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Vinland Saga: Episode 21 FULL LENGTH Reaction! (Patreon)

Published:
2022-09-20 15:00:07
Edited:
2023-01-31 05:00:11
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Content

**TRAGIC HEADPHONE WARNINGS**

I was not...expecting this episode to be so SAD.
The tragedy gets handed to us two-fold: 

Bjorn and Thorfinn not resting until they can battle Askeladd just one more time.
Bjorn finally accepting death afterwards, and Thorfinn not willing to leave with Leif (if he even does) until he's faced the man who completely changed his world. 

The difference of how we move on from the past, if we can, gets brought up this episode and I feel so badly for Leif, and really worry for where everyone is at as we move into maybe one final duel with Askeladd and Thorfinn and everything starts building to the season climax. **nervous laughter**

LINK TO REACTION: https://share.vidyard.com/watch/87LyzLwzMrJG7zGkQWs66G?

Thanks for watching with me and for the support!

Files

Vinland Saga: Episode 21 Reaction! "REUNION!"

LINK TO REACTION (starts at 5:05): https://share.vidyard.com/watch/87LyzLwzMrJG7zGkQWs66G? **TRAGIC HEADPHONE WARNINGS** I was not...expecting this episode to be so SAD. The tragedy gets handed to us two-fold: Bjorn and Thorfinn not resting until they can battle Askeladd just one more time. Bjorn finally accepting death afterwards, and Thorfinn not willing to leave with Leif (if he even does) until he's faced the man who completely changed his world. The difference of how we move on from the past, if we can, gets brought up this episode and I feel so badly for Leif, and really worry for where everyone is at as we move into maybe one final duel with Askeladd and Thorfinn and everything starts building to the season climax. **nervous laughter** Thank you for watching with me and for all the support! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RomaniaBlack My Anime: https://myanimelist.net/profile/RomaniaBlack Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/RomaniaBlack You can mail me a letter or anything (except food, please) at this address: Romania Black PO Box 768 Harrisburg, IL 62946 USA

Comments

Sal Inger

With the way all their interactions played out and the facial expressions in that scene, I honestly think Askeladd doesn't really consider Bjorn a friend but rather said that as a final act of kindness to give him some closure before his death, even though he hates what he is and what he represents. I think that is a lot more in line with Askeladd's character and his actions up until now. That would make it also a lot more nuanced and interesting than them just being straight up mutual bffs.

OKA

Such a sad episode, first Thorfinn rejecting Leif and then Bjorn dying with Askeladd sending him off. Like I said in discord, Leif is my third favorite character of the show, buddy has been keeping his promise for 11 years and now that he finally finds him Thorfinn is nothing but a dick, no wonder he got demoted from being the MC. I never really looked at it that way, Thorfinn wanting to go back home now that he has seen Leif and is offering to take him back. Makes sense for him not waiting for his arm to fully heal and rushing a duel out of nowhere fully knowing he has never been able to defeat Askeladd even when in peak condition. I guess is kind of hard to see it that way when so far Thorfinns personality has been nothing but the thirst for revenge. Askeladd is so smart, at first you think that he anticipated the king was gonna try and kill Canute as he was arriving to York so he prepared a double of Canute but then you find out that not only he anticipated the king but did it before him by hiring his own assassin to kill the double of the prince he also prepared and now only that but now that the whole town is talking about the assassination attempt on the prince he also sent his people to spread rumors about the assassin being sent by the king and now the king cant sent his own assassins or separate Canute from Thorkell and his army or put him in any kind of danger because the people will know the king really is trying to kill one of his own kids and lose the respect of the people and with out people you cant be a king! Askeladds smarts would put the likes of L, Yagami Light and Lelouch to shame. Don't listen to @Sal Inger, Bjorn was Askeladds best friend in the whole wide world and you cant change my mind. I believe that Bjorn wanting to die in a duel was not so much about being able to enter Valhalla but more about being able to express all his feelings to Askeladd and being able to fully understand Askeladds feelings in a duel, you know other shows do/say things that not better way to truly convey your feelings that during a duel so I'm rolling with that.

Shimoyama

Because of his character, I'm not sure whether Askeladd genuinely thought Bjorn is his friend, but it clearly seems that Bjorn's words reached him. And that's all I asked.

Sacha

Oh boy! This episodes ending will never fail to make me cry … It’s been a while since I’ve been able to properly comment on your reactions! (adult life sucks) fortunately I can now for the last episodes of this masterpiece. I have to say that I’m someone who absolutely loves and adores Thorfinn as character, and even really liked him in this part of the story (manga reader here 👋 so I’ll be careful) your ripping of him does make me laugh and also cry sometimes 😂 It would really be out of character of Thorfinn at this point to go with Leif. He was lovely to him as child but it’s exactly that. Thorfinn was SIX the last time he saw him. Not to say that Thorfinn wasn’t a dick here because he absolutely was but of course he isn’t immediately going to hop on his ship and sail away. Of course he isn’t immediately effected by the news of his family back home. That life is soo far removed from him now. It’s not only been 11 years but those 11 years were in the most crucial stage of his life for emotional growth. For instance 6 to 17 vs let’s say 20 to 31 are VERY different.

