THIS FINALE IS A MASTERPIECE...Anime HATERS Watch Vinland Saga 1x23-24 | Reaction/Review 

Askeladd is one of the best well written characters ever. Sleep well Lucius Artorius Castus🐐

That awkward moment when you realize the whole anime was just the prologue..

Notice how Askellad never told Thorfinn the truth about Floki, because he didn’t want him to keep chasing down this pointless thirst for revenge. He always wanted Thorfinn to move past it and become a True Warrior and find actual purpose in life. RIP AskeDad

If you guys thought that was peak, just wait until you watch Season 2! Cant wait for the reactions. Really glad you guys are loving the series

What a beautifully written piece of art

“Stand straight...this part is important. This moment on stage was created for you. Don't waste it." I love that line by Thorkell, showing that he may act goofy or dumb, but he grasps the current situation.

Thorfinn just witnessed his two fathers die in front of him. And both times, he couldn't do nothing to stop it. First it was Thors and now Askeladd (yes, even if he'll never admit it, Askeladd was a father figure to him). And along with Askeladd, he lost the meaning purpose of his entire life. No wonder he snapped and tried to kill Canute.

Askeladd is one of the most complex characters in anime. I feel the same vibe from Silco of Arcane and Askeladd. Both amazing complex characters.

Askeladd got offered between option A or option B He choose option C. Also, despite all the scheming, manipulation and lies Askeladd did in the series, his final words were basically trying to get Thorfinn on a better path, just shows the respect he had for Thors

16:27 That's Yukimura Makoto's way of showing that Askeladd is also become a father to Thorfinn. Just like when Thors died standing up.

Season 1 is peak, but season 2 is ultra peak The writing is incredible

The way y’all sat forward when Askeladd insults Sweyn 😂

The whole time I was watching Vinland Saga I was angrily asking myself 'What will killing Askeladd accomplish, Thorfinn? Will it bring your father back?' so I was incredibly satisfied when Askeladd pretty much asked him outright. Thorfinn lost his innocence and entire youth in this obsessive pursuit, not caring about others suffering because his was the only one that matters. That's why I love the direction of S2 not being action and sort of an ode to pacifism, otherwise it would have thrown away that great revelation.

What’s crazy is this was just the PROLOGUE of Vinland Saga. The author decided to make Askeladd the main character for the 2nd half of this season, and boy did he deliver. Absolutely phenomenal character. On top of that, this finale is one of the best in all of anime. That last scene with Thorfinn letting go of the dagger, thus letting go of his revenge, is brilliant.

Yo, it literally breaks me apart every time, when Askeladd asks Thorfinn, how's he going to live his life from now on. It's such a simple question with so much care and meaning to it. And Askeladd is smart af, I'm sure he realizes that getting over everything will be very hard for the boi and take a lot of effort. And the callback to Thors' death scene with everything beside him and Thorfinn whited out - AMAZING stuff. I don't remember if something like this happens again, but I hope this way of showing substantial deaths stays with us. Such an amazing composition, putting all the weight possible on the moment itself.

He didn't love Askeladd, but his entire life purpose was wrapped around him. It's like Askeladd said - Thorfinn doesn't know what he's going to do with himself after Askeladd's dead. He doesn't even like fighting - the one skill he's mastered. He knows little else. Everything is meaningless without that promise of a duel to kill Askeladd.

Askeladd became his father figure and was his entire reason for living and being a violent warrior. When Askeladd died not only did he lose another "father" he lost the man who turned him into what he was, who allowed him to cope with loss, and who became the excuse for the violence he committed. Season 2 is very different, it's more mature and thoughtful. Season 2 is about healing and finding yourself, coming to terms with who you are and facing the mistakes of your life head on.

19:40 Carter's just trying to process what just happened ☠

You guys don't have to worry about S2 being animated by Studio Mappa because the staff is mostly the same and you won't even notice any changes in the animation style, colour grading or any thing like that. Hell Iwould arguably say S2 looks even better than S1. Mappa not just kept the same look but even enhanced it further, for which I am grateful and I hope everyone else is too.

