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Vinland Saga
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Jul 7, 2019 4:17 PM

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Oct 2017
534
I've loved CG water ever since getting into SecondLife :P

So, they messed up in the very first 4 mins. of the episode... Thors gets hit by an arrow, and 5 seconds later the arrow is gone - no hole, no blood, nothing...
That cow didn't look like such too.

Overall, it was good.
2A.M. already, and can't decide whether to watch the next 2eps. or to go to sleep... damn work in the morning, ugh.
Jul 7, 2019 4:23 PM

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Aug 2015
620
RobertBobert said:
Could you say how authentically the show represents the culture?

I wouldn't know really, things were quite a bit different back in the viking era you know :P I haven't read up on much of the history the show is based on, I just know the basics as it's common knowledge here. I would assume it's pretty accurate though.
It's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer.
Jul 7, 2019 4:30 PM
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Mar 2017
1192
The hype of several people attracted me to see this anime, many had a lot of faith because this anime was done by Wit Studio and personally speaking, of the few animes that I have seen who have been done by this studio, they have not disappointed me.
This episode had a solid start, which surprised me too much, the battle in the ocean was very good, the CG was a bit disappointing in some parts, but even so Thors is a badass and he excelled a lot in the battle.
Then we go to Iceland, where we see who will be the protagonist, Thorfinn and his family, who must face the harsh climate of that place.
This episode turned out to be a very good introduction to what this anime will be, it showed us its main characters and how hard and difficult it is to live in Iceland and how cruel some people can be and we also saw that Thors is a merciful man, but I am surely that will play against him at some point.

In general, this episode was very good, I liked the character design, the same with the stage, the houses and their interiors, the boats and the town where Thorfinn lives.
My only problem was the sea, I felt that it looked strange when they showed the movement of the waves.
OP is very intense, the visuals of this are cool and I liked it how they showed the change that Thorfinn will have during the anime, I am sure it will be a violent and hard road for the boy.
The ED is quite nice, something that Aimer stands out a lot, I liked the visuals of the ED and it relaxes you a bit after watching the episode.
I realized that Episode 2 is available, so I'll see it and I could have a better opinion about the anime, which for the moment convinced me enough.
Jul 7, 2019 4:39 PM
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Jul 2018
564088
As a manga reader, this wasn't what I was expecting. I remember in the manga, it starts off straight in the present, with Thorfinn fighting for Askeladd. However, this change in the anime, to start from Thorfinn's past, is probably for the better. It allows the viewers to get more emotionally invested in the characters by starting off this way.

Visually, I like the OP: it has a sense of intense rush to it. Musically, I don't like how they went with a J-pop sound: something Swedish/Norwegian/Denmark-ish would've suited the OP far more, since those are the countries Vikings are from.

honey--mint said:
@ the person who directed that sick camera work, I'd let them step on me.
Not really into anything viking themed, but his show looks and sounds so gorgeous.


I think what makes Vinland Saga great is its execution of its story and characters. The viking theme is just the icing on the cake.
removed-userJul 7, 2019 4:52 PM
Jul 7, 2019 4:46 PM

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Aug 2018
253
HopefulNihilist said:
As a manga reader, this wasn't what I was expecting. I remember in the manga, it starts off straight in the present, with Thorfinn fighting for Askeladd. However, this change in the anime, to start from Thorfinn's past, is probably for the better. It allows the viewers to get more emotionally invested in the characters by starting off this way.

Yeah, I was about to post the same thing. I don't mind the change up though. Im looking forward to the plot ramping up in the coming episodes.
Jul 7, 2019 4:52 PM
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Jan 2019
54
Wasn't really expecting much considering historical anime isn't my thing, but it looks nice so far. A lot of people are already jumping the gun and saying AOTY, and I think it's far from that, but let's see.
Jul 7, 2019 4:53 PM
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Jul 2018
564088
TheGratefulDead said:
Wasn't really expecting much considering historical anime isn't my thing, but it looks nice so far. A lot of people are already jumping the gun and saying AOTY, and I think it's far from that, but let's see.


You're right, it is jumping the gun, but as a manga reader, I think if Wit Studio continues with the direction it's going, it'll definitely be anime of the decade.
Jul 7, 2019 5:02 PM

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Apr 2012
21415
Jokuc said:
RobertBobert said:
Could you say how authentically the show represents the culture?

I wouldn't know really, things were quite a bit different back in the viking era you know :P I haven't read up on much of the history the show is based on, I just know the basics as it's common knowledge here. I would assume it's pretty accurate though.


I suspected something like this :D Well, I didn't expect something like horned helmets or the constant mention of Odin or Thor, but the seeming historical accuracy really impressed me. Ironically, the Japanese can portray northern culture better than our last year’s film about Vladimir the Great and Varyags.
Jul 7, 2019 5:35 PM

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May 2015
347
Such a good first episode. It's weird how I'm not really into historical stuff, yet if its done well in anime I always end up absolutely loving it. I'm sure this'll be one of those shows.

