Attack on Titan: Season three, episode six, Sin – Spoiler free and spoiler review: Dark theory confirmed.

Spoiler Free Review:

Coming into Sin, I was expecting a very dark fan theory that I shared with many to be revealed and it was to a glorious degree.
I will admit when I first watched this episode, I did feel a little disappointed about the way it was delivered since the scene involving said twist was not shown in full.
I did an earlier review with a negative spin on this but, after watching the episode again I found that it was an interesting way to reveal it and think I was too harsh on it.
Therefore, this is the redone version of that review.
Sin is indeed one of the best episodes of the season, just falling short of the second episode Pain.
This was not only due to the great twist but also two flashback sequences from Historia and Kenny that also look to be setting up more twists in the story to come.
All this builds to an intense cliffhanger that sets up a lot of action for next week’s episode.
However, there was one scene I was not a fan of and that was the one with Dhalis Zachary.
This scene was just so cringe worthy and I felt it would have been better being implied rather than explicitly shown.
On a better note though, I will say that after watching the season three opening more it has really grown on me.
I had mixed opinions about it when I first saw it because I felt like it did not match the show but, after seeing how it has fit in with the season so far, I now think it works very well.
Overall, Sin was a good episode with a very dark twist.
I may have had a couple of problems with the way it was revealed but it looks like that may be expanded on in future episodes from what I have read.

Spoiler Review:

My dark theory that Eren ate his father Grisha turned out to be correct this episode.
This will undoubtedly leave a huge impact on Eren and no doubt the audience as well, although initially I was a little let down by it.
After seeing the reveal, I wished it had been shown in full rather than through flashes of Eren’s memories.
I did let this influence my opinion on the episode but after another viewing I saw how wrong I was about it.
Another part of the twist came when it was revealed Grisha murdered Rod’s entire family, including Freida, who was also a Titan Shifter.
Initially I also found this scene to be slightly disappointing because Rod is narrating the entire event as we see it, which, I felt, removed some of the potential impact.
However, I have heard from people that this will be expanded upon later so I cannot quite judge it for that as of yet.
There is also the fact that this twist about Grisha raises numerous interesting questions.
How was Grisha a Titan Shifter, why did he murder Rod’s family and why did he have Eren eat him?
The scene I found to be cringe worthy was the one where Zachary was torturing the naked nobleman who was removed from power last episode, by making him eat his own excrement.
This scene was unnecessary because it could have just picked up with Erwin and Pyxis’ conversation about it and left what Zachary was doing implied.
Besides the twist, the other interesting scenes of the episode were the flashbacks of Historia and Kenny.
Historia’s showed that Freida not only knew Historia before her death, but also had the power to remove her memories of her, which is something the royal family has been using for years to keep their secrets.
This explains how the royal family was able to wipe people’s memories about the outside world but it does not explain why this was done.
Was it for power or something more?
Then there is Kenny’s flashback, which finally reveals his connection to Levi when Kenny mentions his sister Kuchel, who is pregnant.
Kuchel must be Levi’s mother and that would make Kenny his uncle, although I already knew this because I had been spoiled.
There is also the reveal that the Ackermann family have been long time supporters of the king but, during Mikasa’s father’s time, they were persecuted out of fear.
This is implied to be not just because of their skills but because they are unaffected by the royal family’s mind wiping techniques.
Levi later mentions that there are moments where all of the Ackermanns feel extreme strength growing inside them like nothing else.
Is this some kind of power the Ackermann family have and, if so, is it connected in any way to the Reiss family’s ability to wipe minds?
Whatever the case, it looks like we will be getting a similar episode to Pain next week, with the Levi Squad going up against Kenny and his troops to rescue Eren.

Predictions:

Next week’s episode, Wish, looks very action packed. I wonder if someone important will die, since Eren is covered in blood. However, this blood is clearly not his own or he would be able to transform. Hopefully it is not Historia because this would ruin all their plans to make her Queen.
Speaking of Historia, during that flashback of her with Freida, the book they are reading has a picture of a girl giving an apple to some kind of Titan. This is very similar to the shot from the season two outro, which I have heard shows the history of Attack on Titan. This may be our first hint as to the origin of the Titans and, if it is, then it is good to lay the groundwork for that now. One thing I am intrigued by though is that Freida said the woman holding the apple’s name was Christa, which was the alias given to her by Rod. How does this tie into everything?
When Rod was narrating what happened to his family, I got the feeling that he was not telling the complete truth due to his complete lack of emotion. Maybe Rod is just a sociopath or maybe he was lying to Historia to get what he wants… which would also make him sort of a sociopath, but whatever. If I am right about Rod lying then it might explain why Grisha murdering Rod’s family included the narration.

Attack on Titan: Season three, episode five, Reply – Spoiler free and spoiler review: Viva la uprising!

Spoiler Free Review:

This week’s Attack on Titan episode, Reply, had many interesting and great moments, in an episode that I feel is building up to a shocking revelation next week.
This episode primarily dealt with Erwin’s storyline in the wake of last week’s episode’s worrisome cliffhanger.
This storyline was very important for the episode but it did make me wonder how long the Uprising Arc has left.
From what I have heard, there are supposed to be 24 episodes this season and Reply makes it look like we are already in the endgame of this arc.
If it ends soon, then I wonder how long the next arc will be and if this really will be a 24 episode season.
Another thing, while I did enjoy this storyline with Erwin, it was a very predictable one.
As soon as a character arrived to announce some distressing news I knew what was going to happen.
That did not change that I still found this storyline to be engaging but it did lessen its impact somewhat.
The real meat of this episode lies in what happens after Erwin’s storyline.
So many hints are given and it looks like the dark theory I have concerning Eren’s Titan ability is correct.
Along with giving plenty of hints to numerous revelations, this scene also had a touching moment from Levi.
As a whole, this episode also had great animation and music.
There is a shot of Erwin’s eye that reminded me very much of a similar shot in season two, episode five, Historia, where I have praised its animation.
Well, this animation certainly tops that.
One thing that did surprise me as well was how funny this episode was.
There were a lot of times where I laughed and I honestly did not expect that coming in to this episode.
Overall, Reply was a really good episode that looks to be setting up some dramatic reveals.

