Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Vinland Saga: Season 2 Part 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

Vinland Saga: Season 2 Part 1 continues the action-adventure saga for series fans. Created by Makoto Yukimura, Vinland Saga: Season 2 Part 1 picks up the journey with more excitement and adrenaline. Produced by Akira Yonezawa (My Life as Inukai-san's Dog, Blue Period), Masae Yamato (Blue Period, Tokyo Mew Mew New), Naokado Fujiyama (Burn The Witch, The Ancient Magus' Bride), and Sei Matsumoto (Attack on Titan Final Season THE FINAL CHAPTERS, My Deer Friend Nokotan). With animation production by MAPPA (Jujutsu Kaisen, Terror in Resonance), Vinland Saga: Season 2 Part 1 will appeal to action junkies. Vinland Saga: Season 2 Part 1 features voice-performances by Kenshō Ono and Mayumi Sako.

The journey isn’t over. The tale has yet to reach its conclusion. The second season unfolds with more drama and action. As the series action unfolds, it has been a full year since Askeladd died. Now more unexpected chaos arises.  Thorfinn Thordarson (Yūto Uemura) and Einar (Shunsuke Takeuchi) are both enslaved and become a pair working together as the two dream of escape and a better future.

Canute (Kenshō Ono) also concocts a plan to rule over Denmark and England. Can Thorfinn and Einar escape? What does the future hold for them? The journey is far from over.

The action is one of the highlights of Vinland Saga. Action fans will appreciate the sense of style given to the action beats on the series. These aspects are essential ingredients to the production. Shonen fans looking for more adrenaline-packed intensity will find something worth checking out with Vinland Saga: Season 2 Part 1. Fans of other action series like Attack on Titan may find something of value with the series. Though it might not enter the ranks of the all-time great action anime series, many action-adventure fans will find something entertaining with the production.

The character designs by Takahiko Abiru (Trigun Stampede) are well-done. The character designs are quite unlike many other anime series. The character designs aim for a more grounded sense of art. Designs aim for a type of realism and gravitas that is different from many anime series and more exaggerated character-features and facial expressions. Vinland Saga goes in a different direction altogether and aims to please audiences looking for a grittier and darker visual aesthetic that is different from the pack.

The animation is certainly bold and artistic. The animation is one of the series highlights. The art direction by Yūsuke Takeda (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Kimi ni Todoke - From Me to You) makes a solid impression. The chief animation direction by Takahiko Abiru (Ushio & Tora, Kaiji: Against All Rules) adds to the style. The animation team did something compelling by creating a bold vision for the series. The animators don’t aim for something simple and aim for more complex art styles with ambitious goals. Though the style might be met with divided reactions by some audiences, the art nonetheless creates a sense of cohesion and vision that is darker and more intense than many productions offer.

The cinematography by Hisashi Matsumuko (The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World, Digimon Ghost Game) and Yūki Kawashita (The Ambition of Oda Nobuna, The Pet Girl of Sakurasou) helps bring darker aesthetic elements to life with the vast landscape of the animation on display. The production does a solid job with showcasing the cinematography and its almost Western-like aesthetic at times – these qualities are certainly notable with regards to the cinematographic style.

The score composed by Yutaka Yamada (Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo Revengers) adds some solid action-packed adrenaline to the production. The score works as background music aiding the action sequences. With music highlighting the grim and complicated arena of the series the composer helps build the bigger canvas of the saga.

Written by Hiroshi Seko (Jujutsu Kaisen, Seraph of the End: Vampire Reign), Vinland Saga aims for a darker and more mature style. The script isn’t aimed at a younger audience and is instead going to appeal more to adults looking for darker and more complicated storytelling. Seko explores these characters and their worlds with ambition.

Directed by Shūhei Yabuta (Inuyashiki Last Hero, Alderamin on the Sky), Vinland Saga certainly fits a specific bill for action fans. Vinland Saga isn’t cookie-cutter for the faint-of-heart. The series has a decidedly darker veneer and aims for the gut. Vinland Saga might not win over everyone but it is certainly ambitious and a more adult-oriented anime for mature viewers looking for something different.

Vinland Saga: Season 2 Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Crunchyroll, Vinland Saga: Season 2 Part 1 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation offers a colorful and vibrant encode of the series animation and cinematography. An engaging presentation with good color reproduction and clarity.

One of the best qualities of the Blu-ray disc format is the superior video encoding. Streaming video services tend to provide lower video bit-rates compared to physical media. Streaming video data similarly lacks the consistency of physical media and its encoding. For home theater enthusiasts wanting to achieve the best possible picture-quality and eek out every detail, the Blu-ray disc format has a clear advantage.

Vinland Saga: Season 2 Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes a selection of lossless audio options: English Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround sound and Japanese Dolby TrueHD 2.0 (with English subtitles). The sound direction by Shōji Hata (Fairy Tail, Yo-kai Watch!) is well reproduced. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. The English dub option has an expansive soundstage with the 5.1 surround sound track providing more immersion with rear channels providing more energy for the action scenes, sound effects, and score. The Japanese language version is limited to 2.0 stereo but is still going to be the preferred version for purists. The original language audio is engaging and comes with quality English subtitles. The subtitles are free from egregious spelling and grammatical errors.

The Blu-ray format provides a significant advantage over streaming video services: lossless audio. No streaming video services provide lossless audio encoding. The physical media format provides better audio clarity. Streaming platforms only provide lossy (non-lossless) audio encoding. For enthusiasts and audiophiles wanting to get the best possible audio presentation achievable, the physical format offers fans something noteworthy.

Vinland Saga: Season 2 Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release includes a nicely designed o-card slipcover featuring unique key-artwork. The limited-edition slipcover is only available on the limited print run. Second pressings will not necessarily come with the slipcover. The slipcover will appeal to slipcover fans and collectors wanting a better package. This is something that adds value and collectability.

Promo Videos (HD, 4:50)

Textless Opening Song (HD, 1:32)

Textless Closing Song (HD, 1:32)

Unfortunately, on-disc supplements are underwhelming. The supplements are lackluster and don't add much of value to the package. The release could have been better with a more well-rounded release. Adding audio commentaries, making-of featurettes, behind-the-scenes documentaries, cast/crew interview, photo galleries, video essays, and more could have made the set more compelling. The supplements on the release aren't value-oriented for collectors.

Vinland Saga: Season 2 Part 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Vinland Saga: Season 2 Part 1 provides more action and adventure for fans of dark and gritty anime series with plenty of adrenaline- packed gusto. The series has a darker art style and the animation capably reflects these qualities in the production. Fans of Darker than Black and Attack on Titan might find the series worth checking out. Established series fans will be thrilled to continue the journey with new installments.

The Blu-ray provides a quality high-definition video presentation and lossless audio encoding. The release also includes a nicely designed o-card slipcover. The slipcover features unique artwork different from the standard art underneath the slipcover. The on-disc extras are slim, though. For established fans looking for permanent ownership and the best presentation possible, the release comes recommended.