Just wanted to say with regards to the studio change to MAPPA, Almost all the main staff members from season 1 are still working on Season 2 so it won’t look very different from Season 1(Series Director, Animation Producer, Character Designer, Background Artists, Composer and others). This is a passion project for them so they chose to stick with it even with the behind the scenes problems. The staff basically just needed a new “home” to work in since WIT was in financial trouble at the time and had to drop some series (AOT and Vinland). The only reason AOT looked very different after the studio change is because it was a completely new staff that took over except for like 1 or 2 people. There won’t be AOT Titan CGI type stuff here but losing WIT made them lose their main action animators which won’t really be a big deal since this season isn’t focused on that. Other than that they had a bit more time to work on season 2 so a lot of the episodes will look very polished compared to season 1. Excited for the Season 2 reactions!!

YES I have been waiting for this reaction... I was holding off on saying this in the last video, but I really want to talk about the legend of Artorius, and what this hero archetype really means. the first person we can identify as fulfilling this archetype is Thors. a legendary hero, a man with the eyes of a true warrior, a virtuous paragon, someone who could take out an entire fleet of ships without taking a single life, a man who has no enemies... Askeladd asked him to lead them. for a moment, he was serious. but given the way Askeladd has lived his life, he was in no position, mentally or emotionally, to accept an idealistic hero anymore. and so, in this jaded state, Askeladd kills the very hero he had hoped to find. but initially, Askeladd is called to action by anger at the injustice done to his mother. look at what Askeladd says when he narrates his backstory: "my mother was a slave. she said that far to the west, in a land across the sea, where ordinary people cannot reach, there lies a paradise where the hero Artorius lives. the hero is still there now, healing his battle wounds. if our ancestor really was living in such a nice place, he'd never come back to a world like this." then it shows Olaf, drawing his sword to strike Lydia, and Askeladd says "if Artorius wasn't going to come save my mother in that moment, then he's never going to come." and to Thorfinn and Canute he says, "do you understand, kids? someone must do it. a person, not a hero, and not a god." then it shows Askeladd attacking his father with a sword, having never touched one before in his life, and he says "it's weird. I had never used a sword before, but it felt right in my hands. I knew how to swing it." Askeladd considers this innate knowledge of battle to be proof of his connection to his father... literally, his father saw his natural ability with a sword and decided to try and teach him because of it. these are the standards of Olaf. but read another way, this scene implies that when there was no hero to protect his mother, Askeladd stepped into the role. Artorius is a character from a story, but by thinking of that archetype, and yearning for it to be true, Askeladd was there to do what he wished a savior could. it's all in how you frame things. "far to the west, across the sea, there is a land called Vinland. it's warm. and fertile. a faraway land, where neither slave traders nor the flames of war can reach." Avalon, where Artorius rests, is said to be a place where ordinary people cannot reach. and Askeladd says that the hero probably wouldn't leave paradise for the sake of a world like ours. but Vinland is a place where the low and downtrodden can dream of escaping to, when they have no hope left. if you feel like there is nothing but cruelty for you here, there is still a place you can go. it's all in how you frame things. when Thors died, he sacrificed his life for the defense of everyone who was present at the time, whether friend or foe. not a single member of Askeladd's crew died. not a single person that Thors brought with him died. he cared enough about their preservation, that he put the entirety of himself on the line. when Askeladd died, he sacrificed his life for the defense of an entire country, full of people he has never known, and who will never know him. Canute survived... Thorfinn survived. and both of them received the means to claim an open ended future. Askealadd cared enough about their preservation to put the entirety of himself on the line. it's all in how you frame things. Askeladd has thought that his father's blood tainted him for such a long time, and acted accordingly. Askeladd started off hating his father, but Askeladd also absorbed the violence that surrounded him, and internalized the idea that this was the standard by