Spoiler Review:

Thankfully my concern for Erwin’s safety was all for nothing because he came out on top this episode.
With help from Pyxis, Nile and Dhalis Zachary, he was able to successfully overthrow those in power.
However, this is where my problem with how predictable this storyline was lies.
Pyxis’ aid bursts into the room and declares that Wall Rose has been breached and I immediately realised this was a ploy from Pyxis and Erwin to get the nobles to break the Charter of Humanity, Clause Six, by having them put themselves before humanity.
Sure enough, this is exactly what the nobles did and it resulted in them being overthrown.
This was very easy to guess based on how the Charter of Humanity was being used to convict Erwin so it was natural that he would turn the tables on them using this.
Still this scene did have a lot of great moments as their “coup d’etat” succeeded.
Indeed, this seems like more of a coup than an uprising but maybe we will get that later.
After Erwin’s storyline, the perspective switched to that of the Levi Squad, where Hange informed them of what had happened.
This led to them highlighting all those who had worked towards overthrowing those in power and, after this, Levi apologized for getting Hange’s soldiers killed, which was a very nice moment.
However, all the niceties leave when Hange points out an incident in the Reiss family history, where all of Rod’s family were killed by someone the day before Historia’s mother was murdered.
Whatever is happening here, it obviously has a huge connection to the fall of Wall Maria and how Eren got his Titan abilities.
Then there is Eren himself, who finally wakes up after being captured… again.
Seriously, how many times has Eren been captured?
It is basically its own cliche at this point.
You might as well call Eren the damsel in distress of Attack on Titan… only he is the main character!
The episode ends with him waking up in a strange crystallized room with Historia walking towards him.
On another note, as I said in my spoiler free review, this episode was surprisingly hilarious.
The funniest moments came when Zachary declared why he helped remove the military police, going on a rant about how much he hated them, and when the Levi Squad reacted to their names being cleared.
In this specific shot everyone is jumping for joy and Sasha wraps her arms around Mikasa who is not having it.
Mikasa’s reaction to Sasha’s hug, even if it was brief, was very funny.
Reply was another really good episode for the third season and has me eagerly anticipating next week’s episode, Sin.

Predictions:

One of the big shots we get in a preview is of Kenny, who looks significantly younger than he does now. Will his backstory be revealed and his Ackermann connection?
I think it is safe to say that Eren is the “power” and Historia is the “vessel” that was mentioned. This means that Rod is planning on having Historia eat Eren. How can she do this though? Does this mean they have the shots they gave Ymir when her backstory was revealed in Children? If this is the case, hopefully Historia will not go through with this.
Eren dreams about a women in this episode, who I speculated was this Marie person that was mentioned last episode. However, based on this episode and the preview for Sin, she looks more like Freida, Rod’s daughter who was supposedly killed with the rest of her family. This would make her Historia’s half-sister and it appears she knew her, based on what we see in the preview. But why is Eren dreaming about her if he never meet her?
Warning: Potentially major spoilers for the next few episodes here: After everything I have seen in this episode and the previous ones, I am certain that Eren ate his own father, Grisha. This makes sense because Grisha injected Eren and we know from Children that the injections turn people into Titans, not Titan Shifters. In order to become a Titan Shifter you need to eat one and unless Grisha just had a Shifter lying around it seems highly likely that he was the Shifter and Eren ate him and got his powers. However, there is a shot of Grisha in the preview for next episode and it looks like he is in the exact same strange room as Eren so I may be wrong. Although, this could also be a flashback. Then there is the “unforgivable sin” Grisha committed, mentioned in the preview. I am willing to bet that he had some hand in the deaths of Rod’s family. How ever Grisha connects to the story, next episode looks to be full of reveals about him.

Attack on Titan: Season three, episode four, Trust – Spoiler free and spoiler review: Rise of the side characters.

Spoiler Free Review:

The third season of Attack on Titan delivered quite a surprise with its fourth episode, Trust, as the side characters stuck out a lot more than the main ones.
Marlo, Hitch, Flegel and Nile are all side characters and yet had significant development this episode, all to great effect.
For example, when we first met Marlo and Hitch in season one, I did not really care for them but they were actually very likeable this episode.
Then there is Flegel, who had a very inspiring moment that made me cheer.
As for Nile, it looks like this episode set up a lot for him to do in the Uprising Arc.
I really loved what this episode did with its side characters because it gave them a lot more depth, which made them more interesting to me.
Trust truly is a character development episode because even Jean got some significant growth in a scene that was both funny and misleading, but in a good way.
There was even a moment with Hange where the great animation of season three was put on full display.
This is mainly a set-up episode for, what will probably be, the big second act of the Uprising Arc so it did not have as much exciting highlights as previous episodes.
However, that being said, Trust is still a really good and enjoyable episode that made me appreciate the side characters a lot more.

Spoiler Review:

It turns out that my prediction in my previous review was correct as the Military Police officers coming towards the Levi Squad were Marlo and Hitch, Annie’s friends from the Military Police.
Also as predicted, these two actually helped the group out, with Marlo proving himself to be very dependable in a confrontation with Jean.
Speaking of this confrontation, I actually thought that Jean was going to try and murder Marlo and Hitch because of his growth from episode two, Pain.
Thankfully, it was all just an elaborate ruse by Jean to see if they could be trusted.
This also led to a funny moment where Hitch called Jean “horse face”.
It would seem that Jean just cannot escape that nickname.
Once it was determined that they could be trusted, Marlo and Hitch led the squad to the area being guarded with the least Military Police officers.
There they captured one of the Interior Military Police, who gave the big name drop of Kenny Ackermann.
Mikasa heard this so I suspect the official reveal of her and Levi being related to come soon.
I already knew that the two were related because I had heard people refer to Levi as an Ackermann but it will still be interesting to see what implications this has for the anime.
However, the one thing I did not like about this scene was how Levi called Historia Christa.
It is getting kind of annoying because it has to be confusing for people.
She can either be called Historia or Christa, they should stick with one.
Then there is Hange’s storyline, which was one of my favourites of the episode.
This was because of Flegel’s great character development, which led to him standing up to the Military Police and siding with the Scout Regiment.
Hange’s storyline also had a great quote from her because when Flegel says the Scout Regiment will be defeated Hange replies, “defeat is all the Scout Regiment has ever known.”
There is also the fact that many people, including journalists, overheard the truth about the government so this will probably kick off a full on uprising, once word spreads.
However, I do have to say, the moment when that Military Police officer collapsed in tears of joy upon finding Flegel came across as very melodramatic to me, and not in a good way.
Finally, there is Erwin’s storyline and fingers crossed he does not die next episode.
There was a pretty big hint at this happening last episode, with Erwin naming Hange his successor.
There is some hope for him though because it looks like Nile, the commander of the Military Police, may actually switch sides and help him.
I am definitely starting to see more hints that the two used to be friends, as was stated in previous episodes.
The next few episodes do look to be pretty hectic, with hopefully a few reveals, so I am excited for that.

Predictions:

I did not notice this in my first viewing, but in my second viewing of the previous episode, Old Story, Erwin mentioned an “incident” in the Reiss family. I wonder what that is setting up?
Maybe Nile and Pyxis will save Erwin because it looks like both are taking an active role next episode, based on the preview.
In the preview, there is a woman looking at herself in a mirror, while brushing her hair. This looks like a new character so I am interested to see who this is exactly. Maybe it is that Marie woman Erwin mentioned? From the sounds of things she is Nile’s wife so, if this is her, it will be interesting to see what role she plays.

