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EP. REVIEW: Attack on Titan


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PostPosted: Sat Apr 08, 2017 8:16 pm Reply with quote
Uwahh, this second season is seriously grim compared to the first - without all of the bravado and triumph of Eren's furious entrance into the scouting legion, it's just a lot of people getting ate. Levi being out of commission and the spoiler[second strongest getting iced right off the top] certainly don't help either. spoiler[ The way the scene Sasha stumbled onto was set up was uniquely horrifying: having the titan be small enough that a group of able-bodied people would be able to deal with it really emphasized the inhumanity of it opportunistically preying on an abandoned cripple and her child. Also just the visual juxtaposition of a titan comfortably hunched over in someone's living room, like it's a houseguest over for dinner...eughhhh.]

Also, the review mentions it was feasting on a "corpse", but spoiler[that mother was most certainly being eaten alive. ]
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James_Beckett
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Joined: 23 Nov 2015
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 08, 2017 8:19 pm Reply with quote
鏡 wrote:
]
Also, the review mentions it was feasting on a "corpse", but spoiler[that mother was most certainly being eaten alive. ]


You're right, she definitely was! I guess the word corpse comes up so often when I think about this show I suffered a Freudian slip Anime hyper
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Nordhmmer



Joined: 11 Feb 2017
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 08, 2017 10:20 pm Reply with quote
[quote="鏡"]Uwahh, this second season is seriously grim compared to the first - without all of the bravado and triumph of Eren's furious entrance into the scouting legion, it's just a lot of people getting ate.
Also, the review mentions it was feasting on a "corpse".


Given the anime's opening-be prepared for a very high body count.spoiler[And with the opening showing Eren fighting the 'Armored Titan',be ready for a much higher body count with the next cour.]
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Valhern



Joined: 19 Jan 2015
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 08, 2017 10:26 pm Reply with quote
I'm so glad we weren't in the plains for that long, God I hate how bad the 3D background of the plains look. Even the muddy-looking forest was much better, the character design just clashes weirdly with the grass and the CG models look super shoddy, especially when the plains themselves are 3D backgground. While not spectacular, I do appreciate way more the cities landscapes and the walls, they are much better for the tone.

I don't know if it was the same for everybudy but I did feel that the boarding of the episode was a little on the clunkier side, or at least not as effective and fast-pulsing as the manga paneling (if there is one thing Isayama is good at [not that many] is quick action fixes like this one). Something I also forgot is how no one mentioned to go save that woman, I mean, the Titan ate a chunk of her leg but they could still rescue her? Like take an alternative route or something.

Ah yeah, my other problem was the weird flashback. I mean, the flashback is good, the placement is still weird. It'd be okay if it was brought up earlier on by other people rather than in such a tense situation.
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Nordhmmer



Joined: 11 Feb 2017
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 08, 2017 10:38 pm Reply with quote
BodaciousSpacePirate wrote:
octopodpie wrote:
I probably don't understand everything that's going to happen but I feel like I got a pretty good jist of the spoiler[church conspiracy] from watching it.


Most of the imagery in the ending theme has nothing to do with the storyline you mention in your spoiler tag, but rather the spoiler[history of the Eldian people] (ENORMOUS MANGA SPOILERS AHEAD): spoiler[the first Eldian Queen (who is the only Titan with nipples)], spoiler[the legend of the Devil giving the Eldians their Titan powers], spoiler[the Eldian diaspora], and spoiler[the Marleyan Eldians being transformed into Titans on the shores of Paradis].



The ending is more symbolic,really would not consider it a "spoiler"-understanding the ending/"spoiler" would mean having already read that much of the manga anyway.

Now on the other hand...

AoT's opening once again this season contains some blatant spoilers-or atleast shows at what point episode 12 will reach.
Though I really hope the anime's adaption does not reach your info dump in the next cour-sigh oh Japan where did your 26 episode seasons go.. Smile
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Nordhmmer



Joined: 11 Feb 2017
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 08, 2017 10:45 pm Reply with quote
James_Beckett wrote:
"Death flags for Sasha abounded this week, but I'll admit that they weren't as effective as they could've been, if only because the details surrounding Sasha's fate are well-known even among manga neophytes like myself."



Well very true

"Originally, Isayama planned to give the series a tragic conclusion similar to that of the film adaptation of Stephen King's The Mist, where every character dies. However, positive response to the manga and anime has caused the author to contemplate changing the ending due to the impact it could have on fans" "Attack on Titan Creator Considers Changing Ending". Anime News Network. December 7, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
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Nordhmmer



Joined: 11 Feb 2017
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 08, 2017 10:46 pm Reply with quote
James_Beckett wrote:
"Death flags for Sasha abounded this week, but I'll admit that they weren't as effective as they could've been, if only because the details surrounding Sasha's fate are well-known even among manga neophytes like myself."



Well very true

Edit:animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-12-07/attack-on-titan-creator-considers-changing-ending
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shakir0247



Joined: 02 Sep 2014
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 08, 2017 10:51 pm Reply with quote
Wow, I thought I'd be in the minority in enjoying this kind of slower, more focused episode of AoT, but I guess not. Glad you liked it as much as I did James. Also ;
James Beckett wrote:

Here's to hoping more side characters will get the same thoughtful treatment this season.

