Attack on Titan Episode 2 Review

Episode Title: "That Day; The Fall of Shiganshina, Part 2

Where to watch:
http://www.crunchyroll.com/attack-on-titan/episode-2-that-day-the-fall-of-zhiganshina-2-623253
Netflix

Synopsis:
We start out this episode with exposition, because having a character tell another about the history of the Titans would simply not work.

Carrot Top was a Titan... now it all makes sense.

In my previous review, I only gave a description of some of the variant Titans.  Overall, they are naked giants, but thankfully without genitals or nipples for either gender, just a blank slab of skin over that area.  While the Titans vary in size, they literally have randomized faces with a multitude of expressions.  You have some looking like Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty with his mouth wide open, you have some with short hair with goofy smiles, and others looking like they are soundlessly screaming.  It is literally just like random face generators that gives emotions.  Random eyes, hair, ears, nose, and facial expressions.

"There's a word for that... Surrounded." ~Benjamin Sisko

Suffice it to say, over 100 years ago, Titans suddenly appeared and started making pizza rolls out of humans. As far as we know, it was world-wide, nearly wiping out the human race.  In terms of technology, besides the 3D Maneuvering gear, everything else is on a Victorian era level (musket rifles, cannons, wagons, clothing if of high status).  The 3D Gear could be steampunk in nature, as it is essentially grappling hooks being shot out by compressed gas.  The last of mankind built the 3 circular walls Maria, Rose, and Sina.  The walls, being 50 meters high and made essentially of bedrock, couldn't be taken out by standard titans.

As we saw last episode... the Colossal Titan isn't your standard Titan, but a fantastic, giant soccer player.

Excuse me, Mr. Priest.  Is this the corner of Youaresc and Rewed?
Looking for the All-You-Can-Eat Cannibal Buffet.

After the opening credits, we see a crow pecking at a severed arm, because nothing says things have gone to Hell like a crow.  A Wall Priest (more on this later) starts going off, believing that the greed of humanity allowed the Titans in.  A woman tries to hide, but through either spidey-sense or sense of smell, a Titan finds her quickly.  The Titans give both of their victims blank stares before giving them the nom-nom treatment.

Hey, no noogies on the Hannes Express!!!

I'm sorry! I couldn't fight the 30 foot tall Clay Aiken!

We find Hannes still carrying Eren and Mikasa.  Eren, finally regaining his senses, punches his ride in the back of the head for carrying them off.  Hannes explains that Eren couldn't save his mother because he lacked the strength.  This is not taunting, as Hannes admits that he couldn't fight off the Titan because he lacked the courage.  He isn't some dashing hero that could take out the Titan, and Eren didn't magically get powers or super strength to save his mother.

Human Ferries.  Also known as Titan Cereal Bowls.

Now back to the smorgasbord.  Ferries are carrying citizens off to one of the cities attached to Wall Rose just in case.  The only way it could get worse is if the Joker was trying to make a point about the true nature of man through bombs.  Oh right, he's off stuffing his face.  With people... Armin and his assumed grandfather are already on the ferry, and manage to get Eren and Mikasa on board.  Eren is in a state of utter shock.
The scene is reminiscent of War of the Worlds, with everybody panicking at the ferries are being loaded with giant monstrosities coming at them.

No Clay Aikens?  Totally got this.

Shiganshina is actually not behind Wall Maria, but in front of it, with the city's own wall circling it.  The reason is actually tactical.  Titans have a knack for tracking humans that are grouped together, so in the four cardinal directions, cities with their own walls were built to concentrate the Titans to only four areas instead of the entire circumference of the wall.  The city is literally Titan bait, with the only ways to get out 1 small back gate.

Speaking of giant Clay Aiken, giant Keanu Reeves joins the fray?

A Titan makes for the gate at a leisurely pace.  Not because it's overconfident, but rather because the guys firing cannons at it apparently all have ADD.  They literally can't hit the broadside of a Titan... but closing the gate will stop it.  Hannes appears from dropping the kids off at the ferry, and tries to keep the other soldiers from closing the gate; more people are trying to evacuate.

