They did not need to go this hard on the death of a man we barely knew but I wouldn’t want to miss out on an episode like this for anything. Peakland Saga, indeed.
In case you were wondering or didn’t know the whole episode from the point of garder letting go of snake was about 6 panels of the manga and all of it was the conversation with garder and arnheid, basically all of the garder death sequence and his visions were anime original
@@Takashii85 yeah it was kind of just like an emotional moment for arnheid and like absolutely no one else lmao, the directions this season is absolutely unreal
Yea both men being products of war and realizing the true meanings of being a warrior. Even with Sverkal’s talk with Snake last episode about leaving his sword to become a farmer. Peak.
@@mxdm19 And it was foreshadowed snake would reject it. When he was reading the bible to sverkal, he was reading the "love thy enemy" section and said "this part is boring, lets skip to the beginning, that was more interesting". The writing is fantastic.
In the context of the era, Gardar really did just have bad luck. He was a good man, who made decisions according to what viking logic said he should do, but it ended up costing him everything. The world took his home, his family, his freedom and his dignity.
Well the message is that viking logic is trash. There are no real villains in Vinland. It's the system of violence and monarchy/empires that is the real villain.
@@nullakjg767 Gardar didn't go fight just because of he's a nord, he did it for his family, not just personal glory or Valhalla. Monarchy being bad isn't a thing here either, kings can be as bad or as good as they want. Even Canute tries to make things better despite being a king.
Honestly I think the sad part is that even if he stayed I think he could of still died anyway trying to defend his family considering how nasty war has been shown to be. Gardar is strong but could he of fought off all the Vikings? I don't think there would of been a happy ending with Gardar, Arnheild, and Hjalti. They were screwed by the very time period they lived in.
@@SolProxythe men of gardar and arnheid's village went to war for iron, they risked and lost everything chasing profit they didnt need, arnheid's laments this fact when telling the story. also, canute's story throughout season 2 warns of the dangers of monarchy so clearly, i have no idea how you missed it. his continued growth in power, moved along by the poisoning of his brother and the unjust framing and attempt at ruining innocent (in the eyes of the law at least, fuck ketil) farmers lives for their land, continues to corrupt him and make him more like his father. it takes a changed, peaceful man like thorfinn wading into the political war from the outside and giving him a new perspective for him to consider that peace in any measure was any option at all, despite all his waxing philosophical about the duties of a king and how he must do what others cannot. the entire point is that wielding that power isolates you, curses you, makes you think nobody else could possibly understand until you’re convincing yourself into actions you'd never have considered moral because they "need to be done"
It seems like Snake was one of the elite fighters in the Byzantine empire (Miklagard=Constantinople) yet Thorfinn went toe-to-toe with no weapon. The Thor genes go wild.
The Varangian Guard! I've heard of an anecdote, but I'm not sure if it's true, where they would race to the Emperor's chambers upon his death to grieve and also steal everything in the room, because the Heir Apparent was so rich he could pay for everything again anyway
@thatrainbowquickie dude we were suppose to get an anime snake backstory (with help from the mangaka) but unfortunately the anime directors couldn't bc of scheduling conflicts. We lost some potentially good content.
“Miklagard” translates to “The Great City” which is was what the Vikings called Constantinople Snake’s sword greatly resembling a paramerion also supports the theory that he was a Varangian guard Too bad they had to cut the episode for his backstory 😢 Edit: also give Askeladd some credit for Thorfinn’s fighting abilities!
@@beastiebro to add on to this in case they don't know Constantinople. its had a lot of names throughout history. it was Byzantium, Constantinople, and is currently called Istanbul. its one of the biggest cities in the country of Turkey if not the biggest
For those who are interested in reading along with the manga, this episode adapted all of chapter 86. Though the anime also greatly expanded the events of the second half of the episode, with Gardar’s passing having many anime original additions added to it. And wow, I wasn’t sure if the Vinland Saga anime expanding chapter 86 of the manga into an entire episode would work, but was so amazing. It actually brought me to physical tears it was so emotional (and unless it’s pet-related, not much media can do that easily to me). Also there were more small bits of dialogue added to hint at Snake’s likely backstory with the the Byzantine Empire (also known as the Eastern Roman Empire), during the reign of Basil II. As the term “Miklagard” (meaning The Great City) was the name vikings gave to Byzantium-Constantinople-Istanbul (the capital of the Byzantine Empire, and one of the largest cities vikings had ever encountered, hence the name they referred to it by). Snake having been a former warrior of Miklagard is a further hint of him having likely been a member of the Varangian Guard, an elite unit of personal guards to the Byzantine emperors, primarily composed of Northern European recruits.
In my opinion they could have merged the chapters better so that this episode didn't need to spread Gardars death for mind numbingly long 12 minutes when it could have been like 3 minutes. That was just so dissapointing because Gardar didn't need any more backstory nor that kind of staight up stupid montage. That's why the episode is like a 6 all in all. The first 11 minutes were like a 9 but then it just was dum so that really ruined the episode.
@@lukasgloersen4124 I actually think this alternate approach to it is very nice and also works for the death scene. I do agree the faster death with less dialogue in the manga is also very emotional while having a certain more cold, cruel atmosphere to it, but still having that final warm embrace and exchange between the couple which is very strong. Basically, obviously the way the manga did it is fantastic, but these extended scenes the anime sometimes has are actually very good and don't feel disrespectful towards the original material at all. You can tell that there is a lot of passion behind this adaptation.
