Attack on Titan (Season 2) Series Review

Yet another season of Attack on Titan has come to an end. It was not as eventful as the first one but equally awesome. Even though I always like to nag and complain about everything, in this season we got a lot of hints and interesting revelations, pumping us even more for the upcoming Season 3.

Synopsis

The second season starts with the Female Titan captured and the shit hitting the fan rather quickly after that. We had no unnecessary recaps (they waste valuable screening time). Everything contributed to the actual plot, both flashbacks and events were used to explain what is happening.

The same questions, however, remain: What are these Titans and why do they want to eradicate humanity? Why are there humans that can transform into them? Who is the real enemy and who is behind all this? The main characters, such as Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Reiner, Bertolt etc. are reintroduced into the plot and new threats and enemies come into the spotlight, such as the weird Beast Titan. The whole season is surrounded by the mysterious background of certain characters, and as the story progresses, we learn more and more about their motivations. In other words, I would say that this season is more character- and story-oriented than the actual war against the Titans.

Attack on Titan is a post-apocalyptic, action, dark fantasy anime with elements of drama, mystery, and horror. Especially in this season, drama and mystery prevail since the plot is focused on making the viewer understand more about the main trio, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin, and side characters such as Ymir, Krista, Reiner, Bertolt, Connie, and Potato Girl, what influences them in their decisions and their importance to the plot. Uhm… for all the Levi fans out there (including myself) get ready to be greatly disappointed since his screen time can be counted into less than a minute during the whole season.

Plot & Story

The show has a very engaging storyline. It never lets you down and it is constantly building the suspense as to what is going to happen, regardless of the outcome. Even if some things are easy and obvious to spot, the way that they are being brought into light is absolutely amazing. The director uses effectively elements of narrative, music, timing, body language and character relationships in order to build up the tension. The quality of the story and the way it is executed is top notch. Obviously you have your typical anime clichés here and there, like the hero moments and the confessions, but in general, the plot is very original and exciting and it has interesting characters. Something that I have to mention, which I think is really captivating in the show, is how human the characters are and the intense emotions they show as the story progresses.

Art & Music

The production of the show is really well done. The soundtrack is equally amazing with that of the first season. Voice acting is amazingly performed as always since the novelty of seiyuu is cast in the show. A notable highlight would be the performance of Eren’s voice actor in the last episode. He really brought the character to life. In terms of aesthetic qualities, the animation is really good. The artwork, the detailed character expressions, the sequence and the performance of action is immaculate. You can really tell that the anime had a high budget. Even the limited CGIs are done quite well, which is a real struggle for most shows.

Themes & Trivia

Attack on Titan is a typical example of shonen anime, aimed mostly at boys and young men but still manages to keep its own character. Despite its humorous dialogues and action ‘hero’ moments, it has a very eerie feeling to it, combining horror and violence. In its world, you can spot all kinds of dystopian elements: The poor that live in the outer districts, the middle class that pays the taxes to build up the military, and the rich that have almost no idea about the threat of the Titans. Humanity’s potential extinction with humans living between Walls, caged in fear of being eaten by the Titans and not able to leave the Walls and see the outer world, etc.

Another thing that is very noticeable in Attack on Titan is the representative characters that exist in every action shonen anime. We have Eren, the male protagonist who is secretly a badass but can never do anything alone and has the constant desire to better himself. Mikasa, the actual real badass who doesn’t say much and does all the work, and Armin the side-kick character who is a strategic genius and is always there by Eren’s side dealing with all the shit and coming up with solutions. More characteristics for realizing that Attack on Titan is another shounen anime are the challenges that are being portrayed to the protagonist’s abilities, the skills, his maturity, the austere self-discipline and of course in Eren’s case, the stressing self-perfection, the honorable service to humanity, the need to avenge his family, and the protection of his friends. Also, the non-existent yet cool and awesome technology that they use, in this case, the Maneuver Gear, is another good example that represents the genre.

Comments

As someone who is not following the manga, I have to say that I am quite satisfied with this season. The plot is slow paced for the most part of the show but it’s still intense and dramatic, which in my book, is definitely a plus. And to be honest, I think it gave the fans what they really wanted. After 4 years of waiting it made us feel like the first season was released yesterday. But what really bothered me, and I guess the whole fandom, was the length of the series. It was a real slap in the face only having 12 episodes, although I guess it’s better to have quality than quantity.

Was it worth the hype?

Plus:

Well written scripts and original plot
Interesting character development
Stunning visuals with attention to detail
Gives an Intense element of fear and uneasiness
Commander’s Erwin badassery

Minus:

Some episodes were really slow paced
The drop of dynamic in the continuity of the plot after Episode 6
Eren’s stupid reactions to everything
Levi’s screen time (I will never let this go. NEVAH!)

Apart from all the pros and cons, Attack on Titan is an entertaining series. The cliff-hangers, the plot twists, the inappropriate humor, the epic battles and even the violence of the show never fail to keep your attention. Overall, it is a thrilling experience to watch this anime, which is something really hard to find nowadays. Anyone who gives it a shot will be pleasantly surprised that an anime this mainstream can actually give such good plot, content, and adhere to higher standards.

So was it worth the hype? Definitely a yes!! What did you guys think about this season? Feel free to comment down below and let me know your opinion. Keep it spoiler-free though!

Let’s wait for season 3 guys! SHINZOU SASAGEYO!!