Details: Season two aired in 2017. Twelve episodes this season.
“Eren.”
The first season of Attack on Titans was one of the most popular, successful anime’s in recent memory. Season two succeeds in continuing the hype, the horror, and the violent gratification that started in season one. No spoilers as usual.
Attack on Titan takes place in a world where large, human looking giants (called titans) attack and eat humans who hide and live in enormous, walled cities. In season one, our story centered on a boy (named Eren) from a city attacked by titans. Eren joins the military in the hopes of fighting and defeating the titans. Season two picks up where season one left off as Eren and the rest of the military continue trying to learn about and defeat the titans.
I’ve actually read through the manga before and, even still, loved this season. Unlike mangas like Naruto or One Piece, the anime is leagues above what you’d find in the manga. The pacing, art, and presentation are all largely lacking in the manga, so much so that I usually recommend people avoid the manga and just watch the anime.
The animation in the anime is some of the best I’ve ever seen. A common trend in Japanese animation is the use of computer generated images (CGI). The grand majority of computer generated images I’ve seen in anime has been pretty abysmal. Attack on Titans is the one example of where CGI is used correctly. They only use CGI for object in the background and animate the foreground and everything else. In my opinion, this is the correct way to use the technology which is to use it in a way that is minimally noticeable.
The story is also paced and presented in ways that really help build the tension. Despite knowing the overall progression of the story, I was still entertained and surprised by what happened in the anime. They added some small scenes, emphasized other scenes not emphasized in the manga, and generally told a story that was much more meaningful than what I found in the manga, even though the manga and anime were basically telling the same story.
The music is also great and the opening theme and sequence in season two is just as ridiculous and hype building as the title sequences in season one. Voice acting is also great, though I wish Mikasa would say some words other than “Eren.”
Overall, I loved this series and recommend anyone who enjoys anime to give it a watch. It is very gory though so if you are faint of heart, you may want to avoid it. Those with a stronger stomach should embrace the gore and enjoy one of the best anime of the last few years.
Score: 8.5/10
Muse Bank 