Titan OP2 “Wings of Freedom” TV Version Video

Oh yeah. This would be airing now, wouldn’t it? Here is your new Titan OP, “Wings to Freedom” by Linked Horizon. Like before the opening animation is awesome and slick and pretty and beautifully violent with creepy titans and people flying all over the place. I like the quick shot of the battle worn Hanji which I don’t remember ever happening, her being Team Science. There’s also some fun small story details if you can pick them out.

Song’s fine too. Someone’s already made the J-Dragonforce comparison, which I can totally see. But high speed music that pumps you up and makes you want to go “Fuck titans, watch me fly!” captures the mood you want to have when dealing with the monsters before they crush all your dreams between their gnashing maws. Then the ending theme can capture the encroaching dread of knowing that any heroic action you take is just stalling until one finally manages to snag you and turn you and eventually everyone in existence into a regurgitated pile of bones on the street. So yeah, song’s fine.

“Guren no Yumiya” Full and Not a Shinjuku Center Bootleg

There you go. It doesn’t contain REVO’s glorious visage, but now you’ll actually be able to hear and understand what’s going on in the song. For instance, in that Shinjuku camera recorded version, I didn’t pick up on the organ between the first chorus and when the song shifts it’s vocal tone. The second half of the song gets very different from the original that launched 1,000 AMVs. It almost feels like another song sneaked into the middle there. It’s different that what I would have envisioned just listening to the TV version. Not bad. I wonder if Titan Fad #8 will come up out of this one or if we have to wait for the next OP.

The Shinjuku Wide Broadcast of the Full “Guren no Yumiya”

It’s finally here, and it’s finally awesome. Again since the TV version was already pretty all right. This video is of the special “Guren no Yumiya” music video by Linked Horizon broadcast on monitors across Shinjuku. The full version starts after the TV version plays and REVO’s words to the audience that includes a mention of “March to Freedom.”

The shift in the second half is interesting. At first I thought it might be a different song because the vocal patterns are pretty distinct from what we’re used to from the TV version. I was worried I’d skipped ahead without realizing until it goes back to feeling more related towards the end. Not that that’s a bad thing, I like it when songs buck standard structure, and it makes the surge to the forms during the first verse and chorus all the more powerful.

Remember that the CD ships in a few weeks. By then, we should be able to get a higher quality version. It may be something of a bootleg recording, but we’ve finally got the full version.

“March to Freedom” Preorder Bonus (1/6th)

The preorder period for Linked Horizon’s single album “March to Freedom” is now open. The CD will contain “Guren no Yumiya,” “Wings of Freedom,” and “If We Make the Inside of These Walls Our One Home,” and the special edition will contain the exclusive “Guren no Yumiya” music video.

That’s standard. The preorder bonus is an interchangeable cover jacket with original anime art. There’s a Mikasa one, and Eren one, an Armin one, a Rivaille one, a REVO and Jean one, and a Sasha one. Amusing on their own, but nothing too special. What’s cool is that if you latch them all together, you get this:

And, yes, Sasha is eating a potato.

Which picture you get depends on which preorder service you use. REVO and Jean come from Animate Online, Mikasa comes from HMV, Rivaille comes from Tower Records, Eren comes from TSUTAYA Records, Armin comes from Pony Canyon, and Sasha the Potato Girl comes from select supporting stores across Japan. It sounds like you may never be able to get that Sasha picture, and if there’s one I know the western fans would want, it’s the Sasha eating a potato one, but they have given a list of online stores. I was able to find the preorder page for the ones on JBOOK, Neo Wing, Chara-Ani, GuruGuru Kingdom, and Melon Books. That last one asked me for confirmation on something when I looked it up, so I would click with care if you decide to use that one.

The cost seems to be pretty stable at ¥1,800 (~$19) for the special edition with the DVD and ¥1,200 (~$13) for the standard edition. If you’re interested in a little original art of your favorite character/vegetable, keep it in mind. The CD launches on  the 10th.

(CD image from Animate Online, full image of bonus pictures made by Yaraon made of images originally from Shingeki.LinkedHorizon. © REVO, Linked Horizon, and Pony Canyon)

Titan OP2 “Wings of Freedom” Preview Video

It’s the 8th, so today is the day. We’ve got our preview clip of the new Attack on Titan OP by Linked Horizon, “Jiyu no Tsubasa” or “Wings of Freedom.” It’s a weird preview snippet because it has what sounds like half the chorus and some of a verse and maybe a bit of the bridge, but it’s a preview all the same.

The full TV version of the song should be coming out alongside whenever it starts in the show, and the full on version of the song will be on the Linked Horizon album March to Freedom coming out July 10th.

We are the Music Brigade that keeps the troops entertained! New Attack on Titan OP Announced

This is the special banner for the Linked Horizon part of the military. It was unveiled earlier today with some news about their single CD, Jiyue no Shingeki or March to Freedom. They made a whole outfit which you can see who I’m pretty sure is REVO wearing on the home page of their Titan section.

So what was the big news that brought this picture out? Well, it turns out that Guren no Yumiya isn’t going to be the only OP for Titan. They’ve announced that there will be a new OP song for the second half of the anime, Jiyu no Tsubasa or Wings of Freedom. Also, if I’m reading it right, on midnight of the 8th, they’re going to start distribution of the short version of the new song ahead of the CD launch July 10th. This is probably because the CD is going to have both OPs and the ED song.

There will be two versions of the CD. The Standard Edition which will have only the three songs, and the Limited Edition which will come with a DVD music video for Guren no Yumiya. You can keep up with news about them through Linked Horizon’s Titan site.

(Image from Shingeki.tv. © Linked Horizon and Cinema Staff)

“You Thought the One Who Broke Down Wall Maria was the Colossal Titan…”

This is, according to the video, the full version of the Attack on Titan opening, “Guren no Yamiya” by Linked Horizon. Those of you coming in fresh may have seen the OP and gotten totally pumped for some sweet, giant busting action based on the powerful opening sequence. I know I did. Then the show revealed its true colors and let us know we weren’t getting any sweet, rocket/grappling hook belt vs. titan fights unless it got to smack us around and scare us straight with monster designs first.

Oh, that face is never going away

But that song is a really good pump up song. So let’s say you did want it for that without having to watch a mother on her way to a digestive system.

Now this is a crossover I can get behind. Well, JoJo’s is a lot more standard in it’s shonen tone, but I could get into a scene of Jotaro getting picked up by a 15m class, then, with an annoyed attitude, having Star Platinum uppercutting it through the palate causing the head to explode. That wouldn’t really fit with the tone of Attack on Titan in the slightest. The song meshes pretty well into the Phantom Blood opening sequence, though.

I wonder if there are any other JoJo + “Show X” mash-ups.

Huh. Well then.

(Thanks Titan thread for posting this and thanks to another great YouTube commenter for the title idea)