Vinland Saga 1x18 Reaction Extended (YT link below)
Added 2022-09-26 16:06:06 +0000 UTCIn Vinland Saga episode 1x18, Out of the Cradle, Canute finds God and decides to create his own paradise on earth, which never went wrong for anyone ever.
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I've always interpreted it precisely like this. He sees that there's some truth in Willibald's religious nihilism, but arrives at a philosophy that can accept those truths while rejecting the idea that things are so simple and so hopeless, and that humans are incapable of love. Basically Willibald's philosophy goes way too far and is way too big-picture focused and is absolutely something of an excuse he uses to cope with a a brutal world (it's not a coincidence that he's also something of an alcoholic, he's coping in a lot of ways that aren't particularly good for him), so while that philosophy opens Canute's eyes to some harsh truths about life and the complexity and moral ambiguity that typically exists in love, it also ends up giving him the drive to crystallize his own point of view, refusing the idea that even God (who may not even exist for all anyone knows) could truly rob humanity of all hope and all love and all... "goodness", for lack of a better term in the moment. You could say that while it's a fine line to walk and influences Canute in a VERY complex way, he's rejecting every philosophy of the time (and Willibald's, which takes some Christian ideas to a very extreme place, but a lot of Christian-based philosophies were historically pretty wild and a lot of them are still pretty wild even now), and now he is consciously following a path that rejects all simple/black-and-white/"easy" answers. Or at least that's what I've gotten from it. I've been a manga reader for a very long time and but I don't think anything I've said is being colored by information anime-onlies don't have yet, this was basically how I interpreted it when this chapter released, and I still stand by that, but since it is true that I have information a lot of people might not, it's possible my interpretation is biased, so I felt it was important to at least bring that up. In general Canute is one of the most complex characters and there are a lot of ways to interpret him that I think are pretty valid.
K. Unknown
2022-09-30 10:16:38 +0000 UTCFuck yeah, I caught up with the Goodwin reactions. I’ve missed this, had to try to watch VS before catching up.
Chris Sharpe
2022-09-28 18:24:54 +0000 UTCIdk if I'm eloquent enough to put Canute's awakening into words, but he's for sure rejecting the priest's interpretation of life, that humans are incapable of loving as God intended but are told to do so regardless, and our entire existence is meaningless and loveless, suffering leading all the way up to death, where we actually achieve perfection. The priest's philosophy is narrow and allows him to shift responsibility off of himself and humankind--what we were put on earth to achieve is impossible, so all we can do right is die, basically. Canute says, what's the point in a cruel game like that? If that's the plan God has for humanity, Canute has no need for it. Despite what the priest tells him, Canute believes in Ragnar's love for him. It's a flawed love, for sure, but he has more belief in mankind than he interprets God to have, and that drives him to want to lead others to seek meaning, and love, potentially. His talk of creating paradise is really just him choosing to have agency in how he conduct his life, seeking betterment rather than just waiting for death because "it doesn't matter anyway". Idk, could be wrong, that's just how I internalized this whole sequence.
Musicisum
2022-09-27 17:24:52 +0000 UTCI would argue the first clear picture you get is episode 2. Thors grabs the knife and tells Thorfinn that he doesn’t have any enemies, no one does. There is no one it is ok to kill. A true warrior doesn’t need a sword
Rudy Strother
2022-09-27 09:23:44 +0000 UTCWhat the priest is saying from my interpretation is God’s overall which he represented as death happens to all good and evil alike… Also the sun, rain…the sun shines on good and evil alike, it rains on good and evil alike…there is not discrimination, based on relationship ties…pure love… But the priest didn’t go far enough…to give or show balance in the connectivity of universal laws….give balance to the overall picture. Because, below the law of pure love is the law of karma, what goes around comes around…which works in concert of the law of pure look… Again, this give a bit of balance to the overall picture….
Chris
2022-09-27 07:46:28 +0000 UTCWhile it's pretty easy to get caught up in the whole "what is love?" (baby don't hurt me xdd) dilemma that the priest gave us, the viewer; and Canute. I think what's ultimately more important to take away from this episode is Canute's rejection of God, and the pursuit of the Lord's salvation and his glory, in order to pursue his own salvation and glory on earth.
NotJustEngineering
2022-09-27 00:24:39 +0000 UTCVinland Saga has a very specific philosophy of life and this is the first episode where you get a clear picture of what the series its all about. Its just the beginning however, the prince had an epiphany, but this is only the beginning.
