RIP Vinland Saga

I started Vinland Saga because a friend tossed it as a fun recommendation.  They know I enjoy historical fiction, gritty characters, and good animation, so it seemed like a solid bet. Plus, it’s animated by WIT Studio. If you’ve seen Attack on Titan, you already know they do not miss when it comes to visuals. The world-building was great, the English dub was fantastic, and it was easy to have on while I was drawing.

It was a vibe.

And then... episode 17 happened.

I don't even know how to explain it. I was cruising along, enjoying suspense, when suddenly, carnage. I can handle brutal fights. I can handle ridiculous amounts of anime blood. But the way they killed the horses was violent and over-the-top gruesome. I didn't even finish the scene. I turned the episode off immediately.

Now, I've watched JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. If you know JoJo, you know that show puts animals through some real suffering. And it hurts. Every single time. But those moments at least feel like they serve a purpose. In Vinland Saga, this just felt like violence for the sake of being as graphic as possible. I didn't need the extra level of eyes popping out just for shock value.

I'm not saying it’s a bad show. It's well-made, and I totally get why people love it. But it crossed a line for me, and I just can't watch an anime that's going to drop something like that on me randomly.

As for my 100 Anime Challenge, Vinland Saga still counts since I made it past my six-episode rule. The challenge is not about finishing every show, just giving them a fair shot. When I get closer to the end, I might add something extra to balance things out, maybe a movie, but Vinland Saga stays on the list, at least for now.

Have you ever dropped an anime over a single scene? What made you nope out of a series? Let me know in Discord!