#and Askeladd is also so great

[alinesann]

Girl help I've become consumed by vinland saga

[shinjisdone]

me: Slave War Arc!Thorfinn is a lost fool who obediently follows his obsession with revenge which is the only thing that keeps him alive. He blindly trots after Askeladd and his orders just so to have a chance to have his selfish wish for a duel be granted while ignoring how Askeladd plays him and uses him as a tool for war. He's alone and isolated from a normal life, isolated from healing and while he does bear a good heart, he shoves it aside time and time again for 11 years to idolize honor, warriors and vengeance in hopes it will set him free from this path. He suffers from trauma but he might even deserve it for all the chaos he causes selfishly to innocent people everytime he does something for Askeladd.

also me: awww a widdle guy? He's a widdle guy. Dont be so mean to him guys he's just not doing so great look at him. He angry, angry pomeranian. He's all alone aww, look guys he got no friends. Let me create an entire fanfic where I give him a friend

[cosmicjoke]

Alright, so, chapter 211 of "Vinland Saga", and what I most feared would happen seems to be coming to pass.

I felt like the last, several chapters were building toward a serious rift developing between Thorfinn and Einar, with Einar's increasing anger and distress over Thorfinn's leadership decisions, and his seeming willingness to give up all they worked to attain, and we finally see that rift manifest, with Einar's refusal to retreat and his declaration that he'll fight to protect the village and the land they've cultivated, despite the Nords being outnumberd 3 to 1. That he rallies every other man in the village around him, bar a few, seems to seal the deal that this is the route that's being taken.

We don't yet know what's become of Thorfinn and Hild, but assuming they make it back to the village, I feel like Thorfinn's seemingly fatally wounded condition will only spur Einar on further toward wanting to take this course, and from there, I honestly don't see how his and Thorfinn's friendship can be salvaged.

This truly is the culmination of the tragic reality of war, I think, and a demonstration of the ways in which war destroys so many things, including the bonds we have with other people. And it also demonstrates, assuming Thorfinn's and Einar's friendship is irrevocably destroyed by this, the price Thorfinn has paid for his pacifism and refusal to fight. Einar's just fully turned on Thorfinn's philosophy and way of living here. They've come to an ideological impasse.

We also see that demonstrated in Bug-Eye's and Nisqua's seemingly doomed love, with her saying the Lun must not enter the land of the Nords, unable to follow him home. War tears people apart, and we're seeing that play out in very literal terms here.

I also see the idiot Ivar hasn't learned anything from getting his hand chopped off. It's a sad state of affairs to see Einar side with him, but maybe the most tragic thing about this is, Einar's stance and betrayal of Thorfinn's pacifism is completely understandable, given his history, even though he's wrong, given the fact he's lost his home again and again due to it being taken from him by force. It shows how people become radicalized. Einar and all of the people of the village gave up a lot, and worked incredibly hard to create their village and cultivate the land, to create a home for themselves. The Nords came to Vinland hoping to live in peace and without war, but circumstances and, sadly, just human nature conspired to destroy it all. Einar's unwillingness to just give it up and walk away is all too human and relatable. The fact he takes the bust of Arnheid and plants it in the ground, seeming to use her memory as motivation to fight, also shows one of the great tragedies of this situation. Arnheid died because of war, because of the devastation and consequences of war, and all that comes with it, and now, in his rage and anger at the situation, Einar is apparently twisting her memory to justify his refusal to yield. What happened to Arnheid always threatened to awaken in Einar this sort of vengeful rage at the injustice of the world, because of course what happened to her was totally unjust, and he understandably sees their situation now as unjust as well, likely equating fighting back against the Lnu somehow as fighting back against what happened to Arnheid. He can't bear to just let it pass anymore.

I really am interested to see how this impact and affects his relationship with Thorfinn. I think, if the story approaches it from a realistic perspective, this might be the beginning of the end of their friendship. And there's something uniquely tragic about that, since Einar is the first person to ever give Thorfinn a sense of purpose outside his own quest for revenge against Askeladd, that helped him develop into the pacifist philosophy that's dictated the last, several years of his life.

Awesome chapter, and it sets up such high stakes. Let's hope the next, few chapters live up to it.

[myreygn]

Going Nowhere

spoiler for the end of vinland saga season 1!!

summary: The path to the afterlife is a mysterious one. No one knows where it leads to, everyone likes to think it leads to eternity. No one likes to think that eternity might not be that exciting after all.

an: this is just me self indulgently pushing out something with askeladd because honestly i would've dropped dead if i didn't. this has very slight bjornskeladd and you can read into that whatever you want. also i'll get to the stuff in my inbox i promise!

wordcount: 1355

taglist: @atruewarrior

¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸¸♫·¯·♪¸¸♩·¯·♬¸¸

Where do I go after I die?

Askeladd had never been one to ask himself that question. It seemed redundant, especially in the heat of battle when ‘after I die’ wasn’t a future one should consider for even a second if one didn’t want it to become reality. And in most other situations, if not all, it was simply too dark of a question to ask.

Of course the topic would come up every now and then and the men would start swooning about the halls of Valhalla, but no one ever asked themselves that question seriously. Genuinely. Asking yourself, or anyone for that matter, a genuine question usually led to genuine answers and those could be horrifying. Because if you genuinely asked Where do I go after I die?, a question very closely related to that would be Will I go to Valhalla? and no one wanted an actual serious answer to that. Yes, of course you’ll go to Valhalla if you die in battle, but you could die at any moment in any dishonorable way and you’ll never even know what hit you until they shut the door in your face. Great talk, have another drink. No way.

That answer, while terrifying to most people he had sailed with over the years, meant nothing to Askeladd. Never had. Honor was a great buzzword to die from but a foolish one to live by. And without honor, one would never go to Valhalla. Or so they always said. And Askeladd had listened but never agreed, nor had he disagreed. He wasn’t stupid, why would he run his mouth off over a subject he knew nothing about?

Where do I go after I die?

That was the thing, wasn’t it, no one knew. They believed, which was very different and far more dangerous. Believing that dying with honor was the greatest achievement in the world, that was a nice thing to do until you ran into someone who favored dishonorable survival. And Askeladd had always been that man to favor dishonorable survival, to favor survival over anything else, because it really didn’t matter how you did it as long as you stayed alive. And stay alive, escape, or as some might even say, cheat death he had done time and time again, and again, and again.

Until today.

The darkness around him was… it wasn’t even darkness anymore, it was just blackness. Blackness and something else, pictures of things Askeladd couldn’t tell whether they were memories or visions. Any time he took a closer look, he ended up seeing nothing, but then he looked down and could see himself clearly, as if he was a lantern in the dark, yet no light broke through the blackness. Any time he took a breath, his lungs remained empty and yet he wasn’t suffocating. His body was numb, but looking down he saw the wounds he had acquired in his life and they were bleeding, drenching his clothes in blood for a moment before they were gone again in the blink of an eye.

It was a strange mix of too little and too much, of nothing at all and everything at once and he had yet to wrap his head around it, but it sure as shit wasn’t Valhalla. Askeladd didn’t know whether he wanted to laugh or cry and when he opened his mouth to let out something in between, the sound was swallowed by the darkness so quickly he doubted for a moment that it had ever been there.

Where do I go after I die?

He had never been afraid of not going to Valhalla, that much was true. But to say that there were no possible answers to that question that would scare him would be a lie. There was one answer that frightened him more than anything else and he had never dared to say it out loud during his lifetime, but now, here, it didn’t matter anymore and when he uttered it into the abyss, the abyss sucked the words right up and said nothing back.

What if I don’t go anywhere?

He took pride in not getting too attached to people, but if he was being completely honest with himself, he had thought about Bjorn a lot. During his attempt at recovery, after the duel and even when he was bleeding out on the floor while Thorfinn screamed at him. Such an unpleasant brat, all around, not like Bjorn. Bjorn had always been very different from any other northman Askeladd had ever met. Not a genius by any means, not a moron either though. Empathetic, sensible, and way more in control than most people realized. In control of himself and his actions, of everything surrounding him. Sometimes Askeladd had thought that Bjorn even had a certain grasp on him, but it had never gotten to the point where he would’ve been ready to admit that Bjorn had seen through him. Because he just never had. And Askeladd had felt sorry about that many times - if there was one person who deserved to see through him just a little bit, it would have been Bjorn.

