edge of your seat tension, backstabs and unexpected partnerships, Vinland Saga has it all and is addictive reading while educating you along the way with its detailed depictions of an old way of life, from clothes, weaponry to customs and traditions.

Yukimura yet again uses the manga form to bring readers something a little different, a little more reflective of life outside of the pages. Vinland Saga is a dirty mirror of a past raged by a war not remarkable for its reasons or details, but for the ancient race that battled passionately in it. Vikings. Seriously, don’t mess with them.

Childhood innocence, murder, sorrow, revenge, emptiness, redemption and aspiration. Taking place in the 11th century, the age of vikings, Vinland Saga follows the tale of Thorfinn's path of revenge which ultimately culminates into his redemption and aspiration. From the impressive story telling to complex and deep character development, and least but not less, the art style, Makoto Yukimura manages to create a masterfully written story of the brutal age of the vikings.

~Story~

The story of Vinland Saga is set in the golden age of the vikings, narrating the tale of the protagonist, Thorfinn. Witnessing the murder of his own father Thors at a very young age by the hands of the antagonist Askeladd, Thorfinn is driven by pure hate to avenge the death of his father. Nevertheless, Askeladd decides to take in Thorfinn to honour Thors. The protagonist resorts to join Askeladd's group in order to defeat Askeladd in a fair one on one duel, which will dominate Thorfinn's childhood. This leads to another great aspect of the manga: the historical context in which the story develops.

As stated earlier, Vinland saga takes place in the golden age of the brutal and battle-hungry vikings. This age was characterized by the rapid expansion of viking territory throughout the northern part of Europe. The author narrates these parts carefully by selecting only the necessary parts in order to not overflow the reader with too many details. This leads to a problem though: the so-called "time skips"; this originates at times drastic changes in the main characters, as well as lack of gradual character development, which I personally like to see.

The narrative is not solely focused upon the protagonist; a lot of attention is paid upon the other main characters, especially Askeladd, in order to flesh them out accordingly to the different events and encounters that take place. The author also lays importance upon showing the reader how the 11th century was, which is important to understand the historical context: plunder, rape, the pillaging of villages and murder. Not to mention the well carved battles displayed through the art.

This fantastic pacing can't be upheld throughout the whole manga without committing possible errors along the way: this is the reason why the manga lessens its pace and settles itself after some time for a more character oriented arc, where readers are presented with humongous and great character development across the board. Some may argue that this is by far the most boring part of Vinland Saga, yet I believe it to be of crucial importance (and also fascinating) that shapes the directions and personalities characters have in the near future. In addition, it focuses as well on the other side of the everlasting battles of the 11th century, the social well-being of that era, as well as the political side of warfare. It also expands on Viking culture a bit, which is a nice addition to the storyline.

~Characters~

This is the most outstanding part of Yukimura's work, regardless of the time skips that lead to sudden character changes. Characters are introduced carefully in the story, giving Yukimura enough time to develop the characters through the interactions and events that happen to the main characters and supporting cast. While the story continues, the reader can carefully observe the changes the main characters experience and undergo.

The main characters of Vinland Saga are certainly one of the best. There is Thorfinn who grows from an innocent, cheerful boy to a ruthless, straightforward, silent murder machine. Such is the impact of his father's death and hate within the protagonist. Then there is Askeladd, a viking leader with honour and pride, yet calm, resourceful and charming, who has a mysterious background. He is in fact one of the most impressive antagonists in the medium, being both fascinating and interesting as a character, his motives being fantastically supported by his past. Another character of importance is prince Canute, who undergoes drastic changes and deep character development, the same as Throfinn. The time skips may interfere in understanding the drastic character changes, though these are hinted within the story or for the reader to imagine.

Complex and deep main protagonists are not possible without secondary characters: these play a big role in the development of the primary characters. The ideals that these characters have, such as the priest or the landlord, are essential to reproduce a realistic character behaviour, as well as deep character development and intricate interactions. This happens to secondary characters too; they're likewise influenced by them, which increases the characters credibility.

~Art~

The art style of the manga fits well with the historical context of Vinland saga. The brutality and gore of the battles are drawn very well, very realistic. This goes for the background of the frames too, as well as the landscapes showing the devastation of the battles that were fought. The evolution of the art is clearly visible, due to the jump of weekly to monthly releases of the manga, giving the author time to focus upon detail rather than quantity.

The facial expressions are definitely the most outstanding part of the art style. These convey properly how the characters feel at times. This was not just limited to the main characters; even background characters were not spared. The combat scenes are drawn spectacularly too, mixing well with the facial expressions of the characters.

~Enjoyment~

Vinland saga was a magnificent read, I thoroughly enjoyed it in every aspect. From the intriguing story to the incredible character development and design, and the brutality of the art that catches you from the first moment, Vinland saga is definitely one of the top historical manga out there, and definitely a must read for anyone searching for a Viking based manga. Recommendable to anyone with interest in the historical, action genre, just not suitable for younger readers.

Thank you for reading.