The scene where gardar was looking at himself making the wrong decision reminded me of that scene from Interstellar where Cooper was seeing himself leave
I was literally watching Interstellar today, balled my eyes out. Watched the episode, balled my eyes out. Watched this video, balled my eyes out again. THEN they make the comparison and everything comes full circle 🤣
Though I also wouldn’t be surprised if by the end, some part of Gardar subconsciously knew that Hjalti was dead; hence why Gardar reunited with him in the afterlife at the end (regardless of whether one interprets said afterlife as real or just the last processes of Gardar’s mind before it shutdown completely).
Not only could he not know, he couldnt even CONCIEVE a reality that his child was actually dead. He never even considered the possibility because the idea was just too painful for him. His whole motivation was to return to hjalti and arnheid. The idea that wouldnt be possible was just too much for him.
The "never experienced a good thing in his life" part is a reference to when he and thorfinn first met, back when the other guy on snakes crew was cutting him up with the sword.
There's no need to put it in quotes. THAT WAS HJALTI. Gardar went to Hel (not the same as the Christian "Hell") and gets to be with his kid. Just for people who don't know - Valhalla isn't the only "heaven" in Norse religion. There are actually a lot of different afterlifes. Usually each of the gods has their own domain. Hel's domain (also called Hel) is basically just a chill afterlife, where the weather's nice and you have a nice time of it. (It's not like the Christian Hell, but that's where they got the name from.) And the series has already kind of established that there is an afterlife in their universe. We saw Thorfinn in Valhalla (with everyone ripping each other apart) and we've seen Canute talking to his father's ghost head. So Gardar made it to Hel, and he gets to be with his kid finally (his son looked like he was about six, which is what he would have been if he lived). AND, if they hadn't stopped Gardar from killing Snake, HE WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN TO BE WITH HIS KID. Remember, "warriors" (aka killers) go to Valhalla. So Gardar would have been stuck there, not with his kid. They actually did him a massive favor. (And he got to pass from the mortal world peacefully, with his wife, instead of violently.) And the reason why Valhalla looks like that in this series is the same reason why Thorfinn decides to never kill again - the author HATES violence, believe it or not. (Crazy, for a show with the most beautiful action/violence scenes maybe ever.) Even earlier this year, he tweeted something along the lines of "I hope we reach a point where shooting a gun is like having your dick out in public." Seriously, the dude HATES violence and bloodshed. He's a hardcore pacifist. So that's why killing isn't celebrated, and ANY other option is shown as a better one.
@@RabidDogma Sometimes showing the horror of what you hate in the worst possible way is the solution for people to wake up and realise it's not good. But considering how the show has been received, I wonder if his message has reached them.
I love how the anime kinda puts us through a Thorfinn arc, Thorfinn used to kill people and not think a thing about it, we'd see them die and not think a thing about it, now we're seeing 1 person die and we have to sit through like 15 minutes of him dying, the weight of death has come back to us just as it has to Thorfinn.
That little details about him being sorry for talking down to svarkel & politely ask to borrow his carriage even says thank you after that shows deep inside he’s a good man but he gone through a lot bad things. Damn this show is so good never thought I would cry for character that I only know for 3 eps
Man, the emotional reaction to Gardar's flashbacks with Hjalti was really heartfelt, you can tell everyone on the couch has experience with caring for a child, and as an uncle it hit that uncle Lupa also felt that, you can still care a LOT for a kid even if it's not directly yours
snakes "I have never experienced a good thing in my life" is a reference to what thorfin said while fox was cutting little bits out of him. I think he was thinking like what hell did this guy went trough, what monstars did he have to fight that nothing good has ever happend to him and that he became this strong bcs of it.
Yeh the second half of this episode hurt fr. The staff added so much to those panels in the manga that it got me to actual tears. When reading, I didn’t really connect to Gardar like that but seeing all those extra anime only scenes made his character so much better to me. Really good job from the Vinland staff
There is an anime original line added in here that love because, presuming you’re familiar with this time period in European history, it makes you understand Snake isn’t just some nobody with talent. When he says he’s a warrior of Miklagaard, he means he served in the Byzantine (east roman) army at some point. And it makes sense, as his sword is very clearly a scimitar or something similar, and not forged in Scandinavia. From there you can extrapolate a backstory if you want but it’s guesswork. Wonder if this means we’ll get more stuff like this as Yukimura obviously requested the line addition.
I actually love how the anime added to Gardar's death. It really hammers home and crystalizes the theme of VS in showing how the path of violence, conquest and battle ultimately ruined any chances Gardar had of ever having a normal and happy life. The Norse warmongering culture destroys almost everyone in this series who doesn't reject it, which is why Thorfinn is smart to try and ditch it lmao
I love all the anime original stuff, I hope they add a backstory for Snake, but I think I read somewhere that they won't be able to do it because of time management problems sadly
@@grey_f98 I think I read that somewhere too. They were iirc planning to dedicate an entire episode for Snake but due to the season’s pacing they had to cut it, but they still managed to put in little clues of it scattered around (like the whole Miklagard thing)
I actually hated the aditions to Gardars death. Made the episode sooooo looooong for absolutely no reason. The episode was tecnically over in 10 or 11 minutes😂
@@lukasgloersen4124 No. Details and context matters. Experiencing things matter. It's one thing to describe a death or a story. It's another to show the life behind that death or story.
This is peak story telling, animation, art direction, voice acting. This episode is perfect. Props to Makoto Yukimura for creating this masterpiece. And to think, this story will keep getting better. I cannot wait to see certain things get animated.
Just fyi, Snake said he is a warrior of Miklagard. Miklagard is the nordic name for the city Constantinople. Constantinople was at this point in history the capital of the Byzantine empire, which was basically the continuation of the Roman Empire. This leads me to believe the Snake was most likely a member of the Varangian Guard, an elite unit of the Byzantine Empire that was primarily composed of warriors recruited from the far away north of Europe. The Varangian Guard served as the personal guards of the Byzantine Emperors. That also would explain his exotic sword.
