The tone of Vinland Saga changes. The characters and how they are written and defined diminishes. The quality of its arcs dips hard. If I were to show you the fist five chapters of this manga, and then provide you a selection of five further chapters in the later half of the Eastern Expedition arc, you would probably think it is some spinoff series. The tonal shift is that drastic. The tone of the manga, its very spirit, flatlines in the third arc - and the Vinland Saga that you started with is not the Vinland Saga you will come to read. The shift is gradual, but too severe to not be noticable. I'll be discussing it in detail below. Alverson, Brigid (May 14, 2015). "Vinland Saga Is a Bloody, Meditative Viking Tale". The B&N Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog. Barnes & Noble. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. BUT NO…. instead the author offscreens this travel which could have been used as a moment of self reflection, and bring more food to the table. Critique du volume manga". Manga News (in French). Archived from the original on January 17, 2023 . Retrieved January 16, 2023. 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.

Sherman, Jennifer (May 26, 2018). "Vinland Saga Creator Makoto Yukimura Offers Used Pen Nibs". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019 . Retrieved December 16, 2019. The author fails to realize that while Norse society was violent (most of western civilization was at that time) they also had means of regulating violence through honor culture, and institutions such as the man-price or weregild where you would have to pay money for doing someone wrongfully.Behind her smile, Arneis lost her original family, unborn child, and spent the last years of her life having her dignity taken away through being raped and abused on Ketil's plantation, she ends up dying because Ketil killed her in a fit of rage. 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. a b Silverman, Rebecca (November 23, 2013). "Vinland Saga GN 1 - Review". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 14, 2019 . Retrieved December 14, 2019. Enjoyment - 9.5/10 : You might be thinking why is it all so high? well The art is very realistic and mistakes bound are very few.The Story and concept of the manga is really unique and entertaining.I have enjoyed all the moments from the manga as the adventure of thorfinn leads from Vengence to Self-Enlightenment. God’s divine creation is so brimming with love… and yet there is no love in the hearts of men.” -Canute

Vinland Saga Book 23 Review". Manga News (in French). Archived from the original on August 25, 2022 . Retrieved August 25, 2022. I started reading this manga because it was part of the recommendations for the "Kingdom" manga. Let me tell you for anyone who wants to read this for the same reason; there's so little similar about the two mangas you'll probably end up as pissed as I am. Also it is not that historically accurate at all, the author doesn't understand anything about the Norse religion other than superficial crap like Marvel movies or things you can read on Wikipedia - as you can verify from his arrogant "author talks" trying to prove how his worldview is superior to other cultures and ages, and this passes down to the extremely pretentious fanbase of Vinland Saga.A highly disconsonant change of tone. It went from having a more dense tone that had its brief comedy and break moments to lighten the mood, to having tons of slightly off-kilter humor and even a fart joke. even the exploration of themes was greatly diminished. One could argue that this is due to thorfinn leaving more toxic holes and his evolution, but the change is too exaggerated and more so considering that we come from the arc of the farm that executes this change better. a character deeply conflicted by his actions. The meticulous attention to historical detail, combined with Makoto Yukimura's stunning artwork, creates an immersive experience that leaves a lasting impact. I've never wrote a manga review before, but after reading about half-way through I got so annoyed by the complete and utter genre change from action/drama to a buddhist/hippy/drama, I just had to write my first one.

In a January 2008 interview, Yukimura revealed that he was inspired to enter the manga industry by reading the manga Fist of the North Star as a boy. In the same interview, he said he had always wanted to produce a series which reflected the same themes of "strength and justice". [36] Loo, Egan (July 7, 2021). "Vinland Saga Anime Gets 2nd Season". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on July 7, 2021 . Retrieved July 7, 2021. 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. Sherman, Jennifer (May 10, 2012). "36th Annual Kodansha Manga Awards Announced". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013 . Retrieved March 27, 2015. Silverman, Rebecca (July 9, 2017). "Vinland Saga GN 8". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on August 25, 2022 . Retrieved August 17, 2022.a b c Cardine, Cayle (August 9, 2022). "Interview: Vinland Saga Creator, Staff on Returning to the Viking Epic for Season". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022 . Retrieved August 16, 2022. 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... 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. in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on November 27, 2005 . Retrieved January 17, 2021.