Monday, December 14, 2015

Attack On Titan: Junior High Episode #11 Review


Give them back! Give back our cheeseburgers!

What They Say:
It's back-to-school for the cast of Attack on Titan as this spin-off gives us a glimpse into the average school year for each and every one of them. Instead of fearing for their lives, the characters are fearing for their lunches as the titans have a brand new appetite (One significantly less heartbreaking). Based on the manga, Attack on Titan: Junior High brings us familiar faces and memorable scenes in a lighthearted comedic format that is sure to bring a smile to your face. Will Eren and the others be able to survive the school year being right next door to a school for titans?

The Review:
Content: (Please note that the content portion of the review may contain spoilers)
There comes a time in every man's life where he must prove himself in a test of both physical and mental ability. For Eren Jaeger, that day is today. The school festival has rolled around, and while the rest of class 1-4 debates about what they want to do for it, Eren sits in his seat, waiting to erupt -- for he is the one that truly knows what his class must do in order to compete with the others. And that is...a cheeseburger stand.

Turns out that making a food stand is going to be a bit rough, though, seeing as Eren's Cheeseburger Pavilion (Disclaimer: That is not the actual name of the stand) is situated right next to Rico's food stand, which is the most popular one from last year's school festival. Even with this, Eren's determination leaks through to his classmates and they embark on a cheese-filled journey to greatness as their line expands past the horizon. However, so does Rico's. The thing is, class 1-4 has a special weapon -- a super cute salesperson dressed in a bunny suit. And that salesperson is...Armin?

The cheeseburger stand isn't the only point of interest in this episode, seeing as some of other students are off doing things of their own. Christa and Ymir are working at a maid/butler cafe, and, of course, that means that Reiner is an eager customer there. Jean, on the other hand, is harnessing his charismatic prowess to be the lead in the school play. The only thing is that nearly everyone is out at the food stands and barely anyone is there to watch him and the rest of the students perform. Oh, and Annie is off playing with cats. (Omg she's so cute).

As the heated battle continues between Eren and Rico's teams, things take a dramatic turn when a loud bang is heard off in the distance. Titans -- just what class 1-4 needs as they try to prove themselves. These undying demons of hunger run rampant through the school festival, tearing the food stands out of the ground and the dreams of the students as an accompaniment.

Best/Part:
You know, I really wanted to cite the section with Annie and the cats as my favorite, but it was just too short in an action-packed episode to be able to do that. Instead, I'd say the highlight of the episode was when things were looking tough for Eren's cheeseburger stand, but Armin gets them back into gear with the idea of a timed-exclusive sale. In the midst of this, Mikasa wields her spatulas like daggers and erupts in an intense whirlwind of culinary arts that Gordon Ramsay himself would envy.

In Summary:
In terms of actual episode value, this is one of the highest of the season so far. The pacing is fantastic, but also slightly sporadic in a positive manner. You won't be viewing just one intense cooking scene for the entire thing as it sways back and forth between the main plot and what the side-characters are up to, creating a truly interesting viewing experience. The one thing about this episode that really contrasts with the rest of the series is the comedy, which hit a lot softer and a lot less frequent in this installment. It might have just been me still trying to wake up while watching the episode, but none of it seemed up to the par that Attack on Titan: Junior High has created for itself thus far.

Grade: A-

Streamed By: Funimation

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