Tag Armin Arler

Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) Collection 2 (Eps 14-25) | Review

Mata 1 Comment

Mikasa, Eren and Armin“To rise above monsters, we have to abandon our humanity.”

Got your Attack on Titan Collection 2 DVD/BluRays? People always rag on dubbed anime but honestly it’s nice not to have to read subtitles every now and then- and if the translation is pretty decent and the voice actors are good then everything should be hunky dory!

Right? Right, now onto the review of the second-half of the first season, shall we? First of all, marathon play is definitely your friend. Because if anything the second half is so much more intriguing than the first as we get into the nitty gritty of everything within and outside the walls, so being able to just experience the entire thing without interruption is such a plus.

Also, if you thought the first half of the season was violent and gory, well wait until you get through the second half. (A lot of us probably couldn’t wait for the dubbed and continued with the subbed only to get confused as to why Armin sounded like a girl, or was that just me?) There’s so much going on, above and beyond Titan take downs- or Titans feasting on humans.

Also more Levi! Seriously. So epic.

Oh and Hanji, one of my favourite characters.

Attack on Titan gives us an almost overwhelming amount of characters, however there’s no difficulty with keeping up with them as they are uniquely characterised, making it easy to recognise a certain character and their motivation (well apart from survival, anyway). What is humanity’s breaking point? The series continues to explore human nature in this anime about what it means to be human in the face of certain death, while still allowing us to ponder the mysteries of the Titans and how they came to be. I’ve heard many call it the Walking Dead or Game of Thrones of anime, in that it’s gritty, addictive and provides an interesting approach to human survival and what people do in order to do just that. Especially when there’s obviously more to be wary of than just Titans, sure Titans are still the biggest problem however humans are just as dangerous. If it were up to Hanji Titans would be considered pets deserving of some slack.

This anime is so addictive, you get through the entire season and mourn the fact there’s still no word on a second season. Especially because there’s little to no, well there’s absolutely no, closure by the end as we’re kind of left on a huge cliffhanger. So huge that I immediately started reading the manga. That cliffhanger’s been explained, sort of, but so much more happens that it’s physically painful to be waiting for the second season which will be made up of the rest of the manga out so far. But don’t let the lack of closure deter you, let it spur you. I encourage you to watch the first season, if not for the excellent animation and original characters, then definitely for the mysteries surrounding the Titans

Check out the trailer for the second half of the (dubbed) first season below:

Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) Collection 1 (Eps 1-13) | Review

Mata 1 Comment
©Hajime Isayama, Kodansha/''ATTACK ON TITAN'' Production Committee. Licensed by Kodansha through FUNimation® Productions, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

©Hajime Isayama, Kodansha/”ATTACK ON TITAN” Production Committee. Licensed by Kodansha through FUNimation® Productions, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

“The world’s a cruel place, you have to fight if you want to live.”

Attack On Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin), heralded as the anime series of 2013, is a haunting dystopian series both awe-inspiring and grotesque in its stunning visuals. Humanity is on the brink of extinction due to giant humanoid creatures, Titans (who love humans like a fat kid loves cake), chomping on human entrees- causing survivors to retreat behind huge walls (not unlike the colossal fortification in the North that helps defend the Realm in Westeros against the Wildlings). Humanity’s last form of defense are the Survey Corps, which the protagonists hot-headed and vengeful Eren Yeager, brilliant and deadly Mikasa Ackerman, and strategic genius Armin Arler join for reasons that become obvious about five minutes into the first episode- read as ‘tragic backstories101′. Adapted from the manga series of the same name, written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama, Attack On Titan (AOT) is directed by Death Note (2006) director Tetsuro Arak- so you already know going in that it’s going to be a doozy.

The series does start off a little slow, and continues to take the ‘long dramatic internal-conflict’ route throughout, once the action starts there’s really no slowing down- you’re intrigued by the end of the first episode and absolutely hooked by the second. The show is gruesome and bloody, but what do you expect from a show about people-eating giants? While the premise is simplistic you’ll find the themes handled in the series to be a grim but complex study on human nature, offering a commentary on the human condition in such harsh realities. When faced with such extremities will humans continue to fight tooth and nail for their freedom or will they lie down and accept a life of being human ‘cattle’? Characters are well-developed and likeable with moments of levity achieved by surprise quirks and excellent interaction.

Also, the soundtrack is pretty boss. Collection 1 comes with a 24-page art book and some great extras like the making of AOT, and Japanese production extras. We give it FOUR and a HALF out of FIVE Silent LOLs, for the mere fact that there are moments when you wish the series would speed up a certain character’s thought process. However we’re hanging out for a second season (after of course an English dubbed Collection 2?) and the live-action theatrical movie that’s in the works. If the Titans look anything like they do in this Subaru ad then daaaaaaamn sign us up to see it ASAP.

Australian and NZ residents read on for details on how to WIN a Collection 1 Limited Edition, below.

https://www.madman.com.au/images/competitions/comp_418.jpgMadman Entertainment have FIVE Attack On Titan Collection 1 Limited Editions to give away.

All you have to do is answer this question: In 25 words or less, tell us; would you rather be a Titan or a member of the Survey Corps – and why? CLICK HERE TO ENTER, WHAT ARE YOU EVEN WAITING FOR? Comp ends 18 July 2014.

However if you miss out you can always buy it HERE, it should still be in stock. Now to wait for Collection 2… JOKES, I’m going to head over to AnimeLab where you’ll find all 25 eps and watch remaining episodes 14-25. Have we talked about how cool this streaming service is? Currently in beta, and free (also ad-free) for an unspecified time, AnimeLab streams over 50 animes in HD with a few being simulcast. It’s also device (mobile, tablet) ready too.