♡ artist
サコ
Jul 7, 2019 5:41 PM

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Jan 2013
4202
What a start! Damn!
Gotta love the OP.
"There is no such thing as an Anime elitist. You watch Anime, therefore, you are trash by society's standards."

Jul 7, 2019 5:54 PM

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Oct 2017
565
Nice episode. This series looks interesting.

I don’t think the CGI is that bad.
Jul 7, 2019 5:59 PM
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Mar 2018
615
The animation is insane good and it makes the story seem very intense. It really does the manga justice.
Jul 7, 2019 6:01 PM
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Jan 2019
1009
This anime, without a doubt, will be one of the gems of the season. This episode 1, showed us an incredible animation (it combines several styles), an incredible opening and a beautiful ending. Wit Studio did it again 👏. After the end of the third season of Shingeki no Kyojin, they brought us this great gift. An anime that adds to the best of the Summer season.
It was a big surprise for me that they will release 3 episodes of premiere, "great triple prize", I said, but we'll have to wait until July 28 for episode 4 😅. Well, it's a reasonable price 👌.

It will be a great pleasure to follow this incredible story of Vikings, together with all of you.

PS: Thors is a great man and father. Exchange 8 sheep, which in the time of the Vikings was uff! A lot, for the dying slave, was a great proof of that. He let him rest in peace.
Thors, he's a real man. It's really admirable, I take my hat off.
Jul 7, 2019 6:15 PM
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Jun 2017
2887
I WILL WATCH THIS SERIES-

THE STORY FLOW LOOKS GREAT TO WATCH

AND BOTH OP AND ED OST ARE GREAT... love it
Jul 7, 2019 6:25 PM

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Oct 2010
1325
Yazan_Aot said:
i didnt watched the episode yet
but i read that the CGI is really bad
i had very high hope for this anime to be in my top 10
WHY WIT studio!!!!!!!!!!
why didnt they do the animation like AOT
there's no BAD CG in the episode at all. Just decent. Anyone that says it's bad is just trolling. Don't complain based off other people's words.
Jul 7, 2019 6:27 PM

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Oct 2010
1325
Animation is fucking off the charts! Story seems very interesting and unique (as far as anime go) and everything related to music was fantastic. Pacing didn't seem too bad. And unlike certain crappy Isekai anime, this actually portrays slavery as it should - an awful evil thing.
Jul 7, 2019 6:27 PM

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Apr 2007
58
Hmm this was not in my PTW list for this season but will give it a try seeing the high scoring and good reviews.

And can binge 3 episodes at once too, nice.
Jul 7, 2019 6:35 PM

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Feb 2019
90
It is never easy to establish character development or find major reasons why we should care about any given character within the first episode of a show but this episode pulled it off. The allure of adventure, over the top action, a host of characters. and decent dialogue.

It was surprising to see Lief Erikson, a real viking, used in the show.

The CG is certainly high quality and the animation itself is respectable. The color palette is a bit bland I think but it still works. Glad Wit is tackling this project.

Onto episode 2.
Jul 7, 2019 6:58 PM

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Feb 2015
1103
Already noticed a little fuck up. That arrow magically disappeared from his shoulder. Looks interesting though.
Jul 7, 2019 7:01 PM

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Jul 2014
514
Step aside, Fire Force and Dr Stone. The real AOTS is here.
Jul 7, 2019 7:13 PM

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Jan 2011
6535
when this got greenlit i had meant to get caught up with the manga after hearing a lot of high praise over the years, it was good it evoked quite a bit of emotions already i can feel wit is gonna do us well with this adaptation was only confused because this was not like the first chapter i read not long ago lol

i take it this was a flash back later on used as a prologue not a active manga reader so i can't speak for if it was a good choice or not.


all and all i can believe this being a AOTS looks good and music and directing is well done, love me some Aimer
Jul 7, 2019 7:25 PM

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Oct 2013
8559
Utterly amazing and breathtaking. Everything.

I heard a lot about how "Vinland Saga" is a great manga. I can't judge, I haven't read it, but if it is the same or even better than the anime, then it's truly a masterpiece.

First episode was marvelous. I can't wait to see the next ones.
Jul 7, 2019 7:34 PM
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Feb 2016
241
Anime of the year already. Way too many subpar shows have muddied the waters recently. But THIS is how you take your time.

Best first episode of any anime I've seen in a very, very long time.

Like others have mentioned it felt like the first episode of a live action series, ala The Last Kingdom, Game Of Thrones, and Vikings.
Jul 7, 2019 8:01 PM

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Aug 2013
1550
UglyBarnacle said:
Step aside, Fire Force and Dr Stone. The real AOTS is here.


