ANIME REVIEW - Attack On Titan: Season 2
By The Masked Medic
It’s not often that I convince myself to just power through something because I’m enjoying it so much, but there are always exceptions. I’m sure you guys know by now that I like to mix it up now and then, and watch different things, but it wasn’t going to happen with this show, was it?
‘Attack On Titan’ Season 2 starts where the first season left off. Following the big fight between Eren and Annie, the inner city is in chaos. They’ve never had to face the titans, let alone see them. What’s made even more mysterious is that in the aftermath of the fight, a section of the inner wall has been revealed, and within it is a giant Titan. The Scouts are stunned, and their investigation leads them to Pastor Nick, who is a member of a religious cult that sort of worships the wall. Before any information can be extracted, it appears that Titans have been seen within the second walled space, and the Scouts immediately sort out a plan to see where the breach has happened. As they set out to find where the Titans are coming from, a new enemy emerges, one who has unknown capabilities. The investigative forces include Conny Springer and Sasha Braus, two soldiers who came up with Eren, Mikasa and Armin as recruits. When they find out that the Titans are heading south, towards their respective homes, they immediately sign up to spread the word and help evacuate. However, with the knowledge that Annie was a Titan, what further surprises await this group? And can Eren and the other Scouts discover what the enemy is up to?
I basically sped through the season, given that the first season was so good. Unlike that one, however, Season 2 only has one central story arc. Thankfully, the first season did a great job at thinning out the herd of characters, and we now have a sort of streamlined cast that I was far more able to keep up with. From a story perspective, purely because of the length of the season, I’d say that I don’t think the story was as exciting. Now, don’t get me wrong, there were definitely still some big moments that made me gasp, but I wonder if the initial shock of this world and what I could expect from it had settled. Let’s talk about character development. In this second season, we get a chance to see more of the supporting characters. I already mentioned Conny and Sasha. Whilst I had not formed a proper connection to either of them, I am constantly hopeful that they make it through this ordeal. Along with these two is a character named Jean Kirschtein. Jean was a real prat in the first season, and I had resigned myself to disliking him, but the character development? Very, very good, and I think it’ll be interesting to see where the show takes him, hopefully not to the grave? I had only one real qualm about this season, and that was that there wasn’t enough Levi in it. Why have they done this to me?
This season was a smaller season, as I said before. Only 12 episodes. Now I think that for a lot of shows, 12 is an okay number, but this is an epic, and 12 episodes are not enough for viewers. I mean, I’m fine because I can move straight on to the next season, but you get my drift. Fewer episodes also meant that there was only one story arc, and in that sense, I don’t know if Season 2 was as good as the first season. The animation style was good, and it’s slowly growing on me. In a way, the more I’m exposed to, the more I can appreciate the differences. The theme song of the second season wasn’t bad, you know? I might have to look all of these up on Apple Music. Overall, a slightly less exciting season, but with twists that I think will lead to massive reveals! Let’s go!
Rating:
Story: ★★★½
Character Development: ★★★½
Animation and Visual Style: ★★★½
World Building: ★★★★
Enjoyability: ★★★★