Slave

This is how you start another season. I'll admit I was a little leery when I heard another studio was doing it this time, but I was also so glad to hear that the same people were working on it. And now that the second season is finally here, everything that shined the past season arguably shines even more here. The breathtaking animation, the wonderful musical score, the incredible new characters who bring so much to the table, the deeply emotional narrative from the first one, the staunch realism, and so much more. It even brings back two beloved characters and takes a different approach to the story, one outside of war and about a time of peace and character growth instead. I positively cannot wait for what's to come, even if I had already read a great deal of the manga storyline.

This episode was beautiful visually, paced to absolute perfection and has the dynamic and compelling plot that Vinland Saga had throughout the first season. A change of studios certainly did not make a difference to the quality of the masterpiece this show truly is, and when it's by Studio MAPPA I'm really not surprised.

If you didn't come to this episode reading that manga, there is uncertainty, yes, but confusion or disappointment never fits into the equation in this show. If you did read the manga, you just waited patiently until the end in excitement. It's easy to forget how well constructed manga is until you see a slow unfolding of something like this episode. I would not have adapted this episode any different - it was a perfect adaptation, and the opening art and song fits this arc perfectly.

Once more, Studio MAPPA tries to make me disappointed in anything not made by their studio by dropping a banger, and I patiently await the next episode.

This is such a great introduction back into Vinland saga, even if thorfinn is barely in it. Following Einer, who we don't know, is such an intriguing decision that hooked me from the first moment. You see his life change from peaceful village to warzone just like Thorfinn's arc in season 1. But where it gets interesting is how differently both of them turned out. We'll get to see much more of that through the season, but for now, this episode stands tall as a great introduction to a superb character.

It's also worth mentioning that the music and animation is gorgeous. The writing is what makes this show as incredible as it is, but honestly, there's very few areas where it fails. In many ways, this is a perfect episode of television.

After a little more than two years this masterpiece comes back with a second season! I have to say that having enjoyed the first season enormously, I really think the second season could come close to being has good has the first one. Just like in the first season the setup is very good and very promising. This episode brought us some spectacular animation, splendid new characters, a fantastic debut for a new plot and like always, some stellar music. I find this episode introduces us very well to the new situation which is drastically different than the one in the previous season but still manages to keep us in suspense as to what is going to happen.

Overall, I find this is a very strong start to this new season with plenty of potential to keep up with the first season and possibly be even better.

This is a stunning, heart-wrenching, thought-provoking start to season 2 of Vinland Saga. Meeting a new character and spending 24/25 minutes with him was certainly a risk, but it paid off in spades. We learn so much about Einar in just over 20 minutes and become fully absorbed in his struggle to survive and will to live. From a harrowing experience with his family and village, to being sold off as a slave, we are left to wonder where his journey may lead. All signs point to Thorfinn by episodes end. This was the best possible start to this arc that I could have imagined! Strap in, it's going to be top tier!