A brutal original bonus short episode for Vinland Saga season 2 has just been released online, titled ‘Drowning in the Shadow’.
The Vinland Saga series continues to dominate the global anime conversation, with episode 6 seeing Thorfinn and Einar horsing around as they try to create their own farm.
However, the story of Vinland Saga season 2 episode 6 did not actually end with the conclusion of the ending theme song or anime credits.
Studio MAPPA has taken the unusual, but welcomed, step to release a special bonus episode for Vinland Saga season 2, titled ‘Drowning in the Shadow’ – watch here.
Vinland Saga season 2 gets bonus 6.5 short episode
On February 14, the official Studio MAPPA YouTube channel uploaded a special bonus episode for Vinland Saga season 2, titled ‘Drowning in the Shadow’, an original episode not shown in the manga.
Billed as a bonus for episode 6, making it technically season 2 episode 6.5, this short special is just two and a half minutes long and focuses on Thorfinn facing a manifestation of his recent nightmares.
The special opens with a young Thorfinn (as seen in the latter stages of season 1), brutally dispatching a group of attackers with ease on an ablaze battlefield. However, none of these attackers are dressed in armor and each are wielding farm equipment; an axe, pitchfork, and spade.
Unfortunately, this indicates that Thorfinn had to murder a group of farmers as part of his campaign in England with Askeladd; something that had been teased in the early stages of season 2.
After killing the peasants, Thorfinn walks up to a farmhouse and slowly pushes open the door. As the door swings open, an older Thorfinn (as seen in season 2 episode 6) can be seen standing in shock.
The house is pitch black, but we can see an outline of a woman protecting two small children; gripped in fear by Thorfinn – family members of those who he has just killed outside. The youngest child begins to cry softly as the camera slowly pans to Thorfinn, whose eyes are wide open in disbelief at the image he is seeing.
Mangaka Yukimura Makoto would share, “I have watched, episode 6.5! Spectacular Scene! Thorfinn just before he makes a fresh start in his life, shows how he tries to change from the inside by just images without any lines.”
“It is amazing. It seems like he is no longer a child that has gone wild. Then who is he trying to become? He has to reassess everything about himself. He has to face everything that he avoided. They were always at the edge of his sight. Mother and children that were inside the corner of the house frightened by the flames of war. They are the family of the man he never knew, who has just killed.” – Yukimura Makoto, via Twitter.
As of February 14, there are just six episodes left to be broadcast from Vinland Saga season 2:
- Episode 7 – Monday, February 20
- Episode 8 – Monday, February 27
- Episode 9 – Monday, March 6
- Episode 10 – Monday, March 13
- Episode 11 – Monday, March 20
- Episode 12 – Monday, March 27
Season 2 faces ‘Boring’ consequences from casual fans
Whilst the second season of Vinland Saga continues to impress avid fans with its gorgeous storytelling and character development, there is a portion of the community who are disappointed with the anime’s lack of action so far in season 2.
This has even led to the series being called ‘boring’ on social media; despite season 2 technically being the start of the actual Vinland Saga storyline, with the action-packed first season only being a prologue.
Director Shuhei Yabuta would state on his Twitter account, how “Some people might think that the story of this season isn’t suitable for anime series, but I don’t. Certainly, the storytelling is unique. But there is an important phase of the whole story in this season. And I believe it will make this anime special.”
“Showy events will decrease and the pace of the story will slow down. However, the emotions of the characters move more greatly and fiery. I promise that there is a unique experience like no other. I hope you all enjoy season 2!”
By Tom Llewellyn – [email protected]
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Tom Llewellyn
@https://twitter.com/Tom__Llewellyn
Tom Llewellyn is the Head of World Content, Anime, and Comics at HITC Entertainment and also helps oversee all things deemed ‘nerd culture’ at Forever Geek. After gaining a BSc degree in Animal Behaviour, Tom continued his education with a Master’s degree in Science Communication (MSc) and post-graduate research; with his own independent project being published in the Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens in 2021. Since joining GRV Media in early 2020, Tom has amassed over 48 million views on his content and has conducted interviews with various actors and filmmakers from the wonderful world of anime.
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