A small part of him had always hoped that there would be time for this in another life. Somewhere there wouldn’t be any wars to fight and secrets to keep and Askeladd couldn’t have cared less about what that other life would’ve looked like, but he would’ve followed Bjorn to Valhalla. He would’ve followed Bjorn anywhere, but apparently death didn’t care about that. Because Askeladd was nowhere and Bjorn was somewhere else where they wouldn’t open the gates for his kind. Bjorn had gone to Valhalla. Askeladd had just gone away.

“Son of a bitch went on without me,” he muttered to himself and it sounded like the voice of a stranger.

What if I don’t go anywhere?

What then? What now? He had sacrificed himself for the reign of a king he wouldn’t live to follow and the safety of a country that had never loved him back enough to justify the things he had done to protect it. And it had all been for nothing, or nothingness at least, because apparently he wouldn’t get anything else in return for his efforts. Maybe this was some kind of twisted reward; feeling nothing in exchange for all those years of pointless suffering. Askeladd banned that thought to the deepest depths of his brain before it could take roots. What, was he supposed to be grateful to be left alone in absolute silence? Eternal hellfire would be preferable to this.

So very perfidious. Outside noises had never bothered Askeladd as much as the noise inside his own head and to take away that layer of protection, to leave him in absolute silence with nothing to drown out his own thoughts, that was cruel. Nothing but cruel. Askeladd had always known that the gods were coldhearted and he had never expected them to give him peace. That was not a problem, he didn’t need peace. But that they’d push him out of all their realms, that they’d make him disappear… he almost had to salute that they had caught him off guard like that, but then again, who was he to ever arrogate the ability to outsmart the gods.

What if I don’t go anywhere?

The first step was always the hardest to take, even more so when you had no feeling in your body. But as soon as he had done it, an ever so slight ease overcame him and he took a deep breath of nothing as he took another step, and then the next one, and the next one. If he was afraid to get stuck, maybe he should start moving.

Where do I go after I die?

Askeladd highly doubted that he would ever reach an edge of the abyss, but you never knew. And if he couldn’t go anywhere, maybe wandering would be enough for now. Roaming the afterlife, seeing if there was an actual life for him to find. He had always been nothing if not an explorer.

I don’t know.

[kazaro3214]

Vinland Saga Talent vs. Skill

Now… rubs hands I just wanted to say, Thorkell and especially Askeladd are the only ones that I personally see as people with "talent." Thorkell has the strength, height, and all the genes to be a great warrior. Askeladd displayed real talent against his father with his fighting skill. I'd wager that it wasn't just adrenaline from how calculated Askeladd was.

The only reason why I believe that Askeladd has more talent is because Thorkell (plus the Jomsvikings) was half talent and half skill They were most likely rich. Back then, being rich meant you had plenty of time to build your skills up. You learn martial arts (like Askeladd did) instead of working on farms or being merchant like most others, you have the best gear instead of plain tunics and a simple helmet, and a lot of food to bulk up your strength.

In my eyes, Thorfinn was hardwork. He didn't have the best gear by a long shot, and had to obtain his own food. Yulva not only inherited Thor's strength, she was also not malnourished like Thorfinn was. He had to develop his own style for battle, and built up strength during the slave arc instead. And lastly, many authors make their MC weak, or without talent so their journey is more interesting and hype. (Naruto, Sakura, Lee, Noel Stollen, Bell Cranel can be debated, Takemichi Hanagaki, Midoriya, White Room Students and others that aren't listed here).

[isekai-crow]

Cherry Magic / 30-sai made Doutei dato Mahoutsukai ni nareru rashii Episode 1

Overall Score so far: 8/10

Mainly because Kiyoshi Adachi knows he is in a BL, and is very aware of what might happen to him, and the short hand title is fucking hilarious. Cherry Magic. Cherri Maho. Man I love Japanese.

Also GOOD CROWS ABOVE THIS ANIME IS GENRE-SAVVY. It knows exactly what it's doing, and feels like it's going to deliver what it promises. A wholesome lovey dovey little story.

The whole 1st episode almost feels self contained in a way that will definitely let you know if this show is for you or not. Capybara pointed out that this seems to be a common recent trend with anime for their first episodes. We saw it in Dr. Elise, Frieren, and Dungeon Meshi kind of felt that way too.

My first impression that might not make sense to some people is that this is a toned down Doppo and Hifumi from Matenrou/Hypnosis Mic.

Also, WE'VE GOT TWO POWERHOUSE VOICE ACTORS HERE!!

Adachi is being voiced by the lovely deadpan of Kobayashi, Chiaki - His other roles I know being Langa from SK∞, Gabimaru!! (my beloved) from Jigokuraku/Hell's Paradise, and Mash!! from MASHLE, also this season! I haven't seen Vinland Saga yet, but other might know him as Askeladd! Kobayashi-san has a very particular voice that doesn't fluctuate much, but he knows when to show emotion that gives a good impact. Quote from Capybara - "They picked this guy for his dead pan, but can he emote? Oh, he's Langa from sk8, oh yeah, he can emote."

Kurosawa is voiced by Suzuki, Ryouta a super memorable voice! - Ryusui from Dr. Stone, Yuu ishikami from Kaguya Sama, BISCO!!! FROM SABIKU BISCO!!! That is some RANGE right there! Loud and Prideful, Quiet and Dark, and then a Screamy Boy. This is a younger VA who has had some great starting roles, and has already become a memorable and impactful voice, making this a very good match up!

Anyways, nerding out about voice actors aside, Episode 1 spoilers below!

At first it seems like we're going to get the standard tropes that come with the BL(Boys Love)/Yaoi Genre...

Adachi is ON HIS GUARD and KNOWS THE TROPES.

But the show immediately spins those very same tropes on their head! It's great!! It's been so long since I watched a BL, and despite knowing that the genre in manga form has mostly moved away from a lot of the dub-con tropes (unless you're looking for it of course), it's lovely to see something that actually feels like a proper and semi-realistic romance.

Kurosawa seems like a super sweet dude who's ALSO aware this is a BL, but also that gay guys don't just exist everywhere and that the chance of his crush returning his affection is low.

But. There is no way Adachi is straight. He's absolutely either bi, and/or gay + somewhere on the ace-spec (demi?) depending on how things play out from here.

I bet Adachi stumbled into reading a BL manga (or two or three or) at some point in his younger years, and it had more of an impact on his psyche than he remembers, lmao.

His fascination with knowing Kurosawa has a crush on him is adorable, and he's absolute confusion at stumbling across the other man's fantasies is hilarious.

The tension between them is beautiful when Adachi is pretending to sleep, and we all KNOW Kurosawa is thinking of his sleeping face and then playing it off as just grabbing his phone. I repeat, there is NO WAY Adachi is straight, lmao.

In response to this rhetorical question, No and Yes. If Adachi was the woman, saying yes would imply that she was aware she was being asked to have sex and giving consent (at least by Japanese standards I ASSUME? I've never been in this situation). And if Kurosawa was the woman, that is one very forward and direct lady who is absolutely Down To Fuck (Again, by Japanese standards afaik).

God, then they go out for yakiniku/Korean bbq the next day, and he finds himself enjoying the other man's company and wishing they could be friends, only to brush up again him and remember this man is in love with him. Adachi, you precious child, this is why you're so lovable. The immediate regret for taking the other man's feelings so lightly and not knowing what to do as he runs away is heart wrenching and OF COURSE THE EPISODE ENDS THERE.

It's a running theme that Adachi is worried about other's opinions and doesn't know how to rely on other, which tends to be a negative, but in this case, he's so conscientious of hurting Kurosawa by taking his feelings lightly. Even though he ends up hurting him anyways, I see this as a favorable take on the typical people-pleaser type character.

I'm not really looking to the implied trope of "Best Friend who also has a crush and claims to know him best" in the next episode, but since everything else has been subverted, I'm hoping that will get subverted too? Especially knowing that Best Friend-kun is in the secondary pairing from the PVs.

