It's funny how "all people are born free" sounds inspirational out of context, but when you're talking about Attack on Titan, it just brings a chill down my spine lol
Attack on Titan has one of my favourite soundtracks of all time. It can make everything around it exciting, tense, sad, uplifting and more. Truly fantastic.
The Attack On Titan Soundtrack is a masterpiece, no joke. It conveys so many emotions and only elevates the many key moments throughout the series. If you’re ever to start any anime, AOT is the one.
Musically speaking, without taking the lyrics, they should have asked native German speakers first before releasing the lyrics. For German speakers, the lyrics sound kinda forced in and not so natural and the pronunciation of the Asian singer is at some parts unfortunately bad. But apart from that, the spirit put on the singing and on the music is superb!
It's a very, very basic philosophical idea/question that's been around for millennia. I wouldn't read too much into it. There are and were literally billions of people who asked themselves such a question at some point in there life and it's an often explored topic in storytelling too.
@se7enhaender bro, it's about the events of attack on titan. The main character commits omnicide and it's explained as either being his own will or his fate but the ending was too shitty to decide which one it is.
@@رزيئة Exactly. It's the same kinda theme that a bazillion stories had before it. I don't mind it too much, but it's still a theme that's pretty much as old as human existence and especially common in stories featuring teens and young adults, so it's not surprising at all that the soundtrack and story both touch on it.
@@loaybakry3190it's okay.. there will be more another AOT like anime in the future.. this is crazy because it's been 10 years since I watch the first Attack on Titan episode. and I watch all the episde in 10 years without reading the manga. it's so damn hard to avoid spoiller from random commenter anywhere I go, and it's funny because I start to call it Attack on Spoilers.
If you are thinking about picking your first anime to start Attack on Titan is actually a great choice. It's obviously got great music but that's not even it's greatest strength. It's the story - truly one of a kind masterpiece in mystery storytelling. Don't look up anything about its plot and just enjoy the ride. I wish I can forget everything about it just so I can experience it again!
@@agustinaquino1528 I think one of the main problems is the other shows that are on the same tier as AoT are almost all noticeably way more stereotypically "anime" in terms of tone/writing etc. So a lot of people have a hard time finding something else they mesh with nearly as much.
@@MrRusty103 this is exactly my problem with most anime. Attack on Titan does a really good job at setting up the basic shonen tropes at the start and then proceeds to subvert them every chance it gets. The level of foreshadowing from the very beginning is also absolutely top tier and can hardly be matched. Also flesh gundams are just awesome
13:45 Fun fact. "K2" is actually a pun. In Japanese, 2 is pronounced as "ni", so K2 can be read as Kay-Nee, or Kenny, which is a character in the series. Fantastic reaction, by the way.
Words can’t describe how “YouSeeBigGirl” and “Call of Silence” make me feel. Those two songs nearly bring me to tears every time I hear them. Especially Call of Silence. Sawano-sensei is a genius.
And they were both sung by the lovely r!N/Gemie! I wish she got more props since her interpretation is what we hear in so many iconic and gut-wrenching sections of AoT.
Hiroyuki Sawano has such a recognizable style within the japanese media sphere. The "Sawano drop" is a well known tool he often deploys. He's said hes attributed a lot of finding style to his work on the game "Xenoblade Chronicles X," so it might be worth giving a listen to!
These lyrics hold so much more meaning now that the Finale came out a few days ago. It's crazy the amount of foreshadowing there was used in compositions made 13 years ago. At the time you'd just think it was tragic music made to fit the mood but no, every. little. thing. has so much meaning. You wouldn't even realize what I am talking about until you go watch the show yourself. It's storytelling and plot is unrivaled in all of fiction and non-fiction. After 9 years since I picked up AOT I am still noticing little underlying themes or hidden meanings.
It's a masterpiece! There's storytelling in all places: OPs, EDs, lyrics of the composition, including how the music was composed (building tension, conveying emotion, etc)
I believe Barricades was a soundtrack for 2nd season, and has so much forshadowing to the future. I've red (don't know if it is true or not), that Sawano was a fan of the manga and tried to incorporate later plotlines into the music. And even if he didn't know what the end will be it just clicks and perfect.
Super happy to see Hiroyuki Sawano on here. He's another one of the absolutely legendary composers in the anime space. Like Yoko Kanno (who he cites as an influence, to nobody's surprise), he works in a variety of styles, although there's still a certain personality which shines through in much of his work. His breakout work on Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn has some absolutely wild Jazz that I think you'd really appreciate. It's not at all the kind of soundtrack you'd expect for a show about piloting giant combat mechs in space, but it works so well.