which he would be judged. he felt like he had to beat his father at his own game... that was the only way. and by measuring himself against this man, he gave his father the power to control his expectations, and his actions. the arena in which his father was superior became the arena in which Askeladd felt he had to compete and excel if he was going to prove himself worthy. it's not just Askeladd thinking that Artorius wouldn't return from paradise for a world like this... it's the world being incapable of letting that hero survive. Askeladd might possibly think that he and his men deserve to live in a world like this. they're the ones that make the world like this. if paradise is a place where heroes hide away, then what is the point of heroes? well... that's just it. you can't rely on the ones that aren't here. sometimes you have to become the hero, by rejecting cynicism, and embracing the qualities that you know a hero should possess. if you know it so well, then you can do it. paradise isn't the result of some foretold savior swooping in to save you. it's the result of people acting in service of what they love, in order to create peace where they are. in episode ten, Thorfinn dreams of his family in Vinland. everything is idyllic, until an invasion begins on the beach, turning it into a nightmare. when Thorfinn wakes up, he looks out across the English countryside at dawn. it is just as fertile and beautiful as he'd ever imagined Vinland to be, and it's striking. not just the dream showing Thorfinn's Vinland being attacked by outsiders that so resemble Askeladd's men... but also the reality in front of him. Thorfinn could be standing in Vinland right at this very moment. he could have this peace. but no matter where he goes, or what the land looks like, it will never feel like the land from his dreams. because his position in life, and his entire mindset, is all wrong for it. he carries hell within him, and creates it where he goes. peace isn't a place, it's a series of actions. when Askeladd killed Thors, he proved that even if Artorius did return to a world like this, it would reject and kill him. Askeladd would reject and kill him. Askeladd has become the reason why this land isn't paradise, and this will only be remedied when Askeladd stops rejecting and killing the heroic archetype within himself. in a way, Askeladd's standards have always been too high. no prospects have ever seemed quite good enough to earn his dedication. Askeladd believes that the hero would reject imperfect people, in the same way that Askeladd would reject an imperfect hero. he disqualifies himself before he ever considers the possibility that he could take up this mantle. but peace is not the absence of imperfection... it's the presence of belief, and genuine effort. Askeladd killed that naive fool who believed in the phrase "you have no enemies" and watched this virtuous man leave the world behind, with only imperfect and cynical people left in it. whose fault was that, really? the truth is that Askeladd has had the makings of a good person within him from day one. Thors has always been proof that violent men can still choose to do better someday... that's who Thors was, through and through. if Askeladd wasn't constantly giving up, he would've been that person the whole time. he knows how to do it... he knows what it feels like. he's shown his intelligence time and again, but he's really been strategizing, and scheming, and cheating himself out of everything he really wants. these things were always within his reach, if only he would commit to trying. I guess the biggest message that I want to convey in all of this is that _cynicism is not the same as intelligence._ I do believe that Askeladd is a very smart man. but it is possible to "outsmart" your way into a deeply dissatisfying life, simply because you can't bring yourself to hope for something good. you have to be strong enough to kill the cynicism within yourself, and bear the weight of hope. it is a heavy burden, to carry the raw vulnerability of being genuine, even knowing how much disappointment may follow if those hopes are destroyed in the end. that's why it takes a true warrior to do the work of believing in something anyway. I think in the end, Askeladd did understand this. and given the ways that Thorfinn has taken after him in terms of cynicism, Askeladd questioning what Thorfinn will do with his life is very significant. Thorfinn's anger toward Askeladd has led him on a fruitless pursuit over the years, but deep down, it's still a child's instinctual reaction to seeing something unfair, and knowing it is wrong. if Thorfinn can move on to the next step in this line of thinking, now that Askeladd is gone... he might come to the conclusions that Thors knew in life. conclusions which Askeladd was too late to realize.