I WANT TO BINGE THIS. THIS IS GOING TO BE SO DAMN CUTE.

The HypMic Reference:

Adachi is a Toned Down Doppo, who is an over worked businessman at a black company who might as well be Canadian for how often he says sorry, but goes into Berserker mode and absolutely destroys his opponents when pushed too far or his partners are hurt, and is Hifumi's emotion support human.

Kurosawa is a super Toned Down Hifumi, who is the #1 host at a club in Shinjuku and has a split personality of the perfect princely boyfriend, and a charai/flashy and "it'll be fine lol" personality, who is basically a housewife for Doppo and is also Doppo's emotional support human.

There aren't THAT many connection points between the two, but still, I like the comparison, aha.

Anyways, My Hopes For This Anime, having NOT read the manga and not wanting spoilers, are that these two get together by half way through the season and then we get the "newly dating" stages of their relationship, and various mishaps that only serve to strengthen their relationship. They seem like a very good couple and it would be a waste for them to not get together.

If they don't get together until episode 12, I will be so blue balled that I will have to drop it if only to get the circulation in my brain back.

Hype for more!

ep2 ep3 ep4 ep5 ep6 <- these will eventually become links

[embossross]

2023 in anime

i give ratings out of 10 stars based on a rubric that considers the following:

2 points / ambition of what the anime is trying to achieve 3 points / effectiveness of the anime in achieving its aims 4 points / my personal, subjective enjoyment 1 point / pacing +1/-1 miscellaneous

so with that said… ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (2 anime)

revolutionary girl utena – heavy breathing panting crying what a fucking roller coaster nanami the child you are anty the child you were utena the child you choose to be – just one of the true masterpieces of all anime. took a few episodes to realize that this show understood tone and comedy perfectly and wasn’t just a wonky children’s show and by golly! the nanami in season 3 gutted me unlike anything else

attack on titan: final season (for real this time) – decent conclusion to maybe my favorite anime of all time

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (10 anime)

school rumble – so goddamn funny and i cared about every goddamn character. it’s witchcraft!

trigun – good ole saturday morning cartoons

golden kamuy s3 – how does it keep getting better???!?!

fruits basket – i was a certified hater after s1, but slowly but surely i gave into the melodrama. akito and shigure were EVERYTHING

nana – the most disappointing ending of all time! for one of the greatest anime of all time. manga pls save me!!!

rascal does not dream of bunny girl senpai – i’m embarrassed. i cried.

princess tutu – expressionistic, dedicated to storytelling, tremendously kind-hearted. you have to let it move you

blue lock – i’m officially a sports anime girlie

cyberpunk: edgerunners – this was just so slick!

chainsaw man – nothing needs to be said here

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (8 anime)

yamada-kun to lv999 no koi wo suru – adult romance that hasn’t been stripped of all conflict and maintains momentum nearly to the end

oshi no ko – my expectations were non-existent after ep 1 but then it crept up on me. i can’t even fully put my finger on what works so well? but it does! it knows when to take itself seriously and when to be nonsense.

demon slayer s3 – best season of demon slayer to date, i actually cared

durarara!!x2 shou – this is a confession. my inner edgy teen loves durarara. i appreciate huge casts of characters acting in opposition in atmospheric tokyo.

gintama – i finally finished gintama one of my favorites of all time. the end pulls all the threads together but it does so at the expense of the laughs so loses some points

chihayafuru – amazing background anime. just consistently fun and engaging.

perfect blue – i feel stupid and uncultured to not give this a 10

vinland saga – askeladd is so hot wow

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (7 anime)

buddy daddies – funny and sincere in degrees but a truly annoying little girl character

serial experiments lain – god you’ve gotta appreciate the wild swings creatives were taking in the 90s

durarara!!x2 ten

great teacher onizuka – ugh he’s a creep but also heh he’s funny

trigun stampede – they yassified them!

mob psycho 100 s3 - meandered a bit but the characters are forever favorites

to your eternity – the first 3 arcs are extraordinary. march is one of the great child characters of all time. the end drags.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (8 anime)

zom 100 – crazy good first episode that earns its premise and then a slow descent into mediocrity; cool colors though!

terror in resonance – utterly forgettable

dororo – way too long with way too many hit or miss episode arcs

bungou stray dogs s4 – the cracks are showing but the rampo backstory is dope

lycoris recoil – those cute girls shoulda been lesbians

classroom of the elite – is it edgy? yes. are the quotes frustratingly misused? oh yes. is it fun? ugh yeah actually

romantic killer – pretty cute and the edge of danger at the end really sells it

free – solid watch but it left my brain like sand in a sieve

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 anime)

wolf’s rain – what passes as deep when children are your primary audience

hell’s paradise – boring and i liked the manga so.

durarara!!x2 ketsu – the conclusion falls short

land of the lustrous – bold but was too slow for me

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (3 anime)

tomo-chan is a girl! – sometimes funny but the conceit does not justify 13 episodes and it loses steam fast

mushishi – some of the vignettes were beautiful but felt repetitive

bleach: thousand-year blood war – sleek, hype, plagued by all the old bleach problems

no game no life season 1 - confused that this was such a phenomenon when it came out. it’s fine i guess.

⭐⭐⭐ (5 anime)

kamisama kiss – trite imo

given – god save us from anime about perfect people being perfect with each other – but this time set to music!

tokyo revengers s2 – 🤷

natsume’s book of friends – i don’t need vibes this cozy

sasaki to miyano – and i really don’t need vibes this cozy

⭐⭐ (0 anime)

⭐ (0 anime)

& then ongoing shows that i’m not going to rank until i finish them (but actually all are pretty good so far) – skip to loafer, heavenly delusion, spy x family s2, apothecary diaries, jujutsu kaisen s2, frieren: beyond journey’s end, vinland saga s2

[anactualinsomniac]

TTOI History Nuggets

1.2 - Karlsefni Lineage

{Image pulled off the Thorfinn Karlsefni Wikipedia page}

To say this family was loaded, is an understatement. As you can see, Thorfinn's father was a descendant of an Irish king, and Ragnar Loðbrók himself

which I take with a grain of salt bc you'd be surprised how many ppl claimed that XD

And his Grandfather, Snorri was not only a Goði {a religious leader in pre 11th century contexts only}, but a massive land owner, we're talking {likely, I could be wrong abt that interpritation} the entirity Skagafjörður {that snippet is here, in chapter 64}. And possible foster father of Óláf the Peacock {evidence for this in chapters 16 and 31}, another super rich guy and better known as inspiration for the character Askeladd from Vinland Saga.

Thórd

Other than the fact that this man was rich, we don't know much about him. So here's where I take some control, aka make shit up: his byname 'Horsehead' indicates that he could have had the might of a horse, which could have been earned on the battlefield. With that, I decided to make him one of the great Jómsvíkings!

Thórrun

As for her. . . we have nothing. Just her name. No saga or text has anything beyond that. So I decided to make her also from money as the daughter of a powerful Jómsvíking.

[4seasonsofart]

Vinland Saga Characters in a Percy Jackson AU?

Gods

Odin "The all father"

• Cabin One

• Head of the Aesir gods. Odin is the Norse god of war, poetry, wisdom, and death. He gathers his portion of the slain warriors in Valhalla. Odin has a spear, Grungir, that never misses. He makes any sacrifice for the sake of knowledge. (his eye)

Frigg "Odin’s wife, Queen of Asgard."

• Cabin Two

• Goddess of love and fate, described as having the power of prophecy yet she does not reveal what she knows.

Thor "Son of Odin"

• Cabin Three

• Norse god of thunder, the sky, and agriculture.

Loki "Sworn brother of Odin"

• Cabin Four

• Trickster god - Helps other gods out of their problems.

Baldr "son of Frigg and Odin, sweetheart of Asgard"

• Cabin Five

• Peacemaker in Asgard: mediated conflicts between Asgardian gods and mankind. (related with the traits of peace and abundance.)

Freyja (Freya) "‘lady’ or ‘mistress’"

• Cabin Six

• Norse goddess of magic, love, fertility and lust.

