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I would like to preface my review by stating that, while I am no anime veteran, this is easily my favorite anime that I have watched over the past several years. There are several elements that have personally appealed to me that makes it deserving of the 10 rating, despite the actual content of anime more than likely demanding an 8 from an unbiased source.

The first installment of the Vinland Saga recounts the journey of Thorfinn, a young boy from Iceland, as he pursues a deep-set revenge on the background of an English-Danish conflict. If you'd like more details on the actual content, other reviews ... and the show description will serve you better than here.

CONS:

I'd like to foremost acknowledge the concerns voiced in other reviews, particularly one 5 rating that appears as the first review on this page at the time of writing. Many reviews, and the comments on my streaming site, have one particular complaint: the quality of our protagonist.

Thorfinn has been often described as the stereotypical shonen protagonist due to his strong will and one-track mind stemming from a traumatic incident, extremely similar to that of Eren in Attack on Titan. He is particularly two-dimensional in character, as we know his past and motivations but there is little more reasoning behind his actions. This is absolutely true - if this is something that you consider a con. However, this archetype appears in many animes for a reason; they build rapport with viewers and we end up cheering for them as they seek their goal. It

Additionally, there are a few moments across the 24 episodes where some viewers can lose interest. For example, during a few episodes the characters are on a long march across barren terrain as a formidable opponent is not far behind. While I personally didn't ever get bored, many express that this part and a philosophical episode (that I actually enjoyed) made them lose interest.

PROS:

The trait that made this series my reining favorite is the blurred morality that is oftentimes lacking in many shows, similar to the world of Game of Thrones. This concept is also what made me stand by Thorfinn (the highly critiqued protagonist) despite his lacking character development. There are so few shows where morality doesn't impede the plot of the story, and characters selfishly pursue their own ambitions. He cuts people down, burns, and steals to reach his ends without fail.

Additionally, the setting was absolutely fascinating. I have a feeling that many events aren't close to historically accurate, but the brutality/gore/violence and culture of the primarily Norse environment was incredible. The dichotomy between Christianity and Norse belief (Valhalla and such, unsure of the religious title) was a detail that gave the show a maturity that I haven't seen in many shows.

The artwork, like Attack on Titan, was not the best I have ever seen but was fitting of the studio of which it was made. The colors are vibrant, but the backgrounds and characters could often times use a little more detail. It's definitely not a deal breaker.

As for soundtrack, I found both the opening and closing themes for both seasons extremely fun (I'm shit with music, but it sounds a lot like punk rock). The music during scenes wasn't notable, if present at all, so I'm sure it was fine.

This is first show in two years I've been compelled to write a review about, so apologies for the weird formatting!