Sacha
>>92013144

I really wouldn’t necessarily say that Askeladd “doesn’t care about Thorfinn”. Its not as simple as that. There have been plenty of moments this season of Askeladd being proud of some of Thorfinn’s actions and he has been a bizarre mentor to him. It’s not so cut and dry. Askeladd is a strange cocktail of mentor/father figure/enemy to Thorfinn. They have also been duelling for all that time as well. We as the audience only see one of them on screen which was in episode 8. They’ve spent 11 years together with a lot of downtime between the big events. That will inevitably have some effect on both of them. No two people could spent that much amount of time together, on the battlefield, through thick and thing, and not have some form of connection. It’s like with Askelad’s final words to Bjorn which are most definitely left ambiguous for us the audience. Did he mean it? Whose to say? … but what IS interesting is that Askeladd said it. The idea that Askeladd hates the Danes and more then likely hated Bjorn at least on some level (friend or not) but he still chose to give him some peace before he died is compassionate and enthralling. Askeladd’s words have always been double/triple layered. The surface words only show a fraction of who he is and what he means. Did he consider Bjorn his friend? Maybe…Maybe not. It’s compelling either way. But either way they spent decades together so of course he feels ‘something’ for Bjorn. Which leads me back to Thorfinn and Askeladd’s relationship. There is a ‘something’ between them and it’s really really bloody complicated 😂 But that’s the beauty of this story and the strange protagonist and antagonist, mentor and student, and ‘father and son’ relationship.

Sacha
>>92013144

Also just to add on but I can totally understand people’s frustrations with Thorfinn as main character in season 1. But Yukimura has done such a good job (for this arc/season) with him to have a realistic ‘stagnant’ protagonist. His character is completely by design. Not only does the story never sugarcoat his amoral actions, but it’s almost purposely punishing him for his behaviour by having at this point of the story the main A Plot instead focus on Askeladd and in later episodes Cantute. Have you missed my long messages 😂 I really did try hard not to but alas!

romaniablack
>>91997352

I do love that we get that subtle facial gesture with Askeladd, like you said; showing that his words reached him -- that despite hating the Danes, one of those Danes ended up wanting to be his friend...it's so tragic, but also beautiful! :) Thanks for the comment!

romaniablack
>>92013144

Heyyyyy! It's so good to hear from you on here!! Yeah, I think I said in the discussion that we the audience know WHY Thorfinn shuns Leif and we've talked in the comments this series of why he's doing everything he shouldn't; I full understand everything that you said in your first comment. What's so frustrating is I detailed what he SHOULD be caring about, but doesn't for reasons x, y, and z. It's so frustrating for us as the audience, because we can see what the path he "should" take is to rid himself of the useless cycle of violence and revenge he's trapped in...but he's obviously not going to do it for the reasons that we've talked about this season so far. It's just so damn TRAGIC because of it. :)

romaniablack
>>92013144

Yesss, I've talked in the series too about Askeladd's bizarre almost-fatherly-relationship (and people have told me I consider them too chummy, hahaha, so I decided to take a different approach this episode with it). I definitely think that Askeladd WOULD leave Thorfinn at the end of the day for Canute. Does he care for Thorfinn? It's...complicated, but Askeladd at the end of it all, I think at this point, is still out for Askeladd's own agenda. He doesn't mind having Thorfinn there, and has tried to mentor him, and in the weirdest way is "caring" of him, but I'm not sure I can say he's "parental" at this point. It's a complicated relationship those two have! :) I DO wholeheartedly agree with you that Askeladd has shows compassion in the weirdest of ways in this show. He's clearly against slavery, seems to empathize with people to an extent in their plights, but is so entrenched in his goals, he's willing to forego a village of innocent people to accomplish it. It's that layered complexity with his character that's so fascinating. And yesssss, that ambiguity...was he really one to consider Bjorn a friend? We may never know, but he DID say it, so he at the very least tried to comfort someone in their death...which is...fascinating for Askeladd, especially to Bjorn! :)

romaniablack
>>92013144

I do like Thorfinn -- he's just too easy to pick on at this point in the story, especially after we've followed Leif looking for him all this time, only to be shunned by him. And we know WHY...it's just so tragic and frustrating. I hope that makes sense! I hope I didn't sound too defensive; a lot of the points you mentioned I thought I'd pointed out in the discussion, but maybe I need to vocalize them more, haha!! In either case, this series is realllllly getting into the heart of these relationships at this point, and I'm SO hyped to see what's going to happen! And I'm so glad you're back in the comment section! :D It's been too long since some deep Sacha comments! :D Thanks so much!!! :D

romaniablack
>>91988229

I like the idea of how ambiguous that moment is! I don't think they've been BFF's, as much as I would love them to be, hahaha!! But it's interesting that @Sacha noted below how Askeladd, even if it was just to console Bjorn as he died, means that he was consoling him in his death...it's fascinating, Askeladd doing that for a Dane, that he's hated all these years. I love how complex and layered we get his character here. But seriously...RIP Bjorn. Thank you for the comment!

