Back to TheGoldenStar's Profile TheGoldenStar's Profile

After a long 4 years, Attack on Titan season 2 finally arrived. WIT Studio took their time and didn't rush production. They crafted yet another masterful season to follow the 25 episode marvel of season 1. You already know the story, so i'll get right into my review.

Story (10/10)
AOT season 2 doesn't waste time recapping the first season, instead it starts right where we left off after defeating The Female Titan. The main focus of the first season was world building and developing our main trio. It established the mysteries that would slowly be unraveled throughout the entire show. The second season doesn't solve many ... mysteries, but instead it reveals even bigger twists and turns then the first season. It also develops the supporting characters. Which was necessary to create a stronger connection and understanding of them. They do a fantastic job at developing as much as they do in the short run time of the season, but not every character gets time to shine. I was sad to see Levi didn't get much time.

The season was only 12 episodes, and the pacing was very good. Obviously it didn't have the same amount of action as season 1, but every action scene in this season was well done and felt like it mattered. They built to every battle without sacrificing the development of the main story. Another remarkable thing about Attack on Titan is the foreshadowing of certain events, reveals, or big moments. I didn't really notice just how well the show put together the story until i rewatched scenes from the first season. Very smart writing on the authors behalf.

Art (10/10)
The art style remains tremendous. The world still looks beautiful. I can't get over just how well everything is designed. The action scenes are extremely dynamic and wonderfully constructed. There's only a few shots that look a bit clunky, such as the CGI Colossal Titan. Overall the art and animation remained strong throughout the season.

Sound (10/10)
Attack on Titan is known for it's A grade production quality, and the show wouldn't be complete without it's outstanding soundtrack. One of my favorite aspects from the first season was the music, and there's plenty of great music in this season as well. Linked Horizon yet again performs the opening theme, although it's not nearly as strong as the previous OP's of the show. The more i listened to it, the more it grew on me. It's a great piece of music. The ED isn't amazing, but it's good. The strength of the soundtrack isn't the OP or ED, it's the orchestral pieces and how well the music amplifies the powerful moments of the show. Beautiful tracks such as "Call of Silence" and the masterful "YouSeeBIGGIRL" are perfectly used. Just watch the iconic Colossal and Armored Titan reveal. The use of music was gorgeous. Hiroyuki Sawano has proven time and time again that he's one of anime's finest composers.

Finally, the Japanese voice cast fit the characters like a silk glove. Characters like Ymir, Reiner, Bertholdt, Krista, and Erwin are brought to life wonderfully by the superb voice acting. Yuki Kaji remains a tour de force as Eren. His voice acting during the episode "Scream" is nothing short of phenomenal.

Character (10/10)
Another strong point of Attack on Titan is the variety of character. This season dedicates the majority of it's time developing it's supporting cast. Sasha, Reiner, Bertholdt, Krista and Ymir get a lot of characterization which we didn't see in the first season. The main trio is barely seen through the first half of the season, but the second half gives more insight into their relationship together. I love how we see multiple perspectives on the world instead of the same old thing from Eren. We see several motivations and perspectives from different characters, and it's much more complicated then the usual villain/hero dynamic. Attack on Titan allows us to empathize with both sides.

Conclusion (10/10)
Another season, another incredible experience. You could talk about amazing technical qualities and production value all day, but none of it would click if you didn't have the "it" factor bringing it all together. This anime has it. I just love watching the show. It's exciting, it's emotional, and i couldn't wait to watch the next episode. The show shines all across the board. Whether it was an epic battle, a heartfelt moment, a plot twist i never saw coming, or an exciting cliffhanger, Attack on Titan got me hyped. Once the final season is completed, this show will reach legendary status. I can't argue with that.

Attack on Titan is one of the most highly acclaimed anime series of recent times. What started out as a brutal dark fantasy series has since then propelled itself to legendary status. I started watching this show without knowing much about it and with very little spoilers. I was blown away by this first season.

