Makoto Yukimura’s Vinland Saga manga is undoubtedly one of the most new hyped titles coming up this year. And now, the anime’s staff revealed a brand new trailer for series, as well as a new key visual. This will serve as the very first PV for Vinland Saga, while the visual serves as the second one.

Inuyashiki’s Shuhei Yabuta is directing the upcoming anime over at WiT Studio, the same studio behind Attack on Titan. Takahiko Abiru, who worked on Hunter x Hunter as an animation director, will be the character designer, while Hiroshi Seko and Kenta Ihara are writing the scripts.

Set in Dark Ages Europe, at the height of the Viking conquests, the series follows Thorfinn, an aspiring Viking warrior. He’s the son of a great Viking, and is loosely based on the historical personage of early Vinland explorer Thorfinn Karlsefni. However, the the mercenary leader Askeladd killed his father, so he joins his band to exact revenge. But then, things get complicated as a war for England’s throne descends into chaos. The story draws elements from historical accounts of the period such as The Flateyjarbók, The Saga of the Greenlanders and The Saga of Eric the Red. The manga also gained a reputation for being brutal and violent, much like the actual Vikings. Aside from that, the series also won several awards, including 36th Kodansha Manga Award for Best General Manga in 2012.

The anime will premiere sometime later this year. It will star Shizuka Ishigami as young Thorfinn, Yuuto Uemura as adult Thorfinn, and Kenichirou Matsuda as Thors.

source: Comic Natalie