Vinland Saga

This historical manga portrays the way of life of the Vikings in and around northern Europe in the early 11th century. Thorffin, the hero, travels to find Vinland, the promised land of rest and fertility, while spending his life on the battlefield. Will the war ever end? Will the days of rest ever come? This manga gathers together the threads of a true warrior’s story.

This is a coming-of-age adventure tale about a boy’s attempt to avenge his father, who was killed by Vikings. The setting of the story, which may be unfamiliar to Japanese readers, is Northern Europe in the 11th century—a time when the Vikings were pillaging neighboring countries and massacring their inhabitants. One of the great skills of the author is to portray the various characters very attractively. While presenting the world of bloody combat, the author also excels in conveying to readers human love and the value of life. The power struggle around the second prince of Denmark drives the story to higher levels and produces a spectacular historical drama. It is the first “Royal Road Manga” in quite a while, and promises tantalizing future developments.