Farewell, My Odin: Blood, Wolves, and Viking Mayhem in Yoshioka’s Brutal Manga Debut

I just picked up Farewell, My Odin, Chihiro Yoshioka’s savage, full-throttle, blood-splattered English debut—and it kicks the door down like a berserker with an axe and a death wish. We’re in 11th-century England, the kind of place where your neighbors might be monks one day and charred skeletons the next. The skies are grey, the raids are ruthless, and into the chaos stumbles a barefoot, feral little bastard raised by wolves.

That kid? He gets caught chomping on a village cow like it’s his last supper. Instead of a swift execution, the local priest—Father Crowley—goes full compassion mode and baptizes the wild thing, naming him Luke. And for a hot second, Luke gets a taste of peace: warm food, a roof, maybe even a soul. But peace doesn’t last long in this story. Hell no. A white-haired maniac named Einarr and his merry band of Viking psychos show up and turn Luke’s new home into an ashtray.

Flash forward. Luke’s grown a little older, a whole lot meaner, and now he’s packing two wolf sidekicks and one good eye. That other one? On the verge of going blind. So, here’s the hook: he’s got to kill Einarr before that last working eye gives out. And it’s not just revenge. People are starting to whisper that Luke might be Odin in the flesh!

The fight scenes? Pure chaos. Yoshioka channels that Berserk madness—swords whirl, blood sprays, anatomy goes off the rails in the best possible way. And it’s not all just slash-and-scream. Yoshioka’s playing with duality here. Luke’s a savage with a code. Einarr? Cold, calculating, and working under the orders of King Sweyn Forkbeard—a lunatic monarch who gets high on henbane and dishes out death like candy.

What makes this tick isn’t just the carnage—it’s the heart buried under the gore. Luke still clings to something human: his love for Crowley, his bond with his wolves. He can smell fear, lies, and rage—but when he gets close to Einarr? Nothing. No scent. Just a blank. And that freaks him the hell out.

This ain’t just a good guy vs. bad guy bloodbath. It’s two orphaned souls on a collision course, both forged by fire, both hunting something they can’t name.

Vinland Saga fans? You’ll feel right at home. But Farewell, My Odin turns the brutality up to eleven and slips something mythic and unholy into your veins. Luke’s not just a warrior. He’s a question with a blade.

End of Volume 1? Let’s just say the wolves aren’t the only ones howling.

You want a historical fantasy that rips and roars with style? Saddle up. This one bites.