Saku

"I just wanted to be your friend." THAT HIT ME HARD. You know how much we could hate him for what he has done, but I am missing this guy so much. I had already seen the scene in the manga before the anime, but with the cinematography and the acting of Bjorn's VA, it always brings more tears to my eyes. Then I happened to watch some YOUTUBE video where the same VA was goofing around. The tears I shed for Bjorn immediately dried out. This VA is one of my favorite ones BTW. About Thorfinn, I have seen some reactors and comments saying that they were fed up with his attitude and not showing any development even a bit. I'm not saying you're one of them of course. But you're right, it's really sad to see him projecting his rage toward Leif who has spent more than 10 years looking for him. At least he now knows that Thorfinn is alive. Meanwhile, Thorfinn definitely needs someone like Leif, the one who has no hesitation to say "enough, just let it go." Thorfinn may not be ready to accept that yet, but that's always the start, I believe.. I actually really appreciate this realistic pace of character development that the author has taken for the series.

Sacha
>>92013144

Oh don’t worry you don’t sound defensive at all! Personally I don’t agree with some of the things you say but that’s the beauty of watching someone different watch one of your favourite series for the first time. You definitely have made some my points yourself in your reaction series. My point really was just that nothing could be clear cut at this point so close to the finale of season 1 Askeladd and Thorfinn’s realtionship isn’t just them not ‘caring about each other’. Thorfinn can’t just suddenly remember his fathers teachings, or hop on Leif’s boat, or care about his previous life in this state he is in. He is intentionally frustrating to us the audience and also sympathetic in the sense that we just want to see him grow into a better person. But this unfortunately is just more realistic. But hey! We aren’t even at the end of season 1 yet! There’s plenty more that can happen and to discuss 😂 And also season 2 which can’t come soon enough for me honestly. As a manga reader who has been having conversations with anime onlys for 3 years I’m just relieved I can soon discuss some more PEAK material and argue points that I couldn’t previously for spoiler reasons 😂

romaniablack
>>91992218

Yesss, this episode was SO sad! T-T I love Leif so I feel bad for how he's treated by Thorfinn; it's so sad -- We the audience know that Thorfinn should treat the situation different, but he's too stuck in his path for revenge...to the point that he completely forsakes Leif. It was heartbreaking to watch! There have been points earlier on when Thorfinn was initially following Askeladd those first few years where he seemed to realize somewhat what Thors was advising him, but chose to ignore it to seek revenge instead. The question of how much of that has stayed with him is questionable now, but him rushing to duel Askeladd, to me, could show that he at least might be CONSIDERING going back with Leif...or keeping that a viable option. I love how much Askeladd planned all this out; he definitely knows how people "work." I love how his mind works in this world; definitely one of the better aspects of the show! Hahahaha, I love how the show allows us to debate the friendship of Bjorn and Askeladd, our foster parents to our lone wolf boy Thorfinn. I like that idea of Bjorn fighting Askeladd to express his feelings and try to understand him! I'll have to bring that up in a future episode! :) Thank you so much for the kind words and comment!

romaniablack
>>92013144

YES! Thank you -- we were talking in the Discord today about everyone having different opinions and it being okay! :) I definitely agree that the show presents us with the "ideal path" that we WANT Thorfinn to take, but then we know how bent on revenge he still is at this point...it's so tragic! I just want him to grow; he's been fairly stagnant at this point in the series, but like you said, we're not through season 1 and STILL have season 2 to look forward to! I'm sooooo ready for January as far as that is concerned; and I'm sure I'll be even moreso by the of this season! :D Thanks so much!!

romaniablack
>>92034118

The animation and voice acting was on POINT with Bjorn in this episode! It was so emotional! Awww, I'll have to see that video of Bjorn once the season is over! That's great! And yes, I'm not fed up with Thorfinn, haha! But it's so sad to see Thorfinn not give Leif the reunion he was hoping for, especially after a decade of looking for him...Thorfinn needs someone like Leif in his life and it's so sad to see him rejecting him...at least for now! :') But yeah, it all makes sense within the context of the story! Thanks so much for the comment!!