Attack on Titan: Season three, episode three, Old Story – Spoiler free and spoiler review: Backstories galore.

Spoiler Free Review:

The third episode of Attack on Titan‘s third season aired, giving us the backstory of both Historia and Erwin.
Compared to the previous two episodes of the season, this episode, Old Story, had a much slower pace because it was more character driven that action and story driven.
This is not a bad thing as the anime has been able to give us some truly fantastic character driven episodes, like season two, episode ten, Children, which is one of my favourite episodes of the series.
In comparison with these other character driven episodes, Old Story is a pretty good one that adds a lot of depth to the characters of Erwin and Historia.
Also, while I do not think this episode is as good as the first two of the season, especially episode two, I still found it be very enjoyable.
Along with delivering more background to some characters, this episode also had some revelations and made, what I can only guess to be, more hints for future reveals.
Old Story also reveals, more than any episode so far, what exactly our central characters are facing in this arc as it goes in deep with their foes’ levels of depravity.
My favourite character of the episode would have to be Erwin because, not only did he have a lot of good moments, but the reveal of his backstory also explained a lot about his character.
It also set up, what I think is going to be, a very good character arc for him this season.
Overall, Old Story was a good, if slow, episode.
It may not have had much excitement or even that great of a cliffhanger but it added complexity to more of the characters and set up future reveals.

Spoiler Review:

It seems like every character in Attack on Titan has some kind of traumatic past.
Eren, Mikasa, Ymir, and now Erwin and Historia.
The reveal of both of these characters’ backstories was really well done and both gave a great sense of their characters.
Historia’s was especially tragic because it showed how cruel her mother was to her as she even went as far to want her dead but, thankfully, did not have the “courage” to do so.
It could just be that Historia’s mother was a terrible person, but it seemed to me that, for some reason, she actually feared her daughter so, if that is the case, it will be interesting to see why later.
Even if she did fear Historia though, I still see this as no excuse of her treatment of her.
Historia is freaking adorable in these flashbacks and anyone that would shove a kid, let alone their own, for trying to give them a hug is cruel.
Historia’s past got weirder as it went on as well.
The day after Wall Maria fell, Rod Reiss came to get her, only for Kenny and the Military Police to arrive and murder Historia’s mother right in front of her.
What makes this scene especially strange is that it raises numerous questions.
Why did they want to kill Historia and her mother, why did Historia’s mother refer to Rod as “master”, why did Rod suddenly decide to allow Historia to be spared so long as she lived under a fake name?
I am sure all of these questions will be explained and I am eager to hear those explanations.
As for Erwin’s backstory, this gave me an even bigger sense of who he is because it is revealed he blames himself for his father’s death.
His father was a teacher who told Erwin that he thought the government was lying about history.
Erwin told his friends and the Military Police found out and so it ended with Erwin’s father being murdered.
This inspired Erwin to prove his father’s theory correct and it looks like that will be his main goal in the Uprising Arc.
He also had a really great scene, where he vowed to avenge Dimo Reeves, whose murder he has been framed for.
One thing that does have me concerned though is that Erwin tells Hange she will be in charge of the Survey Corps if he dies.
Hopefully this is not foreshadowing his death any time soon but this is Attack on Titan so you never know.
Then there is the revelation that in order to become a Titan Shifter you need to eat one.
I already knew this because it had basically been confirmed with the episode Children and it just needed to be stated by the characters.
However, all this being said, I did find a bit of a plot hole in this episode and this is what they did with the captive Djel Sannes and his buddy Ralph.
They locked them up in a cell but left no one to guard them.
If the two of them just happened to break out then Rod would know everything Sannes told Hange.
The ending cliffhanger also was not that interesting but the only reason I have a problem with that is probably because of how good the previous two were.
Old Story left me with a lot of questions, especially surrounding Historia, that I hope will be answered in the next few episodes.

Predictions:

In the preview for next episode it looks like the Military Police Officer that is sneaking up on the group is actually Marlow, Annie’s friend from when she was with the MP. You can see him being threatened by Jean, and Levi talking to him. I think he could be pretty important going forward since he joined the Military Police to try and fix it. If this is him, hopefully his story here will make me like him more because I do not really care for him at this stage.
Dimo Reeves’ son Flegel saw Kenny murder his father so could be the key to proving Erwin innocent. He also must have heard Kenny refer to Levi as an “Ackerman” so he will be probably be the one to drop the bombshell that Levi and Mikasa are related. We can see him being captured by the Military Police in the preview but it also looks like he will be saved by Hange and Moblit.
With the confirmation that you now need to eat a Titan Shifter to become one it looks like my grim theory about how Eren became a Titan is correct. Once again, I will not say it because I do not want to potentially spoil you, but I do think it will be revealed soon. Unless of course I am completely wrong about this.
Kenny is certainly living up to his serial killer nickname of “The Ripper”. Forget Levi, I think this guy has the highest kill count out of any character. He has probably murdered hundreds of people and I do not expect him to stop here. I dread to see what he will do next.

Attack on Titan: Season three, episode two, Pain – Spoiler free and spoiler review: The plot thickens.

Spoiler Free Review:

Wow, what an amazing episode this was.
After a really good season three premiere, I was expecting the second episode, Pain, to be an exciting episode but this just blew all my expectations out of the water.
I found Pain to not just be a fantastic Attack on Titan episode but one of my favourite episodes of the series.
It is definitely in the top 10 best episodes for me.
The episode kicks off with one of the greatest action scenes of the entire series, which is amplified by the incredible animation that is the best the series has ever given us as well.
The tension of this scene is highlighted by the conflict between Levi and Kenny, who are the standouts of this episode by a wide margin.
Kenny already seems like a character I am going to love to hate.
Pain does not just consist of action though, but emotional moments as well.
One thing I especially loved is that it makes it clear that not all of Kenny’s squad are evil and goes as far as to humanize some of them.
This all leads to some great character development from Armin, my favourite character.
Then there are the twists in the story and hints at future events, which are expertly handled.
I have said before that Attack on Titan has my favourite soundtrack of all time and this episode really shows why.
The score that is played just as the episode ends is nothing short of phenomenal and makes the cliffhanger of the episode all the more impactful.
We also finally got to see the outro theme this episode and, while I still have mixed feelings about the intro, I think this outro nailed it.
It is an amazing song and has beautiful visuals to go along with it.
Finally, it is interesting to note that every shot we got in the trailer for this season was only for the first two episodes so everything we see after this will be completely new, which is really exciting.
Overall, Pain was a fantastic episode that had excellent animation, action, music and character development.