@@beastiebro I agree with you, I also thought about it (I’m even sure I would say that it’s paramerion ) but decided not to write it because it’s not very important information
Snake saying that thorfinn hasn’t had anything good happen to him is a reference to when they first met when thorfinn said not a single good thing has happened to him
Arnheid kinda showed act of mercy to snake at that moment. Despite the fact he was being insensitive to her AFTER Gardar offed 5 of his men. She could’ve let Gardar kill him in return for his husband, but calmed Gardar down to let snake go. Very complex character.
He was literally telling her she doesn't matter because she's just a slave and how he was going to make sure she would be badly punished right before he got choked out. By all means she should've had gardar rip his head off, then go on their cart adventure. But the person snake looked down on, who he treated as badly as society treated him and his scumbag friends, was a better person then him and showed mercy. Snake really is a piece of trash and arnheid really is a saint.
@@nullakjg767 bro, you misunderstood what snake actually said, he didnt think gardar or arnheid life is worthless because they are a slave, what snake actually saying was gardar life isnt worth more than the people gardar killed. the point of snake wanting revenge is that he is meant to show that while he is violent, he has a good reason for doing it, because he values his friends life.
Snake didn't kill Gardar at first, even after killing one of his men, because of Arnheid. But after killing more of his men you gotta understand Snake's side here.
This whole situation is a call-back to Thors' decision early in the show to take in a slave who was close to death (and ended up dying anyways). Thors ended up sacrificing live-stock in an effort to save this man who had no relation to them. Thorfinn is now prepared to make sacrifices on the behalf of others the same way his father did. I just think thats pretty neat if you ask me...
The parallel between Thorfinn and Thors this episode was dope. Both of them took the pacifist route and didn't fight for years but when they did fight after a long time they used only their fist and beat their opponents yet still lost. Thors beat Askeladd but still died while Thorfinn beat Snake yet Gardar still died
Right at the end we see that gardar was just a good man that suffered and Lost too much, and that had he been given the chance he would have tried to live a better life, kinda like thorfinn.
When snake asked about Gardar’s worth, someone should’ve said it’s not only about worth. If snake kills Gardar and someone avenges Arnheid, let’s say Thorfinn. Then Snake’s men avenge snake, someone else avenges Thorfinn, it’s just endless blood spill 😭 man I hope Canute accomplish his goal fast. These characters seriously need to learn compassion and “love”.
When Snake asked Thorfin if he was going to avenge Gardar.. you KNOW the answer is no. He doesn't fight for revenge. He fights to defend. To protect lives.
Going back to the bed theory, I'm assuming what happened was they moved the bed out of the way by dragging it since that is easier than lifting. Then she moved the body to the spot that the bed was. And then moved the bed back. this would mean she would only have to left a part of the bed at the very end and she could do it with 2 hands
I gotta say this and I never comment on videos. This must be tough on Roshi and Sheera, because they're both parents and have two kids. So they understand the parental bond that Gardar had with his son and the love he has for his wife. I could see it in both their faces when I watched the reaction.
Man, Lupa was going GOING through it in this episode of Peak Saga. Even Roshi, this is the first time I've seen him so teary. This was indeed an amazing episode.
The author wrote one and asked the director to do it, the director tweeted he couldn’t add it because they had a tight schedule but they still added a couple lines here and there about his backstory
their son died at 1… she says he’s six years old because that’s the age he woulda been if he ain’t get murdered(so in heaven they show him at 6, cos it’s like he grew up there) . gardar thinks it’s been 8-9 years because he felt as if he suffered as a slave for so long
Some people just had expectations this was more of an action based series. But since the beginning, it's been a character drama that can include action. lol
6yrs of slavery but Gardar thought it’s been 8-9yrs. You lose track of time when torture is so severe. Also goes to show how much time it needed for his mind to break in such a way in comparison to how he was before.
the fact that Lupa can't believe a few weeks pregnant woman can't lift a bed but to him it's completely possible for a guy with two stab wounds who's nearly bleeding to death 😭
That last scene when we see Hjalti was alone and with the piano man doing his thang. Fucking got me in tears, and I already read the manga and usually never cry. But idk wtf or how tf but this shit got me
*Snake* seems all but confirmed to be a former *Varangian Guard.* Between his sword greatly resembling a paramerion and him outright saying he’s a warrior from “Mikalgard” (which is the Viking word for Byzantium/Constantinople/Istanbul meaning “The Great City”), the outline of his backstory seems pretty clear now. Too bad it’s been confirmed that the episode for his backstory got cut :/
@@AshG321M his sword being more arabic is probably meant to imply that he got it in a battle between Arabic forces, considering there were many skirmishes throughout the borders of the Byzantine Empire I think
Interesting fact about Snake's sword. It looks different from traditional Viking weapons because it isn't a Viking weapon at all. It is either a kalij or shamshir, which are Middle Eastern swords most commonly associated with the Persian empire. Snake most likely served as a Varangian soldier in Miklagard (Constantinople) in the Byzantine Empire and most likely took the blade as a trophy from a fight with Persia or other Arabian tribe.
Great reaction as always. You guys were really in the moment, and validated the absolute sorrow I felt watching it for the first time. Tearing up again with you…..And then at 11:51 Sheera pulls out that jet pink, absolute honker of a water bottle to have a lil’ sippy, and Im back in reality😂
Props to you guys for keeping it together for the last scene because as soon as Gardar was in the afterlife I was in a puddle. That shit was so emotionally raw for a character that had only been introduced 5 eps prior. Probably going to be one of the best anime eps we get all year 😮💨💔
No joke, this episode made me appreciate my parents even more and gave me the feelings what an actual husband, Wife, Father, Mother, Son or Daughter would be feeling in these sort of situations. This is what defines Vinland Saga as one of the best seinen series ever made.