Freyr "Freyja's twin brother"

• Cabin Seven

• God of fertility and reproductive health in men - associated with tranquility, peace and wealth - bringer of sunshine and good weather conditions.

Heimdall "Nothing escapes his eyes"

• Cabin Eight

• Aesir deity that stands guard at the entrance or passages leading to the various realms (nine realms).

Tyr "Advocate for justice and truth"

• Cabin Nine

• God of War

Idun "Magical Apple Goddess"

• Cabin Ten

• Norse goddess of beauty, youthfulness and fertility. Her secret elixir to perpetual immortality was contained in her magical apples, which she gave to the gods on Asgard.

Gefjon "Single handedly plowed Lake Mälaren"

• Cabin Eleven

● Goddess of ploughing and agriculture.

Njördr (Njord/Njorth) "Father of Freyja and Freyr"

• Cabin Twelve

• Vanir sea and wind god

Skade "Wife of Njord"

• Cabin Thirteen

• Goddess of hunting, mountains and skiing.

Camp Half-Blood

Askeladd (Camp Director)

~ Askeladd is the most famous and well-known of all of Odin's sons. He is thousands of years old and regularly visits Vahalla. He has been known to lay with many Valkyrie and even (allegedly) had a one-night stand with the goddess Freyja. He has been known to regularly taunt a camper known as Thorfinn and is never seen without Bjorn by his side.

Bjorn (Activities Director)

~ Bjorn is half Jötnar (frost giant) and half God. He is the son of Idun and regularly visits her. He helps her tend to her magical foods and always gets his enchanted berserker mushrooms from her. Out of all of Idun's children, Bjorn is her favorite by far. He has also been known to have many mead drinking contests with Thor and is often one of the first ones to point fingers towards Loki whenever something goes awry.

Thorfinn (Cabin Nine)

~ One of his fathers is the god Tyr, and his other father is a man named Thors. He absolutely fucking hates Askeladd with all of his guts for killing his father. Unfortunately, he did not inherit much of either his father's morality or sense of peaceful justice. He is often seen with two daggers that were gifted to him by Tyr to protect himself.

~ He has grown close with another camper named Einar. However, he seems to be aggressively flirting (?) with a camper named Canute. Nobody is really able to tell if he really likes Canute or really hates him. Gudrid is always following him around like a lost puppy, and no matter how many times Thorfinn threatens to kill her, she just won't leave him alone.

Canute (Cabin Six)

~ Canute is the son of the goddess Freyja. He was born in the body of a woman and realized that he was meant to be a man. So he decided to be a complete genderfuck to society, and Freyja supports him through this. Freyja blessed him with a new male body and kept some of his more feminine features (upon his request) that will grow into fine masculine traits.

~ This is to soften the blow of how unsupportive and vile his father is towards him. However, Sweyn knows any great harm to Canute will cause Freyja to sick Loki on him. Next thing you know, Sweyn wakes up in Niflheim.

More of Canutes daddy issues except his father is a mortal and his mother supports him? Yes, please.

~ Canute is often seen near the nymphs and faes, discussing things with them and spending valuable time with them. He always ends up getting harassed (?) or oddly supported (?) by Thorfinn. Thorfinn always jumps in and threatens to kill anybody who lays a hand on Canute. Canute has grown to quite like Einar and Gudrid. He can also be seen occasionally studying with Arnheid.

Einar (Cabin Eleven)

~ Einar is a feminist and loves farming, so of course he is the son of Gefjon. The benevolent earth faes are often around Einar, watching him work on the earth and using his magic to allow it to grow. To uses his magic to grow flowers and fruits for Arnheid. He gets quite frustrated at the fact that Arnheid is more interested in Gardar than him. He respects her feelings but is still saddened by them. Every time he realizes this, his plants seem to wilt.

~ He spends a lot of time with Thorfinn and always trains with him. He always loses, but it's better than having to face Sigurd. Sigurd is always threatening Einar about stealing his future wife. (?) He is still quite confused about why Gudrid would want to marry a man like Sigurd. He has no feelings for her.

An actual conversation between Einar and Sigurd. (I know... I was there.)

"I think I want to study milking cows." Einar states passively as he walks towards one of the many barns on the camp.

"You can't study milking cows." Sigurd states in an irritated tone as he crosses his arms over his chest and huffs.

"Yuh, huh, yes, you can! Garm told me about it!"

"Garm... Son of Loki... You're stupid Einar. No way you're ever stealing my future wife!"

*Insert both of them getting in a fist fight and Garm hiding in a bush..... giggling like a madman.*

Gudrid (Cabin Two)

~ Gudrid is the daughter of Frigg and is treated like the queen of the camp. She is quite kind (albeit a bit of a bitch behind certain campers backs. *cough cough*) Frigg is quite doting upon her but tries to keep her on Midgard most of her days. Loki has a strange attachment to her, and it worries Frigg greatly.

~ She often follows Thorfinn around camp and tries to get his attention. She asks her mother if perhaps she could set something up between the both of them. She really, really likes Thorfinn. Although he keeps giving all of his attention to this Canute guy.

Arnheid (Cabin Five)

~ Arnheid is the daughter of Baldr. She inherited a lot of her good nature and peaceful personality from him. Baldr allowed her mother immortality, and their love story is so sweet that it makes her heart swoon. She wants a family of her own one day. She hopes for another camper, Gardar. He's so handsome and managed to save her life from a dragur (Norse equivalent of a zombie/evil spirit).

~ She spends a lot of time with Einar and Gudrid. She enjoys how kind and caring Einar is towards the Earth and all of those around him. She met Frigg once, and she is absolutely... Arnheid is unable to even explain it(in a good way). She frequently visits Vahalla and is treated as sweetly as her father. She is training to be a healer within the camp. There are very few healers, sadly, and Arnheid has the ability to be one of them.

Hild (Cabin Thirteen)

~ Hild just emanates Skade energy. So it makes sense that they are related. One of my favorite goddesses fr fr. Hild ended up getting injured after an attack on the camp, which is how she got her scar. She was blessed with a magical crossbow that she helped create. Which is what she uses to hunt evil spirits through the cursed woods. She is only able to stand Gudrid, and she often sleeps in her cabin with her.

Snake (Cabin Twelve)

~ Snake is half Naga and half God. He is the son of Njördr. He has a permanent bunk in Cabin 12, as he is one of the guards of the camp and a protected species. He makes a nest of blankets and furs on his bed and sleeps in it. He doesn't interact with people much, but he is quite cordial when he does. He doesn't allow anyone to hurt any of the campers, as he is very protective of them.

~ He has a checkered pattern of black and white scales that run along his slightly longer than average tail (about twelve feet long). From the waist up, he is human-looking and immortal. He is younger than Askeladd and about the same age as Bjorn.

~ He wouldn't be bold enough to say that he considers them friends, but they'll occasionally drink mead together and protect each other if the other is in trouble.

Thorkell (Cabin Three)

~ Are. You. Surprised. Of course, Thorkell is the son of the mighty Thor. He is the co-camp director, although Askeladd won't officially give him that title. It's a long story that involves Valkyries and Fenrir. Thorkell still calls himself the camp director and often takes the campers on dangerous (and fun!) missions. He's been grounded once or twice by Askeladd, and he just ignores Askeladd. He likes Bjorn as well, but Bjorn really dislikes him because Askeladd doesn't like him.

~ He often speaks praise of the Valkyries and their feats and is quite jealous of them, despite being a demigod. He spends a lot of his time (when he is grounded by Askeladd) in Vahalla with Thor. He drinks and eats as much as he can with the fallen soldiers. He is definitely a fan favorite and easily Thor's son.

~ He always harasses Thorfinn, and he absolutely hates his guts. Thorfinn always tries to kill Thorkell and doesn't care about the consequences. Thorkell lost his eye to Thorfinn, and now he and Odin match. Thorkell is also like the chill hippie dude who is also the counselor to all of the campers.

Garm (Cabin Four)

~ The chaotic and evil Garm is the child of Loki. He's always tricking Thorfinn and dragging him off to fight him. Thorfinn just can't get a break. Garm is always tricking other campers into the cursed woods, and few people wish to be associated with him. He is known for causing chaos and death and saving people when they most need it.

