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Attack on Titan has two movies you’ve not seen and for good reason

Anime movies don't have the best record when it comes to live-action adaptations, and unfortunately these two Attack on Titan movies don't break that curse.

Attack on Titan has two movies you've not seen and for good reason

When it comes to live-action anime movies, let’s be honest – we haven’t had the best of luck. Who could forget Death Note, or that strange high school take on Dragon Ball Z? Well, it turns out that there is another anime series that was up on the cinematic chopping block, and unsurprisingly, fans who have seen it weren’t happy about it.

In 2015, two Attack on Titan live-action movies were released in Japan.
Directed by Shinji Higuchi, the films see all the beloved anime characters come to life as we follow Eren Yeager joining the Survey Corps to battle gigantic humanoid monsters called Titans. The movie was split into two parts, and despite the first flick being one of the highest-grossing movies at the Japanese box office that year, its legacy isn’t the best.

Currently, the first film holds a 35% audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The second action movie holds a 36% audience rating. The biggest shared criticism among fans is how much the flicks differed from their source material.

In the anime series and manga, Eren joins the Corps as a means for revenge on the Titans after his mother and hometown are destroyed. While we do see Eren lose his home in the film, the fantasy movie is set in Japan instead of Paradis Island, and the mission of the Armored Titan is vastly different from that of the warriors seen in the Attack on Titan
manga and animated series.

In the film, the Armoured Titans are trying to overthrow the government by using pre-war weaponry to blow up the walls in order to invade. In the anime and manga, the titans are used in hopes of wiping out the people living on the island so that Paradis can be colonised without a direct declaration of war.

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IGN writes that the Attack on Titan movie was “a lesser version of the existing story”, in its review of part 1 – pointing out how critical Attack on Titan characters felt underdeveloped too. Kotaku also felt too much had changed from the manga in its review, as well as criticising its general elements, writing: “painfully melodramatic, badly acted, and wrought with corny dialogue.”

Now, don’t get us wrong. These films do have their fans. However, from the overall popular opinion of them – perhaps they are best left untouched for now. Attack on Titan is one of the best TV series you can watch, so let’s stick with the anime for now.

For more anime, find out where to watch Attack on Titan Season 4 Part 3 or find out how many Attack on Titan episodes are left. Otherwise, here is everything we know about Demon Slayer season 3 and One Punch Man season 3.