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Vinland Saga Season 2 Review

The second season of Vinland Saga was released on Netflix in 2023. It is an entirely different kind of beast, one that is polarizing in its approach, but admirable in its intentions.

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“What a beautiful man“

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The second season is almost entirely set on a farm. Einar is a man whose family is killed by Vikings and he is taken in as a slave. There, he befriends Thorfinn and the two learn the value of restraint and the cost of violence through many difficult experiences. This season polarized fans whereas the critics proclaimed it to be the best season of any anime this year. When you watch it yourself, you quickly realize why it turned off many fans as it is anti-commercial to the extreme.

This season almost entirely forwent violence and action in favor of dialogue and characterization. This was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it made for a more sophisticated season of television, but on the other hand, it made for a slower-paced, less eventful season. My issue here was its repetitious nature as the characters would monologue about the same thing (the importance of refraining from violence at all costs) to no end.

I adored the first half of this season whereas the second one was more dramatic, but also much more flawed. The beginning did seem like farming simulation, but one that was undeniably enjoyable and charming. The slice-of-life elements were so well realized here and it was refreshing to have regular folk and slaves as the main POV in a period piece.

The second half is where we get to see a couple of battles or more so fights, but for the most part the season consisted of endless monologuing and arguments about the importance of remaining calm and refraining from violence. While I genuinely admired this more modern sentiment and its messaging is as crucial now as it has always been, I still found the repetition of those sequences problematic and the treatment of these themes somewhat unsubtle.

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The final discussion between the king and Thorfinn was epic and unforgettable, but a bit unrealistic given the time period. Thankfully, those couple of clunky episodes were redeemed with the final two episodes that were incredibly emotionally rewarding, heartwarming and simply phenomenal.

Thorfinn is one of the best-developed characters in the history of anime. Vinland Saga’s characterization is a miracle to behold as every single character – main or supporting – got their proper due to excellent writing. Many of these arcs are either intriguingly complex or deeply moving. Thorfinn’s pacifism was frustratingly naïve, especially for the time. This is not a character flaw, but a problem with the series that depicted extreme pacifism as something positive, totally disregarding the importance of self-defense. Still though, his change from a murderous, revenge-driven maniac to a Jesus-inspired person who preaches about peace was deftly handled. His story is one that is important to see and one that is so inspirational.

But my personal favorite character is definitely Einar as he was the most relatable person of the bunch. He is a highly positive, sympathetic guy, but one that would try to fight for his rights or try to defend himself. The friendship that developed between these two men was beautiful and instantly iconic for anime. I liked every single one of their dialogues, even if they were repetitious in their nature.

Canute changed from a promising prince to a horrendously cold, calculated and brutal king who would stop at nothing to get what he wants. I found his intentions questionable and to me he seemed like a pure villain. As for Arnheid, she is a slave who got the most tragic of arcs and her death deeply moved me. It’s a side story, but one that packed an emotional punch. Snake was interesting and I found the old master character to be a wonderful human being and similarly Leif was a great man too. Ketil as the master of the farm became too unlikable and atrocious toward the end and Thorfinn wanting to protect their tormentors so viciously seemed like a plot hole to me.

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Vinland Saga continued in its second season to be one of the most gorgeous anime series in existence. The animation is absolutely beautiful as the landscapes of the farm, the sea, the villages and every single detail looked incredibly polished, artistic and just stunning. The score, sound and directing were strong too and the voice acting continues to be among the best in the history of this medium. Some episodes here were masterful throughout, but unfortunately a couple of them were plodding with too many dream sequences, flashbacks and repetitive monologuing included.