The problem (well, one of the problems) with Vinland Saga is that the protagonist is pretty bad: He starts out bad, becomes merely tolerable, and then ends bad. The show seems to be aware of this and as result shows him as infrequently as possible… which is of course another problem. The best character by far ends up being the protagonist’s sister, and she only appears in like 3 episodes. All the rest feel out of place in one way or another; Askeladd ripped from a Roman epic, Ragnar from an English play, Thorkell from One Piece, Canute from Berserk. None of them feel like they should coexist in the same creation.
Also based on a manga series, Kimetsu no Yaiba in contrast actually comes across as a self-contained work. The problems here mostly stem from the worldbuilding being poorly thought out, the plot developments being boilerplate battle shounen, and Nezuko’s identity consisting of little more than being brainwashed luggage. Pretty much the only part of it I really enjoyed was the (over)reaction humor since most of the action scenes are polluted by overly obnoxious graphic effects.
Kimetsu no Yaiba:
While waiting for Kingdom Season 3 to accrue, I was considering watching this series. Came here after having watched maybe twenty seconds of episode 1, to verify my suspicions. I can tell that this is a series I don’t want to like. No point in watching it.
Made it through episode 2 this time. Didn’t remember having left a comment here before, but my opinion hasn’t changed. Kimetsu no Yaiba feels empty and pointless. So much so that I marvel at other shounen series, such as Jujutsu Kaisen, that seem to do the same things, but so much better. One of the greatest aesthetic crimes is something monotonous and toolishly labor-intensive, like Akira. This series falls into the Akira-category, save for Kimetsu no Yaiba‘s beautiful background scenery. Looking at it makes me feel like I’m inhaling clean, cold mountain air, and takes me far, far away. Kimetsu… Read more »
Aside from Qin Shi Huang, Henry Pu Yi, Chiang Kai-shek, Gavrilo Princip, and Otto von Bismarck, Thorfinn Karlsefni is one of the few historical characters whom I remember from school. I remember finding it unjust that Karlsefni was not better known. It does not sound as though Vinland Saga does him justice, although I need to see for myself. In both expressiveness, sound and appearance, Japanese is a beautiful language. There is no excuse for the Jengrish OP and ED abominations. Each episode ends so well that it’s a challenge to remember to break immersion and pause the video before… Read more »
King “Swine” and Prince Canute are the best! There are few things I love more about anime than when a country’s leaders are shown as inferior in every way to “low-born” supporting characters. We can’t help but ask ourselves how maggots acquire authority over humans, why humans obey maggots and don’t just kill them instead, and why obedience to incompetent authority persists from generation to generation. Just off the top of my head, I wonder how much of this is based on inertia. “Possession is nine-tenths of the law.”, and the fact that disagreements arise about choosing a proper replacement.… Read more »
That priest is a fucking prick.
“Someone must do it. A person, not a hero, and not a god.” ― Askeladd, Vinland Saga, episode 22 * * * “I learned that he that will be a hero, will barely be a man; that he that will be nothing but a doer of his work, is sure of his manhood.” “What we call evil, is the only and best shape, which, for the person and his condition at the time, could be assumed by the best good.” ― George MacDonald, Phantastes * * * Season One of the anime, Vinland Saga, was a religious experience. A breathtakingly-executed,… Read more »
But maybe even that carrot and parsley will do if entrusted to the same crew who made Season One, the “Prologue”. I just can’t get over how fine that was. The King reminded me of Lord Gennon of the Doldrey fortress, from Berserk. Despite character design references to other anime, Vinland Saga‘s foreground characters’ personalities are among the most thoroughly fleshed-out that I can remember off the top of my head. Thors and, especially, Askeladd, come to life. Although Canute’s personality emergence is indeed abrupt, upon reflection, it’s plausible. I really felt for Bjorn. And, as easy as he would… Read more »