Thank you MAPPA for a masterful adaptation of this chapter. They took an already great and sad chapter and made it a masterpiece, a classic, one of the best in the series to date.
I feel like mappa is the best animation studio in terms of effort consistency and overall compostion. also the fact they added alot of extra new scenes when they didnt have to and are ALREADY overworked shows how much they care. big big respect
@@ZaptorGxthe same core staff. They were freelancers (well The director is now joined to Mappa). But a good amount of EPs and Digital in-betweens and i think ADs were from Mappa.
My explanation on how he got under the bed would be that he was still conscious at the time otherwise there's no way she carried him to the building , I think after he lifted the bed and laid there then he fell unconscious Lupasan said the same thing, I agree 😂 @ 1:03
Vinland saga is like an eye opening series for me. This anime series has thought me many things that I haven't thought about and some things that I didn't understood.❤
I've read the Manga I cried and watch the anime and also cried. whoever directed and produced and wrote that beautiful piano score in this masterpiece of an episode will have my respect till the day I die and thanks for the reaction.
I'm loving how the anime adds these scenes (Gardar's passing, Einar's family, etc.), it somehow fleshes out the story even more. Like damn, the manga made me disappointed for Arneid' sake that her husband died, but we barely knew him, showed up, caused some mayhem and died.. the anime however....
PEAK
Yessir!
You can just copy this word in every episode from now on
Great reaction as always.❤
AOTY
PEAKLAND SAGA
They did not need to go this hard on the death of a man we barely knew but I wouldn’t want to miss out on an episode like this for anything. Peakland Saga, indeed.
In case you were wondering or didn’t know the whole episode from the point of garder letting go of snake was about 6 panels of the manga and all of it was the conversation with garder and arnheid, basically all of the garder death sequence and his visions were anime original
@KYLE BUONOMO I thought so. Cuz when I read this, I dont remember it being this emotional.
@@Takashii85 yeah it was kind of just like an emotional moment for arnheid and like absolutely no one else lmao, the directions this season is absolutely unreal
just like that one girl from squid game
I love when authors can make an amazing character arc in very short screen time, such an amazing writing feat
Anyone else catch the parralells between thors and sverkal? Sverkal literally offered his entire farm in an attempt to save one half dead slave.
Yeah I liked that
Yea both men being products of war and realizing the true meanings of being a warrior. Even with Sverkal’s talk with Snake last episode about leaving his sword to become a farmer. Peak.
@@mxdm19 And it was foreshadowed snake would reject it. When he was reading the bible to sverkal, he was reading the "love thy enemy" section and said "this part is boring, lets skip to the beginning, that was more interesting". The writing is fantastic.
@@nullakjg767 wow u are perceptive as hell didn’t even notice that.
Two men who understood the value of a life.
Snake Fighting for his life
Roshi : LOOK AT THE ARTWORK
The artwork is phenomenal tho
Bro I'm dead lmao
@@jaysonaragon8438 so was gardar
Thorfinn wouldn't of killed snake so it's not really for his life
In the context of the era, Gardar really did just have bad luck. He was a good man, who made decisions according to what viking logic said he should do, but it ended up costing him everything. The world took his home, his family, his freedom and his dignity.
Well the message is that viking logic is trash. There are no real villains in Vinland. It's the system of violence and monarchy/empires that is the real villain.
@@nullakjg767 Gardar didn't go fight just because of he's a nord, he did it for his family, not just personal glory or Valhalla. Monarchy being bad isn't a thing here either, kings can be as bad or as good as they want. Even Canute tries to make things better despite being a king.
Honestly I think the sad part is that even if he stayed I think he could of still died anyway trying to defend his family considering how nasty war has been shown to be. Gardar is strong but could he of fought off all the Vikings?
I don't think there would of been a happy ending with Gardar, Arnheild, and Hjalti. They were screwed by the very time period they lived in.
@@SolProxy monarchy is bad because all power goes to a person just for being born.
@@SolProxythe men of gardar and arnheid's village went to war for iron, they risked and lost everything chasing profit they didnt need, arnheid's laments this fact when telling the story.
also, canute's story throughout season 2 warns of the dangers of monarchy so clearly, i have no idea how you missed it. his continued growth in power, moved along by the poisoning of his brother and the unjust framing and attempt at ruining innocent (in the eyes of the law at least, fuck ketil) farmers lives for their land, continues to corrupt him and make him more like his father.
it takes a changed, peaceful man like thorfinn wading into the political war from the outside and giving him a new perspective for him to consider that peace in any measure was any option at all, despite all his waxing philosophical about the duties of a king and how he must do what others cannot. the entire point is that wielding that power isolates you, curses you, makes you think nobody else could possibly understand until you’re convincing yourself into actions you'd never have considered moral because they "need to be done"
It seems like Snake was one of the elite fighters in the Byzantine empire (Miklagard=Constantinople) yet Thorfinn went toe-to-toe with no weapon. The Thor genes go wild.
The Varangian Guard! I've heard of an anecdote, but I'm not sure if it's true, where they would race to the Emperor's chambers upon his death to grieve and also steal everything in the room, because the Heir Apparent was so rich he could pay for everything again anyway
@thatrainbowquickie dude we were suppose to get an anime snake backstory (with help from the mangaka) but unfortunately the anime directors couldn't bc of scheduling conflicts. We lost some potentially good content.
“Miklagard” translates to “The Great City” which is was what the Vikings called Constantinople
Snake’s sword greatly resembling a paramerion also supports the theory that he was a Varangian guard
Too bad they had to cut the episode for his backstory 😢
Edit: also give Askeladd some credit for Thorfinn’s fighting abilities!