I am genuinely interested in watching your transformative content here, it’s clear you’re not just a reactor, you’re providing something else on top of the media we’re watching. I don’t want to tell you what to do, everyone’s got a life. But the final episode of Attack on Titan drops in a week, if you do end up reacting to the series it would probably generate a lot of traffic to your channel
My favorite moment of this video is your appreciation of the brass at 21:59. Also, START WITH ATTACK ON TITAN. Once you finished watching the show, revisit this suite again. This show is the Star Wars of Anime.
Star Wars? Pfft. Attack on Titan is what Game of Thrones could have been if D&D didn't f* it up. (BTW It's cut from the anime, but in the manga about 10 characters from Game of Thrones cameo as Titans. XD)
It’s so cool that he kinda researched the show before the reaction. I’m not expecting everyone to watch the show but having a little knowledge about the source before starting was very nice.
For someone who claims to be rusty your german translation is pretty much spot on. Really impressive! I dunno if I could do that on the spot with any language not as present in my daily life as English or my mothertongue.
To be fair spoken German is very close to spoken English. Native English speakers who have learned ZERO German can still understand about ~30-40% of spoken German. So id imagine for someone trained in German it would be near impossible to forget. Note: this applies only to audio, as written German is quite different from written English
Hi Doug, this is my first exposure to your channel, and first and foremost I gotta say I heavily respect your commitment to being well-informed and well-researched. I'm impressed with the lengths you went to just to listen to a music suite, haha. Hiroyuki Sawano has some of my favorite works of all time, and I of course love Attack on Titan, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching this video. You've earned a subscriber; keep it up man!
Being a AOT fan and just learning that she was singing that line in German from this man earned a subscription from me as well, it makes it even more impactful for a number of reasons.
Sawano's Attack on Titan work is truly a masterpiece, I don't know how he created so many amazingly unique songs. He elevated the anime so much with his music, so many great emotional pieces. Kohta Yamamoto, who's doing the final season soundtrack, was Sawano's apprentice I believe. He's also doing great work.
Attack on Titan sets the bar for the animes VERY high, but it's still 100% worth starting with, it's a journey from start to finish, and now is the perfect time as it's coming to an end in just a few weeks. Buuut you'd have to hire someone to moderate your comments to clean them from spoilers, if you want to record reactions.
I’ve seen a couple music reaction channels starting Attack on Titan because of this soundtrack, and they absolutely loved it. Literally became the best show they ever watched.
While it does set a high bar, I've noticed that the high bar is able to overcome people's hesitancy to watch anime. It seems to make them more open to enjoying shows they wouldn't have been able to, or willing to, appreciate before.
I never cared about the translation of the German songs. I just blast it daily and make sure to capture it on my every rewatch of the anime. I'm so surprised, and never thought that it was subtly telling the story of the season, even directly singing the scenes.
Hiroyuki Sawano is genuinely just one of the best composers of the generation, in my opinion. Absolutely every single thing he touches turns to gold. Never heard a single song of his that’s even been average, let alone mediocre or worse. Always incredibly well thought out and arranged pieces with some really tasty creativity on instrument choice.
I love how formal you start the video yet there are no filler talks, just pure critical review. Really gets us the feeling of listening to a professional. I hope this stays this way.
AoT has alot of german theme's and *setting* but german influence or military series seem to be a trend where he pops up. Like the Kill la Kill ost Blumenkranz a villains theme still gives me chills, Owari no Seraph ost still gets tuck in my head. For sure his work on the Gundam Unicorn Ost is amazing
the entire OST from this whole show is just stunning front to back. this suite is just a few of the greatest and most recognizable hits, but genuinely the whole entire thing is absolutely beautiful
It takes a special kind of show for powerful tracks like these to feel justified when they play. AoT truly manages to be as mindblowing as its soundtrack
The lyrics of every single song in Attack on Titan take on meaning after you watch the series. Even when we talk about "wings", or the name "Maria"....Everything is like a big, complex puzzle. And it's absolutely magnificent. I'm 49 years old and I love this anime and all of its incredible music. The Attack on Titan openings are on my playlist. Linked Horizon have done some of these openings and they have an engaging energy. Symphonic rock. Live... With so many elements playing and singing! The stage was absolutely mind-blowing!❤
Came here just bc i love watching composers/producers/fellow musicians reacting to masterpiece that is the AOT score for the first time but shout out to this guy for freaking knowing German and translating the lyrics, knowing them now (especially now that everything has ended) just elevates these pieces that much more. I second everyone in the comments recommending that you watch this anime, I can't explain enough how much of a masterpiece it is in every sense of the word!!