>Dr. Stone being AOTS

Stop making me laugh so hard XD

This was great tho
Don't believe the hype.
Jul 7, 2019 8:03 PM

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Aug 2013
1550
This series is surprisingly good right off the bat. As an avid viewer of History Channel's Vikings, this series feels like an anime spin-off/sequel given the references of some of the historical characters mentioned in the first ep. Looking forward to this.
Don't believe the hype.
Jul 7, 2019 8:31 PM

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Jul 2012
47
What a start, definitly one of the most interesting anime in this season

A bit too much CGI at the beginning, but it did not look so bad actually. The camera work was also very good.

Beutiful ending, I have a feeling that this will be incredible journey with this anime

Digimon is the best Isekai
Jul 7, 2019 9:20 PM

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May 2019
4
Nice first episode. The animation is good. The OP and ED are amazing.
Jul 7, 2019 10:06 PM
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Jul 2019
30
Does Thors and Thorkell battle exist in the manga? if yes, in what chapter is it?
Jul 7, 2019 11:00 PM
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Feb 2018
3
Animated by same studio as Shingeki no Kyojin? I suspect they've got another blow-up success on their hands.

It's ridiculous how few people have heard of the manga this is adapted from, considering how great it is. I predict an explosion in popularity now that it's finally being given a wider spotlight by a solid studio.
Jul 7, 2019 11:04 PM

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Oct 2017
27082
Wow a really great start.Looks like this is gonna be an anime with lots of bloodshed.The op and ed both were really great.
Jul 7, 2019 11:07 PM
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Feb 2018
3
CrayonColorLife said:
Nothing was established.It was just a bunch of people fighting.It didn't really tell us anything.Mind telling me what the point of it all was?


It set the scene (Vikings in an age of war), the tone (romanticized, 'superhero' warriors, standing above the rest), and Thors' character (wordlessly — he keeps daydreaming of home in the middle of a battle, then when he falls underwater, he drops his sword and swims away instead of coming back).
Jul 7, 2019 11:19 PM

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Mar 2019
633
CrayonColorLife said:

Nothing was established.It was just a bunch of people fighting.It didn't really tell us anything.Mind telling me what the point of it all was?


It establishes the dilemma Thors finds himself in. He was arguably the strongest warrior in the Jomsvikings (as is established by his proficiency in that scene), but was sick and tired of violence so he deserted that lifestyle by faking his death. The Jomsvikings track him down years later and now he's forced to return back to a life of killing for the sake of protecting the people in the Icelandic village he was hiding in.

Try paying attention.
Jul 8, 2019 12:21 AM

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Feb 2019
59
yastin said:
Does Thors and Thorkell battle exist in the manga? if yes, in what chapter is it?


Nope, I don`t think so but Thorkell mentioned about it during his fight with thorfinn but I don`t remember having a panel showing of them teaming up in a battle in the manga. I believe it was added in the anime since author-san is envolve in the production even have photos of him together with the anime staff in twitter, I think they also let him voice a character since there`s a photo of him reading the script.
Jul 8, 2019 1:40 AM
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Oct 2017
350
yastin said:
Does Thors and Thorkell battle exist in the manga? if yes, in what chapter is it?


Actually yes and no. I can't remember for sure but a scene showing Thors and Thorkell fighting together was shown later into the story, but it was a lot briefer. So a fairly large amount of the depiction in that scene is anime original. Still, they did so by stitching together the info that was told but quite shown in the manga.
Jul 8, 2019 4:32 AM

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Apr 2019
42
I enjoyed the first episode. The sound is well done the animation is pleasure to look at and the charracters are interresting.
Jul 8, 2019 4:44 AM

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Jan 2018
465
It is a promising anime so I'm looking forward to it.

Another breath of fresh air. Due to its different setting.
Jul 8, 2019 5:39 AM

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Dec 2009
403
Great animation and very good use CGI, i'd have euthanised the slave with a pillow while he was halucinating tbh, wasting 8 goats... there's a difference between kindness and foolishness.
Jul 8, 2019 5:56 AM

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Nov 2014
316
HOLYSHIEEEEET THAT OP IS SUPER LIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT
AND THE ED IS SO BEAUTIFUL THO AHHHHHHHHHHHH I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT MUCH
I really hope they can keep it up till the end

To-Do List:

  • NOTHING

Jul 8, 2019 5:56 AM
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Oct 2017
350
Grim1952 said:
Great animation and very good use CGI, i'd have euthanised the slave with a pillow while he was halucinating tbh, wasting 8 goats... there's a difference between kindness and foolishness.


If he did that he would've incited a fight with Halfdan, which will most likely result in deaths. That's stupid.