@@beastiebro to add on to this in case they don't know Constantinople. its had a lot of names throughout history. it was Byzantium, Constantinople, and is currently called Istanbul. its one of the biggest cities in the country of Turkey if not the biggest
@Hello Goodbye we might get lucky and get an ova or something added to the blu-ray
Snake not only respected Thorfinn, but gave him a free haircut as well.
LMAO
Didn't knew Snake was a barber
Bro literally caught a fade
Why you gotta be like dat
Anyone named snake is always cool
For those who are interested in reading along with the manga, this episode adapted all of chapter 86. Though the anime also greatly expanded the events of the second half of the episode, with Gardar’s passing having many anime original additions added to it.
And wow, I wasn’t sure if the Vinland Saga anime expanding chapter 86 of the manga into an entire episode would work, but was so amazing. It actually brought me to physical tears it was so emotional (and unless it’s pet-related, not much media can do that easily to me).
Also there were more small bits of dialogue added to hint at Snake’s likely backstory with the the Byzantine Empire (also known as the Eastern Roman Empire), during the reign of Basil II. As the term “Miklagard” (meaning The Great City) was the name vikings gave to Byzantium-Constantinople-Istanbul (the capital of the Byzantine Empire, and one of the largest cities vikings had ever encountered, hence the name they referred to it by). Snake having been a former warrior of Miklagard is a further hint of him having likely been a member of the Varangian Guard, an elite unit of personal guards to the Byzantine emperors, primarily composed of Northern European recruits.
what kind of other tears are there?
@@peezieforestem5078 physical tears as in I wasn’t being hyperbolic or metaphorical.
In my opinion they could have merged the chapters better so that this episode didn't need to spread Gardars death for mind numbingly long 12 minutes when it could have been like 3 minutes. That was just so dissapointing because Gardar didn't need any more backstory nor that kind of staight up stupid montage. That's why the episode is like a 6 all in all. The first 11 minutes were like a 9 but then it just was dum so that really ruined the episode.
@@lukasgloersen4124 I actually think this alternate approach to it is very nice and also works for the death scene. I do agree the faster death with less dialogue in the manga is also very emotional while having a certain more cold, cruel atmosphere to it, but still having that final warm embrace and exchange between the couple which is very strong.
Basically, obviously the way the manga did it is fantastic, but these extended scenes the anime sometimes has are actually very good and don't feel disrespectful towards the original material at all. You can tell that there is a lot of passion behind this adaptation.
@@TheoVorster I see, thank you for explaining!
The scene where gardar was looking at himself making the wrong decision reminded me of that scene from Interstellar where Cooper was seeing himself leave
have you watched the video or what? Like…
@@Rkn-sc9gk He probably did but i sometimes write comment about something what i saw in video if its is in the start ,middle or after video
Same I literally could hear mathew mconahay
MUUUURPH!!!!
I was literally watching Interstellar today, balled my eyes out. Watched the episode, balled my eyes out. Watched this video, balled my eyes out again. THEN they make the comparison and everything comes full circle 🤣
Poor Gardar couldn’t even know that his kid is dead but nonetheless, this episode was beautiful. The direction of this season is so well done.
Though I also wouldn’t be surprised if by the end, some part of Gardar subconsciously knew that Hjalti was dead; hence why Gardar reunited with him in the afterlife at the end (regardless of whether one interprets said afterlife as real or just the last processes of Gardar’s mind before it shutdown completely).
idk i think its better that he died peacefully, thinking his son was still alive
@@TheoVorster I think is clearly his mind not afterlife because he speaks and Arnheid hears it and responds with the "okaeri"
Not only could he not know, he couldnt even CONCIEVE a reality that his child was actually dead. He never even considered the possibility because the idea was just too painful for him. His whole motivation was to return to hjalti and arnheid. The idea that wouldnt be possible was just too much for him.
@@nullakjg767 man stop, I don't want to cry again
The "never experienced a good thing in his life" part is a reference to when he and thorfinn first met, back when the other guy on snakes crew was cutting him up with the sword.
Snake was like "damn bro he wasn't lying" 💀
@@pablolacalle6098 Mans literally said “Who tf raised you to be this cold!?” 😭
I love how much extra scenes they added that werent in the manga this episode hit like a slow burn
i was so happy i had serval for that boss fight
Third time I’ve seen this episode now. And Hjalti running in to hug Gardar still makes me tear up 😢
There's no need to put it in quotes. THAT WAS HJALTI. Gardar went to Hel (not the same as the Christian "Hell") and gets to be with his kid.
Just for people who don't know - Valhalla isn't the only "heaven" in Norse religion. There are actually a lot of different afterlifes. Usually each of the gods has their own domain. Hel's domain (also called Hel) is basically just a chill afterlife, where the weather's nice and you have a nice time of it. (It's not like the Christian Hell, but that's where they got the name from.)
And the series has already kind of established that there is an afterlife in their universe. We saw Thorfinn in Valhalla (with everyone ripping each other apart) and we've seen Canute talking to his father's ghost head. So Gardar made it to Hel, and he gets to be with his kid finally (his son looked like he was about six, which is what he would have been if he lived). AND, if they hadn't stopped Gardar from killing Snake, HE WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN TO BE WITH HIS KID. Remember, "warriors" (aka killers) go to Valhalla. So Gardar would have been stuck there, not with his kid. They actually did him a massive favor. (And he got to pass from the mortal world peacefully, with his wife, instead of violently.)
And the reason why Valhalla looks like that in this series is the same reason why Thorfinn decides to never kill again - the author HATES violence, believe it or not. (Crazy, for a show with the most beautiful action/violence scenes maybe ever.) Even earlier this year, he tweeted something along the lines of "I hope we reach a point where shooting a gun is like having your dick out in public." Seriously, the dude HATES violence and bloodshed. He's a hardcore pacifist. So that's why killing isn't celebrated, and ANY other option is shown as a better one.
