ALERT TO ANIME-ONLY WATCHERS AND PEOPLE WHO JUST STARTED READING THE MANGA: Do *not* read the "plot" section in the Wikipedia article. It contain spoilers.
I did this before you said anything and now I'm even more confused. Somebody who read the manga please explain to me what the fuck is going on through a PM. I don't care about spoilers, obviously.
EDIT: Ok, some kind people here have explained to me what in the world is happening. All I took away from it is that this shit be weird son.
Seriously guys, if you say anything at all regarding future plot developments...
Well, I'm not going to be the only one that will be pissed. I say this because there have already been times where people have spoiled things for anime only viewers. You don't need to talk about the manga in here. There's already a thread for that.
We have a responsibility as readers of the source material to not sully the experience for others. I hope that people will not forsake that responsbility in favour of making spoilerish comments (especially those that are out in plain view).
This was a pretty nicely directed episode. They expanded on the original material in a logical way, and it's always nice to see more of Pixis. It seems like the anime is going to have more of an emphasis on the corruption and greed of the inner-cities than in the manga, as there have been several original scenes of this kind.
I think we can say that the production quality of the series is what it is, at this point. On the negative side there's a lot of still shots, off-model animation, distracting CGI, and other inconsistencies typical of a troubled production schedule. On the plus side, the art direction is consistently good, the background art is wonderful, the stylized character designs often look good even with little animation, and the storyboarding and direction of the series has been strong throughout. That last one goes a long way in keeping the series entertaining; it's much worse when the direction goes bad alongside the budget, as in some of A1's troubled productions in the previous year. Anyway, this episode had some pretty neat shots in choice spots. And even with the still shots, I like the illustrative style they use.
I think with the strong direction, and original material that expands upon the story in an interesting way, the anime could end up the definitive version of Attack on Titan. I think this episode highlights some of my favorite things about the series. I love how the
money shot from the trailer ends the way it does, LOL.
They really did a good job with the
subversion elements, especially with the moment I screencapped up there. Even to the end, they give you hope that Eren cannot be stopped.
It's going to be fun reading all the impressions for this episode.
Attack on Titan reminds me of early Gantz and Muv Luv. What with the stupid overpowered enemy and everyone getting butchered. This episode reminded me of the first 2 episodes of muv Luv eclipse. What with a sudden attack on the city and everyone being slaughtered. Though I think muv luv is even more depressing then SnK.
If you REALLY want to find out what happens next don't wiki it. Just read the manga. It's so damn good and will be a better experience than getting a summary from wiki