I would have never watched this anime if it is wasn't for you guys! And I'm so so glad I did! 🙏🙏❤️❤️

This was the greatest prologue in all of anime, heck I dare say any media

Don't worry MAPPA did an amazing job with S2

12:20 that moment. It never fails. Epic reaction 😅 Askeladd, what an amazing character. He is without a doubt one of the best written characters ever. So beyond Goated. That ending, my heart broke for Thorfinn. The look in his eyes right before he attacks Canute is just devastating. He looked so lost. He had lost his entire life's purpose and meaning right there. We can tell Askeladd at the end of the day meant something more to Thorfinn than just his "enemy". In a way he lost yet another father figure and he couldn't do anything about it just like the last time. Askeladd just as much as Thors or probably even more helped shape Thorfinn to become who he is and who he is gonna become. And that journey is just glorious. I started VS with you guys and two days ago I finished S2. And I'm still not over it, it was so damn good and I pray we get a S3. I cannot wait for you guys to get into it. Thorfinn's S2 character arc is one for the books! S2 is quite different from S1, more character driven, slower paced, but no less beautiful in my opinion. The writing of this series is just stunning and don't worry about Mappa being behind S2, they knock it out of the park.

Get ready for Farmland Saga guys. It demands patience, but it will be rewarding.

Askeladd is such a great written character , his death hit really hard. How they put the same white background as for Thors just shows how important he was in Thorfinn’s life. They had a really, weird, twisted, complex but strong bond. He still kind of raised him (at least tolerating and not killing him 😅) and at the end stopped him from approaching so he wouldn’t be caught as an enemy too and the last thing he did was to guide Thorfinn and try to take out his anger with him. Now the prologue is over, time to start the show 😂 don’t worry MAPPA did great!

18:02 god, I LOVE this shot. Forgot how absolutely epic it was. Thank you guys so much for reacting to Peakland Saga, and giving me something to watch on me coffee breaks every day at work haha.. this has been an awesome journey with you guys! Hope you’re all having a great summer and can’t wait to start crushing season 2 with y’all

12:19 best reaction ever

Vinland Saga is goated. I have even read the manga and I can confidently say that its one of the greatest stroies I have ever read. Its PEAK

FYI Lucius Artorias Castus (Askeladd) is speculated to be the man who the King Arthur legend is based on.

So glad you guys watched this cause I know you guys actually appreciate well written media!!Cant wait for season 2!!🔥🔥🔥

This is one of the greatest finales to a season in television history. Askeladd was such a GOAT, rest in peace. I still remember crying when I saw this episode for the first time. But I honestly think season 2 is even better, it’s a lot different than the first season with less action and more focus on character development. I think you will love it!

13:03 “this man is the criminal who murdered the king! Kill him” - Floch Forster

Do not worry about the studio change from WIT to Mappa. Most of them who worked on Vinland Saga Season 2 are ex WIT studio employees who worked on season 1only. As a result Vinland Saga season 2 is also of very high quality like season 1.

Carter was SHOOK 😭😭😭😭

Looking forward to your reaction to season 2. Don’t expect it to be as action packed as season 1, but you guys have the luxury of not having to wait for each episode after every week.

Thanks for watching one of if not my favourite show ever. Can't wait to see y'all's reactions to S2. Hope we get a S3 and S4 one day hahaha. The manga is so damn good, but the anime is just a beautifully done adaptation.

Imagine if you guys hadn’t picked up this series… you would have never known what you were missing

20:10 Brigs got it before me. When I first saw that scene I was a little confused, great reactions.

I’ve been so busy and tired with IRL stuff that I completely forgot I was subscribed to your patreon, and didn’t have to wait for these to come out on RU-vid lmao

24:07 actually the same team that was working on S1 in Wit worked on S2 for Mappa

Rewatching this ep after season 2 just hits so much harder, Thorfinn listened and did it

Season 2 is finally coming. Amazing season. My favorite next to what would be S3. I really hope the boys will be open minded for what coming.

Regarding the switch from Wit to Mappa it's literally in production name alone. The actual people on the team making the show are almost the exact same.

