Sometimes you can see things coming together in a clear where, which is often nice compared to some of the shocks that come out of nowhere. Makoto Yukimura, who created Planetes and has been working recently on a series called Vinland Saga, is gearing up for an announecment of some sort soon. We often get announcements via new releases of manga compilations in Japan with some hints and teases beforehand, and the potential for this series to make the leap from manga to anime is pretty strong. The series is one that is cutting it a little close for Kodansha standards of being adapted in North America as it has twelve volumes out in Japan since its launch in 2005, but they’re compensating by going with a somewhat prestige route for it, bringing it out in hardcover omnibus form so you can get the first two volumes at once. And while Yukimura may not have a huge following here, the packaging draws the eye and the fans are vocal.
Kodansha has seen some good things lately with their manga adaptations into anime, and seeing just what happened with Attack on Titan this year means they know that there’s a strong draw for fans at the moment for more than just the school girl comedies we’ve largely been getting. Though a full on push towards a lot more serious material isn’t going to happen, a series like Vinland Saga is prime for them to try and get animated, especially since it has the potential to go wider overseas in multiple territories and it’s also something that can be utilized in life action form as well.
While the serialized version in Afternoon is teasing the announcement to come, it is just that, a tease. But based on what’s been going on, an anime adaptation is something that you can easily see happening – and with a strong, talented creative team behind it as well to make it into the Next Big Thing for 2015.
Series concept: As a child, Thorfinn sat at the feet of the great Leif Ericson and thrilled to wild tales of a land far to the west, but his youthful fantasies were shattered by a mercenary raid. Raised by the Vikings who murdered his family, Thorfinn became a terrifying warrior, forever seeking to kill the band’s leader, Askeladd, and avenge his father.
Sustaining Thorfinn through his ordeal are his pride in his family and his dreams of a fertile westward land, a land without war or slavery… the land Leif called Vinland.
[Source: Crunchyroll]