Spoiler Review

The previous episode, Smoke Signal, ended with the fantastic introduction of Kenny and this episode picked up right from there with Levi fighting Kenny and his squad, who are armed with their anti-personnel omni-directional mobility gear (man that was a mouthful).
As I said in my spoiler free review, the animation during this fight is incredible and it only gets better when Levi is cornered in a bar.
This scene really highlights how interesting both Levi and Kenny are as Kenny seems to really get a kick out of the violence he is causing and Levi shows how smart he is by shooting at Kenny, his aim based off Kenny’s reflection in a bottle of wine.
After Levi escaped came my favourite part of the episode when Armin had to shoot a member of Kenny’s squad to save Jean’s life.
Watching Armin’s guilt at having to do this and highlighting the woman he killed’s humanity by having her hesitate to shoot Jean, before she was killed, was expertly done.
This not only was great character development for Armin but also showed that not everything is black and white.
Then there are the big twists of the episode, the first coming when Hange tells Erwin that if they do not rescue Eren then he will be eaten.
I am pretty sure I know what this means since I rewatched season two episode ten, Children, but I will not say what because I do not want to spoil you.
However, I will say that, if I am right, it will lead to the biggest and most heart breaking twist of the series thus far.
Then there was the twist that Levi and Mikasa have the same last name, Ackerman.
This means the two have to be related so it will be interesting to see how this is explained, most likely through Kenny.
As for the final twist, the Military Police officer who murdered Pastor Nick, Djel Sannes, admitted that Historia’s father, Rod Reiss is the real king and King Fritz is just a figurehead.
This means that Historia is the heir to the throne but it also opens up some interesting questions, like why does the crown need a figurehead and who actually is Fritz?
The next episode does look very intriguing as well based on the preview because there it will go into the pasts of both Erwin and Historia.
This will be interesting because it looks like both Erwin’s father and Historia’s mother were murdered by Sannes in the past, based on what he said this episode, so I wonder if that will tie into it.
Still, for the second episode of the season, Pain was a fantastic episode and one of the best of Attack on Titan.

Attack on Titan – Season Three, Episode One, Smoke Signal: Non-Spoiler and Spoiler Review.

Non-Spoiler Review:

Attack on Titan is back with its season three premiere Smoke Signal.
I have been anticipating the third season for so long and am very thankful that we did not have to wait four years to get it, like with the second season.
Smoke Signal is a great first episode that really sets the tone for this part of the season, known as the Uprising Arc.
There were so many great and interesting moments in this episode, along with a steadily growing body count.
I do not know what is going to happen but it is very clear to me that this episode is setting up multiple reveals for the season.
The old characters are back and just as good as they were before.
My favourite character of the episode would have to be Historia, who is quickly becoming one of my overall favourites.
We even got to meet some new characters this episode and they really look like great ones.
The episode ends on a fantastic cliffhanger and the build up to this moment was amazing.
There is also an update in animation for the season and, I have to say, it looks fantastic and should definitely top the second season’s.
As for the opening theme for this arc, however, I have mixed feelings about it.
The opening, named Red Swan, is good but it does not feel like Attack on Titan and I doubt I will remember it as much as I did the first three openings.
Overall though, Smoke Signal was a great start to the third season and I cannot wait for the twist and turns the story will take in future episodes.

Spoiler Review:

There is so much to talk about from Smoke Signal but I want to start with my favourite moment of the episode, with Kenny’s introduction.
The build up to this scene was masterful, with Levi and side character Nifa talking about the legends surrounding him.
That is how you know Kenny is a big deal.
He is so notorious that he is considered an urban legend by many.
Kenny viciously proves his savagery as well, by killing Nifa with no hesitation and even tries to kill Levi.
There were other great moments throughout the episode from Hange subtly threatening the military police soldiers who killed Pastor Nick, to Eren’s failed Titan experiment.
Speaking of which, it was really disturbing to see Eren’s mutilated face when he emerged from the Titan and I wonder what went wrong with that.
As I said in my non-spoiler review, Historia was my favourite character of the episode because we got insight into her real personality.
She just looks dead inside and it is clear that she has been through a lot of trauma.
As for new characters, we not only got Kenny but a brief look at Historia’s father and King Fritz.
This raises more questions, however, as I wonder why Historia is so important, considering she is just the daughter of a lord and does not seem to be related to the king, at least from what I can tell.
Hopefully, we will get more answers in the coming episodes.
After watching Smoke Signal there is really only one thing left to say… KENNY!!!

Attack on Titan OVA reviews

Attack on Titan season three premieres in a few days and I cannot wait.
So, in anticipation for it, I decided to review all of the OVAs so far.
I will be reviewing these from the weakest OVA to the strongest and will be counting two part OVA’s like No Regrets and Lost Girls as one.
Let’s get into it.

Distress:

Distress is what I consider to be the weakest of the OVAs.
It simply follows the members of the 104th Cadet Corps on a training mission where they are ambushed by bandits.
After Krista is abducted, the cadets have to band together to rescue her, along with their stolen ODM gear.
This is an average OVA as it adds nothing to the anime and is merely just a side story.
There are a few things that detract from its quality though, as very obvious stock footage from season one is used.
Another detractor is Eren who is his typical, unlikable, season one self.
He was especially annoying in this OVA because he made a terrible decision, which could have got everyone killed.
However, this OVA does have some things I really like at the same time.
The bandits are not portrayed as entirely evil as it is established that they do have families, which was a nice addition.
Along with this, characters who previously died like Marco feature prominently in this and it is good to see them again in the spot light.
Overall, this OVA is average.
It is entertaining but if you decide not to watch it it will not change your viewing experience of the anime.

A Sudden Visitor:

This, this is how you do a parody.
Watching A Sudden Visitor I could not help but be reminded of the awful Attack on Titan live adaptation miniseries episode The Departure of Freedom, but in a good way.
This is because A Sudden Visitor achieved what the miniseries episode could not by making an actual funny parody.
This OVA is about a cooking competition between Jean and Sasha.
Yes, you heard right, a cooking contest in Attack on Titan.
Surprisingly, this does end badly because the humor is spot on.
There is actually quite a bit of meta humor because this OVA adapts fake gag previews Attack on Titan‘s writer Hajime Isayama put in the manga, to hilarious results.
Sasha and Pyxis are especially funny in this OVA, with one scene where Pyxis has a vision leaving me in tears of laughter.
Still, this OVA does have its downsides as, once again, Eren is unlikable due to his treatment of Mikasa.
Also I hope this OVA is not canon because, even though it is very funny, it does not fit the tone of Attack on Titan.
A Sudden Visitor is a good parody but not something that I think should be canon.

