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.