@@RabidDogma Sometimes showing the horror of what you hate in the worst possible way is the solution for people to wake up and realise it's not good. But considering how the show has been received, I wonder if his message has reached them.
When you have high stats but forget to equip a weapon 💀
I love how the anime kinda puts us through a Thorfinn arc, Thorfinn used to kill people and not think a thing about it, we'd see them die and not think a thing about it, now we're seeing 1 person die and we have to sit through like 15 minutes of him dying, the weight of death has come back to us just as it has to Thorfinn.
That little details about him being sorry for talking down to svarkel & politely ask to borrow his carriage even says thank you after that shows deep inside he’s a good man but he gone through a lot bad things. Damn this show is so good never thought I would cry for character that I only know for 3 eps
Gardar was living off of nothing but adrenaline bro💀
They animated this so well, I was scared it wouldn't be as good as the manga!
It surpassed the manga by far, what an amazing episode
I knew it would because Kobayashi was directing it and they were adapting a single chapter (meaning anime original content)
@@Ash_Wen-likobayashi only storyboarded this episode but yeah, he’s so great at elevating the manga
This is why when it comes to certain animes I skip the manga. For me it wouldn't hit as hard if I already read it in the manga.
@@Csal92 I do that for certain shows where I know the anime is gonna hit harder. Like Demon Slayer for example.
Man, the emotional reaction to Gardar's flashbacks with Hjalti was really heartfelt, you can tell everyone on the couch has experience with caring for a child, and as an uncle it hit that uncle Lupa also felt that, you can still care a LOT for a kid even if it's not directly yours
i don't have a kid and this scene even made me tear up, it was well done i think
snakes "I have never experienced a good thing in my life" is a reference to what thorfin said while fox was cutting little bits out of him. I think he was thinking like what hell did this guy went trough, what monstars did he have to fight that nothing good has ever happend to him and that he became this strong bcs of it.
Yeh the second half of this episode hurt fr. The staff added so much to those panels in the manga that it got me to actual tears. When reading, I didn’t really connect to Gardar like that but seeing all those extra anime only scenes made his character so much better to me. Really good job from the Vinland staff
Once again Vinland Saga proves to be an absolute GOAT
Goat? This shit boring we need old Thorfinn back
4:55 - The way Gardar attacked Snake was like he was Jaws coming out the water. 🤣
“Get this fuckin angle out my face” I felt that lupa 😂😂😂
Vinland Saga will be receiving all my therapy bills for this weeks episode🥹
Poor Sheera and Roshi, you can tell this episode was hitting them right in the parent feels
My guy you are NOT ready for next weeks it’s gonna be fuckin DEVASTATING enjoy :)
🤣🤣 Yo real talk
@@Csal92 the horses screaming and the voice acting and the sounds of the stick are gonna be fuckin heartbreaking to listen to… I can’t wait 😈
You gonna have to pay them extra after the next bit of shit you about to go through
I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated being mentally unready for an episode like this, MAPPA truly is doing a wonderful job with this
There is an anime original line added in here that love because, presuming you’re familiar with this time period in European history, it makes you understand Snake isn’t just some nobody with talent. When he says he’s a warrior of Miklagaard, he means he served in the Byzantine (east roman) army at some point. And it makes sense, as his sword is very clearly a scimitar or something similar, and not forged in Scandinavia. From there you can extrapolate a backstory if you want but it’s guesswork. Wonder if this means we’ll get more stuff like this as Yukimura obviously requested the line addition.
A book reviewer called Philip Chase already predicted that when he was reviewing the manga.
@@MrM9819 It's been a popular fan theory
Isn’t it crazy how a story can make you cry over a character you met three episodes ago? GOATland Saga.
PEAK IS WHEN THE SHOW IS SO GOOD THAT IT MAKES A CONTEST TO SEE WHO CRIES FIRST WHILE WATCHING.
I actually love how the anime added to Gardar's death. It really hammers home and crystalizes the theme of VS in showing how the path of violence, conquest and battle ultimately ruined any chances Gardar had of ever having a normal and happy life. The Norse warmongering culture destroys almost everyone in this series who doesn't reject it, which is why Thorfinn is smart to try and ditch it lmao
I love all the anime original stuff, I hope they add a backstory for Snake, but I think I read somewhere that they won't be able to do it because of time management problems sadly
@@grey_f98 I think I read that somewhere too. They were iirc planning to dedicate an entire episode for Snake but due to the season’s pacing they had to cut it, but they still managed to put in little clues of it scattered around (like the whole Miklagard thing)
I actually hated the aditions to Gardars death. Made the episode sooooo looooong for absolutely no reason. The episode was tecnically over in 10 or 11 minutes😂
@@lukasgloersen4124 it was good tho, I do wish tho that they combined it with the next chapter, and instead gave us a snake ova
@@lukasgloersen4124 No. Details and context matters. Experiencing things matter.
It's one thing to describe a death or a story. It's another to show the life behind that death or story.
This is peak story telling, animation, art direction, voice acting. This episode is perfect. Props to Makoto Yukimura for creating this masterpiece.
And to think, this story will keep getting better. I cannot wait to see certain things get animated.
The piano score, made this episode even more emotional. This was probably a top 5 episode in the show
Just fyi, Snake said he is a warrior of Miklagard. Miklagard is the nordic name for the city Constantinople. Constantinople was at this point in history the capital of the Byzantine empire, which was basically the continuation of the Roman Empire.
