Compelling plot? Check.

Dynamic characters? Check

Fleshed out main and secondary characters? Check

Arguably the best manga of all time? Check

If you have any doubts about this manga, throw them away. I would suggest reading the manga over the anime(which is also good)because the source material has more details and is put together better.

I really enjoyed every page.

Clearly one of the best, more mature and developed mangas there is! the art!!! every panel has so much input it hurts!!

Character development is profund, intrincate, layered and realistic!

The whole story has an impecable historical setting with lots of cool references. Lastly battles are as good and bloody as it gets!! if you liked mangas in the vein of Berserk, Historie or Vagabond dont think it twice!

(also, just to be clear, imho this manga has a lot of points in common with berserk, a tragic main character, a party journey in a huge world, extremly detailded artwork, extremly bloody battles, scarce comedy relief... not fantasy though, and main character motivations are diferent, but i can see why people who like one of them would definitly like the other)

... Last updated on February 6th, 2018, 11:38pm

I don't understand why people relate this series to Berserk, Vagabond maybe but not Berserk. Berserk's headline is a fight between monsters and humans. This is not the case with VS, which headline the journey of Thorfin, a Viking boy who's seeking a mean to his life after his father was killed in front of his very eyes.

Naturally, gore scenes is plenty on VS early on, because of the rough life style of the vikings, but there's more depth to it. While it's true that the viking lives from one battles to another, this series also shows that there are those who fights with wits among them. This made VS shows more than just gore from one chapter to another, but also tactical maneuvers.

VS then made brave turn, when Thorfin lost his revenge target and went into a slump. The author showed that he intended VS to be a whole story, not just a simple war seeking Viking lifestyle, but instead the Story of Vinland itself. And because we have yet to see the actual Vinland, it is safe to say that this series, as of the time this review was written, is still far from over.

... Last updated on March 7th, 2016, 3:29am

I do not see why people compare it to Berserk. Berserk became extremely shallow and it was being milked by extending the number of volumes and not getting anywhere for a very long time. It just kept repeating the same shallow formula over and over.

For the people who complain about the farming arcs, Seriously go reading berserk if you want constant fighting. It only adds to the manga quality.

It goes on full retard on volume 16 (The hunter and the hunted) with just absurdity (circular saw?) and full on feminism. It seemed to be heading that way for the last few volume, but still. Hope this arc finishes soon.

This is not Berserk. Nothing like Berserk. This has a lot of depth and intrigue. Only problem, I do believe it gets released once a month. Maybe one should wait until it is finished before reading ^_^

... Last updated on August 16th, 2015, 10:01pm

So to be straight to the point, if you favorite series include the likes of Naruto, Bleach Fairy Tail, or mainstream Shounen, there is a fair possibility you will not enjoy this series.

If your favorite series are Ecchi or Comedy based, there's a high possibility that this series will just be meh for you.

But if your favorites include the likes of Vagabond, Berserk, Ubel Blatt or Wolfsmund, you will most likely enjoy this series a great deal.

It is not as action packed as the aforementioned series but is not without it's battles scenes. Without spoiling, thus far in the manga, there are 3 distinct periods in the series, the 3rd being relatively new on the block. This is a story about 1 man's development primarily, but later molds into that man's quest and desire.

It's a tale of revenge and repentance in one taking place in the early 1000's. There are many complex factors to this series. But please do yourself a favor and begin reading this.

I normally wont bother with ratings, and they generally tend to annoy me whenever I read them, People writing what is just opinion but, is spelled out as if it were fact always gets me. I will say that I think that the story is excellent regardless of preference, I liked the the way it was told and the amount of depth in many aspects of the story to say the least. I feel that is always important to see and decide for yourself whether you will like something or not. Instead of believing what is only someone's opinion which is faultless ignorance it is better to know, and decide for yourself. In my opinion the story is at the least worth a glance. I feel that its is by no means a superficial story only interested in characters that look cool, but an earnest read to say the least.

... Last updated on February 21st, 2014, 9:46am

It's a real story of vengeance...by a boy. The characters hold true to their personalities. They make choices different from the other and see the world in very different perspectives too. The topics discussed in the manga are emotional, interesting, and realistic. What is a true warrior? Where is a land without war and slaves? Is there love among us? It does so without being cheesy; this isn't some sort of shounen story talking about the power of love and friendship. This manga isn't about preaching, but showing. I cannot tell you exactly what VS is about. Right now, it's moving to a different direction because it's a dynamic story like that. The first half of the story had been resolved and we're about to move on to something else - something bigger.

The topic that the mangaka works with is not a new one. People have told stories about the greatness of having raw physical strength, and many have also criticized how this force, to get your way, is not real strength. The main character, Thorfinn, believes in using his physical abilities and using his anger to fuel it. When the anger dies out he loses what he once lived to do. He questions his actions and the world he lives in, and thus begins his transformation.

The manga is overall, strong. The personalities of the characters are well presented and you're well introduced to the world. It's not without blemishes though. The mangaka too quickly, too sloppily, forced some of his characters to undergo their changes. The suddenness is questionable and could have been avoided. Still, the mangaka tells this story well, and it's worth a read.

I don't look forward to manga's next chapter. I've never really gotten attached to the characters, but I am curious about how thorfinn will grow. It's too bad. The story just falls short by a bit.

The authors debut work Planetes was nearly perfect (the anime is sadly inferior) and this phenomenal follow-up is recommended to all fans of Berserk (10/10) / Historie (10/10) and historical fiction that can only be found on channels as HBO or European comics. The first volume is slightly uneven (it started as a shounen series) but is full of promise and soon becomes a captivating drama about revenge, slavery, the price of freedom and overcoming the past. The mature tag isn´t only earned through unflinching violence but also repents the deep psychological anguish some of the leading characters go through. Not that the series can be described as a string of misery. Far from it. The moody art is also about as good as it gets within a monthly deadline.

The reviewers below may complain about the slow pacing of the farmlands arc and I understand but don´t agree. The slow pace was needed to properly show the mundane insignificance of the life of a slave and chanbara classics as Kamui Gaiden and Vagabond further featured such arc which all managed to capture their respective protagonist´s inner turmoil rather well. The series kicked back into a higher gear later and delivered the best volumes jet while introducing noteworthy female presence into the epic, so get reading already and find out what this high praised masterpiece is all about.
The recent and comparable Wolfsmund (9/10) is a must too and I also reviewed it.

... Last updated on September 25th, 2019, 10:36am