After staying alive by the skin of his teeth, Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 4 sees Thorfinn come face to face with his past in a way he didn’t expect. Let’s see how that went in this review!
Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 4 Overview
Vinland Saga Season 2 is an action, adventure, and drama that serves as the sequel to its highly acclaimed and fan favourite Vinland Saga Season 1, which aired in 2019. The series is based on an award-winning manga written by Makoto Yukimura. Read the review of the previous episode of the series here!
The show’s second season is being animated by Studio MAPPA, a different studio that the one which did its previous season in Studio WIT. However, most of the personnel behind the series have been retained. Director Shuuhei Yabuta, of Inuyashiki and Attack On Titan fame, is returning to direct the series.
– Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 4 Review does not contain spoilers –
Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 4 Review- Awakening
I am in love with the way this show looks. The way the backgrounds and the environment are animated, the way it pays attention to even the most minor of details, and the way it does all this while still managing to tell an extremely compelling story with those facial expressions is mind-boggling. I don’t know what it is that is specifically so great about the animation here, but it might be a combination of vibrant colours, fantastic shading, beautiful backgrounds, and immaculate framing.
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The overall content of Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 4 was also very well written and executed, as the reveal of Thorfinn being who he was coming so soon was a welcome addition to the plot. Not only does that save us from a lot of potential misunderstandings later on, but it serves as the first hurdle between Thorfinn and Einar, which they both cross with ease due to their personalities matching this well together. The overall philosophy and character development of this episode were very well handled.
However, this is where all my positive comments about this episode end. There is something much more important that we need to discuss, which is that this season is not very interesting to watch. It doesn’t have that one plotline that the previous season did to hold the viewers through the entirety of it. The plot so far has been very well-intentioned and has had some great moments, but all of those pale in comparison to the much more grandiose nature of the first season.
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Not only that, but the philosophy that the show relies heavily on right now to support it while it makes its transition from an action/adventure series to a slice of one is weaker than the one it used in the previous season. Vinland Saga season 1 was about the futility of revenge and a child’s quest to disregard all of that and try to exact revenge anyway. It was a tangible story that you could feel progress in every episode. Thorfinn was still a bad protagonist with few redeeming qualities, but at least he had a future to look forward to and improve that way.
Right now, the end is so far for the main characters that the entire story, up to that point, feels worthless. We all know where it is going and that it’s not happening anytime soon. Thus, while seeing Thorfinn and Einar come face to face as they did in this episode was great, it also left the viewer wanting more from the show. We have seen how great it can be, and given the subject matter, it is natural that the show takes a few moments to get going, but time is running out. Let’s hope it finds its legs sooner rather than later.
Verdict
Vinland Saga Season 2 Episode 4 was an outing that the showrunners worked very hard for, but at the same time, it felt like they had to do this because the current plot isn’t enough to make up for everything else on its own.
Click here to read the review of the next episode!