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REVIEW: Attack on Titan: Before the Fall Novel 2




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residentgrigo



Joined: 23 Dec 2007
Posts: 2398
Location: Germany
PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2015 5:18 pm Reply with quote
Here is my MU/amazon review for the direct manga adaptation:

The best version of the mythos (9/10)

The Attack on Titan franchise is a runaway train by now and why not as it is a breath of fresh borderline seinen air in the dead waste of modern shonen Action but i fear that it is the wrong version of the tale that is getting all of the attention. Before the Fall has the better art even if the main manga (8/10) has established it´s style after a bit of stumbling. There is no Levi to be had here (why was his short prequel so forgettable?) as he is the best part of the entire franchise after all but Kuklo is borderline the same character so i am cool.
Isn´t it awesome that his love interest Sharle actually get´s to do stuff and show strength even if she doesn´t joining the battlefield. Why can´t more high born future girlfriends be more like her in the field of shonen? I also like that the story keeps the Titan´s danger very real as they lost their mystic a bit too early on in the "sequel" as sudden death became less of an obstacle too fast.The straightforward nature of the tale is also welcomed and i feel that i am reading something that is moving along all the necessary steps without missing a beat or overstaying it´s well come. The human danger is very real too and this Version has frank depiction of torture too. I look forward to it´s unenviable OVA adaptation but animating Sharle´s elaborate hair will be a real challenge and can i have a Claymore season 2 in my future too as (the comparable) manga stayed strong till the end and a worthy Berserk adaptation is obviously a must.
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Lostlorn Forest



Joined: 03 Apr 2014
Posts: 544
Location: USA
PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2015 6:27 pm Reply with quote
The spin-offs are pure crap, I get bored reading them. Anything that supports the series though is always welcome even if it isn't the best (I'm looking at you, dub).
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11288
PostPosted: Fri May 29, 2015 7:54 pm Reply with quote
Silverman wrote:
While readers who are well-versed in Hajime Isayama's increasingly large story will find plenty of tidbits that will enhance their enjoyment of the franchise – particularly those who read the first of Suzukaze's novels – the book is strong enough to stand on its own...

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like the least you could do is to mention the author's full name within the review itself, and identify them as such, instead of leaving it for the production credits section. It would be different if the article title included a byline, but I get the feeling I'm expected to already know who "Suzukaze" is, even though the review seems to be written with people unfamiliar with the novels in mind.
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sim0n2170



Joined: 15 Jan 2013
Posts: 153
PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 3:07 am Reply with quote
Lostlorn Forest wrote:
The spin-offs are pure crap, I get bored reading them. Anything that supports the series though is always welcome even if it isn't the best (I'm looking at you, dub).


A choice with no regrets was pretty good though.
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Ryusui



Joined: 22 Jun 2004
Posts: 461
PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 4:24 am Reply with quote
Am I the only one who thinks "Kuklo" is a translation screwup?

The pronunciation "Kyuklo" suggests it's meant to be short for "Kyukuropesu" - the Japanese pronunciation of the Greek "Cyclopes." So "Cyclo" is likely what was intended.
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jr240483



Joined: 24 Dec 2005
Posts: 4367
Location: New York City,New York,USA
PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 4:38 am Reply with quote
Lostlorn Forest wrote:
The spin-offs are pure crap, I get bored reading them. Anything that supports the series though is always welcome even if it isn't the best (I'm looking at you, dub).


i wouldnt say that. while the junior high school spinoff is completely stupid and should be avoided at all costs, i liked the prequel stories before the fall and no regrets.and a lot of others as well which is why there doing an OVA of no regrets and its only a matter of time before the same will happen to before the fall.
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Princess_Irene
ANN Reviewer


Joined: 16 Dec 2008
Posts: 2597
Location: The castle beyond the Goblin City
PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 7:23 am Reply with quote
Ryusui wrote:
Am I the only one who thinks "Kuklo" is a translation screwup?

The pronunciation "Kyuklo" suggests it's meant to be short for "Kyukuropesu" - the Japanese pronunciation of the Greek "Cyclopes." So "Cyclo" is likely what was intended.


The Encyclopedia originally had it as "Kyklo," so I think there's just general disagreement over the romanization. But I agree, "Kyuklo" would have made much more sense.

@Gina Szanboti

Fair point - that was an oversight on my part, especially since I think Ryo Suzukaze is a better author in general than Hajime Isayama.
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residentgrigo



Joined: 23 Dec 2007
Posts: 2398
Location: Germany
PostPosted: Sat May 30, 2015 8:14 am Reply with quote
Jep Suzukaze is way better with characterization as stated in my review as the main series excelled at that during the first story arc and then all but Levi became determined (genderless) men on a mission. Nothing against the current story arc but i used to care about more then that aspect a few years ago. The villains are interesting though. Suzukaze´s first works are generic tie-in washouts so it is nice to see that he managed to unleash his talents in this somewhat weird avenue.

The 2 (!) Titan high-school comedies are utter trash. The one decent such offering is the Naruto spin off. Berserk Babies when?
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