This leads me to believe the Snake was most likely a member of the Varangian Guard, an elite unit of the Byzantine Empire that was primarily composed of warriors recruited from the far away north of Europe. The Varangian Guard served as the personal guards of the Byzantine Emperors. That also would explain his exotic sword.
Lol we made very similar comments at the same time!
I think his sword is based on a paramerion
@@beastiebro I agree with you, I also thought about it (I’m even sure I would say that it’s paramerion ) but decided not to write it because it’s not very important information
@@shottyshane4353 yeah it’s just a fun tidbit haha
just me but when snake was jabbing at thorfinn at least for me I find it pretty cool as the movement is like a snake striking and even with his blade
Snake saying that thorfinn hasn’t had anything good happen to him is a reference to when they first met when thorfinn said not a single good thing has happened to him
This had me crying harder than any episode of an anime ever has.
The storytelling is so amazing that this episode made me cry and care for a character who just appeared 3 episodes ago.
2:36 The fight would be over if Thorfinn was equipped with his daggers.
Parents watching this episode crying they eyes out, must hit different for real, finna rewatch this episode when I'm a parent.
11:41 That last shot of the shadows of the mercs surrounding them sealed the deal when I said that this was a great episode
Vinland Saga really giving us that PTSD (Piano Traumatic Stress Disorder)
Arnheid kinda showed act of mercy to snake at that moment. Despite the fact he was being insensitive to her AFTER Gardar offed 5 of his men. She could’ve let Gardar kill him in return for his husband, but calmed Gardar down to let snake go. Very complex character.
He was literally telling her she doesn't matter because she's just a slave and how he was going to make sure she would be badly punished right before he got choked out. By all means she should've had gardar rip his head off, then go on their cart adventure. But the person snake looked down on, who he treated as badly as society treated him and his scumbag friends, was a better person then him and showed mercy. Snake really is a piece of trash and arnheid really is a saint.
@@nullakjg767 bro, you misunderstood what snake actually said, he didnt think gardar or arnheid life is worthless because they are a slave, what snake actually saying was gardar life isnt worth more than the people gardar killed. the point of snake wanting revenge is that he is meant to show that while he is violent, he has a good reason for doing it, because he values his friends life.
@@gorgbertov I'm talking about last episode when he literally told arnheid her opinion doesn't matter because she's a slave.
@@nullakjg767 yes opinion and life is different Snake is just a normal person in that place not good neither bad
Snake didn't kill Gardar at first, even after killing one of his men, because of Arnheid. But after killing more of his men you gotta understand Snake's side here.
I love how Thorfinn and Snake were both like *“Damn, he’s good.”* Real recognize Real.
This episode was Masterclass. Possibly anime episode of the year.
This whole situation is a call-back to Thors' decision early in the show to take in a slave who was close to death (and ended up dying anyways). Thors ended up sacrificing live-stock in an effort to save this man who had no relation to them. Thorfinn is now prepared to make sacrifices on the behalf of others the same way his father did. I just think thats pretty neat if you ask me...
honestly one of the best arcs ive ever seen in my life, gets better every week, Peakland Saga for real
The parallel between Thorfinn and Thors this episode was dope. Both of them took the pacifist route and didn't fight for years but when they did fight after a long time they used only their fist and beat their opponents yet still lost. Thors beat Askeladd but still died while Thorfinn beat Snake yet Gardar still died
My boy Hjalti must have gone through some unspeakable things to be sitting there to meet his dad when he died.
the whole scene of gardar seeing the slaves and finding his son is original from the anime, mappa is doing an amazing job this season
props to the staff man. they elevated the manga content for this episode so much
MAPPA and Piano Man brought this story to another level, this was perfection.
Right at the end we see that gardar was just a good man that suffered and Lost too much, and that had he been given the chance he would have tried to live a better life, kinda like thorfinn.
When snake asked about Gardar’s worth, someone should’ve said it’s not only about worth. If snake kills Gardar and someone avenges Arnheid, let’s say Thorfinn. Then Snake’s men avenge snake, someone else avenges Thorfinn, it’s just endless blood spill 😭 man I hope Canute accomplish his goal fast. These characters seriously need to learn compassion and “love”.
When Snake asked Thorfin if he was going to avenge Gardar.. you KNOW the answer is no. He doesn't fight for revenge. He fights to defend. To protect lives.
The rain falling at Gardar’s face at the end are actually tears of all Vinland saga fans
Going back to the bed theory, I'm assuming what happened was they moved the bed out of the way by dragging it since that is easier than lifting. Then she moved the body to the spot that the bed was. And then moved the bed back. this would mean she would only have to left a part of the bed at the very end and she could do it with 2 hands
I gotta say this and I never comment on videos.
This must be tough on Roshi and Sheera, because they're both parents and have two kids. So they understand the parental bond that Gardar had with his son and the love he has for his wife. I could see it in both their faces when I watched the reaction.
Episode made me tear up MULTIPLE times, absolute perfection
Props to the editor for that brief explanation at 5:30 lol.
Man, Lupa was going GOING through it in this episode of Peak Saga. Even Roshi, this is the first time I've seen him so teary. This was indeed an amazing episode.
If I'm not mistaken, Mappa also wanted an anime original backstory for Snake but didn't have time.
The author wrote one and asked the director to do it, the director tweeted he couldn’t add it because they had a tight schedule but they still added a couple lines here and there about his backstory
Saddest episode this week. Shit broke my heart.
their son died at 1… she says he’s six years old because that’s the age he woulda been if he ain’t get murdered(so in heaven they show him at 6, cos it’s like he grew up there) . gardar thinks it’s been 8-9 years because he felt as if he suffered as a slave for so long
cant understand why ppl hate season 2. its a masterpiece
Because there is less fighting.
This is literally the only argument these people have.