Ilse’s Notebook:

Ilse’s Notebook is a unique OVA because it is the only one of the five to actually feature in the Attack on Titan manga.
Sure No Regrets and Lost Girls were mangas but they were spin offs and not part of the official manga.
That being said, I can understand why Ilse’s Notebook was made into an OVA and not featured in the anime.
This is because it gives a massive hint towards Ymir being a Titan Shifter.
The OVA features Hange and Levi discovering a notebook from a dead soldier named Ilse Lagnar who, in her final moments, wrote down that she had communicated with a Titan who said “Ymir’s people” and called her “Ymir.”
This would have made it pretty easy for people to guess that Ymir was a Titan Shifter so Ilse’s Journal was made into an OVA, instead of being included in the anime, to make this twist more surprising.
As for the OVA itself, it is really enjoyable with both funny and dark moments and watching it does add context to some episodes of the anime, like Children.
I do wish it was added to the anime because it would have added an extra layer to the story but Ilse’s Journal is still a great OVA that explains some things from the anime.

No Regrets:

No Regrets is the OVA that goes into the backstory of fan favourite character Levi by showing how he joined the Survey Corps.
The OVA reveals that Levi was a criminal who taught himself how to use the ODM gear with his friends Farlan and Isabel.
However, the three were captured by Erwin Smith who forced them to join the Survey Corps, but Levi and his friends had also secretly been hired by a nobleman to kill Erwin.
From there the story grows showing how Levi came to trust Erwin and lost his friends.
One thing I really liked about this OVA was how it made me care for Farlan and Isabel, despite their short amount of screen time, and how their friendship with Levi was perfectly portrayed.
This OVA also not only has some great use of animation and music but, without a doubt, the creepiest Titan in all of Attack on Titan.
The Titan that kills Farlan and Isabel is very disturbing and really showed how powerful Titans could be.
However, there was one thing that did hold this episode back for me and that was Erwin. He felt out of character in this OVA when he reflected on his dead men and Levi’s friends, calling their deaths “pathetic.”
This is not something that Erwin would do as every death of a Survey Corps soldier weighs on him.
Other than that though, No Regrets was still a great OVA and the second best overall.

Lost Girls:

Lost Girls is the best OVA of Attack on Titan so far in my opinion.
The plot follows Annie trying to solve a woman’s disappearance the day before she goes on her mission to capture Eren.
The reason this is my favourite OVA is because it made me care for and understand Annie as a character.
After watching Annie’s arc so far in the series I did not really know how she felt about carrying out her mission, like I did with Reiner and Bertholdt, and as a result that made her a much less interesting character.
Lost Girls really clears this up though, giving us insight into not only Annie as a character but how her past has shaped her.
This OVA also has some great fight sequences and action segments, the best of which where Annie partially transforms to escape her attackers.
The mystery of the missing woman is pretty interesting as well but the real highlight is, once again, Annie and what we learn about her.
It made me want Annie to wake up from the crystal in the anime so we can learn more about her.
I consider Lost Girls to be the best Attack on Titan OVA because of how it took a character I did not understand and made her very relatable.

Top 10 Attack on Titan Songs

Warning: This list contains spoilers for the anime.

Attack on Titan has quickly become not only my favourite anime but one of my favourite shows ever.
This is not just because of its gripping story and characters but also due to its exceptional music, which is the best of any show I have ever seen.
The music manages to convey various emotions in me, depending on the scene, and highlights the tension and atmosphere of said scenes.
So I decided to count down my top ten favourite songs from the anime.
I will not only be placing these based on how good the individual songs are but also on how they are used in the show.

10. AOTs2M他1

This song has not been used often in Attack on Titan, as far as I can tell it has only been used twice, but that does not change that is still both a haunting and spirit raising piece of music.
This is apparent through how the song is used because a different part of it is used in each scene it is played and each conveys a different meaning.
The first use of it is in season 2 episode ten, Children, when Ymir goes to capture Historia. Here the music goes from building tension to flat out exploding into a violin musical score reminiscent of Barricades, which we will get to later.
This use of music gets the viewer ready for what is to come and has them both routing for Ymir and the Survey Corps coming to rescue Eren.
The second time it is used is in the very next episode, Charge, where the Titan that ate Eren’s mother makes its reappearance.
The part of AOTs2M他1 played here is much more somber and darker, and really highlights Eren’s horror at seeing this Titan again.
AOTs2M他1 is a great song with its ability to make me both feel dread and excitement at what is happening.

9. Bauklotze

Bauklotze plays even less than AOTs2M他1 (only once) but it is such a great song and the way it is implemented in the scene it is played in is so perfect that I just had to place it higher.
Unlike the previous song though, this one has lyrics.
These are in German and speak of both destruction and creation.
Bauklotze came at a very pivotal time in the series for me because it was played in season one episode nineteen, Bite, and it was this very moment that Eren finally got the character development he sorely needed.
It was in this moment that Eren decided to trust his squad mates, thus growing as a character.
The song was perfect to play for this scene because of what would later happen because of this scene and how energetic the song is.
Bauklotze is a very spirit raising song and whenever I think of Bite I cannot help but think of this song because of how good it is and how it perfectly matched the scene.

8. APETITAN

APETITAN is a song that is played throughout the second season of Attack on Titan but primarily serves as the theme for the mysterious Beast Titan.
This song is very haunting with the energetic sense of danger it has to it, enhanced by the gruesome things that happen in the anime when this song plays.
This was the song played when Miche was brutally ripped apart by the Titans, and it was the song played when the Survey Corps attempted to get Eren back from the Armoured Titan only for most of them to be devoured by the Titans.
This song’s freakish nature also excellently reflects that of the Beast Titan and the mystery his character holds.
Throughout the many times this song was played in the season I never got tired of it because it almost always played different sections of the song, only repeating the truly horrifying or enthralling moments.
APETITAN is one of the most haunting themes in all of Attack on Titan through how it is used in the series and how it reflects the Beast Titan.

7. Vogel im Kafig

Much like AOTs2M他1, Vogel im Kafig is a song that conveys the feelings of both hope and dread to the audience through how its music is utilized.
Once again with German lyrics, The song was primarily used in season one and has many standout uses.
Chief among these is the moment when Eren’s mother, Carla, is eaten by a Titan.
As this disturbing scene plays out in slow motion the song plays at full boom, displaying the full horror of the situation in a chilling fashion that makes it far more disturbing than the APETITAN song.
However, as I said, this song is also used to convey hope because it is also played when Eren transforms into a Titan, both when Mikasa thinks about what he could be and in the flashback where Eren actually transforms.
Eren’s transformation is by far the most powerful of these two, with it conveying horror in the beginning when Eren wakes up in the stomach of the Titan surrounded by dead bodies.
The music then morphs into triumphant and hopeful as soon as Eren transforms.
What makes these different feelings of dread and hope created by this song so amazing is that it is the same section of Vogel im Kafig being played in both these scenes.
This song manages to capture both dread and hope in completely different scenes with the same music and that makes it a sure highlight.