~ Garm loves hanging around with Thorkell and sparring with him any chance he gets. He often blows off classes except for training. He spends a lot of his time in the cursed woods (no one knows why or how he survives). He always comes back with his spear bloodied.

Wulf (Cabin Eight)

~ He is one of the mentally ill campers. He is always near Canute, giving him advice on various topics. He is able to divine the future and see (somewhat limitedly) across the nine realms. Heimdall taught him all of this.

~ He is the only camper in cabin eight and has the smallest cabin of them all. There were two other campers, but they mysteriously disappeared (some say Garm was the reason for their disappearance). However, Wulf has never said anything about them disappearing either. He is able to see better than most, so they trust his judgment and willingness to remain quiet and stoic.

~ He is quite fond of Canute's half-sister Estrid, even if she doesn't go to the camp.

Sigurd (Cabin Seven)

~ Sigurd has never been to Vahalla but is planning on going this summer. He hopes to be blessed by Freyr (his father) and get Gudrid's hand in marriage.

~ He gets into arguments with Einar and hates the man. He isn't greatly skilled in his blessings (magic) yet, so he is often frustrated. He hopes that Freyr will show him the way. Perhaps Freyja will bless him as well. Maybe he should go to Canute and get on his good side...

Most of the Vinland Saga characters are aged down here (to their early/late teens/early adulthood). Except for Askeladd, Bjorn, Snake, and Thorkell who are aged up (still look the same).

If you are wondering why more God's aren't on here, I'm keeping with the theme of the au, where they start out with major God's cabins and then build out to more minor ones. (I also had to use God's that would fit with the more prominent Vinland Saga characters.)

Honorable mention to Hel (the goddess of death). She was banished, so naturally any children that she may have would be shunned from the camp. Conflict on that later.

• ° • ° • ° • ° • ° •

Norse Mythology Resource

Norse Mythology Resource [#2]

Norse Mythology Resource [#3]

I have a lot more resources if you all want to do your research. These are just the ones I used for a quick refresher. Just ask me for recommendations on links, books, or experts if you want them! There's a lot of misinformation about the Norse gods and culture, so be aware of that while learning. I wish their culture and religion was better preserved.

[dropintomanga]

The Farm as a Place of Healing - Vinland Saga

A while back when I was researching the clubhouse model for mental health, I found out that the clubhouse I visited in New York City had their very own farm. Its members, who have various serious mental illnesses, would travel there to grow crops, raise livestock, and more importantly, be around other people with the common goal of improving the farm and themselves.

Today, I was reminded of this particular farm thanks to the Farm Arc (Volumes 9-14) of Makoto Yukimura's Vinland Saga. It's an incredible testament to how much nature can promote better mental health.

For those unfamiliar with the story of Vinland Saga, it chronicles the age of the Vikings. A young man named Thorfinn travels with a Viking named Askeladd in order to get a chance to kill him one day. This is due to Askeladd killing Thorfinn's father, Thors, right in front of his eyes. Throughout Thorfinn's journey in Volumes 1-8, he encounters a variety of personalities while killing those who get in the way of his vengeance. However, one incident would change Thorfinn's plans forever. Askeladd is killed after he kills King Sweyn, a Danish king who wanted to control all of England and Wales, in front of Sweyn's guards. Now struggling to figure out what to do with his life, Thorfinn would later become a slave at a farm in Denmark, empty and full of grief.

A year after is when Thorfinn's story truly begins.

So how do farms help in dealing with all kinds of mental health issues? For starters, they get you away from modern cities. Cities are known to be super-stressful with how fast-paced and competitive you need to be to survive. It also doesn't help that they're often big, so one can get lost in the crowd when dealing with emotional pain.

Farms also are great places to have meaningful relationships due to everyone working together for a meaningful cause. For Thorfinn, he finally made his first friend in his fellow slave, Einar. Einar was full of life and questioned many things. He would find the farm to be somewhat of a haven despite being a slave. Although Thorfinn was struggling with the trauma from his past, Einar opened up his eyes to see that a different path could be chosen instead of feeling empty. This becomes evident when Einar convinces Thorfinn to help gradually grow some crops in their limited free time to buy their way to freedom from slavery.

Another notable thing about farms is that they allow you to sit in nature and give you the ability to self-reflect. Since being a slave at the farm, Thorfinn is consumed by nightmares of his father, Askeladd, and those he killed. He had a tough time trying to come to terms with his actions. But Thorfinn slowly opens up to Einar about his past as a Viking and the self-reflection begins to kick in. It isn't until he and Einar fought against farm vandals that he becomes spiritually awakened.

In what's to be his last nightmare, a land filled with a pile of corpses, Thorfinn reveals to a dead Askeladd that he's sorry for killing so many people over the years out of vengeance. Askeladd chastises Thorfinn and says that there's only one way to make amends - to become a "true warrior" like Thorfinn's father once told him. When Thorfinn wakes up, he tells Einar that he's through with violence and vows not to hurt anyone ever again.

Many times, people are told not to sit with their pain. But if we keep running away, we will never truly heal. It's hard to talk about grief when modernity demands us to keep moving forward. In nature and with other people (even if they aren't the nicest bunch), Thorfinn finally got a chance to process his grief and what it means to live. This is mostly due to being surrounded by people who are full of pain themselves from the farm owner, Ketil, to everyone else associated with it.

And speaking of people who are full of pain, I will get to the son of King Sweyn, Canute. When first introduced in Vinland Saga, he was a timid young man who was teased for looking too feminine to be a potential heir to the throne. Canute was placed under Askeladd's protection and felt empty himself. However, Canute slowly became what the young Thorfinn was - a man on a path of violence to get what he wants. After Sweyn's death, he took the throne and went on a raid of conquering everything around him. His father often appears to him in a ghostly form cursing him. Canute also was responsible for sending Thorfinn to the farm. In a twist of fate, Canute decides to target the same farm 4 years later for resources and out of personal animosity towards Ketil as he didn't respect him as king. The farm would become a place for Canute to heal from his own personal trauma.

A violent battle occurs within the farm, but Thorfinn decides to take a final stand against Canute's army by directly speaking with Canute himself. He suggests that he takes 100 punches by one of Canute's warriors. If Thorfinn is still standing afterwards, he gets to talk to Canute and convince him not to take the farm. Thorfinn gets his wish much to the awe of everyone who witnesses the event. Both he and Canute would get into a lengthy conversation about what constitutes a perfect paradise for humanity. When Canute re-affirms his goals to rob and kill everything in his sight for peace no matter what, Thorfinn replies that he will just run to a place he'll create that Canute won't reach. Canute is shocked that Thorfinn wouldn't attack him face-to-face, but respects how bold his former companion's newfound pacifism is.

And Thorfinn says something that changes Canute's perspective for good.

"You have to give me some help. My power is far smaller than yours. The hole you make might be too big for me. If you continue to persecute others like this...sooner or later, no one will be able to save you. So do some work. Don't make my job harder."

Canute is convinced and decides not to take the farm. After being surrounded by so much political scheming over the years, he realized that there are others who still care about him and want what he truly wants. Canute ends his attempts to grab power via violent means and would gradually become a king who truly respects and loves his people. The farm also no longer became a place for slaves and those who were still alive and cared about it made sure it will continue to grow.

And all of this happened at a farm setting. It felt like reading farm-based therapy in a historical context. The farm gave Thorfinn purpose, confidence and the ability to help others just like how farms today have done for those struggling with all kinds of mental health issues (minus the slavery part). More importantly, the farm fosters cooperation among the community as the way to feel alive instead of competition.

I've heard stories about people being stressed out from modern life and how they found solace in nature after realizing the sense of emptiness they start feeling. In a farm, you're free from various constraints that modernity places. Sure, there may be new constraints. But in exchange, you feel that you have some control in deciding what you want for yourself, see what's truly important, and learn another important fact of life - you have to go with the ebbs and flow of nature despite whatever governing body says.

