How was Attack on Titan’s 2nd Season?
By now, superstar manga creator Hajime Isayama’s Shingeki No Kyojin – that’s Attack on Titan for you new fools – has legitimately established itself as one of the most popular manga (sigh. That’s Japanese comics for you. Stop reading so much of those capes and tights crap and explore more crap elsewhere) titles being published today. So much so, that it has already spawned a live-action film, which I honestly didn’t think was able to capture the series’ dramatic heft, and an immensely popular and critically acclaimed anime adaptation. Damn it, I won’t explain what anime is to you, so just go off into your little hole and touch yourself to Dick Grayson’s abs if you don’t know what it is. So, as I was saying, there is no denying that Shingeki No Kyojin has become quite the powerhouse in the world of comic books, and I just don’t mean Japan, considering that it’s gained worldwide recognition from its country of origin and all of the nerd kingdoms of the world. Plus, I’d be remiss if I did not mention that Hajime Isayama’s brainchild has an appeal that is not just contained within any given genre. Sure, Attack on Titan could be as dark and bloody as it can be – and it usually does – but you don’t just go there for the carnage; there’s a lot of twists and turns to be had.
In any case, I am posting this right now to just give you my thoughts on the much anticipated return of the anime adaptation of the series. First of all, it was pretty surprising for me whenever I think about the span of time that had gone between Shingeki No Kyojin’s first and second seasons. To put things in perspective, it’s been 3 years since the first season concluded. That’s a pretty long hiatus for a TV show (and no, shut up about Firefly. That one was cancelled; deal with it), especially one that is as popular as Attack on Titan. Still, I’d have to say it was worth the wait, especially when you consider the vast improvement in terms of animation that the recently concluded season possesses when compared to the first one.
To be honest, I actually prefer the anime version of Shingeki No Kyojin to the manga in that its plot moves at a faster pace in what appears to be the former’s way of rearranging all the plot elements from the source material. Unlike The Walking Dead, which for the most part deviates from the comic book series’ plot points, Attack on Titan simply does it in a more convenient manner that makes the story more exciting. That’s not to say the manga is a bore whatsoever; it’s more like a slow burn with an eventual payoff, as opposed to the anime version’s more snappy approach.
Perhaps the only gripe I have with this season’s run is its rather short length. Whereas the first one had 25 episodes, this one just has 12 in it and will return for another one next year. I guess there’s still the manga to hold me over.