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Attack On Titan Season 2 Confirmed for 2017
Huge, horrifying monster related good news everyone! Attack on Titan, one of the very best anime series of this century to date is definitely coming back next year. The series follows a group of teenagers in a post-apocalyptic world where humanity is confined to a single vast city. Outside the walls, the world belongs to the Titans, immense, carnivorous humanoid monsters. The Titans haven’t attacked for years but that, and what the teenagers’ think their lives are for, is about to change…
It’s an amazing show, balancing character drama, vast (literally) action and a remarkably complex and well executed story arc. The only problem is, while the manga and various side projects have flourished, there’s been no sign of season 2.
But now, all that is about to change. CrunchyRoll report that over the weekend cast members Yūki Kaji (Eren), Yui Ishikawa (Mikasa), Marina Inoue (Armin), and director Tetsuro Araki were part of a live reading at the splendidly named Attack Festival. There, they confirmed that season 2 production had been planned for 2016 since production on the first compilation movie back in 2014. More recently, Spanish home video and streaming service SelectaVisión indicated that the show was due for release in early 2017.
What’s not entirely clear from these reports is whether SelectaVisión were assuming the production commencement was the release date or not. We expect more details to surface shortly but what’s clear is this; work on new Attack on Titan is either underway or about to be and that can only be a good thing. Unless you’re facing a Titan of course…
Attack On Titan Part 1 FILM REVIEW
Release: Out Now
From: Manga Entertainment
Certificate: 15
Director: Shinji Higuchi
Starring: Haruma Miura, Kiko Mizuhara, Kanata Hongô
The live-action Attack On Titan was royally slammed even before it opened in Japan this summer. One preview critic said, “I wished the Titans would eat the kids so it would end,” and was blasted on Twitter by the angry director, Shinji Higuchi. It wasn’t as funny as Josh Trank dissing his own Fantastic Four movie, but it came an honourable second.
The first of a two-part story, Attack On Titan is not a good film. It may not even be an Attack On Titan film, as – like Fantastic Four – it makes huge for-the-hell-of-it changes to the storyline. It’s still set on a world where humans cower behind stone walls from man-eating giants, but as the story starts Eren Yeager’s an orphan and no-one’s seen a Titan in living memory. And if you loved Titan for the relationship between Eren and Mikasa (who’s not his adoptive sis now), then be warned: their arc has really changed.
The film’s visually interesting if you don’t demand 21st century “realism”, and like seeing the seams and back-projections. In other words, it may appeal most to fans of vintage Doctor Who and Japanese monster movies (Higuchi comes from a monster-film background). Many of the monster attacks are striking, especially the opening onslaught on Eren’s town, which feels like a bloody puppet show with human actors. There’s a great moment with a Titan baby, and a final smash-’em-to-bits battle that more than does justice to an iconic moment of the story.
The real problem is the long time spent with the silly, unengaging human characters. Their screechy “comedy” turns (including a version of mad Titan obsessive Hange) raise reluctant chuckles but the young actors are excruciating, pretty-faced kids playing at being hard.
Sorry Higuchi, your online critic had a point about rooting for the Titans.
Review by: Tom Arden
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Anime Limited Panel @ MCM London Comic Con
The distribution company Anime Limited opened MCM Comic Con in style on Friday with a flurry of announcements about their upcoming releases. Marketing executive Jeremy Graves and product manager Kat Hall took to the Platinum Suite stage to give fans the good news during the first panel of the day, and provided information about 14 new anime titles that will be distributed by the company.
Describing their products as the “anime version of the Criterion collection”, Graves and Hall first discussed the products that will already be available for fans to purchase at Comic Con ahead of their general release later this year. A remastered HD release of the 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam Part 1, as well as collectors’ editions of Full Metal Panic!, Baccano, and Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya are all on sale at their booth in the main hall.
Designed by Hall to provide the best possible product for fans, each of the collectors’ editions will come with exclusive art books and other extras, such as tarot cards in the Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya box.
Fans rejoiced at the prospect of new products to buy, but it was the discussion about Anime Limited’s 2016 releases that really grabbed the audience’s attention. Ninja Slayer From Animation, Expelled From Paradise and Tokyo ESP were the first series to be announced. Expelled From Paradise is set to be released on 25 January, while Tokyo ESP will be out in February, and Ninja Slayer From Animation will be sold in 2016.
The pair also announced the HD Blu-ray release of The Disappearance Of Haruhi Suzumiya, which has previously not been available to buy in the UK. While both Ping Pong and Fusé Memoirs Of A Huntress are set to be released in January, with a special collector’s edition available for the first series. Makoto Shinkai’s The Place Promised In Our Early Days and Voices Of A Distant Star will also be sold by Anime Limited, and an exclusive steel book of the film will be available.
The panel then announced that series two of Durarara are being licensed by the company, and part one of the anime, and both will be sold in February. Graves and Hall also revealed that, following its theatrical release in early 2016, Miss Hokusai will come out on DVD and Blu-ray in March.
Finally, the panel also brought some light to the slightly delayed release of Shinichiro Watanabe’s Terror In Resonance, which was originally slated for distribution earlier this year. The series will now be available in March or April of 2016, and will come in an “ultimate package”, which will include a DVD and Blu-ray version of the series, as well as an art book inside. Anime Limited is set to make more announcements of their upcoming releases on Sunday at MCM Comic Con, so keep a lookout for more news on their latest products.
Guardians Of The Gallery: Cyberbunnies, Egyptian Superheroes, 8-Bit Mad Max & More
Some of the best, funniest and weirdest pics & vids that’ve been doing the rounds on the ’net this week
••• Loads more like this at HoppyBunnies.com.
••• Hero-glyphics (great pun!) by Josh LN. And there are loads more where these came from…
••• A brilliant idea, brilliantly executed. With The Flash season two riffing off the famous “Crisis On Infinite Earths” storyline, AshsEvilHand has taken that to a meta extreme with visual nods to various DC screen franchises.
••• It was always going to happen…
••• Love these. Thank you Behance.net.
••• Like mother like daughter. Christina Ricci (once Wednesday in The Addams Family) as her screen mother Morticia. [via ComicBook.com]
••• Artist Alex Solis reveals the shocking truth behind the masks of certain famous superheroes in “Icons Unmasked”.
••• This is disturbing…
••• Best bed ever! Created by Reddit user Ghostfaceace for his son. [via ComicBookResources]
••• When franchises collide… brilliantly! Based on the design of Starkiller’s lightsaber from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed was created by Custom Saber forum member Eastern57. [via Geek Tyrant]
••• Definitely the quirkiest take on Attack On Titan so far…
MCM London Comic Con May 2015 In a Nutshell video
Over the weekend at MCM London Comic Con, one of the talented MCM video team members, Josh McCullough was once again let loose with his camera to catch some of the highlights from the event at the ExCeL centre.
The ‘In a Nutshell’ video includes a look at areas of the event, such as the stalls, VidFest, Esports and Fringe Stage. There is also the likes of Hello Kitty, some of the video games (Farming Simulator 15 anyone?), cosplayers, My Little Pony plushies, maneki-nekos and even a guitar playing Titan?!
Intrigued? Well click play below to watch the video. You can also catch up on all of our video content from the event on our YouTube Channel.