Vinland Saga
Written by Makoto Yukimura
Produced by Naokado Fujiwara, Yōko Ueda, & Mitsuhiro Sugita
Written for anime by Hiroshi Seko & Kenta Ihara
Music by Yutaka Yamada
Studio Wit Studio
Original network NHK General TV
Original run July 7, 2019 – December 29, 2019
Episodes 24 (List of episodes)
For fans of the History Channel’s unexpectedly good Vikings series (which is wrapping up, alas), Vinland Saga, a half-hour anime series, is a very welcome substitute.
The first series takes place mostly in early 12th century Great Britain, although the politics and events are a better match for the 9th century. The Viking Era in Britain effectively ended in 1066, with the Norman Conquest. To a historian, that’s not a minor issue: it’s a bit like saying George III flew a Spitfire in World War II. The dates, from a historic perspective, are just plain weird.
But that’s the only real flaw in an otherwise finely-crafted series. The politics, power-struggles and combat closely align with the history of 9th century England. Viking raids were frequent, the Danes struggled with the Anglo-Saxons for control of the southeast of the country, and Vikings dreamed of a green and pleasant land far to the west, across the great ocean. (The opening sequence shows “Vinland” as being much of Scandinavia, the lowlands and the British Isles, along with Greenland, Newfoundland and Labrador, and, somewhat inexplicably, the Gaspé Peninsula.)
Some of the characters are based on actual historical figures, including Canute (Cnut) who was considerably brighter than the apocryphal story assigned to him. No wet toes on that boy, although he does start out in the series as a cowardly wimp before he gets over it.
It does equal Vikings in terms of character development, plotting, and generally good writing. The political twists and turns are both plausible, and have historical correlates. Careful attention is given to attire, no Hagar the Horribles in this crowd, and the construction of the cottages and ships is reasonably accurate.
While the animation is of average quality, the artwork is breathtaking. It was done by someone who has lived in the northern lands.
While it doesn’t have anything as harrowing as the “Blood Eagle” episode in Vikings, it has more than its share of memorable and affecting sequences, all the more so because it is, at its base, a story of vengeance and power-seeking.
As such, it is a worthy successor to Vikings, and with future series in the works, promises to be a Saga in the most literal meaning of the term.
Now on Netflix.