Attack on Titan Episode 23 “Smile ~Raid on Stohess Ward Part 1~” Preview Images and Synopsis

Hey, look what came out in time enough to be useful!

 

 

 

 

The 57th Outside the Walls Expedition was always secretly a strategy to capture titan shifters. Specifically to lure out titan shifters who may have already been living inside the walls. Due to the failure of this mission, Chief Irwin and the rest of the returning Scouting Legion that went on the mission are being called back to the capital with the decision of what to do with Eren looming darkly over them all. As they must pass into the central capital, their movement will be watched and guarded by the Military Police, and there we will meet and old friend.

Hiroshi Seko! It’s been so long since I’ve had to type your name for the Screenplay credit, but there you go. Even in this late stage, we still get to pull in new people. Storyboard is by Daizen Komatsuda, who’s done storyboards on Eva 2.0 and 3.0, two episodes of Panty and Stocking, and two episodes of ROBOTICS;NOTES. Not just him either. Episode is directed by Hirokazu Yamada, director of four episodes of Cowboy Bebop. And we have an absurd amount of animation directors, 7 in total. People you have seen before on this show: Hitomi Hasegawa, That’s it. Everyone other than her is totally new to this game. Youko Satou, animation director for Gintama. Masayuki Fujita, episode animation director on a number of things including Majestic Prince. Yuka Sugisaki in her first AD gig, but she has a few Key Animation jobs from episodes here and there. Masashi Nomura, occasional AD for Da Capo but also a Key Animator for JoJo’s: The Animation. And they’re just the people I can find things about. There’s also Sera Kouta, but all I find when I look up the name is a listing for Highschool DxD New, and Kim De Hoon who I can’t find anything on at all. That’s a lot of people being pulled in for this episode.

(Images from Shingeki.tv. © Hajime Isayama, Kodansha, WIT Studio, Production I.G., and The Attack on Titan Production Committee)

And don’t forget to check out this week’s “Training Corps” 4koma. Also last weeks because I forgot to mention it. Last week’s is part of a running gag, so look through the archives if it doesn’t click with you.

Attack on Titan Episode 17 “Female Type Titan ~57th Outside Expedition Part 1~” Preview Images and Synopsis

It’s time for our first run with the Scouting Legion

It’s time for boys to become men

and for titans to remain inadvertently hilarious in still frames.

But I hear a rumbling in the distance.

And feel a pull of terror deep in my heart.

You can see more images at Yaraon.

Attack on Titan Episode 17 “Female Type Titan ~57th Outside Expedition Part 1~” Preview Images and Synopsis

The 104th is off on their first expedition with the Scouting Legion, the 57th operation of its type. Under Team Levi, the soldiers will scout out the titan infested area previously human territory behind Wall Maria using a specially designed formation used by the scouting legion to avoid titan contact. However, in Armin’s section of the formation, there is a problem. They’ve run into a unique “female type” titan that seems to have intelligence.

It’s time to run strong, because this is when things start to get good. Screenplay is Hiroshi Seko, and we have three returning animation directors, Ayumu Yamada, Takaaki Chiba, and Kyohei Tedzuka. Our only new team member is leading the charge. Daisuke Tokutsuchi is stepping into the storyboarder and director’s chairs from being the unit director and a key animator on the first OP.

(Images from Shingeki.tv. © Hajime Isayama, Kodansha, Production I.G., WIT Studio, and The Attack on Titan Production Committee)

And it’s time for a new 4koma as well.

Panel 1

Irwin:     I’m willing to stake my life on that someone remaining in this fortress knows more about this tragedy. Listen to me for humanity’s sake.

Panel 2

Soldier: Vice Captain, aren’t you being a bit too threatening? There won’t even be one person left like this!
Irwin: It’ll be empty…

Panel 3

Irwin: Right now, when you join the scouting legion, your company will all receive a drawstring pouch with the Legion Emblem.

Panel 4

Irwin: Oh, a special! You’ll also get a Special Operations Team Tapestry!

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.