6. Barricades

Hear this song once and good luck getting out of your head.
Every time I listen to Barricades it gets stuck in my head for at least a couple of days.
However, this is not a bad thing because Barricades is another amazing song that sings about freedom and breaking free from what is holding you back.
The song is played in the final episode of season two, Scream, in one of the few triumphant moments of the episode, when Historia declares to Ymir that from now on they should “live for no one but ourselves,” before launching herself at an attacking Titan.
This song is both energetic, triumphant and, above all else, catchy.
Barricades will get stuck in your head for days but you will not want it to leave.

5. Call Your Name

Another truly powerful Attack on Titan song, Call Your Name is one of the best songs from the first season of the anime.
This is apparent through how many heroic and triumphant scenes this is played in, primarily when Eren blocks the hole in Trost District and when Jean and the others join the Survey Corps.
I always find myself singing along with the lyrics whenever this song plays in the anime and it always has a huge hand in elevating each scene it plays it.
The song starts off slow, with a simple piano playing along with the lyrics before it explodes into a crescendo with an electric guitar.
This helps to build up each scene to its triumphant moment and gives these scenes a much bigger impact.
This song was so good that it got an updated version in the Lost Girls OVA, which is also pretty good.
Call Your Name is a fantastic song that really highlights the triumphant moments of the series.

4. EREN The Coordinate

EREN The Coordinate is a particularly long piece of music, coming in at over six minutes, but it is a truly great one as, once again, it manages to highlight so many of the series’ triumphant and emotional moments.
A prime example of this is when it plays during Bertholdt’s confession during Charge, where he admits he is horrified by the things he has done.
The use of this song here could not have been better because it perfectly highlighted not only Bertholdt’s anguish but the conflicted feelings of the other 104th cadets at the realization that two of their friends were traitors.
Then there is the final triumphant outburst of the song where it bursts into a crescendo, which is played when Sasha risks her life to save the little girl in I’m Home, and in the final scene of season two Erwin declares that one day “this wall hiding the truth will fall.”
The use of EREN The Coordinate‘s crescendo for this scene was amazingly done as it highlighted the triumphant moments of these scenes, especially during that final scene of the second season.
EREN The Coordinate is a long song, but one that encompasses many emotional and triumphant moments seen throughout season two.

3. Call of Silence

Call of Silence is, without a doubt in my mind, the most powerful song in Attack on Titan.
It is used during Ymir’s flashback, in Children, when she wakes up after 60 years of being a Titan and realizes she is free to live the life she wants.
Although a short song in comparison with the others, Call of Silence is incredibly memorable because of how powerful its lyrics are and how it makes the already fantastic scene it features in even better.
The lyrics sing about rebirth and living your life and this really resonates with the scene of Ymir waking up.
The combination of this powerful song and the emotional scene it is played in made me cry the first time I heard it in the anime.
One of the most somber and inspiring songs of Attack on Titan, Call of Silence is a song I think about every time I remember Ymir.

2. Attack on Titan

The best song from the first season of the show and the second best overall, Attack on Titan is not just named after the show but is another highlight in the series’ songs.
It is played throughout season one and has numerous memorable uses, from Armin, Jean and Reiner’s battle with the Female Titan, to my favourite usage of it during Eren’s transformation in Mercy.
The use of Attack on Titan during this scene was fantastic as it built up the tension and the German lyrics related greatly to the scene.
Attack on Titan is very similar to the the first intro of season one, Guren no Yumiya, because both songs speak of the struggles against the Titans.
Whenever Attack on Titan explodes into its chorus about fighting it always manages to wrack up the tension of the scenes it is played in even higher and never fails to get me excited about what is to come.
This song is truly fantastic but the one reason it is not at number one is because I feel it is a bit overused in the series as it popped up at least five times in the first season before reappearing once in the second season.
Still, its overuse does not change the fact that Attack on Titan is still a fantastic song that never fails to raise the tension of the show whenever it is played.

1. YouSeeBIGGIRL/T.T

Now we come to my favourite song in all of Attack on Titan, YouSeeBIGGIRL/T.T.
Whenever I think of Attack on Titan’s music this is the song I automatically think of.
YouSeeBIGGIRL/T.T is essentially a second version of Vogel im Kafig and it improves on that already fantastic song.
This new version of the song has two parts: it’s grand opera-like beginning and its explosive second part.
Both of these parts are played in the incredible twist that Reiner and Bertholdt were the Armoured and Colossal Titans the entire time.
Given that this means they are responsible for Eren’s mother’s death and Vogel im Kafig was the song played during that moment, this makes the placement of YouSeeBIGGIRL/T.T here perfect because it makes the reveal and Carla’s death mirror each other.
This song also perfectly highlights Eren’s horror at learning two of the people he trusted were responsible for such atrocities.
Thus this song creates the feeling of shock, amazement and horror whenever I hear it, perfectly encapsulating the feelings of Attack on Titan.
YouSeeBIGGIRL/T.T is the best song of Attack on Titan because it is not only an amazing song but fits in perfectly with the various emotions the scene it is played in conveys.

Top 10 Attack on Titan Anime Moments

Warning: Major spoilers for the anime.

10. Eren vs the Armoured Titan – Season two, episode seven, Close Combat.

After the shocking reveal of Reiner and Bertholdt being Titans (more on that later) Eren faced off against Reiner, The Armoured Titan, in an epic showdown that is probably the best fight in the series.
The thing that makes this fight so good is how much thinking goes into it.
For example, when Eren fought the Female Titan there was not a big focus on the tactics of the fighting, just Eren being motivated by the deaths of his squad mates.
Here, however, Eren plans out his attack process and we get to see how this leads to him defeating the Armoured Titan… before Bertholdt jumps in of course.
Another thing that makes this fight so great is how Eren expresses his feelings about the Armoured Titan being Reiner, someone he thought of as an older brother.
This fight showed us Eren’s feelings of anger and betrayal, which go nicely with the fight itself.
The combined elements of fighting tactics and Eren’s inner thoughts turn this fight into the best of the series.

9. First appearance of the Beast Titan – Season two, episode one, Beast Titan.

Probably my biggest question after watching season two was, “who is the Beast Titan?”
Unfortunately, us anime watchers do not have an answer yet but, based on this Titan’s introduction, he looks to be a very important character and a formidable foe for the main cast.
His introduction is the best the series has given us so far as it opens up many interesting questions about the series.
What is probably most interesting about him though is that he can speak without difficulty and can also control Titan’s, although to a lesser extent than Eren I think.
We also got to see how cruel whoever is controlling the Beast Titan is because of the subsequent death of Miche Zacharius, the most gruesome death in Attack on Titan so far.
The Beast Titan just allowed the other Titans to rip him apart while he screamed for mercy and his only reaction to this was an acknowledgement that Miche could talk.
The first time I saw this scene it left me sick to my stomach.
Both gruesome and intriguing, the introduction of the Beast Titan is the best introduction of Attack on Titan.