Story (10/10)
The story is a fascinating premise that got me hooked instantly. Humanity has been brought to the brink of extinction due to gigantic humanoid creatures known as Titans. Whatever is left of humanity has been confined within 3 walls which have been untouched for 100 years. Once an attack ... happens, Eren Yeager vows to slay every single Titan. The battle for humanity's future falls in the hands of a small group of fighters known as the Scouts who try to reclaim mankind's grip on the world. Soon our main characters find out that people on the inside of the walls are just as dangerous as the cannibalistic Titans on the outside. The storytelling of the show is nothing short of masterful. The suspense, action, build up, and execution is on point for the entire season. But the story is far from the only wonderful aspect of Attack on Titan.

Art (10/10)
The art of the show is one of it's greatest accomplishments. Attack on Titan wouldn't be as tremendous as it is without it's breathtaking animation and art style. It's just beautiful to look at. The action scenes are so well constructed and animated. The 3-D mobility gear creates for some incredible action sequences. The maneuvers and fights all look so dynamic. Just seeing the characters fly from rooftop to rooftop or from tree to tree and fighting against the Titans at full speed is exhilarating. The wonderfully drawn settings of the show create the atmosphere of a lived in world. From the poorer towns to the rich cities. I can't stress enough how gorgeous the animation looks when the sun is shining down.

Sound (10/10)
Another one of my favorite things about Attack on Titan is it's soundtrack. The OST is essential because it makes you feel just how epic every big moment, fight, or revelation is. I'll start with the OP/ED sequences. The first OP, "Guren no Yumiya" is masterful. It's a classic anime opening that got a massive amount of attention and parodies. One of the most notable things about this opening is the sync between the song and the visuals. It just fits perfectly together. It gets me absolutely hyped.. The second OP, "Jiyuu no Tsubasa" is phenomenal. It might not be as iconic as the first opening song, but it's equally as great. The animation of it is beautiful as well. The second ED, "Great Escape" fits like a glove. From the animation, the foreshadowing, the lyrics, the singing, and the fast paced guitar playing. It's a sensational theme. The rest of the soundtrack is amazing and it would take a long time to list every great song. Overall, Attack on Titan's soundtrack rivals some of the greatest film scores. It's that good.

Character (10/19)
The characters of Attack on Titan are one of it's key strong points. I've already mentioned how this show has many amazing aspects, but it wouldn't all come together if we didn't have a variety of different characters who could convey the emotion and weight of the situation. There's a large list of characters who fight for many different reasons and ideals. Despite having so many, the show does an excellent job at developing these characters. Some in very little time before their departure. There's characters who people can relate to and care about. Jean Kirstein doesn't believe in being a "suicidal maniac" and throwing his life away to join the Scouts, but has a change of heart after being forced to fight and seeing the horrors of war. Annie Leonhart is a wonderfully written character despite her short screen time. She fights alongside humanity, but not for humanity. Levi is a fan-favorite, and it's not hard to understand why. He's humanity's greatest fighter. No Titan is too strong for him. He's calm, cool, badass, and humorous.

The main trio follow anime troupes, but are refreshing in their own way. Eren is our main character. His motivation is taking revenge on the Titans for what they took from him. He wants to kill every one of them himself. It's stereotypical, but the way his character is developed through the season and the revelations he learns about make him a tremendous protagonist. He's easy to understand and follow through the battlefield. One thing i like about his character which isn't stereotypical is the fact that he's not a great fighter. You would expect him to have the skill of Levi, but instead he's flawed. His skill isn't his strength, it's his unbreakable passion for revenge. Next is Mikasa, who's the most badass fighter on the show behind Levi. She's a natural killer. An unstoppable badass who has an undying passion to protect Eren. She could've easily been a caricature, but instead she feels human. Her devotion to Eren leads her to throw herself into harms way and put her life on the line. Next is Armin, who is the perfect supporting character to both Eren and Mikasa. He follows the "smart one" stereotype. He doesn't have any real fighting skill, but his strategic skill is unmatched. He's not a one note character though. He develops a lot over the course of the show, and brings such raw emotion to whatever situation they get themselves into.

