English Dub Review: Vinland Saga: “Home”

Overview: Alongside Einar (Ian Sinclair) and Leif (John Swasey), Thorfinn (Mike Haimoto) returns home to Iceland. His long-awaited reunion with his family brings about challenges and many heartbreaking feelings. 

Our Take:

Through all the tragedy and existential crisis’ on Ketil’s farm, the finale takes a softer, gentler approach to Thorfinn’s family reunion. However, soft and gentle are not the words to describe his sister, Ylva, who is anything but. The passage of time runs deep in how unrecognizable he is to her and many of the villagers. It makes her belligerence charming when she believes Thorfinn is scamming Leif and even more so after learning the truth. Bugeyes plays a nice role as he offers an orphan’s point of view. He opens Thorfinn’s eyes to how fortunate he is and grateful he should be, emotionally quelling any trepidations surrounding confronting his family. 

However, Ylva’s lack of memory makes their mother’s instantaneous recognition of him all the more powerful as a result. It’s tearjerking how much Helga sees Thors within him, not caring that he left anymore, just that he’s here now. There are other sweet moments with his extended family like how playful Thorfinn is with his nephews or Ari’s compassion over Thor’s death. 

When Thorfinn does reveal his horrific past, Helga’s compassion is refreshing in her deep-seated understanding of the adversities associated with war and the need for a safe haven. Everyone else’s reactions, however, are relatively tame and agreeable, so much so that it’s kind of weird. While it’s sweet how onboard everyone is, a lack of discussion surrounding Thorfinn’s past makes their response a bit odd. 

Thors has been such an instrumental part in Thorfinn’s spiritual journey. His understanding of the lessons his father tried to impart on him is a heartwarming crescendo on his journey. With Leif helping Thorfinn and Einar, there is a sense of hope in their expedition across the sea. The scale of Vinland’s promise is immense in how many people it’s touched, whether directly or not, and a  beautiful final note as their voyage begins.