8. Historia and Ymir’s promise – Season two, episode five, Historia.

One of the things I liked the most about season two of Attack on Titan was how it took forgettable characters from the first season and turned them into some of the best in the series.
Case and point Ymir and Historia.
I will talk about Ymir later but Historia had a great moment of character development in the fifth episode of the second season, where everything we knew about her was turned on its head.
In this flashback it is revealed that not only is her name not Christa but her entire personality has been an act.
Every time she risked her life for someone it was so she could die and be remembered as a hero.
Remember when she went to save Armin, Jean and Reiner in the Female Titan episode?
She went to help them because she wanted to die.
In the first season I saw Historia, or Christa as she was called then, as nothing more than a one note character who was just cannon fodder for the Titans.
This flashback to her and Ymir’s promise changed my entire perception of her and made her much more interesting, which, I am happy to say, it looks like they will be expanding upon in season three.
On top of this the animation in this scene is stellar and some of the best the series has given us.
This moment changed my entire perception of Historia, turning her from someone I did not care for into one of the most interesting characters.

7. Jean decides to join the Scouts – Season one, episode sixteen, What Needs to be Done Now: Eve of the Counterattack, Part 3.

I loved Jean in season one.
His character arc in that season was my favourite out of everyone’s.
He went from a coward who only wanted to join the Military Police so he could live safely in the interior, to the guy who joined the Survey Corps because it was the right thing to do.
His defining moment of the season though came in the 16th episode when he actually decided to join the Scouts.
After learning of his friend Marco’s death in the 13th episode, Jean was at a crossroads being unsure of what to do.
However, at the cremation of all the soldiers who lost their lives during the Titan invasion, Jean remembered Marco telling him he is a good leader because he knows what needs to be done.
This inspired Jean and in a heartfelt moment he declared to the other cadets that he intended to join the scouts before bursting into tears.
This is a very powerful moment for his character because we can see he is scared through how he had to grasp his shaking hand and repeat himself a few times before he could bring himself to tell the others his decision.
This moment showed that, despite his fear, Jean was willing to risk his life to do the right thing.
Jean was my favourite character of the first season and this scene really highlights why.

6. Advance!!! – Season two, episode 11, Charge.

I can distinctly remember screaming in horror when a Titan came out of nowhere and dragged Commander Erwin Smith away by the arm.
However, this screaming soon turned to cheering with one word: “ADVANCE!!!”
With a single word Erwin Smith became one of my favourite characters because he showed he was willing to sacrifice everything in order to save humanity.
I could not believe that he was putting the mission ahead of his own life like that but I thought it was an incredible way for him to die… only for him to survive.
Because a few minutes later Erwin was back fighting, with only one arm.
The he saved Eren’s life, once again, with only one arm.
If there is any moment of Attack on Titan that highlights Erwin’s character it is this one. It is one of the most awesome character moments of the entire series.

5. Eren’s reaction to Hannes’ death, Mikasa’s confession and the Coordinate reveal – Season two, episode twelve, Scream.

This scene marks a pretty huge achievement in my eyes.
I hated Eren in the first season of the show and yet this moment actually made me cry for him.
Watching Eren break down into a hysterical fit of tears and laughter, after the death of Hannes, was heartbreaking to watch and it only got better from here.
This is because, after Eren’s breakdown, Mikasa chose to confess her feelings for him.
I have never really been a fan of the idea of Eren and Mikasa getting together because Eren often acts like a jerk towards her and Mikasa seems to be obsessed with Eren rather than in love with him.
Just like the Historia scene though, this moment changed my perception of their relationship as this was a beautiful moment portrayed with great voice acting from both Yuki Kaiji and Yui Ishikawa.
If we get more scenes like this between the two of them in season three I might actually get on board with their relationship, although if they act like it never happened I will not.
Finally there is Eren’s Coordinate abilities being revealed right after Mikasa’s confession, which brings new hope to the series and combines with everything else to make this all a truly memorable moment.

4. Deaths of the Levi Squad – Season one, episode 21, Crushing Blow.

This was the first time I actually shouted at my TV screen when watching Attack on Titan.
Prior to this I had felt sad about some of the deaths in the show but none had made me feel like I had been punched in the gut afterwards.
The deaths of the Levi Squad, consisting of Oruo, Petra, Eld and Gunther, changed that with three of them dying in the span of two minutes.
First there is Gunther, killed during the ending moments of episode 20 by Annie in human form.
In the very next episode the remaining Levi Squad tried to kill the Female Titan only for her to kill Eld, Petra and Oruo in quick succession thus putting an end to the Levi Squad.
This moment had me screaming at the screen for the characters to get out of there as they were quickly killed one by one and left me feeling emotionally drained.
Their deaths were not quickly forgotten either, with the very next episode dealing with the effects their deaths would have as we got to see all of their families wait for their arrival, some with a feeling of dread and others with no idea their loved ones had been killed.
The deaths of the Levi Squad are the most gut wrenching of the series so far, but this is Attack on Titan so sadly I think we will get more of these kinds of deaths in season three.

3. Eren transforms into a Titan to fight Annie – Season one, episode 24, Mercy.

Attack on Titan has a lot of transformations but this is one of my favourites.
Everything in this scene just combines to make a truly epic moment.
In this scene, Eren was struggling to accept Annie’s identity as the Female Titan and this lead to him being crushed and impaled by rubble as Annie desperately tried to capture him.
However, remembering the deaths of his mother and the Levi Squad and Mikasa’s words to him about “a cruel world”, Eren was able to accept what needed to be done and impaled himself further on the rubble to begin his transformation.
This emotional moment lead into the epic transformation where the music exploded into a grand crescendo with the OST Attack on Titan.
The use of this OST really sold the scene and the visuals work all the better because it did not actually show the transformation, just the lightening generated by it, along with how the characters reacted to the transformation.
All of this built up and up until Eren rushed at Annie in his Titan form and punched her through a church.
This scene is the very definition of epic and never fails to get me excited every time I watch it.

2. Ymir’s backstory flashback – Season two, episode ten, Children.

I mentioned earlier, that season two did a fantastic job of turning forgettable characters into some of my favourites and a prime example of this is Ymir.
In season one she was not even a character but a trope of the typical mean girl who insults everyone.
So I was absolutely blown away with her character development in the second season and I think there could be a reasonable argument that this second second is her story.
The scene that really established her as one of my favourite characters was the flashback that revealed her backstory in episode ten, Children.
This is the greatest flashback I have ever seen.
Not only does it tell you almost everything you need to know about Ymir but it also gives major hints as to what is really going on.
I think I have actually figured out some of the things that are going to be revealed in the future of the show because of the hints given here.
I see more hints in this flashback every time I watch it.
Best of all though is what this flashback does for Ymir.
The moment when Ymir turns back into a human and realizes that she is now free to live the life she wants is the most powerful moment of the entire series and was the first time I cried during Attack on Titan.
This is helped once again by the fantastic music, with the OST Call of Silence, which is not just an amazing song but the lyrics also say a lot about Ymir as well.
This flashback made Ymir one of my favourite characters.
I am so glad it was added as this stage in the anime as I have been told this flashback comes much later in the manga.