Not only he reacts, but he also waits until the song is over to comment, and the most impressive thing is he explains the German language to his best ability. I shall subscribe.
Also, really have to say the improv piano melodic support you do to the music on the spot here and there is amazing and sounds really good. You aren’t the first music “composer/producer” titled channel for this show but you are certainly the one that supported your claim the most.
There is good reason that this show and basically every part of the crew involved in making it won so many accolades. This is one of the shows that gets tossed around as a candidate for GREATEST ANIME OF ALL TIME, and you don't take a shot at that title if your soundtrack is anything less that incredible.
Great musical breakdown and very impressive German. The translation‘s been spot on and the pronunciation was very good! Keep up the great work, I’ve love every video of yours I’ve seen so far!
Wow, thank you for the added layers of German translation and music breakdown. I've been falling this series for the 10 years it's been airing and I'm watching reactions and commentary to Attack on Titan content since the whole series is ending on Saturday (the finale is airing) and I wanted to get hyped up for it. It's amazing how I'm still learning new things about Attack on Titan after all this time! It's a wonderful piece for discussion and your translations now add more to consider. Thank you!
It’s been a few years since i last watched attack on titan but you know a soundtrack is amazing when you can still remember the EXACT scenes they’re used for. I’ve watched so many anime throughout the years and no sound track comes even close to AOTs.
Your translation of the german lyrics was truly on point! Loved the reaction and if you were to react to a series, Attack on Titan is a great starting point and an incredible series. I personally think Hiroyuki Sawano is a genius, his drum compositions are infamous.
As a former percussionist for 7 years throughout my time in school. Your timing with and notice of the percussion within all the music really made me smile! Your analysis earned a new subscriber for sure !
This music sounds amazing without context, but it is majorly elevated once you know the context of the characters and their struggles in the story. Most of the popular tracks for this series evoke an epic combative feel along with sadness, despair, regret, loss, mystery, inspirational resolve, and appreciation for the beauty of life. And that is indeed what the show is like, the context of the story makes this music emotionally potent. Every track makes me want to cry as much as it rouses me, but it’s a beautiful sadness. The ability of the composer to deftly combine so many emotions, authentic to the story that the music accompanies, into singular pieces of beautiful music is what elevates this soundtrack to me.
The lyrics of every one of these songs are amazing at capturing what's AOT all about, the T:T song is called YouSeeBIGGIRL and it plays during on the greatest scenes i have ever witnessed, a scene that made my jaw drop so hard lol the last one is APPLESEED and it used to be the first part of T:T but in season 3 they added the lyrics! a lyrics that captures a story of it own. Nothing in Attack in Titan is random, a modern masterpiece for sure.
This is one of my favourite videos on the internet and it’s the video that brought me to your channel, people who really know what they’re talking about and people whom you can tell the level of experience they have in their industry just from the way they talk about a subject really pique my interest, and you Doug are both, love the content and I’ve checked your other stuff out too and love it, but this video brings me back in at least once a month since discovering your channel a few months ago. Would love to see more Attack On Titan as there is many many different moods and styles of music in this show and a lot of great content to sift through season by season.
Just reacted to the two first songs, and you're traductions and reading the lyrics really made me realize; the words of these songs tie in so well with the actual story, the meaning of all the verses really made me think of so many story points and moments in the anime itself, not just one for one, but like the "what will we find beyond that wall/horizon", it's just make so much sense in the story for example, (I really liked also the "until the wind will cut off our wings", just so cool that it immediatly brings to mind memories from the anime) but it's for every single verse you've talked about, they all tie into reccuring themes that are part of the story. The musical directing on this was next level, I really can appreciate it even more than before when I was just vibing with the songs during my first (and numerous) watch. Your analysis and what you bring with it really helps people realize the scale of the efforts and creativeness that went into these orchestras for, let's face it, just an anime (wich, when you've watched it, wouldn't be the same without it). Really awesome
Trust me, when you see the soundtrack actually utilized....the music becomes more powerful. The story becomes more powerful because of the music. It's a perfect feedback loop.
I'm so happy to see this video! I get chills every time I listen to the AoT OSTs. Sawano is a genius Scenes where these OSTs played come up in my mind every time, and that gives me even more goosebumps. Favourite anime of all time, one of my favourites shows in general. Terrific stuff
This content is wonderful. As a gigantic fan of not only Attack on Titan, but also really profound things in general, your dedication to your crafts are quite the breath of fresh air. I eagerly await more!
its allways wonderfull seeing not only your reaction but also you adding a piece of you and your knowledge about music meaking the video richer for us. Wonderfull ❤❤
I've watched videos from a lot of reactors, some of them even producers or composers with a great work and a good insights about the music from Attack on Titan, but this is another level. I'm pleased to see someone who gets really into it and do the research, analyze the lyrics and dissects the music. Well done and thank you. You just won a suscriber.
