Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
avantgarden
vinland saga, one of the great shows of 2019. a great year, a great show. the story was interesting and the animation was awesome. there were a lot of great scenes, great characters, great moments. an absolute masterpiece. and then they release the 2nd season, which i greatly anticipated. but then it comes out and i am pissed off! nothing happens and they just farm on some stupid farm. no development. no action. no content. the first season touched upon the topics on what it means to be a man in the viking society but thorfinn throws that out of the window the next season and becomes weak. sadly this is a common trope in modern media where they want to depict men as weak and fragile. this is to put us down and make us not question all the nonsense they're feeding us. men used to go to war…
Read at the sourcesk8erbyern
I gave this a 4 because of the presentation. Music is beautiful, directing and voice acting are very well done. The story and the dialogue tho, utter trash unfortunately. It is way too obnoxious and childish. We are watching these shows with ENG sub so maybe we are losing some context lost in translation but that's ultimately what I can comment on. It's already way too common for shonen anime dialogue to be nonsensical crap (my fav. show is Code Geass btw, it's not like I am a hater) but there should be something else to make the viewers suffer through that crap. Vinland S2 didn't have that. The message it is trying to convey is trash but this is further amplified thanks to the fact that the delivery (dialogue) is also trash. Stupid chain of events we call "the story" does not help either.
Read at the sourcelampshade1234
Have you ever written a paper that needs to be 5 pages, but ran out of ideas after 1 so you just find different ways to repeat yourself until you hit the 5 page mark? That is the core of the problem with Vinland Saga season 2, it would have been an ok show had it been somewhere between 8 and 12 episodes.
If you enjoyed the first season, this will likely be a letdown. The story takes a major turn in a boring direction compared to season 1, but the story is not bad, there just is not 24 episodes worth of story that it covers. Be ready with the skip ahead 10 seconds button.
Read at the sourceStateDeparting
Yeah, I'm not one to complain about a lack of action when compared to Season 1. I, for one, think it's great when authors take risks and lead the story in a completely different direction.
But, but, BUT! The story and character development aren't in any way an improvement over Season 1. I'd go as far as to say they are a complete disappointment.
I mean, really? That is the conclusion Thorfinn reaches? And it's presented as some divine enlightenment? Lol, yeah, sure. I get that a young mind might be impressed with his unapologetic pacifism in the face of each and every cruelty the world throws at him, but it's just not how it works.
I liked Season 1 for the nuance and moral ambiguity. It mostly presented questions with no definite answers, but the way it did so and the context really made…
Read at the sourcetragedyhero
The audience’s reception of Vinland Saga S2 has been pretty bipolar. On one hand, we have the fans saying Thorfinn has had fantastic character development and is now a very wise and mature figure, while on the other hand, critics say this season was slow and boring like a farming simulator. However, very few people seem to share my main issue with the show.
Thorfinn is a hardcore pacifist, which is alright, but the show tries to present him and his philosophy as *THE* right way to live your life, and that anyone who uses violence has yet to come to the “enlightenment” that Thorfinn has arrived at. I think a great example to illustrate this would be Thorfinn’s iconic “I’ll run away” line, which is basically his response to Canute’s violent expansionism. I’ll reiterate that there is nothing…
Read at the sourcesparkysparkyboom
One of the most boring anime I've watched in a long time. Nothing happens. It's fine that a viking-based anime doesn't have action. But where action lacks, there needs to be a better story, dialogue or something to carry it. None of that was noticeably better than the next anime. Fanboys will tout the character development, but it was mediocre. I really don't see what's the big deal. The best argument for the anime is a setup for a further part of the story, in which case, maybe it raises the overall ranking of the whole show. But this specific season was incredibly painful to watch. I had to drag myself to keep watching. Even at 1.25x speed, it seemed slow. Coincidentally, the music works pretty well at that speed as well. Writing this review solely so the reviews aren't swayed in the "Re…
Read at the sourceKillua_wa_sugoi
The idea that Thorfin had any meaningful character development this season is simply WRONG. The premise of pacifism, more specifically the ideals that Thorfin was preaching is simply flawed.
Consider the following: Without hate, love is meaningless. If you do not hate those who destroy what you love, you do not love.
In just one small sentence, the whole premise of Thorfin's season 2 "character development" is rebutted and we didn't need 24 episodes to realize pacifism is a fundamentally flawed premise.
