Now that Attack on Titan is almost at an end, this is the perfect time to watch the animated films.
With the last season of Attack on Titan concluding, many fans will be saddened by the end of an anime that has been going on for nearly a decade. But do not be afraid, because there is more Attack content out there, ready for keen eyes. Especially since most of our story is final, this is the perfect time to look back on the Attack on Titan animated films from 2015. While the films are a completely different animal from manga and anime, it brings back a sense of nostalgia from a time when anime was in its heyday. It’s a great way to relive the hype.
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Back in 2015, Toho Pictures released a 2-part, live-action version of Attack on Titan, the first part was released in August of that year and the second part in September. It goes largely from what we know of it Attack on Titan, especially since there was no more manga or anime to extract content from. There are a handful of changing key details, such as the relationship of Eren and Mikasa, without several main characters and the origin story of the Titans.
In anime and manga, Eren and Mikasa are together through thick and thin and there is not much time between them for several years. The first live act changes this, after Mikasa and Eren are separated for two years before returning, just to find their relationship in tattoos. That was a big shake-up from the anime and manga, as they think their relationship is a key part of the story.
Other main characters are also missing, such as Levi, Reiner and even Connie. Losing some of those memorable characters really detracts from the movies a bit, thinking it was the move between them all that made the Scouts so dominant. Moreover, the story of the origin of the Titans is completely different. In the live action, they are monsters made by humans who have emerged from human trials. This shifts the overall look of the story. While the live action took on many of the thematic and stylistic elements, they had to do something with the original story to make them work for change.
The closest thing between the live action and the anime / manga is the brutality and direct carnage that the Titans cause. When the movies show the Titans eating people and stomping around, they reveal it in all its glory, as well as some hard-made CGI. These films contain facial, middle and abundant blood spatters. The Titans themselves are something to see, too. The animators tried to make them look as close to the original as possible, but it just doesn’t really translate into a human face. The result is that the Titans end up looking more grotesque than usual and there are a few that are really funny to watch.
Overall, the animated films are good but not great. If fans are in search of a cannon Attack on Titan content, this is not the place to go. But what makes it great is that it evokes hype when the anime was just starting. The joy of not understanding the Titans and this eternal mystery of just creating more and more questions. The real joy of the Scouts and their relationship with each other, friend or foe. While it may not be a proper or even high-quality adaptation of the original, it still succeeds in capturing that feeling that we all once shared, especially when it’s time to say our full farewell to the series.
Both parts of the Attack on Titan a movie can be broadcast on Amazon Prime or Funimation.
