Attack on Titan

Episode 26

Other anime would be wise to follow Attack on Titan's lead when returning from a four-year hiatus, because hot damn, this show hasn't lost a single spark since it's been gone. This long-awaited season premiere wastes absolutely no time getting back into the thick of things, offering the scantest recap of last season's events before picking up with almost the same shot that season one ended on. However, if you need more context than “Humans=Good, Titans=Bad”, you can check out the recap I wrote for season 1 right here. Otherwise, AoT Season 2 is heading straight back into the fray of battle, regardless of whether or not its heroes are prepared for what's coming.

In fact, if I have any qualms with this episode, it's that there's a slight disconnect between the urgency communicated by characters and what's actually being demonstrated on screen. It's easy to forget after such a long break between seasons, but the battle with Annie Leonheart, aka the Female Titan, literally just happened. Four years have passed for us, but only a day or so has gone by for our heroes. I just finished re-watching Season 1, and I could still feel the effects of that gap between new episodes. I think the exposition-heavy first half of this premiere made this feeling of separation slightly more prominent, so even though the final act absolutely remedies this, it took a bit for the show to settle back into its groove completely.

None of this is to say that the episode was boring or disappointing, though. Quite the opposite – it was overflowing with juicy revelations and enticing plot developments. Within the first few minutes, we're reminded that there are Titans sealed within the walls of the city, and Hanji soon discovers that the Church of the Walls knows more than they've let on, even if all Pastor Nick will say is that these wall-bound monstrosities must absolutely be kept out of the sunlight. Only a few minutes in and we already have another layer of conspiracy to contend with! We barely even have time to process it before we jump over to the other 104th recruits to learn that the Titans have breached Wall Rose, and now they're slouching their way across the countryside. Poor Connie, Sasha, and the rest don't even have time to gear up before they're racing across the hillside on horseback to save as many people as they can.

The only section of the episode that I felt stumbled was Eren's reintroduction. His dream sequence didn't do much for me. I felt that re-familiarizing us with his childhood relationship with Mikasa could have been saved for an episode where they have more to do. This week, they felt like bit players in an episode that already had a lot going on. Given that this season is purportedly focusing more on the side characters, this makes sense, but this one scene felt decidedly less engaging than the parts following Hanji or the other members of the 104th. It's only week one of twelve though, so I'm sure Eren and Mikasa will have more to do in episodes to come.

On the flip side of things, the second half is where things really pick up, showcasing this season's refined and kinetic aesthetic with aplomb. Seriously, this was the smoothest and most consistently gorgeous episode of Attack on Titan that's ever been produced; it seems the transition of lead director duties from Tetsuro Araki to Masashi Koizuka has gone off without a hitch so far. Mike's solo assault on the small band of Titans is a short-but-oh-so-sweet display of everything Attack on Titan does best, with fluid and boldly outlined slices of blood-n-guts action flowing freely from the screen. Then, of course, we get the titular Beast Titan.

I'm actually not all caught up with the manga (to better preserve the twists and turns of this new season), so everything that occurred after the Beast Titan's arrival was an absolutely shocking treat for me. His oblong, uncanny, disturbing design is par for the course for this series, but his oddly benevolent and intelligent gaze made him easily one of the most unsettling creatures this series has thrown at us so far. When he actually spoke, my jaw really did hit the floor for a second. Though Attack on Titan started off as a hybrid of military drama and Japanese horror tropes, it has evolved over time into something much stranger and even more compelling. Still, the horror-tinged roots of the series are always present, and never have I been more unnerved by this series than in this scene between Mike and the Beast Titan.

The nonchalant way that BT interrogates Mike while the poor man lies half-eaten in the maw of a splattered mini-Titan is unsettling enough, but then BT demonstrates his power by ordering the other Titans to straight-up devour Mike, and the result is absolutely disgusting. Between the magnified sounds of his tearing flesh and cracking bones and his horrifyingly realistic death screams, this is as brutal and sadistic as the series has ever been, and I absolutely loved it. What's even more fascinating are the narrative implications of the Beast Titan's very existence. Not only does he prove that some Titans can retain the intelligence of whoever is controlling them, but also that the Titans have been studying humans as much as humans have been studying them. I have some suspicions as to who might be behind that gloriously bearded façade, but the fact remains that whoever it is already makes for a compelling and terrifying antagonist.

In summing up my feelings on this gloriously bleak and brutal season premiere, I can't help but paraphrase the best line from one of my favorite action movies: John Wick. People keep asking if Attack on Titan is back, and until now, the fans haven't really had an answer. But now? Yeah, I'm thinking it's back. This is the Attack on Titan I remember, the show we've been eagerly waiting on for almost half a decade. I can't wait to see what gruesome wonders this season has in store for us next.

Rating: A-

Attack on Titan is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

James will be sorely disappointed if those Dinosaur Titans don't show up by the season's end. You can follow him on Twitter and his blog.