Attack on Titan: The Movie: Part 2 - Attack on Titan
ATTACK ON TITAN - End of the World is the sequel of the live-action film, Shingeki no Kyojin ATTACK ON TITAN.
Both parts of the film were directed by Shinji Higuchi and written by Yusuke Watanabe and Tomohiro Machiyama. The planning and filming process was supervised by the original author, Hajime Isayama, though the story and setting were changed significantly. The character designs for the film were created by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto.
The theatrical release of the film started in Japan on September 19, 2015. Later that year, the U.S. and Canada had a release that began on October 20, 2015. The production companies for these two live-action movies are LICRI, Nikkatsu, Toho Company, and Toho Pictures.
About Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan is a Japanese dark fantasy anime series that has gained worldwide popularity. It began as a manga series written by Hajime Isayama that started in 2009. As the manga series became a hit, it received an anime adaptation, an anime film series, and later into a live-action movie adaptation. The original manga still continues on to this day.
Synopsis
Part 1 ends with a scene where Mikasa Ackermann cuts open a Titan's neck and finds Eren Jaeger inside. From the top of the building, Shikishima observes the scene just like the others. The story begins with a rumor revolving around Eren's father and his power to turn into a Titan. Other soldiers turn a suspicious eye towards Eren but eventually begin to plan future fights with the use of Eren's power.
Cast and Characters
Haruma Miura plays the role of the protagonist, Eren Jaegar, a young man who demands freedom.
Kiko Mizuhara plays Mikasa Ackermann, the skilled female warrior that is quick around the battlefield. Eren’s adopted sister.
Kanata Hongo plays Armin Arlelt, the kind-hearted childhood friend of both Eren and Mikasa.
Satomi Ishihara plays Hans, Commander of the Scout Regiment and Titan researcher. She is the live action counterpart of Hange Zoe.
Hiroki Hasegawa plays Shikishima, the captain of the Scout Regiment. He is the 'strongest' man of humanity.
Takahiro Miura plays Jean Kirstein, the rebel blade.
Nanami Sakuraba plays Sasha Blouse, the hungry sniper.
Satoru Matsuo plays Sannagi, the hero with deep affection.
Pierre Taki plays Souda, the sad leader.
Jun Kanimura plays Kubal, the director of military forces.
One of the movie's original characters, Shikishima, appears as the most powerful soldier comparable to Levi Ackermann from the original story. That said, their characters are completely different. Shikishima portrays a sort of a humorous character, who is a narcissist but unique. Hiroki Hasegawa, the actor who played this role, is very famous for his acting in Shin Godzilla. This style of character greatly contrasts to the incredibly popular Levi Ackermann from the original story and has been severely criticized. While many fans were upset that such a popular character was replaced, others say that Shikishima’s character is simply too “unnatural”.
One of the main members of the cast, Kiko Mizuhara, spoke about her thoughts towards acting in the film. She knew that there were so many fans of the original manga, so she felt a lot of pressure when taking this job. She told the press that it wouldn't change the way she feels about the manga so she decided to be part of this film. Moreover, she stated that "there will be pro and con arguments about this film. As long as I am acting in this film, I will dedicate myself and put effort into this film 100%"
Mizuhara also stated that the action scenes including vertical maneuvering equipment was very challenging. It was a difficult process, as the cast had to express their actions on wires. While on wires, the actors’ weight and posture played a significant role, so it was a challenge for the action staff as well. The director and staff were all worried if they would be able to produce these action scenes effectively and recapture the excitement found in the original manga. Miura, Eren’s actor, said he was worried if his acting would pull together properly on-screen.
Film location
Filming started in May 2014 and lasted until August that same year. Locations like Gunkanjima in Nagasaki prefecture were used along with other locations like Kumamoto, Ibaraki prefecture and more. Director Higuchi commented that they separated one week’s amount of work in two days and filmed with two teams at the same time. Higuchi said he can't remember much of the process since it was just so speedy.
Critics
Reviewers commented that "Part 1 is a poor adaptation and Part 2 doesn't do any better". Characters were still seen as awkward and strange, leading to some saying that they would rather read the manga instead. Although the film attempts to solve some mysteries from the anime, the story continues with a weird twist.
Perhaps one of the best parts of the film is the creepy Titans themselves and the violence that surrounded them - the squish of blood, the crunch of bones and teeth, and the humorous howls of the Titans are all kinds of content that some members of the audience can find enjoyment in. Production companies used special effects that were well received. The Titan fight scenes were seen as relatively cool, but some also criticized that there were also an abundance of awkward 'soldiers' just standing and observing instead of fleeing or adding to the battles.