Attack on Titan also has some great theme songs by Linked Horizon, a group whose leader Revo is my favourite composer, lyricist and just all-around musical storyteller of all time. Many people remember the songs but not as many know about the people behind them - which is why I appreciate that you talked about the musicians of this suite
AoT is a masterpiece and its epic soundtrack makes it awesome and unforgettable. Even now while the music was playing the scenes were just flashing before my eyes. Will miss you AoT😢
Hiroyuki Sawano is a genius composer. I would love you to react to the other songs he composed for Attack on Titan. And as the last episode of Attack on Titan airs next week it would also be a great idea for you to react to the whole series.
Thanks, an unfamiliar genre for me but right up thee with great rock soundtracks. Reminds me of so long ago in my day when I discovered Stumu Yamashta, particularly Sea and Sky with the rock, the symphonic and synthesizer expression. This is terrific.
I'm such a massive fan of Hiroyuki Sawano, I absolutely freaking adore his music. RUclips randomly recommended this video to me and I just had to see. It's clear how much you love music and enjoyed the composition - so lovely to watch.
As a german, it really amazes me that you can understand the german lyrics and that you can translate them. Despite your accent you also said everything correctly. Most people can‘t understand a single word in these reactions
Doug, i was on the moon when you mentioned that it sounded similar to Nightwish!! You must listen to the opening of season 4, track called My War - you will hear Empu's ghost in a guitar solo :D also, do give a go to all other openings, of attack on titan, they are all wonderful
Oh I love your insights! I'm not really good in understanding music myself but your comments really brought me some good pieces of knowledge. It's good to know that you're not just reacting like the others but also actually taking in the content of the music. Liked it!
This anime is a must Doug, i consider this, one of the most important philosophic works in our modern history. The anime is only the medium in wich is presented but is far from just a anime, and for certain, not the usual pre-conception of an anime.
I'm so glad you are enjoying this process so much! I hope a lot of people who have never heard these anime pieces can also be inspired by the amazing music. I would try listening to a song called "Narukami" from the anime "Naruto". It's also beautiful and powerful but in a different way.
Attack on titan is a perfect exemple about how a soundtrack can make you feel the emotions on screen. You really feel the music and the lyrics, sometimes it made me cry.
The images I get from listening to these gives me chills. If you even could fathom what was going on here 🥲🥲🥲🥲 it’s my favorite thing ever made, on every level!
When it comes to going into anime rabbithole, I think there isn't a better choice to start than Attack on Titan. Countless people have been hooked in thanks to this great show :)
Are we not gonna talk about how Doug killed it on the piano improv at 22:28 ?? At first I thought that Counterattack Mankind was good already but Doug added the cherry on top with the ending part of it. Keep it up man!
Hiroyuki Sawano is a legend among us anime nerds/fans. He's done many fantastic sound tracks for some amazing anime. He loves using german vocals and is often a big draw for us to watch a show even if the anime is meh or not your cup of your time. That's just how good his music usually is. Apart from Attack on Titan. Some pieces of his I adore is Avid from 86, Satsuki Kiryuin Theme from Kill la Kill and God of Ink or Gravity from Re:Creators. Actually honestly you could just google his name, find an anime he's worked on and its bound to have a banger or two.
The nerd in me is so happy to be watching this. I’ve been obsessed with AOT music for years. No one, not even my musician friends/family, share this interest with me. The last episode of AOT has a really INTENSE song where the instruments themselves sound like they’re in distress. It’s the song that takes place during the rumbling, I believe. The story alone is so amazing but the music really takes it home! I love the terms you used about texture and layering in music. Great way to describe it!
I was brought to your channel by chance today. I love the way you weave your reactions while allowing the music to continue in the background. Many reactors will pause every 20 seconds or so and disrupt the flow. Thank you Dr. Helvering for not doing that. Hearing you compare the opening to Nightwish and your fondness for them was the icing on the cake for me subscribing.
What a great take. Discovered this vid randomly. Ever since I heard Sawano for the first time i kept fishing for his compositions. Now I've ended up watching anime at 40. Its just another medium of presentatiom, right? My kid and niece and nephew agree haha. Thanks for this vid and the mutual respect of Hiroyuki. He's got other really good ones but Titan is a decent collection.