Sh3nx
2022-09-26 23:41:02 +0000 UTC“Thors was nothing, but also the best. The greatest of everyone,” “I don’t want Thorkell to die though. I would like him to be around forever. He’s just so entertaining,” “Is that you, Mommy?” “Someone doesn’t recognize a dream sequence when they’re in it,” “There are certain circumstances, where as painful as it feels, you have to separate your love for the person from your relationship with the person,” “Is he talking to Canute or the booze? Neither would surprise me,” “Drunk priest, at your service. I will go wherever I am required. What is the meaning of love?” “The existence of weaker elements in a loving relationship don’t diminish the beautiful elements of it,” “The sum of everything that exists is beautiful, including the terrible things. In a way, how could it not be?” “Small sacrifices allow for greater potential,” “It’s counterproductive to be denying an essential element of your own reality if your goal is to pursue reality,” “We don’t know what it means to be a warrior, but we know it’s not talking philosophy,” (the whole channel and its viewers are doomed) “You know it’s serious when he drops the liquor,” “Your battles have no meaning unless I tell you to battle,”
Geneva The Weeba
2022-09-26 23:09:01 +0000 UTCBlind, universal, essentially mean the same thing in this context.
jhāna
2022-09-26 23:08:41 +0000 UTCIn other words, love is blind.
jhāna
2022-09-26 23:07:34 +0000 UTCIt’s more that true love is universal. You should love all equally for it to be true love. The priest argues that love itself must be universal for it to be true love, otherwise you’re discriminating against others.
Goob
2022-09-26 23:01:01 +0000 UTCdope, thanks. i havent watched any of the recent vids bc i haven't seen the anime.
Samuel Phan Le
2022-09-26 22:08:42 +0000 UTCThe funniest scene in this anime is next episode (i hope/think) also i'm not at all religious so idk what the characters are yammering on about and of course the replies that are explaining it make it make sense so no issues there
Brimmy
2022-09-26 20:57:39 +0000 UTCWell I suppose that was last week when he said that, so I’m not sure if he’s finished his traveling but either way I’d say expect the reaction either this weekend or next week probably
Jake White
2022-09-26 20:13:12 +0000 UTCYes he’s answered this in multiple places before but to recap: he’s busy traveling this week and will get the reaction for the movie out as soon as he can sometime in the next 2 weeks
Jake White
2022-09-26 20:11:42 +0000 UTCGonna have to watch this episode back, to better comprehend the priests explanation. As of now, my takeaway is that love is blind.
jhāna
2022-09-26 18:52:09 +0000 UTChey alex, any plans on watching the jjk movie ? ik it's out on crunchyroll but idk what else
Samuel Phan Le
2022-09-26 18:27:58 +0000 UTCI don't think you understood the meaning of what changed Canute, it's not about seeing the bigger picture or all the stuff you talked about. First it starts with the "love" thing, he believed Ragnar loved him, he believe God loved him and that the trials he set for mankind where right, he believed there is pure love in life (you might remember Canute saying "Every father loves their son" in a previous episode and screaming at the priest for insinuating that the Father (God) does not love them). All that mixed with Ragnar's way of raising him made him how we've seen him all season but Ragnar dying left him with only his beliefs keeping him there, but then the whole meaning of life and love he got now changed that, he now no longer has someone to lean on and make decisions for him, and he has no belief in all the previous preconceived ideas of grand meaning and love by God. What Ragnar felt for him wasn't "love" but discrimination according to the priest because he took care of him in particular but left other people to die, his love was conditional and only toward one person and not the others, the priest then calls true love in death, a dead person will not hurt, will give without complain, never harm anyone. His ideology is basically seeing existence as suffering and the only good and love comes after death when the person's soul goes to the creator and his body on earth becomes a source of good for the earth and its people. The important part now is what Canute does next, Canute then says "Father in the sky, is there a way to end the suffering for your punishement other than death" and weither existance is only made to "be tested and endure", "this man's soul cannot be saved through the trials you set for him", "Father I no longer seek your salvation". Basically Canute doesn't agree with the way meaning is given through suffering and being tested and the only love we get is after death. Canute's change of character comes from his change of ideology and outlook on life from his naive "there is love everywhere and God is doing everything for our good" to "we cannot experience love in the way God made this world", the previous outlook made him a passive person who never takes responsability since everything goes the way God intented and God wants the good for people, but the second outlooks makes him see the meaninglessnes of everything and that the way things are isn't the good way and that if nothing is done nothing can change, and him being a prince in a position that could make him take the throne of the next big empire and all the situation in the world at that time he realizes he can make the change and "turn this world into a paradize" were love exist and there is meaning to everything. The way the show presents these philosophical and ideological ideas is really well done since it matches the outlook of life of 11th century people with ideologies mixing Pagan norse myths and ideologies and early adoption of christianism in the region
Jonas
2022-09-26 18:20:33 +0000 UTCMany casual reactors get upset by the priest's conversation as they think the SHOW is trying to argue the theme of death being the essence of love, but in reality, it’s just one of the many opinions shared by the characters. Furthermore many people somehow misinterpret this as Canute turning to God when in reality it is Canute’s rejection of God, ultimately making his conflict a Man Vs Creator scenario. I’m very glad (but not surprised) that you really understood the conversation between Willibald and Canute. Canute’s religious epiphany that HE must be the one to bring change and bring love to the world is his own belief. And as you said in the description, becoming so caught up in your own belief of how the world works that you feel it’s the best for everyone can be very, very dangerous. There are a bunch of amazing comparisons to be drawn between Canute and Thors. Thors felt it was never just to draw a blade, even if it meant his death. Meanwhile, Canute states that he will “give meaning” to the battles of his vassals showing that he isn’t a pacifist like Thors is. Looking forward to 1x19, as it’s an amazing companion episode to this one.
Goob
2022-09-26 16:43:47 +0000 UTC