Although I haven't been to a farm in very long time, I try to expose myself more to green spaces and pay attention to nature around me. I look at plants, birds, and other animals that hang around the area. I believe they have helped a lot in reminding me to slow down at times. Combined with the variety of people I've met in my life so far, I feel that I can still do something with my life despite the difficulties I'll face like Thorfinn has.

I hope everyone finds and/or have their own personal farm to go to because humanity's nature definitely needs a upgrade to actual nature.

[volumehypeplay]

A Nun, a bunch of zombies, a viking farmer, a psychological sleuth and a trio of ghost hunters walked into a bar...

There hasn't been much going on at our local cinemas lately, so I have been jumping between shows like it's a game of the floor is lava. My lack of focus, often allowed me to find some shows I've been looking forward too, some so-so movies and a great suprise.

↓

Prey for the Devil

This one is a film me and @the-loose-braies have been wanting to watch for a while; fully expecting shlock. And the shlock delivered (a bit more than we expected).

The film follows Sister Ann as she prepares to perform her first exorcism on a demonic entity. The jump scares were fun, the little twist at the end was a nice and it's always good to see Colin Salmon in a movie .

If your looking for a movie to put on while doing some work, this one pairs as well as crispy onions do to a hotdog, and a well chilled can of pepsi/coke.

↓

The Last of Us (ep 1-2)

GIF by diver5ion

The hype for this show has been a bit crazy in my opinion, especially with the early reviews crowning this as the greatest achievement in achievements. Realistically, The Last of Us, so far, has been decent?

I won't waste any time retelling the story of this extremely popular game, but what I'll say is, what's worked, has worked brilliantly, while the rest to me shows, the narrative of the game isn't as brilliant as it let's on.

I've absolutely loved both cold opens to both episodes (especially the one set in Indonesia), really elevating the existing material and adding extra depth and world building where it previously didnt exist. Craig Mazin (the man behind Chernobyl) clearly has a knack for making the extraordinary feel relatable, with his small changes and touches throughout the first two episodes really helping me get engrossed.

I also loved the city-escape scene from episode 1 (almost shot for shot from the game) and the introduction to the clickers. To me though the episodes standout was Olivia Anna Torv. In only two episodes she fully sold me on her character, why she was important and went out with a bang (with one of the weirdest kiss scenes I can remember... urgh).

I'll be keeping an eye out on this one and fully expect it to keep on improving week, on week.

↓

Vindland Saga - S2 (ep 1-3)

I've been waiting patiently for the second season of Vinland Saga for years. The first season, has become one of my favorite seasons of any show (or anime) and Askeladd is probably my favorite villain (??) period. With that in mind season 2 has had a lot to live up to, but thankfully, the first 3 episodes have been fantastic.

I was made aware of the drastic tone shift from the prologue (to what now actually is the start of the manga) for a very long time, but honestly the story just flows. There has been no wild disconnect for me from season 1 to 2, whatsoever; yet the shift in character makeup (especially for Thorfinn) has been engrossing. Seeing the rage filled, revenge driven boy be turned into a shell of his formerself, completely devoid of want for life has been really powerful.

---SPOILERS---

The scene where Throfinn steps in for Einnar (to spare his life) and receive cut after cut without moving a muscle. Only because he wanted Einnar to get back to work, told us everything we needed to know where Thorfinn is mentally at this time.

---END SPOILERS---

I really hope the show continues as well as it has started, because this really could end up becoming one of the best stories I've ever had the pleasure of watching. ↓

Poker Face (ep 1-2)

We all love a good mystery right? Poker Face (created by Rian Johnson of Knives Out fame) recently released as somewhat a modern homage to Columbo (a show my wife loves). If Poker Face could be half as good as Columbo we'd already be onto a winner and thankfully, two episodes in, it's already been a wild ride.

Led by the awesome Natasha Lyonne, we've already had: shootouts, murder, attempted murder, theories on theories, chases and the sexy Benjamin Bratt. What I've loved so far is how the show has chosen to essentially do a case per episode but also tie the episodes together by an overarching story (something I really hope continues).

Really looking forward to sitting down and taking in the next 2 episodes before the end of this week.

↓

Lockwood & Co (ep 1-3)

I'm so happy doomscrolling on Netflix at 11pm led us to this. Lockwood & Co is a throwback to my yesteryears when I used to watch a lot more of these 'teenage' british shows. It has a bit of Misfits, Being Human and even Ghostbusters thrown in for good measure.

Created by Joe Cornish (Attack the Block) and based on a book-series, we follow 3 ghost hunters in London, trying to figure out The Problem. It's the perfect blend of serious and whimsical, with a really easy to follow story that has enough mystery for you always wanting to know more. It's the characters though, from the reckless Lucy Carlisle, to the oddity that is George Karim and the mysterious Anthony Lockwood that really get you invested.

You know I'll probably be done with this by the end of the day and I cannot wait.

[childofaura]

Man, that season finale for Vinland Saga was so needed. Something light-hearted and humorous while still also gently plucking at your heartstrings with the full circle it made.

Also the cuts to the younger versions of everyone, especially Askeladd laying a flower at his mother’s grave and then suiting up. Great visuals there.

[spokelseskladden]

Hullo, dropping by to my norwegian mutual bcus I'm in need of some expertise; I'm planning on changing one of my characters from japanese to norwegian once I get to his revamp (tryna lessen the excessive manga inspiration with my characters lol) and I am in need for suggestions for good male norwegian names for him. I gathered up some options, but wanted to ask you for ideas too :D

He's a countryside himbo who loves to cook, fish, likes penguins and would love to see them in nature someday, and carves wooden animals and paints them. Also his bf is a japanese witchboy from alternate world (Konjou, tho he goes by Clover now due to story reasons. Idk if you remember my Thorn Boy, im talking about his BF Jinchou lol)

He's basically the 'Just Some Guy' of this story, where majority of others are some mythical beings. I always felt that was his true calling over the overdramatic stuff his old story has lol

So yeah, any suggestions would be helpful if you got any!

......or maybe I'll.....just steal your name 👀

Omg I'm so passionate about names you have no idea, this is so exciting! When it comes to Norwegian guy names a safe bet will always be a biblical name (think David, Simon, Thomas, Jonas, Daniel, Isaac, Jacob etc.), It's a guarantee that it'll be a believable "just some guy" name, but it also doesn't stand out that much as specifically Norwegian lol.

When it comes to the actual norse names (and norwegian forms of latin or greek names for that matter) there's a fine line between grandpa, 18th century priest, and what a normal dude in his 20s would be called. I think the line differs a bit from person to person, but usually the modern forms of the mythological names work well! Like Odin, Brage, Brede, Sindre, Trym, Sigmund and Sigurd are names of the top of my head stand out a bit, but would also fit a "just some guy" type as well haha. Tor is an old guy name in my head tho, not that it wouldn't work but I'd like to point out how weird it is that Odin isn't an old guy name? I know like three people my age named Odin (one of them had a friend named Ravn of all things). Loke is a horse name. Don't pick Loke.

Other than that we have Håvard, Øyvind/Eivind, and Espen (Espen Askeladd is the main character in pretty much every Norwegian fairytale btw, he's the guy who's not really special or anything but he comes out on top due to his wits and smarts so that's a pretty good one imo). I could obviously just continue with every name ever from here, but honestly I think it'll work no matter what you land on in the end!

I'm a bit patriotic rn cause yknow, 17. May and all lol, but I think the ones I've listed are pretty good, I'd especially say the more norse ones fit very well if the character's an outdoorsy type. That being said, Emil is a great name! The perfect "just some guy" name, I'd totally understand if you choose it cause it's a really great one that only the smartest and coolest people pick😌

[cosmicjoke]

Alright, now that I’ve spewed some negative crap about “Vinland Saga”, I want to talk about one of the many positives of this story, because I don’t want anyone to get the impression that I don’t think this is an incredible work of art.  And that’s Thorfinn’s character arc and development. 