Throughout the show, the viewer is force fed this idea that to be morally virtuous, one must 'have no enemies' and forgive literally everyone unabashedly. Even when faced with an adversary who opposes your desires directly, one must submit in order to avoid violence! In the anime, Thorf…
Read at the sourcekerasu31
Season 1 offered us an exceptional experience, with incredible openings and endings, and high-quality dubbing that added even more depth to the characters. The animation of the fights was beautifully done, and the battles and wars were closely tied to a story of revenge, promising a perilous journey towards a utopian destination: Vinland. We hope to see this explored further in the following seasons. In summary, Season 1 presented us with a captivating and successful set of elements.
However, Season 2 is a disappointment in many ways. The absence of fights, battles, and wars has taken away the very essence of the Viking world. Instead of pursuing epic quests, the characters now seem to spend all their time crying over nothing and digging holes, waiting for wheat to grow (oh, miraculously…
Read at the sourcePhasar2022
As someone who mainly cares about the story, this season is as awful as it can get. I've just finished episode 6. Friends warned me that this season wouldn't have a lot of fighting, but I took that warning less serious than I should have. If you are really in love with Thorfinn, you may find validation in this season by telling yourself "This is all character development. A build up to something great". To those who watch a lot of animes for the fun of it, this season is as boring as it gets.
Story:
The story pretty much takes place years after the events of season 1. Trying not to spoil too much, Thorfinn and a new, somewhat protagonist, guy end up as slaves on a farm. Now add in some farming, screaming, and 10 minutes of torture, and you basically catched up to episode 6 already. Don't…
Read at the sourceAntithesis
Vinland Saga is the embodiment of anachronism and the self-fulfilment of the mocked utterance "If you kill your enemies, they win."
Imagine yourself being sold into slavery in 11th-century Scandinavia after brute-forcing your way to the Viking conquest of England’s conclusion as a mercenary. At this point you’re well acquainted with the brutish nature of the Dark Ages and the horrors of mankind--ceaseless wars and raids, slavery, the razing of entire villages, violent wars of succession--and in particular the ruthless 'might makes right' warrior culture of the Vikings which one of your loved ones died at the hands of. Now imagine one day in that traumatic life of yours you start preaching 21st-century first-world pacifist ideals as a hollowed-out, depressed slave because of a dream. Then…
Read at the sourceaoikimahri
While the first season was all about the visceral fights and violent atrocities, the second season of Vinland Saga leans heavily on introspection and personal growth. Unfortunately it's frequently a bore-fest with snail pacing and excessive melodrama. There are many moving and memorable scenes, but the context and build-up can feel draining and saturated with cloying sentimentality and depression. There are very few adult anime that can stick to humorless brutal realism mixed with the everyday mundane without being tempted to spice it up by going completely medieval, which it eventually does, but never forgetting it's original vision. That being said, while the acting itself is stellar, the dialogue is about as simplistic and as sparse as it gets, almost like there was a word budget of som…
Read at the sourcepotato_critic
The concept of a Mangaka, encompassing both exceptional artistic talent and exceptional writing, has always been a challenging feat to achieve. To possess one can already be considered lucky, but to excel at both is truly rare. While there have been exceptional Mangakas, Makoto Yukimura's Vinland Saga Season 2 unfortunately falls short of this mark.
Part 1: A Mockery of the Norse Culture
Vinland Saga Season 2 can only be described as a direct mockery of the source material that served as its inspiration. In contemporary Manga adaptations, one would expect a deeper exploration of the chosen setting. However, Vinland Saga neglects to incorporate any elements of Norse mythology and culture. The omission of such crucial aspects is a glaring flaw, especially considering the story's focus on pa…
Read at the sourcelukyknhas
Vinland Saga Stories would've been probably a best name for this "second" season, specially because it doesn't follow up on much of anything previously established, and mostly builds up on a new story and events, to the point that it feels like the original characters are only special contributor instead of the main focus of the show. They are there, but they don't feel like leading the ship.
Personally i don't mind slow paced stories, if they are well written i will like them, but something in this second season it feels inherently bad as a slow paced show, the fact that it's tied to an very action based aggressive background creates somewhat of a contradiction to what was expected. With greater weights on their backs, they would've needed to follow a specific path, and unfortunately sev…
Read at the sourcetrebnoj
The core theme of Vinland Saga is introduced in its very first episode: "You have no enemies. No one has any enemies. There is no one that you should hurt." While not everyone agrees with this perspective, many people believe that violence is sometimes necessary, albeit in extreme circumstances. While these individuals may find enjoyment in the first season, they may not appreciate the second season. Season 2 is specifically tailored for those who genuinely believe that violence only begets more problems. This philosophy is considered extreme even in our modern world, but it appears particularly audacious within the Viking world of Vinland Saga.