Another great anime season in the books! It’s great to see the different opinions you all bounce off each other, it’s very refreshing! Some people I know were very upset with Thors dying and struggled to give the anime a chance but I’m glad you guys pushed on! Season 2…I tell you is something I have never seen before in anime, something truly special. S-Tier. Love the channel and ill always support as I go through my YT journey! Keep pushin!!!

Get ready for the best character development in season 2. Truly one of the best pieces of art I’ve ever watched

This is why Vinland Saga is goated. This was just the finale to the prologue of the story of Thorfinn. And season 2's finale delivered on that and was equally epic. Askeladd was one of the best characters of that season. He may be dead but he sure as hell isn't forgotten.

best anime i have ever seen the writing is on another level the adaptation from manga to anime is soooooo elite my favorite anime for sure no doubt be ready for next season its even better

Get ready for what's coming! I hope you are willing to see much further!. Excellent video!. :)

I always wanted to rewatch my fav animes. And I'm so glad I get to watch them and find someone to watch it with 😂. Came here right after I finished all your AoT videos. Love the reactions, the comments, and the bro to bro discussion about it.

We have all been waiting too

That scene of thorfin dropping his knife will encapsulate himself going forward this is where his journey truly begins s2 is a masterpiece hope you enjoy it

Did you notice the title of Episode 24? Yes! “END OF THE PROLOUGE “. 😧 So Season 1 was just the prologue to this all too epic story. No, for me who experienced season 2, even season 2 was just a prologue, and season 1 was just Thorfinn’s upbringing. Can you believe it? The Season 1 is peak. The Season 2 is God super peak . I can't wait for you guys to witness the second half of Season 2. However, there are conditions to witness the miracle. Don't dismiss the too-slow, too-quiet first half of Season 2 as worthless, but take it seriously. And when the final peak comes, you will know the true value of the silence and this story.

I'm glad when ppl watch Vinland Saga and realize how amazing it is and they're gonna recommend it to other ppl and ppl😁

If u guys watch season 2 , please dont expect the same like in S1 . S2 is a season which is extremely loved from the half of people and hated from the other people . Season 2 shows the character building of Thorfinn and how he change s . There are some noisy parts in s2 but if you watch it to the end , you will see a peak season . Season 2 has not mich fighting because this season is a whole lesson for thorfinn. Just watch it and give it a chance . You guys won't regret it

man i’ve been waitin on this since the first ep u guys posted. best reaction channel out i’m hyped for y’all to see season 2

This last ep was absolutely beautiful and heart stopping… this show is a great watch for anyone

Just finished the 1st season and the first thing i thought was "NOW i can watch the reaction of the boysss on every ep" Can't wait to start the 2nd!!!

Hands down one of the best anime of all time. Can't believe it gets even better in S2, looking forward to the reaction!!

Askeladd really was Throfinn’s second father, he was with him for just as long as Thors, and arguably at a more important time in his life.

6:05 bro I forgot how absolutely conniving and despicable Floki is

The ending of this episode was beautiful and absolutely my favorite anime ending ! Showing the beginning of thorfinn journey and him leaving his past self ahh ! Also the characters we saw ! ^_^ 10/10 ❤ just SUPERB !

"You're young. Time is on your side. You'll grow up and I'll grow old. Someday you'll likely beat me. It's only natural. Even the strongest man must die".

And on top of that Askeladd will just be remembered as a madman

Askeladd is the defination of GOAT

As you know, guys, S2 also has 24 episodes. From what I've read from the manga, we already have enough material for another 24 ep S3 and since the story is supposedly in it's final arc (might be long though), I kinda assume we will wrap this up with 4 full 24 episodes long seasons.

12:38 ever since starting Peakland Saga, this is how I dry knives when I am washing dishes haha

I’ll always find it a little heartbreaking that Thorfinn never even got to learn Askeladd’s real name

The writing of season 2 is one of the best I've ever seen

the storyline is so unlike any anime ever made with a message that resonates, they are in for a treat.

End of the prologue, now the true battle begins.

The real peak is yet to come 🔥

when i tell you i cried... i CRIED. holy shit. this show absolutely changed my life.

