The story is faster paced than season 1, and throws you in to the perilous action right from the start. Episodes 1 and 2 deliver some truly gruesome scenes to remind you of the terrible threat our heroes face, just in case you became complacent during the 4 year wait. The mystery from the close of season 1 is explored, but not resolved in any real way. About midway through Season 2, comes what I regard as the most shocking character revelation throughout all 3 seasons so far; one of the best moments of the show! The resulting battle is also very exciting. The last big highlight of Season 2 is the battle of the final 2 episodes, which provide some brilliant moments for our characters (particularly Erwin and Eren), the revelation of a mysterious new power, and a very satisfying titan conflict.
The main drawback of this season is the time spent on a lot of 'exposition' that truly isn't exposition at all. There's a big focus on the roles of Ymir and Christa, but despite many conversations and flashbacks, their importance is not explained whatsoever during this Season. Related to this is the pursuit of the latter episodes, which provide many snippets of conversations that are understood only by the characters having them, but never by the viewer. And while yes, these mysteries are gradually unclouded in Season 3 which provides some context for their motivations, it makes for a frustrating watch for any first time viewer. I definitely think this part of the storytelling could have been done better; even silence from the would-be kidnappers would be less frustrating than what we got, in my opinion.
Where I think this season shines is in a lot of it's characters. Apart from most of the drama between Ymir and Christa (which is hard to care about), I found myself much more attached to the main cast this season. I really felt Eren's anger in episode 6, and his outburst of frustration in the final episode feels pretty gut-wrenching. Hange is fun to watch, and it's interesting to see some more background of Sasha and Conny. The biggest thing we're missing this season is many scenes with Levi; obviously I understand it makes sense in the story, but it's still kind of a shame!
The OST of Season 2 is mostly more of the same from Season 1 - that is, pretty average; neither bad nor really memorable. However, there is an addition to this score, 'Call of Silence', which I think is the most evocative and memorable track across all 3 seasons so far, and it elevates my overall opinion of the sound here.
The opening of Season 2 is also a highlight - I think second only to the very first opening of SnK. It fills you with determination.
I've continued to watch the Japanese audio, and I have no complaints.
The art just retains the consistent high quality from the first season. It remains one of the series' greatest assets. If you enjoyed the thrilling action sequences of the first season, you won't be disappointed by Season 2.
Overall I found Season 2 thrilling; it lands plenty of great punches. I think if it weren't for the problems concerning the withheld explanations in the story, it could have been the strongest season of SnK out of the 3 so far...but alas it does have that problem. After all, I don't think it's fair to judge the season only by rewatch value. It's a season that is ALMOST reaching perfection, but it's not quite there yet. It leaves you hungry for more answers.
