Attack on Titan Part 2 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Attack on Titan Part 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 30, 2014

Perhaps because it burst out of the gate with such innovative élan, Attack on Titan probably had an undue amount of pressure to sustain its ingenuity and visceral intensity throughout its subsequent episodes. If the bad news is that this second volume of episodes doesn’t quite have the ferocious impact of the opening set, the good news is that Attack on Titan continues to be a frequently very well written and consistently surprising series, one that reworks hoary mythological tropes in a fascinating new environment.

Those wanting to get up to speed on the basics of Attack on Titan can access our review of the first volume here:

Attack on Titan Part 1 Limited Edition Blu-ray review

Without divulging one of the central surprises that made the first half of Attack on Titan so unpredictable, a revelation about hero Eren motivates a lot of what happens in the second half of this season. Eren’s “special” talents present problems not only for his society, but for Eren himself, who struggles with his identity (or identities) while also coming to terms with the knowledge that he is resolutely not in control of what keeps happening to him (both externally and—more importantly—internally). There’s a bit more filler in this second half, leading to a feeling of lethargy as the story winds on, but Attack on Titan largely remains a remarkably adult treatment of the hazards of war.

Attack on Titan Part 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Attack on Titan is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. This second volume is completely in line with the excellent video quality seen in the first volume. Once again there are a variety of styles on display, from fairly traditional looking anime techniques to more painterly or even sketch-like looks (see screenshots 3 and 5). Line detail is sharp and precise, colors are nicely varied and very well saturated, and there are no troubling issues to discuss.

Attack on Titan Part 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with the first volume, this second set of Attack on Titan provides the original Japanese language track in Dolby TrueHD 2.0 and an English dub in Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Voice work on both of these tracks is excellent, but the 5.1 track is obviously the superior choice in terms of thundering low end and surround activity. Fidelity is excellent and dynamic range is extremely wide.

Attack on Titan Part 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Episode 14 Commentary


• Attack on Titan at Anime Expo (1080p; 16:21)


• Episode 25 Commentary


• "Chibi Theater: Fly, Cadets, Fly!" (1080p; 47:15)


• Eyecatch Gallery (1080p)


• Textless Opening Song "Jiyuu No Tsubasa" (1080p; 1:31)


• Textless Closing Song "Great Escape" (1080p; 1:31)


• U.S. Trailer (1080p; 1:50)

Attack on Titan Part 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Taken as a whole, Attack on Titan is one consistently amazing anime, one that visits a number of surprisingly provocative elements in a straightforward and bracing manner. That said, this second set is a bit of a letdown when compared to the bristling first set. Technical merits continue to be very strong, the supplemental package is well done, and Attack on Titan Part 2 comes Recommended.