This was only the prologue! This finale cemented the anime as the best anime of 2019 in my opinion 👍

askeladd is seriously the best written character ever in my opinion in anime history

The animation team is basically the same just under MAPPA now. It looks really good overall.

Season 1: Epic. Season 2: Legend.

Season 1 is a masterpiece, but Season 2 is freaking divine.

Fun fact: Lucius Artorius Castus is King Arthur, the suppsed ruler of Brittania. Although he is a folktale, there are myths of him being a real person. Askeladd is King Arthur!

words cannot describe how giddy i was seeing this upload 🤩This is the moment we've been waiting forrrrr

Love their very complex father figure/enemy relationship. I was so sad when da GOAT🐐 Lucius Artorius Castus died, hands down the most cool character in the Vinland saga.

Season 2 of the Vinland saga is amazing. great emotions and great characters. The second season is my favourite

A lot of people like to hate on season 2 because of how much it differs from the prologue, but the character developement, writing and the cast of characters introduced makes it even better than season 1 IMO

I agree, they were robbed of .1 lol. It deserved a 10/10.

If it wasn't obvious, Askeladd is supposed to be King Arthur. His name, where he comes from, his ancestry, and his claim to Britannia. When he finally says his name, he reveals that he is the King of Legend. R.i.p to the homie man.

get ready for season 2 :), now the true roller coaster of emotions begin .

That was a great reaction, time for season 2

This is the most life changing story I've ever encountered. This show has taught me more about myself and what I was holding on to more than anything or anyone. Watching this first season was one of the most unique experiences I've ever had. I've been watching anime for a decade now, and it is by far and away the greatest first season of any anime I've ever seen, at least to me personally. Askeladd and Thorfinn are both some of the greatest characters of all time. Canute is also up there in my opinion... The way he understood Thorfinn even after he tried to kill him, and refused to let anyone else kill Thorfinn... That moment struck me pretty hard on my 2nd time watching.

If you guys are worrying about S2's animation than worry not, its much better and I'm pretty sure that the same people from WITs team animated S2 and its way more beautiful and real, even the scores and storywriting is topnotch. Definitely will anticipate future reactions

one of the greatest seasons of anime is about to be followed up by an even better season of anime lol

You guys don't have to worry about Wit vs Mappa with this one, because the staff is the same for season 2, at least when it comes to the director, character designer, and background artist. There are slight differences, because not every animator was able to return (and I'm not sure if the animation director is the same or not), but really the only thing you will notice if you notice much at all, is that some of the line art is thinner with Mappa than it is with Wit.

The music absolutely makes this scene

RIP Askeladd one of the best character in anime definitely 💔 the last scene where Thorfinn dropping his dagger always gets me 😭💔 Can't wait for Season 2 reaction

For all the hate the action anime fans gave Vinland S2, it was *easily* one of the best seasons of anime in the last couple years from a characterization perspective. The one thing I'm confident in is that the Gek boys are going to love it, and I'm here for all of it. This is literally an anime for the history books.

I think WIT studios has the most amazing light sources!! Like the way they do their lights/shadows is just AMAZING!! And I absolutely love those big bold lines and the colors they use!!🤤🤷‍♀️ I think those lines that go from thick to thin show more details n depth and are just more visually pleasing and their color palettes are brighter n more vibrant then Mappa. I loved those big bold lines they used in AOT n those amazing light sources n shadows and going from that to CGI was a bit of a shock. But I will say that I think Mappa did a better job with Vinland season 2 then they did with AOT. It seemed like they were trying to follow the first seasons set up, you can definitely tell some things r different and maybe they did that to show that dude has become an adult n stuff but they didn’t do bad on it.

Looove Vinland Saga!! Get ready for season 2, and I’m excited to see what you guys will think about it :)!!

Those characters at the end are for season 2 and 3 😁

Cant wait for season 2 reaction. the story just builds up from here

ITS TIME FOR FARMLAND SAGA