I quickly want to mention the voice acting. I've watched the full show in Japanese and the voice cast is wonderful. They bring so much life to each character. Each voice fits like a glove. Whenever there is a big emotional moment, the voice actors convey the emotion flawlessly. I've only watched a few episodes in English, and the English voice cast is good as well. They excel in emotional moments, but sound a bit unnatural in casual conversations.

Conclusion (10/10)
Overall, this is a highly debated with a massive fanbase who considers it to be one of the all time greats, and critics who believe it's overhyped and overrated. For me, this is one of the greatest shows I've ever seen. It has everything an anime should have. Any minor flaws are totally outweighed by the sublime production value. By the end of Season 4, this show will go down in history alongside DBZ, Naruto, One Piece, Fullmetal Alchemist, and others as a pinnacle of anime. I believe it deserves that praise.

Death Note is one of the most famous animes, and it's deserving of all the praise it's received. This show was a joy to watch. A once in a lifetime experience with one of the most richest stories you'll ever see. This was the first anime series i ever watched, and it got me hooked.

Story (10/10)
Death Note is a very unique show, unlike any other anime I've ever seen. One of the most intriguing things about this anime is attention to detail. You needed to pay attention closely to understand what's going on, and sometimes i needed to rewatch episodes just so i didn't ... miss anything. This story is original and one of the best cat and mouse games ever written. I love how it makes you think about your morality, and how it brings you into a characters' mindset to understand their own views of the world and morality. Although the second arc of the show is weaker in terms of character, the story rarely falters. I think the storytelling was strong and suspenseful until the very end. The finale is one of the most well written and shocking finales I've ever seen, regardless of which characters were there.

Art (9/10)
This art style looks simple at first because it's not your usual animation for a big series. It's not explosive or in your face. It's not bright or beautiful. It's dark, grim, gritty, and fits the tone of the series perfectly. This art and animation style gave a sense of realism and created a perfect atmosphere. I need to give a lot of credit to the animation of facial expressions. Many animes don't animate their characters' emotion enough, but Death Note gives a lot of detail to facial expressions of any kind. Sadness, anger, scared, etc. The animation always flowed nicely such as when a character is writing fast in a notebook, or even the hair of a character. Not the most eye-popping animation, but deserves a lot of praise.

Sound (10/10)
One of the best things about this show is the tremendous soundtrack. One of the all time great soundtracks that could rival some of the greatest film scores. There's so much variety of the music, and it makes every big moment all the more chilling or impactful. "L's theme" "Light's theme" "Dominae Kira" are some of the highlights. I also love the first opening and ending themes of the show. The voice acting was great, but unfortunately i watched the English dub. Supposedly the Japanese voice cast is superior, but i give the English voice actors a lot of credit. The voice actors of Light, L, Mikami, and Ryuk fit the characters wonderfully. In the future I'll have to rewatch the show in Japanese to see the difference.

Character (10/10)
Alongside the original plot and soundtrack, the absolute strongest part of Death Note is the characters. Light and L are in a league of their own. They're two of, if not the very smartest characters I've seen in an anime. Both characters have their own traits and likeability. They're similar in many ways. Both are geniuses, charming, charismatic. But the most outstanding thing is the development of Light Yagami. From that young man with a successful life ahead of him changed by the notebook. An increasingly sadistic person who can't even control laughing at his dead opposition. His change over the course of the series is brilliant work. There's other great characters as well. A few are undeveloped in the second arc, but it's still an easy 10.

Conclusion (10/10)
An all time favorite of mine. The animation, environment, twists, music, dialogue, and emotion were top notch. I'll never forget watching it for the first time. Unforgettable show with a powerhouse finale. Essential viewing for all anime fans.