I know there’s some controversy surrounding Thorfinn’s relationship with Hild, and Hild as a character, though I don’t know much, since I’ve only seen some of this stuff in passing.  And I get it.  Hild was, for a long time, a pretty grating presence, always threatening Thorfinn and telling him that she’ll kill him if he ever takes anyone else’ life (which is a bit hypocritical of her, given that she’s saying she’ll kill him).  Hild’s disdain and distrust of Thorfinn is also understandable though, given what he did to her father, and how cold he seemed to be about it.  I always thought, though, that the most important moment in that flashback was that Thorfinn tells Hild to run away and then looks back with clear hesitation and regret when Askeladd’s band starts to go after her.  I think it’s such an important moment, because it exposes Thorfinn’s seemingly apathetic and uncaring attitude toward Hild to be false, and reminds the reader that Thorfinn isn’t an inherently cruel or violent person, but has only been thrown into a situation where he has to pretend to be in order to survive himself.  Hild’s later journeying with Thorfinn eventually reveals this truth to her.  She labors under the impression for several years that Thorfinn is some unfeeling monster, and is just waiting for him to reveal his true colors to her, fully expecting him to slip up and become an animal who kills without remorse or care.  I understand this is where some of the controversy with her character comes from, that Hild, for a long time, basically reinforced Thorfinn’s negative beliefs and feelings about himself by constantly badgering him and threatening him and telling him that he’s a piece of shit.  And I agree, Hild really was a negative and toxic person for Thorfinn to be around for a long time.  But Thorfinn never does become the unfeeling killer that Hild expects him to be, and Hild eventually comes to realize that the Thorfinn she encountered that day in the woods with her father wasn’t who Thorfinn ever, really was, and with that realization, she’s able to forgive him, which leads to one of the most moving moments in the story, with Thorfinn dropping to his knees before her, crying while she places her hand on his head. 

It was Thorfinn’s circumstances which lead him down the path of violence, not his nature.  So I think Thorfinn’s relationship with Hild is really important in demonstrating this aspect of his character, that Thorfinn was never some heartless killing machine, and that in fact, the life of a warrior was always antithetical to who Thorfinn actually was.  Thorfinn’s refusal, for example, to participate in any of the rapes that Askeladd’s band regularly engages in, demonstrates how out of place he was living that life.  He never fit in.  He was always alone, always an outsider, always a tag along who didn’t relish in or enjoy battle or the ill got fruits of it.  There’s that famous moment where Thorfinn barely survives his encounter with Thorkill and asks himself through gritted teeth as he walks alongside Askeladd’s group “What’s so great about war?”.  He was there out of forced circumstance.  A desire to avenge and honor his father, who died protecting him.  Thorfinn never assimilated to or grew to love the life of a warrior.  He always hated it, and he suffered immensely for it, both mentally and physically.  He wasn’t built for it, either physically or mentally either. 

We even see, early on in Vinland Saga, that Thorfinn, as a child, was always one of the first children to be “killed” in battle while playing with the other kids back in his home of Iceland.  He wasn’t some naturally good or talented fighter.  Thorfinn is also exceptionally small, and upon seeing him, most people just assume he’s a weakling, unable to fight or defend himself.  Einar and other characters even remark more than once about how nobody would ever believe, just to look at him, that Thorfinn was a warrior.  Of course, Thorfinn’s a total badass, in reality, but he was forced into becoming a badass just to survive the harsh circumstances of his upbringing, in which nobody was going to look out for him but himself.  Snake realizes this as he fights Thorfinn, thinking how he must have been surrounded by monsters to develop into such a good fighter, and how nothing good has ever happened to him in his life. 

We see how Thorfinn’s very expression and appearance changes after the Prologue, and how that’s representative of his true personality being allowed to come out.  No longer living in a life or death situation, a situation of kill or be killed, Thorfinn’s face becomes much more open and innocent looking.  Vulnerable and kind.  This is a marked change from the scowling and dismissive mask he wore while living with Askeladd’s band.  And I say mask, again, because that was never who Thorfinn actually was.  Something which Hild comes to realize over the course of many years with him.  I think Hild’s scene with Thorfinn, where she at last forgives him, and the emotion of that scene, is Hild also recognizing the tragedy of Thorfinn’s life.  Rather than simply dwelling on her own loss in her father, she realizes and acknowledges what Thorfinn has lost.  That being his entire childhood.  He was on a battle field since the age of six, which is a horrific tragedy, and out of necessity for his own survival, had to forge himself into a vicious killer, leaving him with a literal lifetime of crippling guilt and remorse.  Hild’s forgiveness brings Thorfinn to tears, because he probably believed that he would never, actually be able to earn real forgiveness from her, or any of the people who’s lives he negatively impacted through his life as a warrior, because Thorfinn himself, to this day, struggles with believing he even deserves forgiveness.  He struggles so obviously with any sense of self-worth, and that of course is another tragic consequence of the life he’s lived.  Thorfinn thinks he’s a bad person, but he’s not, and, despite the life he was living, he never was.  He was always who he is now, a kind, caring and compassionate person.  He just wasn’t allowed the chance to be who he really was because, to be that, would have meant his death. 

I think the second to last chapter of Vinland Saga, in which Hild stops herself from killing Ivar because Thorfinn suddenly appears and stands in front of him, also really demonstrates further how Hild has come to recognize the goodness in him.  She refuses to take the shot on Ivar out of fear of killing or hurting Thorfinn, which speaks volumes about how her view on him has changed.  She foregoes her own need kill Ivar in order to prevent war from breaking out between their people and the Lnu, out of respect for Thorfinn and his life. 

It’ll be interesting to see how Hild’s relationship with Thorfinn develops from here on.  If she ends up killing the Lnu shaman, that might further open Hild’s eyes as to how circumstances can lead one down a path of violence without necessarily defining who a person is.  Hild is very sure of herself when she first encounters Thorfinn again, but through spending the years that she has with him, she’s begun to realize that she was very wrong about a lot of things.  I myself have never really liked Hild much, even as I understood why she hated Thorfinn as much as she did, just because of that sort of smug, self-assured and threatening presence she always had.  But I also understand why her relationship with Thorfinn is important, and particularly, why it’s important to Thorfinn being able to accept that he himself doesn’t deserve to suffer or be punished.  Other’s forgiveness of him will help him to forgive himself and believe that the happiness he’s since found with Gurdrid and his friendship with Einar is something he has a right to.  Thorfinn can’t go on living just to atone for his sins, or he’ll never be a whole person.  As Hild has come to recognize that Thorfinn isn’t a bad person, but in fact a very good person, hopefully Thorfinn can recognize that about himself, someday.

Though given the problems which are starting to present themselves in this current arc, and, assuming the story remains historically accurate, Thorfinn’s dream of a world free of war and slavery seems farther away than ever.  If it fails, as it inevitably has to, I hope Thorfinn is able to not blame himself for its failure. 

[elibean]

Hi....If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

no need to apologize! this is a great question, thank you for asking! i think i'll go with anime just 'cause it's easiest (i have a MAL and rank every series i watch from 1-10). i originally had movies in here but i think i'm gonna cut them out and just keep it to series and ovas. and "why do you love them" is an AWESOME question I never get! i don't know if i'll be able to explain myself well, but I'll try!

fullmetal alchemist ('03). why? this was pretty much my gateway anime. it's been over 10 years I believe since I've last seen any of it, so it's entirely possible that my opinion has since changed. but i definitely have nostalgia goggles on for it, and i know it is actually good, too haha

2. natsume yuujinchou (specifically seasons 6, 5, 4, and 3). why? some seasons of natsume i have rated higher than others, apparently. natsume is a special show. due to the nature of how long it is, there is the drawback that sometimes it feels like it repeats itself and tells similar stories. but even then it is just such a good story of found family and finding love after a life of strife, and it's just. very good. (i do think it should end soon though before it feels like it's just recycling old stories)

3. made in abyss. why? season 1 still stands out to me above the movie and 2. it was such a special experience. the art, the animation, the background art, the music, it all comes together to create such a fascinating world. the weak point would definitely be its characters, but even then everything else comes together so well that it doesn't really matter. it has one of the best first episodes of any anime (when the sun came up over orth and the music cued in I knew I was hooked) and I also adore season 1's ending; if the show never got a continuation, it could have ended right there and I would have been content (not a lot of other anime can say the same about their endings!).