Too bad for them 😉
Some people just had expectations this was more of an action based series. But since the beginning, it's been a character drama that can include action. lol
because they only want Fight Saga, not story or farmland saga lol
"How to make a grown man cry during his lunch hour at work" the episode
6yrs of slavery but Gardar thought it’s been 8-9yrs. You lose track of time when torture is so severe. Also goes to show how much time it needed for his mind to break in such a way in comparison to how he was before.
(Snake getting choked out)
Arnheid: "Hey big guy.. suns getting real low.."
U know it hits deep when even Lupa starts crying.
Piano man is undefeted in this one. Shed tears for this peice of art
Dope of the editor to give us fighting tips lol 05:30
Piano man needs a raise
the fact that Lupa can't believe a few weeks pregnant woman can't lift a bed but to him it's completely possible for a guy with two stab wounds who's nearly bleeding to death 😭
That last scene when we see Hjalti was alone and with the piano man doing his thang. Fucking got me in tears, and I already read the manga and usually never cry. But idk wtf or how tf but this shit got me
*Thorfinn and Snake:*
"I was gonna familiar with his gangsta"
*Snake* seems all but confirmed to be a former *Varangian Guard.*
Between his sword greatly resembling a paramerion and him outright saying he’s a warrior from “Mikalgard” (which is the Viking word for Byzantium/Constantinople/Istanbul meaning “The Great City”), the outline of his backstory seems pretty clear now.
Too bad it’s been confirmed that the episode for his backstory got cut :/
Praying we get an OVA maybe lmao Snake is such a fire character
that might be true, but why did they made his word more Arabic? it seems they can't read history well
@@AshG321M his sword being more arabic is probably meant to imply that he got it in a battle between Arabic forces, considering there were many skirmishes throughout the borders of the Byzantine Empire I think
@@pablolacalle6098
Probably picked up a lot of tricks skills and arts
That stab woke Gardar up.
Interesting fact about Snake's sword. It looks different from traditional Viking weapons because it isn't a Viking weapon at all. It is either a kalij or shamshir, which are Middle Eastern swords most commonly associated with the Persian empire. Snake most likely served as a Varangian soldier in Miklagard (Constantinople) in the Byzantine Empire and most likely took the blade as a trophy from a fight with Persia or other Arabian tribe.
Snake kinda looks different from an average Scandinavian
Ketil is about to come up to a mess of a farm, with Canute on his back. Surely nothing can go wrong.......
Great reaction as always. You guys were really in the moment, and validated the absolute sorrow I felt watching it for the first time. Tearing up again with you…..And then at 11:51 Sheera pulls out that jet pink, absolute honker of a water bottle to have a lil’ sippy, and Im back in reality😂
I like how Thorfinn and Askeladd both have disappeared in a fight just to be way below their opponent. That part reminded me of Thors v Askeladd
This brought me joy, tears, it was beautiful. Its been a while since an anime chapter could make me feel like this. Rip Gardar.
"It gets a lot horrible"
Billy Butcher
the amount of time snake spent in that choke, that's some brain damage
Props to you guys for keeping it together for the last scene because as soon as Gardar was in the afterlife I was in a puddle. That shit was so emotionally raw for a character that had only been introduced 5 eps prior. Probably going to be one of the best anime eps we get all year 😮💨💔
"He's strong!" ... Spiderman pointing at Spiderman meme. That episode hit me right in the feels. Peak, indeed.
No joke, this episode made me appreciate my parents even more and gave me the feelings what an actual husband, Wife, Father, Mother, Son or Daughter would be feeling in these sort of situations. This is what defines Vinland Saga as one of the best seinen series ever made.
🤣🤣nah the editor funny asf for the lil caption at 5:32
Thank you MAPPA for a masterful adaptation of this chapter. They took an already great and sad chapter and made it a masterpiece, a classic, one of the best in the series to date.
Snake: "But....the bed theory...how did they..."
Gardar: "Here's yo bed theory." *Sleeps ma mans Snake*😢
I feel like mappa is the best animation studio in terms of effort consistency and overall compostion. also the fact they added alot of extra new scenes when they didnt have to and are ALREADY overworked shows how much they care. big big respect
Ain’t this animated by wits studio? lol
@@ZaptorGx it’s mappa bruh wit only had it season 1
@@ZaptorGxthe same core staff. They were freelancers (well The director is now joined to Mappa). But a good amount of EPs and Digital in-betweens and i think ADs were from Mappa.
My explanation on how he got under the bed would be that he was still conscious at the time otherwise there's no way she carried him to the building , I think after he lifted the bed and laid there then he fell unconscious
Lupasan said the same thing, I agree 😂 @ 1:03
5:30
I love how they even give us instructions on how to diffuse the situation
its crazy thorfinn probably broke up hundreds of families just like this
Vinland saga is like an eye opening series for me. This anime series has thought me many things that I haven't thought about and some things that I didn't understood.❤
When Ketil learns what happened he's gonna faint. Like he didn't already have the problem with Canute😆
Spoilers
He will beat Arnheid to death. Which is sad
Piano Man like, "I will not stop playing this piano till you motherfuckers cry" 🤣😭
Netflix’s translator is *seriously* showing up Crunchyroll’s… especially these past few episodes.
I've read the Manga I cried and watch the anime and also cried. whoever directed and produced and wrote that beautiful piano score in this masterpiece of an episode will have my respect till the day I die and thanks for the reaction.
Gardar was dying for like 11 mins straight
I'm loving how the anime adds these scenes (Gardar's passing, Einar's family, etc.), it somehow fleshes out the story even more. Like damn, the manga made me disappointed for Arneid' sake that her husband died, but we barely knew him, showed up, caused some mayhem and died.. the anime however....