Attack On Titan Season 3 Part 1

Note: Review copy supplied by Manga Entertainment

Title: Attack on Titan Season Three Part One
Anime Studio: With Studio
Publisher: Manga Entertainment
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Released: August 12^th, 2019
Classification: 15
Language: Japanese / English
Episodes: 12
Discs: 2

The truth about the Titans begins to come to light. Political secrets, a false king, and the reality that will shake the foundation of the world all falls on the shoulders of Eren and his friends, as they fight to survive. With Historia set to be the rightful Queen, the Levi Squad must act. But a figure from Levi s past, the deadly Kenny, could turn this into a losing battle. Are Eren and his friends prepared to face the true monsters that lie within the walls?

Attack on Titan is, without a doubt, one of the best-known anime in recent years. With much of the praise being levied toward the human vs. Titan action, it was a surprise to see the titular giants absent for much of season three part one. Perhaps equally as surprising is that the decision worked so well. Our heroes were forced to switch their focus to a new enemy here: other humans.

The brunt of this release sees Attack on Titan shift into world-building mode. We learn a lot about how the world is run. While this is presented from the very insular focal point of those in control within the walls rather than the continued pursuit of life outside, the change did a lot to show that Attack on Titan is more than just an action series.

That’s not to say that this is devoid of action though. The high paced combat that we all know and love is still very much present, but the change in opponent gives it a different layer. Now, we have ODM Gear vs. ODM Gear, and the need for careful – but violent – subterfuge. Best of all, t’s no less exciting than it has ever been. In particular, the scenes featuring newcomer (and known serial killer) Kenny the Ripper were thoroughly heart pounding.

Speaking of Kenny, he was an interesting addition to the cast and allowed us to learn a little more about fan favourite Levi Ackerman. As a focal antagonist, he was great, and as a side attraction, he was equally as effective. Meanwhile, we finally got to the bottom of who Historia really is, which helped her become more than simply a kind, love interest for Ymir.

For the most part, the show was also excellent when it came to the audio. The voice cast has been consistently great since the beginning, and that continued here. Meanwhile, the overall soundtrack features all the awesome scene-enhancing pieces you’d expect. The only thing that I didn’t like was the opening theme. I like both Yoshiki and Hyde, and it’s not like ‘Red Swan’ is a bad track, but it just didn’t feel like it fit for me. It was a far cry from the regular Linked Horizon pieces stylistically, and even with the change in tone for the series, just felt wrong to me.

The physical release comes in three different versions. The regular set includes the series on DVD. If you choose the Blu-ray Collector’s Edition, there’s a set of four art cards and a poster included. Meanwhile, the Combo Pack includes the series on both DVD and Blu-ray, a 24-page book, and a rigid box with space for part two. As sets go, none of them run to too high a price, so the extras are reasonable.

Overall, Attack on Titan Season Three Part One is a really good release. The shift in action style may be jarring for some fans, but the action is still great and the story itself is really important for the series going forward. I give this one 4.5 out of 5.