Vinland Saga
This review contains spoilers
I almost quit the anime during Askellad arc, as it felt like a slog of redundant examples of extreme violence. I worried the show was just an excuse to showcase viking violence. The protagonist, Thorfinn, was also one-dimensional in his desire for vengeance, which I considered to be the weakest theme.
The slow revelation of Askellad's motivations made me stick with the show, but it was the sudden evolution of Canute's character that made me realize the show had something tangible to say.
I don't know if the Christian philosophy of characters like Willibald and
Canute were at all common for the time, but contrasting it to the modern day philosophically-bankrupt practice of Christianity that I've experienced was very interesting.
Season 2 was refreshing. I wouldn't call it slice of life, but it was a lot more grounded in character interactions than the first season. At some point I did worry the plot was getting lost, but they managed to pull off another hinted at but well-earned surprise revelation at the end.
The show primarily builds up to two philosophical climaxes that balance on a tight-rope of violence, intentionally inconsistent character growth, and a self-challenging concept of peace.
I remember thinking Thorfinn was naive in how he handled the Gardar situation. I expected to shrug and move on, but Thorfinn acknowledged his failure in the narrative. His acknowledgement was important growth for the final encounter with Canute.
That final encounter had a risk of seeming unearned, especially since Thorfinn went into the encounter practically clueless of Canute's motivations. Taking 100 punches doesn't feel like a real sacrifice for an anime protagonist, so there had to be something more tangible than that.
The author successfully walked the tightrope primarily because of the sudden revelation that Canute's head truly was up his own ass with paranoia. The earlier hints of paranoia, as somebody who barely knows history, seemed somewhat justified. It made sense to have a standing army to maintain peace.
Thorfinn goes in ignorant of Canutes paranoia or the broader politics because it is better to advocate for peace without having all the cards than to not advocate at all. Canute, witnessing a changed man without a single ulterior motive, realizes that taking a gamble on the humanity of the English was an actual option.
Thorfinn's "first resort" philosophy is applicable to modern day. There are certainly fewer wars now, but there are also fewer excuses. Resources are not scarce, famines are not common, and there is enough excess to be shared. Every recent conflict could have been avoided if the leaders that started them had exhausted all diplomatic efforts.
Thorfinn maintains his philosophy in stark contract to the culture and power structures of his time. But if you take an honest look at the media, culture, and leaders in our modern era, you'd realize that true advocates for peace are still a rarity.
That is why this anime has something tangible to say. It admits that having a philosophy of peace is difficult even in a relatively peaceful modern world. But with the threat of climate change and the growth of isolationism, coherent advocates for peace are needed more now than ever. Else we risk returning to the mass atrocities of the past.
The slow revelation of Askellad's motivations made me stick with the show, but it was the sudden evolution of Canute's character that made me realize the show had something tangible to say.
I don't know if the Christian philosophy of characters like Willibald and
Canute were at all common for the time, but contrasting it to the modern day philosophically-bankrupt practice of Christianity that I've experienced was very interesting.
Season 2 was refreshing. I wouldn't call it slice of life, but it was a lot more grounded in character interactions than the first season. At some point I did worry the plot was getting lost, but they managed to pull off another hinted at but well-earned surprise revelation at the end.
The show primarily builds up to two philosophical climaxes that balance on a tight-rope of violence, intentionally inconsistent character growth, and a self-challenging concept of peace.
I remember thinking Thorfinn was naive in how he handled the Gardar situation. I expected to shrug and move on, but Thorfinn acknowledged his failure in the narrative. His acknowledgement was important growth for the final encounter with Canute.
That final encounter had a risk of seeming unearned, especially since Thorfinn went into the encounter practically clueless of Canute's motivations. Taking 100 punches doesn't feel like a real sacrifice for an anime protagonist, so there had to be something more tangible than that.
The author successfully walked the tightrope primarily because of the sudden revelation that Canute's head truly was up his own ass with paranoia. The earlier hints of paranoia, as somebody who barely knows history, seemed somewhat justified. It made sense to have a standing army to maintain peace.
Thorfinn goes in ignorant of Canutes paranoia or the broader politics because it is better to advocate for peace without having all the cards than to not advocate at all. Canute, witnessing a changed man without a single ulterior motive, realizes that taking a gamble on the humanity of the English was an actual option.
Thorfinn's "first resort" philosophy is applicable to modern day. There are certainly fewer wars now, but there are also fewer excuses. Resources are not scarce, famines are not common, and there is enough excess to be shared. Every recent conflict could have been avoided if the leaders that started them had exhausted all diplomatic efforts.
Thorfinn maintains his philosophy in stark contract to the culture and power structures of his time. But if you take an honest look at the media, culture, and leaders in our modern era, you'd realize that true advocates for peace are still a rarity.
That is why this anime has something tangible to say. It admits that having a philosophy of peace is difficult even in a relatively peaceful modern world. But with the threat of climate change and the growth of isolationism, coherent advocates for peace are needed more now than ever. Else we risk returning to the mass atrocities of the past.
Mini Review: I almost quit the anime during Askellad arc, as it felt like a slog of redundant examples of extreme violence. I worried the show was just an excuse to showcase viking violence. The protagonist, Thorfinn, was also one-dimensional in his desire for vengeance, which I considered to be the weakest theme. The slow revelation of Askellad's motivations made me stick with the show, but it was the sudden evolution of Canute's character that made me...
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