Attack on Titan - Season 2 (Limited Edition Blu-Ray Set Review)
By: Mithrandiel
Warning: There be spoilers here!
When Attack on Titan first arrived in the Spring of 2013, it quickly gained popularity for its stunning animation and no-holds-barred action, violence, and drama. Telling the story of mankind pushed to the brink of extinction by a race of giants known as "Titans", our central protagonist, Eren Jaeger, discovers an ability that may help turn the tide of war and unlock the mysteries of the Titans themselves.The first season ended with a shocking revelation: one of Eren's colleagues within the Survey Corps, Annie Leonheart, was actually a Titan. After a brutal clash with Annie, she encases herself with what appears to be a thick ice-like material, leaving Eren and his friends to reflect on the implications of more Titans within their midst.Season 2 picks up right where they left off: in the wake of the fight with Annie, news comes of a Titan invasion pushing past Wall Rose. The Survey Corps races to the wall to find the source of the incursion, and instead discover even more horrifying secrets buried within their unit.Contributor EyeSpyeAlex covered the season in some detail as it aired, so you're welcome to dive into her weekly synopsis if you want a bit more meat on the story itself. Fans of the manga are aware that there is a great big world of drama and lore to explore beyond the the walls, and this season begins to offer viewers a peek at what's in store. With more and more revealed Titans, the deck is consistently stacked against our heroes - an underdog theme that fans of the series have grown familiar with.The soundtrack continues to impress as well, with the new opening anthem nearly accomplishing the Herculean task of being as memorable as the original. With Hiroyuki Sawano at the helm, the man behind such iconic themes as Kill La Kill's "Don't Lose Your Way" and the Thunderbolt Fantasy soundtrack, it's easy to get lost in the power and intensity of the music as the series progresses.Overall, I found the 2nd season to be wonderfully done. Funimation apparently understood what was on the line as well as they designed the Limited Edition Blu-Ray set...so let's dive into it!
The set comes in a sturdy outer casing, with the disc-box and a supplemental art book readily accessible. Let's crack open this supplemental pamphlet...
It's chock-full of stunning artwork of the various characters, friend and foe alike. Designed to look like a weathered journal that depicts "Life Beyond the Wall", the aesthetic is a cool touch.Now, to the main attraction:
The discs are stored in the front and back, with another booklet inside of the case itself. Flipping through the pages it offers a bit more information than the artbook, including character profiles.
The front and back of this booklet sports Eren and Mikasa springing into action, both striking action shots that give off a distinct Don't mess with me vibe...
If the physical goodies aren't enticing enough, there are also episode commentaries, interviews with Trina Nishimura & Yui Ishikawa (English and Japanese VA's for Mikasa Ackerman) as well as producer Tetsuya Kinoshita. There's also an interview with the original creator, Hajime Isayama. Most of these interviews were captured at Anime Expo 2017, which shows me the level of intent when designing this set.As I mentioned briefly in my Izetta: The Last Witch boxset review, I understand that Funimation needs to invest the resources in series they know will sell well. This Attack on Titan boxset demonstrates that clearly. It is a fantastically constructed set with valuable extras that would be a fantastic addition to any collector's shelf. If I could have made one more tweak to perfect this set it would be: add the soundtrack for the love of god. Seriously, one of Attack on Titan's major draws is its powerful music, and having even a digital code for Sawano's album would have been a great cherry on top of an already strong set.You can find the set on Funimation's website for just under $64. It comes out on 2/27.