Are you John Cahnah?

This would've made for a great "Needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."  But the needs of all is about to get curb-stomped.  What appears to be an armored 15m Titan of the same style as the Colossal Titan but with protection of vital areas gets ready for a sprint.

If you're trying to race the Titan... you're losing.

The soldiers actually manage to hit the Titan, but sadly the armor is too strong for cannon balls.  It keeps charging, and completely wrecks the gate.  After coming to a stop, it lets off some steam by... breathing fire.  Things just got worse...

Raw humans are just gross.  I prefer mine medium well.

To put things in perspective, Wall Maria was the outermost gate, thus had more land than the other walled areas.  This land would be used for farming.  Think about the impact of losing nearly ALL of a small country's farmland.

Titans have breached the wall?  That's terrible.
My God... what about my stock shares??

The Trost District, attached on the outside to the south side of Wall Rose, is expecting at least 500 refugees.  A group of Trost leaders are worrying over what to do about the refugees as a courier gives news that Titans are now inside Wall Maria.  A group of soldiers surround the hole made by the Armored Titan... all of whom have given up.

I am the terror that flaps in the night!

Eren sits down, crying over being weak, before snapping out of it... and snapping.  He gets up and declares he's going to kill all of the Titans.  He will become Batman.  We learn that over the course of the year, everyone behind Wall Maria evacuated to Wall Rose.  About 10,000 people got eaten by the Titans, hundreds of thousands more suddenly become refugees.  Trost was worrying about only 500 refugees.

Dammit, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a father!

We cut to Grisha Jaeger on a carriage, obviously worried for his family, before we get a very strange flashback.  Grisha, holding a syringe, is forcing Eren to take some sort of injection while screaming that he must not forget the key, for it will reveal the truth about something or other.  Eren wakes up in an empty food storehouse... this of course means there's not much food.

Score! This'll feed the town for... 20 minutes!

Armin arrives with food for Eren and Mikasa, since puppy eyes can still get extra food.  Two soldiers see this and starts mocking all of the "freeloaders," which upsets Eren, who, when upset, kicks people in the shin.

Oh yes, totally a Titan killer this one.

After Eren does what, sadly, he does best at the moment, the soldiers knock the crap out of him.  Eren screams at the soldiers, who're are talking smack about the refugees when they've never even seen a Titan, much less seen a Titan eat people.  The normal response to this logic is to continue beating the crap out of him until Armin intervenes, apologizing.  The soldiers go off their own way, as child abuse in a crowd is generally not condoned.

I'm pretty sure his left cheek is broken now.

Eren, feathers still fluffed, keeps declaring how he's going to kill all of the Titans despite getting kicked around by guys only twice his height as opposed to twenty times.  He also turns on Armin for groveling and taking charity in the shape of bread, accusing him for being cattle and a wimp.  While I can't say Armin is not a wimp, Eren is just as much a wimp.  Hypocrisy doesn't jive well with Mikasa, who cleans Eren's clock.  They're all wimps for now.  She then shoves the bread into Eren's mouth, making for an awkward scene if someone walked in with no context...

To combat the lack of food, the refugees are sent out to the wastelands to try to grow some food, but food takes time to grow so a food shortage eventually comes about.  Over the course of the next year, the government sends about 250,000 of the refugees, the people who actually know how to farm, including Armin's grandfather, to try to take back Wall Maria from the Titans.

200 came back.  Over nearly 20% of the entire population sent to fight Titans.  200 came back.

And not a damn thing came of it, except there were at least 249,800 less mouths to feed, as those 249,800 were used to feed the Titans instead.

Eren, Armin, and Mikasa all decide to join the military when they come of age.  Which they do.

God can't help you now.

We meet Commander Keith Sadies, who is the Drill Sergeant from Hell.  He is bald with sunken eyes and a goatee.  Oh yeah, he'll be a fun one.  We learn that anti-Titan training takes three years.  Muuuuch longer than the standard boot camp duration for our current military.  We then cut to the credits.