That being said, there are moments in this season where the pacing feels slow. The first 10 episodes, in particular, tend to drag on, but the sec…
Read at the sourcebluemunty
Every "not recommended" review I've read so far completely misses the point of season 2 of Vinland Saga, and even the show as a whole.
Season 1 explores Thorfinn's revenge after his father is killed by Askeladd. I remember hearing people complain about how Thorfinn was a terrible character because "he had no character development".
Season 2 explores Thorfinn's character growth as he comes to realise that his views on violence and war in his youth were wrong. This is done exceptionally well by placing the story on a farm, where Thorfinn realises the value of life through growing crops. If you ask me, that's a genius way of showing the importance of life and how much effort it takes to raise a living thing. Yes it is slower paced than season one. But the story was never meant to be about Th…
Read at the sourceSkillsBeyond
How this season got a better score than season 1 I just don't know.... Must be score bombing or whatever....
The good thiings about this season:
The art was amazing... really beautiful animations and sceneries for that matter.. it was good at capturing certain feelings of the characters and/or envieroment..
However... this is where it ends...
The bad things about the show:
Following a season 1 which captured the Viking culture meeting christianity as well as season 1 being ACTION packed, filled with cool moments, interesting characters, alot of development through the story as well as characters, this season 2 just doesn't deliver AT ALL...
I found myself wondering if this was even Vinland Saga I was watching..
The pacing was TERRIBLE compared to season 1 ... slooooow story telling and…
Read at the sourceZukan123
Vinland Saga Season 2 is a complete disaster and a waste of time. It's supposed to be a historical anime about Vikings, but it's more like a soap opera with boring dialogue, unrealistic characters and plot holes. The animation is terrible, the music is annoying and the voice acting is cringeworthy. Thorfinn is a pacifist who can't fight for himself or his friends. He's constantly lectured by Einar, a farmer who thinks he knows everything about life and morality. Leif Erikson is a useless old man who can't navigate or sail. The story is full of clichés, contradictions and inconsistencies "I have no enemies". There is no excitement or emotion in this anime. It's just a dull and depressing mess that tries to be deep and meaningful, but fails miserably. Vinland Saga Season 2 is a 1/10 and I do…
Read at the sourceJulio_Yifan
Vinland Saga's second season retains the beautiful visuals from the first and still contrasts those with the cruel nature of the world it portrays. However, the tone and overall nature of the show have changed significantly. For most of the season the setting has been changed from the battlefield to just the field. The season has little action and has become much more drama oriented.
While the lack of action may be a turn off for some viewers, my problem with the second season lies elsewhere: I'm old enough to have gotten most youthful idealism out of my system, so I simply dont reasonate with the now turned pacifist protagonist. The show goes from amazinly writen to silly as soon as pacifist Thorfinn enters the fray, making the tone oddly inconsistent.
All that being said, the show has…
Read at the sourceMarinate1016
Transcendent. Sublime. Ethereal. I’ve run out of words to describe Vinland Saga season 2. This series has gone far past the normal bounds of anime and has become cinema in the purest sense of the word.
When Vinland saga s2 was announced I was initially skeptical about how it’d be received in the west given its slower paced nature as well as how I personally would like it. Keep in mind everything we saw in 24 episodes this season took place over the course of years in the manga. So it was a much slower process and at times I felt it dragged on.
My worries couldn’t have been further misplaced. MAPPA stepped in for WIT and gave an absolute masterclass in direction, tension, adding anime original content which enhanced and perfected many scenes and storylines from the manga, etc. There were…
Read at the sourceIonliosite2
Vinland Saga, you’ve heard of it, it is this incredibly serious, mature and realistic series telling a tale of Vikings, rich in great characters, whose visuals are breathtaking and it has one of the greatest stories to ever be conceived in manga and anime… except, all of this is a lie. Vinland Saga as a narrative isn’t really enticing, and the realism dies on the very first minute of the first episode of the first season where a guy chops 4 men standing separately in a square-like formation and a mast in the center of them with a single axe swing, and it doesn’t get better from there. As a series, Vinland Saga is not even that bad, but when it is sold as this “serious, mature and realistic” series when it is actually closer to a typical shounen nekketsu series in execution, then it comes o…
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