Vinland Saga is a quiet poetry.
A tragic one, wrapped in a beautiful bouquet, with blood shed all over the flowers.
The flowers wilt over time. But no one cares about that. The blood over them is the only focus. Call it tainted, or honor, it's subjective.
The blood though, is the only thing seen.
A bloody bouquet of wilting flowers.
A tragedy wrapped in melancholy.
Vinland Saga has left me with no words.
The way this story is written, the way everything is shown. From the perceptions of different people
It's absolutely amazing.
The war, the warmongers, the people being made to seek war as children, the honor, the anger, the wrath, the realisation, the horror, the injustice, the bloodshed, the politics, the dead, the dead, the dead, the blood, the people, the children, the slavery, the bloodshed, the injustice. The injustice.
I'm at episode 17
Yet to complete watching it
But the story of gardar was too much for me to not write anything about it.
The story of gardar. The man, i really truly admire. And respect. A little bit.
He realised his wrongs, he killed, yes, which was also wrong. But in order to seek his freedom, he killed, he burned away everything, and he came for his wife and his child.
Blinded by the things he had lost, he had come back to them. To want the life they had in the past, he had come, all bloody, hands tainted, he had come.
The way he just never gave up, and if anyone dare put a hand or say a word to Arnheid, the way he just stood up. The way he literally just stood up.
A love that wants to protect, even if death grazes your hand.
The man, and his story, and his realisation and perception, the way it's delivered.
I have no words.
I'm in awe of how much shook I am.
I can't smile, my lips form a certain melancholy that seems to just not pass by as easily.
The feeling of having watched it lingers.
The lingering feelings are important.
They impact you.
And I'm grateful for such a piece of work that has impacted me. That has made me sit, and feel.
For people wanting war so much.
I wish they would just watch Vinland Saga.
Maybe they'll understand atleast somewhat the weight of that word they throw around so easily.
The last time I felt a show was so brilliantly written, in the sense of perception, connection and story was when I had watched Attack on Titan.
I didn't agree with the end of AOT for personal reasons, I really had wanted to know what Eren's definition of freedom was.
However, Aot was the show that made me feel like it's written absolutely brilliantly, every character and scene was thought out thoroughly. Every piece of it was brilliant. If you would re-watch it, you would still end up finding something new.
That's how I feel for this show as well.
It's written in such a profound sense.
Starting from Thors, to showing us how Thorfinn lived.
Perspective of thorfinn in anger, and agony.
Perspective of Askeladd.
Askeladd's honor and his own story.
His mind. His actions against king sweyn.
Askeladd's relation to Thorfinn, how Thorfinn perceived him.
How Thorfinn really really perceived him.
Canute, Canute talking to the decapitated head of king sweyn.
Canute poisoning his own brother who was kind to him.
The crown, the weight and the curse of such.
Thorkell and his craving for war.
Valhalla, the concept of it. The definition of living world in the nightmare Thorfinn had.
Perspective of Einar, Einar's perception of Thorfinn, Einar's friendship with Thorfinn.
The connections of slavery, discrimination.
Thorfinn and his view of the new world, Thorfinn and his repentance, his way of finally understanding his father's words.
"No one is your enemy. You have no enemies. No one has any enemies...."
And the words
A true warrior does not need a sword.
I hold them to my heart, but these words are so difficult to weild.
These words, are so difficult to weild.
Vinland Saga, is a poetry.
A tragedy wrapped in a bouquet of flowers.
The blood has dried up.
Yet, the wilting flowers will never be free of it.
The flowers, will never be free of it.
Call it honor, call it tainted.
They'll never be free of it.
The bouquet of flowers
With blood splashed on it.
Dries up.
And wilts away.
Stories that wrap your soul in melancholy, the kind that makes you sit and contemplate, Vinland Saga is quite like that.
....
I've completed watching the whole show
And all I can say is
It's so brilliantly written
I'm in awe.
I couldn't take my eyes off the whole time
Not once i felt like
I'll watch it later
The way of showing all points of view. The way it has humor and war and wisdom and every miniscule thing.
Sheesh.
Loved the show.
It's brilliant.
Special mentions
Roald, son of grim🥺🤌🤌🤌
Gardar🥺🤌🤌🤌
Thors🥺🥺🥺🤌🤌🤌🤌
Wulf because THAT WAS CRAZY LOYALTY, you eye has been gouged out and yet you persist, fuckkkk.
Leif san for keeping his vow
Pater san because 🌻
The old master of the house, swerkel san🌻
I know the show was all about not choosing war, but choosing peace. To not weild arms, but rather okay a game of chess or something to decide on decisions and not easily throw blood everywhere, but a part of me really wished Floki to meet an end. Not death but rather atleast an understanding of some sense.
Canute and the way he speaks to the decapitated head of the king sweyn, it's one of the most brilliant portrayal throughout.
Canute, choosing to save the Vikings.
That laughter at the end.
That scene. I was i n v e s t e d. Hardcore invested. Because woah dude.
There are a lot many names I wish to write.
And a lot of stuff I wish to speak of.
But for now
I'll write as much as I can remember.
But from the depth of my hearts, I wish all of the characters warmth.
And this show has my respect.
Brilliant. Brilliant show.
Thorfinn.
Einaar.
Arnheid (heartbreaking. History.)
Gardar (I know i mentioned him above, but I wanted to still mention him here, next to Arnheid)
Askeladd.
Bjorn.
Thorkell
Anne. (That scene was gruesome. And yet one of my most favourites because it was so poetic and so beautifully portrayed. The girl who steals something and then wonders if she will go to hell)
Ragnar (helicopter mom)
Helga (honestly, the last part where she just looks at Thorfinn and recognizes him, and all of that stuff. It just makes me realise that in front of moms, this vulnerability comes up, and it's just really sweet and beautiful. To cry your heart out, to lay it down bare. And to know it won't be trampled upon.)
....
Somehow, it also feels like a paradox to Aot.
One created war knowing the future. Not war, rather it was genocide.
One wanted to save the world.
Well, situations were ofcourse different.
Somehow.
But it still feels like a paradox to Aot.
The bouquet of flowers that had blood on them, someone finally saw them.
The flowers were wilting.
Someone finally saw them.
The honor or disdain of the blood needed no categorisation.
The person who saw the flowers, remarked to themselves, of how they didn't deserve to be tainted.
....
I wonder. In the end. Did he find the Vinland.
Did he make it.
Did he choose to make iceland the Vinland.
The country far away from slave traders and flames of war.
I wonder, if he finally reached it.
I wonder, If he finally made it.