Plot Review: (Note: I have watched the entire season and read the manga, but will NOT give outright spoilers.)
This episode dumps ALOT of exposition on us, but the reasons are understandable.  A character can't give an explanation to someone else about the history of the Titans and the Walls.  The worst part is that many of the questions raised by the exposition are NOT answered.  They do not know why or how the Titans came about and they don't know the motives other than binge eating.  The Titans seem to be a force of nature, like a tornado or hurricane.  Just when you think you're safe, nature will throw you another curve in the form of a Colossal or Armored Titan.  They just appear and do their thing.  No emotions, no apparent judgement, and no reasoning.  The Titans appear to run merely on instinct.  They have a set expression, whether it is bliss, anger, or sadness, that expression does not change.  A Titan smiling while still be smiling after you shoot it.  The worst part is they do not feel the emotions inherent with the expressions.  They don't get angry, they don't get happy, they don't get sad.  They just are.
The exposition also serves to move the story along as we are covering two years worth of events, ranging from the history of the Titans to the evacuation of Wall Maria to the gourmet feas.... I mean, the counteroffensive.  In covering two years, At least 259,800 people died by the hands and mouths of the Titans.
While there was plenty of exposition for a few exams, this episode does start out with plenty of action and emotion.  Eren and Hannes, like everybody else, are just too weak and/or scared to combat the Titans, as they are out of balance with themselves.  You can be as courageous as you want, but if you're a kid or a cripple, you won't make a difference.  You can be one of the strongest guys in your gym, but if your fear or survival instinct takes over, you won't make a difference.  If you're a Wall Priest, you will get eaten even if you think you know why the Titans have struck at humanity.
The difference is made by strengthening those weaknesses.  Eren can stand on top of the wall and pee on a Titan below and declare his vengeance all day, but to actually kill the Titans, he must wait for growth, strength, and training.  He can't carry out his revenge on just drive alone.  Hannes has the strength and training, but not the fortitude.  Whether or not he overcomes his fear, we will have to see.
Just when things can't get worse, with Titans entering the city and gobbling up the populace, things DO get worse.  While cannons can take out normal titans, when heaven forbid the cannoneers actually aim, the Armored Titan is barely phased.  Unlike the standard, instinct driven Titans, the Armored Titan appears to have intelligence, as it enters a position best suited for sprinting, and aims straight for the closing gate between Shiganshina and Wall Maria, knowing EXACTLY what the implications would be.  The same could be said for the Colossal Titan.  Both attacked a gate, not a random section of the wall.
Animation: 7/10
The art style and animated movements are consistent, unlike in Dragon Ball Z that cycles through three-four different animating studios of poor to great quality.  The exposition scenes had little to no animation, but for a very good reason: money.  The production team had the brains to keep the animation levels up for important scenes, and segments heavy with exposition with as little animation as possible to keep within budget so the intense, important scenes remain high quality.
Characters: 6/10
Eren does very little thinking in terms of the practical means do what he wants.  which is to kill Titans.  Granted, he is still grieving, but saying how he will kill all Titans while refusing food or help makes him look like an ass.  Mikasa, as usual, says very little other than to call Eren out on his crap while Armin is still the puny-but-nice-blonde-kid that you can be pleasant to until you're upset.
The character who stood out, however briefly, was Hannes.  Rather than trying to cover up his fears with bravado, as some characters might, he tells Eren straight out that he lacked the courage to fight the Titan.  Admittedly, only Batman could have fought that particular Titan.  After dropping the kids off, he tries to make up for it by returning and attempting to keep the gate open for the rest of the civilians, although it was pointless as you can see.
Overall: 8/10
Lots of exposition mixed with action.  Not the epitome of awesome, but still pretty good.  What drags this down is the sheer lack of sense from Eren throughout most of the episode.
Awards:
Most Annoying Character: Eren Jaeger
Most Surprising Character: Hannes
Cookie Cutters: Soldiers who attacked Eren
Titan of Awesome: Armored Titan
Goofiest Titan: The Priest Eater
Titan Kill Count: 1
Human Kill Count: 259,800
Human TV Dinners Consumed: 3

"You are livestock!  You are even less than livestock!" ~Keith Sadies