Well then, I think you're gonna like this season a lot Smile
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ActuallyPaysForAnime



Joined: 05 Apr 2017
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 2:57 am Reply with quote
The dialog was seriously cringe worthy in the episode. The flashbacks to Sasha and her father were the absolute worst. Trying to make the characters feel "country" literally killed this episode for me. Plus Sasha being down right vicious with that one piece of food was such a terrible scene. It didn't add anything to her character development at all. Also it seems like this season is going to be plagued with pacing issues just like the first season. Especially since there are only 12 episodes this season. With 2 episodes down already the plot has barely progressed whatsoever. It feels just like the fast slow fast slow pacing issues that the first season struggled with. The cgi backgrounds just feel lazy as well in this season. They had 4 years to polish this series and fix the issues that made this show one of the most overhyped series of all time. About the only positive thing I can say about this episode is the horror aspect of it felt real. Since the show has no problem killing off characters it really feels like they are constantly in danger of being killed. It leaves room for a solid amount of suspense. Unfortunately this episode has so many glaring issues that I found it quite hard to find any positive aspects of it.
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revolutionotaku



Joined: 19 May 2011
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 3:30 am Reply with quote
I've watched the second episode of the second season of Attack on Titan in my hotel room in Tokyo!
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dash56



Joined: 06 Jul 2016
Posts: 151
PostPosted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 6:24 am Reply with quote
JacobC wrote:
dash56 wrote:
Would someone be so kind as to explain the animal imagery in the OP. That one flew over my head.


I can...kind of explain it. You know how when people died in season one, often the last thing they would see is like a crow eating someone else's corpse before flying away without a care, or a praying mantis emotionlessly ripping into a beautiful butterfly? And then somebody would monologue about survival of the fittest and how you had to become savage in an uncaring world to survive, even if you wanted a peaceful life?

Well, if you blow that up to about 4000x, you get a bunch of legendary extinct animals trampling humans en masse alongside the Beast Titan, who also represents a supposedly "less-evolved" life form (as both an ape and a titan) defeating humanity in raw survival power. The dinosaurs and other largely extinct animals pictured in that shot ruled earth for waaaaay longer than humans, so it's another "remember your place in the cruel circle of life" sort of thing.

It's just incredibly silly.


Ahh okay. Thank you
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Pipoko



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PostPosted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 7:40 am Reply with quote
The character and thematic writing has always been my favorite aspect of the story and Sasha's story is another example of that.

The fact that Sasha looks like a Titan at points is such a cool thematic touch.
spoiler[ Also a great little subtle bit of foreshadowing.]

The episode does a great job at bringing together everything we know about Sasha and developing her through that. She starts off as a rude grl who doesn't care much for others, but becomes a much kinder girl because of what she sees during her training days and the battle of Trost, while also staying true to herself. She decides to fight for a better world. (I think a lot of people forget all our cast went through Trost.)
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Simplo



Joined: 11 Mar 2017
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 12:08 pm Reply with quote
Based on 12 ep length and the visual info from the opening they will probably cut out the entire (manga spoilers ahead) spoiler[uprising arc] from the anime. I know its kind of slow but it will ruin the pacing so bad... I mean the whole season full of spoiler[action from start to finish with no breaks is way too much] Show will probably end at spoiler[the biggest possible (basement) ] cliffhanger too and leave the anime-only audience dissatisfied.
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JacobC
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 12:33 pm Reply with quote
Simplo wrote:
Based on 12 ep length and the visual info from the opening they will probably cut out the entire (manga spoilers ahead) spoiler[uprising arc] from the anime. I know its kind of slow but it will ruin the pacing so bad... I mean the whole season full of spoiler[action from start to finish with no breaks is way too much] Show will probably end at spoiler[the biggest possible (basement) ] cliffhanger too and leave the anime-only audience dissatisfied.


Even if they DID cut that subplot, which they won't, there's no way they could that far in twelve episodes. It's far more likely that they will just end this season at spoiler[the end of the battle with the Titan-shifters and retreat back to the city, aka the battle where Eren reveals his Titan-calling powers by using them to kill his mother's murderer.] That's my best guess for where the season will end.
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Nordhmmer



Joined: 11 Feb 2017
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 09, 2017 12:49 pm Reply with quote
Simplo wrote:
Based on 12 ep length and the visual info from the opening they will probably cut out the entire (manga spoilers ahead) spoiler[uprising arc] from the anime. I know its kind of slow but it will ruin the pacing so bad... I mean the whole season full of spoiler[action from start to finish with no breaks is way too much] Show will probably end at spoiler[the biggest possible (basement) ] cliffhanger too and leave the anime-only audience dissatisfied.



Given the anime's opening and the current pacing-this 12 episode cour is covering chapters 35 thru 46,and maybe cramming in the last four chapters(47-50) of 'The Clash of the Titans' arc.
So no need to worry about the arc after being cut.
The big reveal you mentioned,most likely the anime will not adapt that arc for a season or two.


For those enjoying the anime so far Smile ,the episode('Utgard Castle') after next week's 'Southwestward' will really ratchet the action up.[/spoiler]
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