That runaway slave is still Halfdan's property. If they catch that Thor euthanised him that would've caused a huge problem.
Jul 8, 2019 6:59 AM

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Jun 2013
4852
The OP is so epic and the ED is good.
The intro war scene was hype.
Jul 8, 2019 7:31 AM
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Feb 2009
2483
hypee really good first episode
Jul 8, 2019 7:33 AM
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Jul 2017
25
The Synopsis has a spoiler. F.

Why I have to read it after watching the first episode :(

F animelyst
Jul 8, 2019 7:49 AM

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Oct 2016
96
Really good Adaption.
The only thing that bothered me is the Cardiac Massage given by Thors to the Slave.
This first aid method started in the 18s century, and was finished in the mid 20s century as we know it today. And fact is, the Mangaka tries to be as historical accurate as possible, so thats a big error.
Also the same thing happened in Berserk, when Casca fell into the river and Guts gave her a Cardiac Massge. But thats a completly different discussion because it's a fantasy setting.
Jul 8, 2019 8:05 AM
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Jan 2018
4850
Jackstyle said:
Really good Adaption.
The only thing that bothered me is the Cardiac Massage given by Thors to the Slave.
This first aid method started in the 18s century, and was finished in the mid 20s century as we know it today. And fact is, the Mangaka tries to be as historical accurate as possible, so thats a big error.
Also the same thing happened in Berserk, when Casca fell into the river and Guts gave her a Cardiac Massge. But thats a completly different discussion because it's a fantasy setting.



I looked at the first few pages of the manga and looks like they are rearranging scenes ???
Jul 8, 2019 8:15 AM

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Feb 2014
2102
Far beyond the clouds, away from all conflicts and sorrows, with peace and fertile lands lies Vinland. The story of true salvation begins.
As a manga reader I thought the anime would be just bland but color me wrong, this show is gonna be AOTS for sure. From the very first episode, the essence of what living means is visualized. Every perspective differs according to the experiences one encounters. For Leif it was the life to live unbound by tyranny. For Thors it was a life away from an never ending war. For Halfdan it was the one law that separated a human from a heretic.
The OP and ED both are majestic with Survive Said the Prophet laying out the screams of one's torn by sorrows and Aimer bringing the calm after the storm.
Truly an extraordinary start. From the very beginning this show overflows me with tears an the pain to come. May I find salvation of my own through it.
When someone asks me why I like anime, I'd say Just Because.

Jul 8, 2019 9:01 AM
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Mar 2015
13472
Great job of opening the story and giving us the background to understand Thorfinn and his father. Good job of showing Leif Erickson who inspired Thorfin with his stories of Vinland
Jul 8, 2019 9:26 AM
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Feb 2018
3
CrayonColorLife said:
Forgive me ,but can you elaborate more on the tone of the scene?I do not get what you mean by "(romanticized, 'superhero' warriors, standing above the rest)".I did not get any of that while watching the scene.I'll take back what I said about it being pointless though.I don't feel that way anymore.


Well, I super-summarized it. The tone is actually a bit more complicated than that I think.

On the one hand, it's classic Nordic heroism of legends. Thors and his ally were running around slaughtering dozens of enemies, several with single swings. Thors doesn't even blink when he takes an arrow in the chest. They're basically superhuman.

However, because we're watching the scene from Thors' perspective, that Valhalla-heroism culture is not portrayed as a good thing at all. It's gritty and awful.

So maybe I should have said that the setting was 'Romanticized Vikings', and the tone was critical and somber, with an anti-war message.
Jul 8, 2019 10:33 AM
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Jul 2018
564088
This show knows how to open a series. We got some good world building and nice and neat introductions to the characters. Nothing out of the ordinary, standard character development . I can already tell the writing is going to be very character centric. Going to be interested to see how this works out. Wanna see some plot in the next couple of episodes.
Jul 8, 2019 11:33 AM

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Jul 2016
361
Finally, let's see if this lives up for my huge expectations after reading the masterpiece manga. So far so good. I don't mind the CG animation during fights since that's not the most important part of the story anyway. I didn't really like the song choice for the OP but that's not very impactful overall. Great first episode and I wonder if this will get an English DUB soon. This is one of those anime I'd prefer to watch dubbed.
Futari wa Milky Holmes was a mistake
Yoshii did nothing wrong

Jul 8, 2019 11:53 AM

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Mar 2013
481
So the Saga begins.

I see all these people posting on the internet about all the violence and bloodshed and how great it is, little do they know.....

I see they skipped the In media res opening of the manga (which I think is good idea) Originally Vinland was published in a shounen magazine but switched over to another magazine I think maybe 4 or 5 chapters in and its really obvious. Definitely a good decision.

OP is kinda meh but the ED is pretty good. I think it fits the series well.
Bring back down votes on reviews
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