1. Bertholdt and Reiner are revealed as the Colossal and Armoured Titans – Season two, episode six, Warrior.

If number two was my favourite flashback of all time then number one is one of my favourite, if not my absolute favourite, twist of all time.
The reveal that Reiner had been the Armoured Titan and Bertholdt was the Colossal Titan the entire time was not only shocking but incredibly handled as well.
The way it is revealed has to be the most nonchalant twist reveal of all time.
Out of the blue Reiner just confesses to Eren that they are the Titans who started all this like it is no big deal.
I had to watch this scene a second time to make sure I had not misread the subtitles.
It completely subverts expectations but in the best of ways.
The moments following this confession are also stellar as in a flashback the show pieces together all the hints of Reiner and Bertholdt being Titans from prior episodes.
What follows is the best transformation of the entire series as one of the flags atop the wall is blown away, prompting the two’s transformation.
Did I mention that Attack on Titan had some incredible OSTs?
Well, I will say it again because the OST they chose for this transformation, YouSeeBIGGIRL/T:T, is absolutely perfect for the moment.
This is not only because it is a great song but also because it is a different version of the song played when Eren’s mother was killed in the very first episode and, given that Reiner and Bertholdt are responsible for her death, this makes the placement of this OST here absolutely brilliant.
The reveal also left an amazing cliffhanger for the audience as to what would happen in episode seven.
I consider this to be the best moment in all of Attack on Titan because of how brilliantly the twist is revealed, the insane things that happen following the reveal, and the genius use of music.
The Reiner and Bertholdt twist really highlights why I love Attack on Titan.

Attack on Titan: Signal of the Counterattack features the worst adaptation I have ever seen.

I just watched the three part miniseries Attack on Titan: Signal of the Counterattack, which is a part of the Attack on Titan Japanese live action movies.
When I started watching these episodes I thought they would be bad but I had no idea they would be worse than the live action films.
They were terribly acted, boring and one of the episodes was the worst adaptation I have ever seen and made me feel insulted as an Attack on Titan fan.
So I will now take you through each episode and why I found them to be so atrocious.

Episode 1: The Strike Back Begins

When I read the synopsis for this episode, I thought it might actually be good because it starred Hans (Satomi Ishihara), the adaptation’s version of Hange, who was one of the few good things about the live action films.
Yet, somehow, this episode managed to ruin her character for me.
Just because something works in anime does not mean it will work in live action and the portrayal of Hans in this episode is a testament to that.
I found Ishihara’s performance here to be laughably terrible, which unfortunately goes the same for the other actors in this episode.
This episode is also terribly shot with time lapse shots that may work for a documentary but not a fictional TV series.
On top of this, there is a moment that blatantly contradicts the continuity of the live action films.
Hans shows that the Titans cannot move at night but we saw them move at night in the first film.
While this change is more in line with the anime if you set something up in your version you have to continue with it because otherwise it destroys all continuity.
This episode is a mess, with the only enjoyment coming out of its laughably bad performances.

Episode 2: The Arrow of Hope

With the most cringe worthy title of all three episodes, if I could describe The Arrow of Hope in one word it would be “boring”.
This episode focuses on the character of Sasha’s (Nanami Sakuraba) backstory and at no point did I even remotely care about what was happening.
I did not care about Sasha’s dog, I did not care about her catching the food thieves, I did not care about Han’s involvement.
The story telling was that bad.
Along with this, Sasha’s character is, just like in the films, butchered in comparison with the manga and anime.
Her only character traits in this is that she is obsessed with food and is an expert with the bow and arrow.
Sasha’s character was so much more than this in the source material and the jokes they use surrounding her character here do not work at all, once again unlike the source material.
They basically made her a Katniss Everdeen wannabe in this version.
Much like the previous episode, this one is also terribly shot with a point of view shot from Sasha’s dog being particularly atrocious.
Then there is the cringe factor, with so many scenes that made me groan.
The way Sasha’s bow and arrow skills completely defy physics and her literally making heart eyes at someone were the worst moments of the episode.
There is just nothing enjoyable in this episode.
It is completely boring from start to finish.

Episode 3: The Departure of Freedom

Coming into this episode I expected it to be bad.
What I did not expect was for it to be one of the most torturous experiences I have ever had watching any form of media.
The Departure of Freedom is not just a terrible episode but the worst adaptation I have had the displeasure of seeing.
It is so atrocious that it makes The Last Airbender and Dragonball Evolution look like cinematic gold.
This episode basically focuses on the budding romance between Fukushi (Shu Watanabe) and Lil (Rina Takeda), two characters from the first film.
They are based off Hanna and Franz from the source material, who were minor characters and did not need an entire episode like this focused on them.
You remember the saying, “still a better love story than Twilight”?
Well, this love story actually manages to succeed in being worse than Twilight, and that is saying a lot.
There entire relationship starts with Lin almost beating Fukushi to death, how is that for romantic?
Them falling in love is so unbelievable and stupid.
It goes from them trying to kill each other to them being head over heels in love in seconds.
For the third time, this episode is shot terribly as there is way too much slow motion.
This is a 41 minute episode and if you were to remove all the slow motion scenes then the episode would be cut by at least 20 minutes.
This shows the people who made this had no idea what they were doing and were trying to just fill in time by using slow motion.
CGI is also used in this film and it is atrocious and completely unnecessary.
However, the reason why I consider this to be the worst adaptation ever is the comedy.
About half way through this episode I realised it was not meant to be taken seriously but that does not excuse the fact that adapting Attack on Titan as a comedy with incredibly unfunny cringe humor is completely insulting to any fan of the source material.
There are two women in this film who for some dumb reason are dressed in skimpy outfits while in the military who provide the worst joke in the entire episode.
When one of the soldiers insults their superior officer one of these women glares at her with the the most over the top frown and kissing face and her eyes rolling into the back of her head.
I laughed so hard at this, and not because it was funny but, because I could not believe they were actually doing this.
The final fifteen minutes of the episode delves into a complete cringe fest with some of the most juvenile humor I have ever seen and I hated every minute of it.
This episode was absolute agony to watch.
They took the dark and compelling story of Attack on Titan and changed it into a cringe fueled comedy with no humor whatsoever.
Avoid this episode like the plague.

I don’t know how they managed it but somehow this live action miniseries was 1000 times worse than the live action Attack on Titan movies.
The episodes were laughably bad, cringe worthy, boring and had one of the most insulting adaptions of an original work ever.
I am only thankful that I have finished watching these adaptations and therefore never have to see them again.