US Distributor: Funimation
Production Studio: Wit Studio
Was this provided by the publisher? Yes
More Info: Anime News Network
Notice: The review contains spoilers for Attack on Titan, reader discretion is advised.
After the struggle to reclaim Trost from the Titans, Eren is pulled before a military tribunal. While his actions in battle saved many, Eren’s ability to turn into a Titan sparked fear and distrust into the hearts of the population. In order to placate the masses and aid in the efforts to reclaim the lands lost to the Titans, Eren is assigned to the Scouting Regiment.
With his new comrades, Eren is tasked with setting up an outpost in the area behind the destroyed Wall Maria. The appearance of a new titan, known only as the Female Titan, changes everything. Unlike the other Titans that the group faced, the Female Titan is cunning. She plans and adapts, and proves to be a challenge the likes of which is unknown to humanity. She attacks the unit, and puts the entire Scouting Regiment in jeopardy. To defeat this menace, Eren must discover the identity of this mysterious being, while coming to grips with his own new abilities.
The second half of Attack on Titan, which encompasses episodes 14 through 25, is a marked improvement over the first half of the series. More attention is given to the cast, the pacing is evened out, and the amount of on-screen action is ramped up significantly.
Though the series slows a bit during the “Eve of the Counterattack” arc, it feels deliberate. The arc delivers a proper introduction to the Scout Regiment, while offering new information on the Titans, themselves.
The appearance of the Female Titan and the rush to discover her identity prove to be the major focus of this half. her very presence creates a sense of terror that can’t be matched by the mindless hordes shown in other skirmishes. Her ability to plan and adapt creates a constant tension that continues to build through the arc.
The second half of Attack on Titan which encompasses episodes 14 thru 25 is an improvement over the first half of the series in just about every way possible. This is accomplished by bringing more attention to the cast, improving the pacing, and also increasing the amount of action on screen.
The appearance of the Female Titan and the path to discovering her identity is major focus of the second half of the series and this is also where the story reaches its zenith. The titans themselves are menacing acting strictly on instinct alone, but a Titan that can think and react to those around her makes for antagonist that is more than just a mindless mob and something much more terrifying. The pacing issues from the first half of the series are gone and the pacing improves to such that much more balanced then before. The pacing during the “Eve of the Counterattack” arc is slower than other two arcs “57th expedition beyond the walls” and “raid on Stohess district”, but this allows the series to not only introduce the Scout Regiment but also gives the audience more information about the Titans.
The writing is only helped by truly marvelous character development, which ramps up in this second half. Eren, who was originally introduced as a screaming idealist, grows into a man truly hardened by the horrors of war. Armin develops from a simpering coward into a skilled and steeled tactician, and Sasha, well… Sasha remains Sasha. For the most part, though, the cast members really grow and evolve outside of their archetypes, into likable, unique individuals.
Visually, Attack on Titan continues to shine brightly, especially during battle scenes. As the stakes continue to rise, these segments only get more lush and elaborate. Animation stills do continue to pop up, though they become less frequent as the show progresses.
The writing for the series reaches its apex when it comes to character development. Eren gets most of the development and is no longer the screaming idealist that he was in the beginning but instead to someone hardened by the horrors of combat. Other characters get adequate development and become more than just their normal archetypes. As this half of the series is more action packed the animation quality continues to shine during the battle scenes as they become larger and more elaborate. Animation stills continue to be used but are less frequent as the episodes progress.
The new opening, “Jiyū no Tsubasa” by Linked Horizon, is a strong orchestral rock piece that, while not as impactful as the first intro, still proves to be a great song. The new ending, “Great Escape” by Cinema Staff, is a fantastic rock song that fits the series like a glove.
FUNimation’s dub for Attack on Titan continues to shine as one of the company’s strongest. This proves to be especially true with some of the characters introduced in later episodes. The most notable roles, though, would have to be Matthew Mercer, who voices Levi, and Jessica Calvello, who plays Hange. Calvello nails Hange’s offbeat personality and tone, and provides a performance that matches her original Japanese counterpart. Returning cast members prove to be equally fantastic, and come together with the newcomers to provide a performance that matches, if not exceeds, that of the Japanese dub.
The on-disc extras in the release are plentiful, and include numerous goodies that any Attack on Titan fan would be thrilled to watch. This includes commentaries on episodes 14 and 25, the remaining Chibi Theater episodes, an eyecatch gallery, textless openings and closings, and the American trailer for the show.
Possibly the biggest extra for the set, which is exclusive to Blu-Ray, is “Attack on Titan at Anime Expo.” The 16-minute video features an interview with George Wada, who produced the series, from the 2013 Anime Expo. It includes a combination of segments from his Anime Expo 2013 panel with a private interview that goes over his career, as well as his work on Attack on Titan.
The second half of Attack on Titan takes the elements that made the first half so remarkable, and improves upon them in every way. While the few minor issues in the first half do bring down the show as a whole, the overall product is still incredibly solid, with a strong dub, gorgeous action scenes, and a gaggle of extras that simply shouldn’t be missed.