4. steins; gate. why? it's also been a very long time since i've seen this one, so possible my opinion has changed. still, I remember being super interested after the first episode, and the following 12 that people tend to critique as being "slow" or a "slog" never really felt that way for me. there was always something fun and interesting going on. i compare this one with link click a lot, just because people tend to go the magica route and i firmly believe steins;gate is the better time travel show (though lc isn't over yet so maybe an unfair comparison. still it'd take a LOT for lc to reach anywhere near the heights of steins;gate to me). when okabe goes back over and over to try and save mayuri, i just remember being absolutely floored. really good stuff.

5. vinald saga. why? it's just such a well constructed story. and the author's comments about not wanting a world with war is so interesting, given how violent the first season is. it's really interesting to watch thorfinn grow and change (and i never understood the hate that he was too violent or annoying or a brat? he's just a kid who's lost everything, cut him some slack jeez). i love the last shot of season 1, corny as it is-- all the memories reflected on the dropping knife was great. and askeladd was one of the best villains i've ever seen. he's not even ~morally grey~ or anything; he's pretty strongly in the wrong, but his thinking and motivations and everything are so interesting and compelling. i don't think it's perfect; there are flaws for sure (i wasn't the biggest fan of how in s2 canute just. decides to turn his ships back after a small conversation with thorfinn lol) but it is very good.

6. this boy cuaght a merman. why? ok this one objectively does not deserve a 10. it's a 30minute ova about a boy falling in love with a merman. that's it. it's not incredible or amazing or ground breaking. buuuuuut it's my favorite soubi yamamoto ova and i adore soubi yamamoto and so she's getting a place on this list. she is responsible for animating, storyboarding, backgrounds, directing, etc etc everything in here, it's incredible (and she was only like 25, or something when she did it. fucking bananas). i love her please go check out her works (besides crystallization)

7. noragami. why? ok again probably not objectively THAT good, but this is one of the first anime that got me to read the manga, and here I am some 10 years later (ok a little less than 10 years because I didn't start reading the manga the year it started publishing, I think). noragami's MANGA is incredible and amazing and wonderful. but I do believe (much against the popular opinion amongst noragami manga readers) that the anime is also amazing, and YES that includes season 1. the crew behind it really loved the manga I feel (at least the director did, and there's proof for that) and adapted it faithfully and well. noragami is a story of found family and of turning your life and fate around, and it's very good.

8. she and her cat: everything flows. why? this one is only 4 episodes, 8 minutes each. it tells a story of a 20-something (actually she's still in college iirc) who lives on her own with her cat, and is trying to be an adult. but it's told from the cat's perspective. it's so sweet; the cat comments on how she "grooms herself" (brushes her hair, puts on her interview clothes) and "looks pretty" and things and it is just so great. i love the line (not a direct quote) "she opens that heavy door again today and heads out. on the other side of that door is a somewhat unforgiving, somewhat cruel world. but she's doing her best to learn to love that world. and i love her for that." just....so good (also the show made me cry)

9. yuru camp. why? second iyashikei on this list! SOL/iyashikei is actually my favorite genre of anime, generally speaking, but it can be hard to do it well. yuru camp ABSOLUTELY does it well. i read a commentary once ages ago, about how one of the great things about yuru camp is that the girls are allowed to just... be girls, and it always stuck with me. there's no fanservice, and these girls really feel like real characters who exist. there was another commentary (maybe same one?) about how rin is this introverted, more lonesome character, but she enjoys the solitude. but what's cool about yuru camp is she is never forced to change or become more extroverted; her friends accept her for who she is, nadeshiko will invite her out but not push her, and then sometimes she does go out! and she changes and becomes a bit more social, but never gives up solo camping. AND the more extroverted, outgoing character INSTEAD comes to embrace solo camping! what a cool idea, executed amazingly! so the characters are a strong point here, but the banter and camping is a lot of fun too. i still haven't watched the movie, but i'll get there eventually!

10. odd taxi. why? this one is 100% on the writing. it is so clever and quick-witted, it's a ton of fun to watch. i've never watched any other anime like it. the mystery/thriller aspects are a lot of fun too, and i remember reading reddit threads and theories on this one as it was airing. what was so cool is that they plant subtle hints that you can ABSOLUTELY catch if you have sharp eyes (i likely wouldn't have if it weren't for reading others' theories) and you can know things before characters do. lot of fun.

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wow this was so much fun to write up! thank you so much for the question!

[sokuroda]

i haven’t done another one of these in literal months. it is January and the last I posted about things I completed was in November.

Mob Psycho 100 S3 -

my favorite show ever. I don’t even know what to say. i only got into mob like 2 years ago and im so glad i did. i sobbed at the ending. it was very bittersweet but i was so so happy for everyone. mob’s growth made me so so happy. genuinely just such a good show and i got my brother and my friend to watch mob too and they really enjoyed it. this is kind of a ridiculous statement to use in regards to a show but yknow, if i loved mob psycho less id be able to talk about it more. just so many emotions. the finale happened and one of my friends got several voice messages of me crying and just talking about it. i would really like to read the manga for it at some point, and i do plan to read the reigen spin-off as i do actually own it.

Cowboy Bebop -

I started watching this a few years ago and never finished so I thought I should finally come back to it, and it was worth it. It’s so good. The last few episodes made me sad. Just all the, lore episodes I guess, generally caused me a lot of pain. Ed and Ein leaving broke my heart. And honestly Faye’s backstory really got me. THE SONG THAT PLAYED DURING THAT PART TOO!!! SO GOOD. and don’t even get me started on Spike :( I did really like the cowboy episode though, the one with the YMCA or Young Men’s Cowboy Association. was a good episode, and the fridge lobster creature episode haunts me to this day.

Spy x Family - it’s just wholesome. always makes me laugh and is really a no thought head empty show and i enjoy that. i do keep up with the manga for this but it’s always nice to see it animated.

Chainsaw Man - obviously very positive thoughts about this one I love chainsaw man. Suffering from actual brain rot. the vibes are very different from the manga, it’s more cinematic ig but I do think it’s a great adaptation. The intro and all the outros are so good. Especially the Hayakawa family outro. I loved the voice actors. BEAM!!! His va is so good. I love just all the insane laughter from all the characters it brings me so much joy. I love chainsaw man !!!!

Vinland Saga - my brother is so into Vinland saga. And he has told me about it before. I thought I’d watch it because I knew a new season was coming out, and obviously he had hyped it up so much. And it was absolutely worth the hype. I binged like 16 episodes in a day and would have finished it in a day if I didn’t go see Puss in Boots ( which very good btw) It’s in my top 10 now, im not really one come up with a top 10 or anything. But if I had one Vinland Saga is definitely up there. I liked like all the characters. Thorfinn is great. Askeladd is so fucking cool. Canute and Thorkell phenomenal. Can’t believe thorfinn is so short too, like bro is minuscule im ngl. but anyways !!! Even like Bjorn I enjoyed. I was genuinely sad when he died. But anyways. I love Vinland saga too!!!

Kekkai Sensen/Blood Blockade Battlefront -

This wasn’t bad at all! Idk if I’ll watch the second season, but the first one wasn’t too bad. I did start watching it solely because of the outro, and yknow what the outro is really good and does make me very happy so I do stand by that decision. Was not expecting to hear Zoro’s VA in this so that was a pleasant surprise. Zapp overall was just a wild character, and he had a tiny ass waist like wtf was that all about. Anyways, was enjoyable overall.

Terror in Resonance - this show is so good. from what i can remember the music in it is good. There was a song I really liked but idk what it’s called unfortunately. It’s a good show to just binge. I liked it a lot. I cried at the end. I wasn’t expecting that to happen given like the premise of the show, I went into the show just thinking it was about terrorists, and to certain extent it is but also it’s more than that. Anyways, I guess I should’ve assumed things wouldn’t all be wonderful and happy by the end, but man… lots of really cool things within this show and overall just enjoyable though, so id definitely recommend!

currently watching - attack on Titan, one piece (im at thriller bark), buddy daddies, bungo stray dogs s4, and Vinland Saga S2