It’s only natural that anime adaptations will often make some slight changes to their source material, whether that comes from a manga or light novel series. Such is certainly the case with Vinland Saga, the anime Viking epic that follows the tragic story of Thorfinn as he struggles with his place in the world and tries to find his purpose. Recently, we here at ComicBook.com took the opportunity to talk with series creator Makoto Yukimura, as the mangaka broke down some big differences between the original manga and the anime.
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A major difference that Yukimura noted when it came to the recent second season of Vinland Saga’s anime was the “Carve It” poem that was featured in its penultimate episode. The poem, while profound, did not appear in the original manga, with Makoto explaining that the animators at Studio MAPPA were responsible for its creation, “That was actually not my idea. It was a direction that came from the anime production team. It was super cool, don’t you think? By working with the anime team, they contribute their creativity into Vinland Saga. It is beyond myself, and I think the poem is one of those things they contributed.”
Vinland Saga: Manga Vs Anime
Makoto then explained that the anime took a scene that happened later in the manga and included it into the second season. Yukimura praised MAPPA’s animators for the decision while also stating that, if he had the chance, he would go back and make some changes to his manga in accordance, “For example, at the end of season 2, there is a scene where Thorfinn makes a pact. This scene comes before those pacts were done in my manga, and I now somewhat regret doing it that way… Changes like this make me feel really supported by the anime team.”
Currently, MAPPA has yet to confirm that there will be a third season of Vinland Saga’s anime, though the manga has plenty of events and battles that have yet to be adapted for the small screen. With Makoto Yukimura working toward the finale of Vinland Saga’s manga, the anime adaptation might have a bright future ahead of it thanks to the brutal series’ ever-expanding popularity.
Do you prefer Vinland Saga’s manga or its anime? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Thorfinn.
You can currently stream the first two seasons of Vinland Saga on Crunchyroll.