Attack on Titan is pretty great as a beginner Anime, since it doesn’t require a lot of knowledge of Japanese culture. It also has 7 outstanding opening and ending themes (if I recall correctly) with most of them being Rock/Metal themed, and performed by Linked Horizon. Might be worth checking out. ^^ Your content truly is a breath of fresh air, and it’s always a treat when you upload!
AoT finished the other day and my God the music takes me right back into it. Thank you so much for doing so much research for this video. Loved the added context. Subscribing for more
![Attack on Titan panel with the creator Hajime Isayama [Anime NYC 2022]](/img/1.gif)
It's funny how "all people are born free" sounds inspirational out of context, but when you're talking about Attack on Titan, it just brings a chill down my spine lol
You know what's even spookier?
"Freedom, freedom... forgive me..."
n Aot is more like " all of us are born to made our own Freedom , by destroying those in the way " . The devil cycle of hate are real dude
spine 😉
@@leo-vd9gi All of us are born free, and yet all living beings die one day. It is by our very births that we bring death.
@@Frostbite08OMFG 😭😭😭
Attack on Titan has one of my favourite soundtracks of all time. It can make everything around it exciting, tense, sad, uplifting and more. Truly fantastic.
Have you checked out re: creators soundtrack? Same group
Definitely my top 5. Bleach is best ost imo tho.
Hiroyuki Sawano: Hold my beer
Gundam OST: Yes
@@jwag301subjective
@@LavinLaChillboth masterpieces
The Attack On Titan Soundtrack is a masterpiece, no joke. It conveys so many emotions and only elevates the many key moments throughout the series. If you’re ever to start any anime, AOT is the one.
Ты понимаешь что если кто-то начнёт смотреть АОТ, то их ждёт море слёз и разочарований, подумай на что ты их обрекаешь 😅
@@G.O.A.T.MThat’s exactly the point 😈😂
Real
Musically speaking, without taking the lyrics, they should have asked native German speakers first before releasing the lyrics. For German speakers, the lyrics sound kinda forced in and not so natural and the pronunciation of the Asian singer is at some parts unfortunately bad. But apart from that, the spirit put on the singing and on the music is superb!
what is bro waffling about @@Irendur.
"is it our fate or our free will"
sent chills down my spine. Hiroyuki Sawano was ahead of his time
I bet Isayama told him a bit about the ending. Kinda like JK Rowling did with Alan Rickman.
No it was Eren that told him what to do
It's a very, very basic philosophical idea/question that's been around for millennia. I wouldn't read too much into it.
There are and were literally billions of people who asked themselves such a question at some point in there life and it's an often explored topic in storytelling too.
@se7enhaender bro, it's about the events of attack on titan. The main character commits omnicide and it's explained as either being his own will or his fate but the ending was too shitty to decide which one it is.
@@رزيئة Exactly. It's the same kinda theme that a bazillion stories had before it.
I don't mind it too much, but it's still a theme that's pretty much as old as human existence and especially common in stories featuring teens and young adults, so it's not surprising at all that the soundtrack and story both touch on it.
The show ended yesterday and I’m still crying. Wonderful story, wonderful music …. The show was a masterpiece. You have to watch this!!!
For sure it is .. unfortunately some people doesn't get that they missing some of the best show in history
Agreeeeeeed!🎉
It really was amazing, seriously one of the best shows, if not THE, best show of the decade
@@loaybakry3190it's okay..
there will be more another AOT like anime in the future..
this is crazy because it's been 10 years since I watch the first Attack on Titan episode.
and I watch all the episde in 10 years without reading the manga.
it's so damn hard to avoid spoiller from random commenter anywhere I go, and it's funny because I start to call it Attack on Spoilers.
What? Hasnt this show ended like 3 times now? What the fuck is this? I thought I watched the last episode. Huh?
I really liked that you named the musicians, it's very respectful and more people discussing this music on RUclips should do it.
If you are thinking about picking your first anime to start Attack on Titan is actually a great choice. It's obviously got great music but that's not even it's greatest strength. It's the story - truly one of a kind masterpiece in mystery storytelling. Don't look up anything about its plot and just enjoy the ride. I wish I can forget everything about it just so I can experience it again!
If you pick AOT as your first anime then most of the other content is going to feel mid at best. That's how I see it.
@@agustinaquino1528 I think one of the main problems is the other shows that are on the same tier as AoT are almost all noticeably way more stereotypically "anime" in terms of tone/writing etc. So a lot of people have a hard time finding something else they mesh with nearly as much.
@@MrRusty103 this is exactly my problem with most anime.
Attack on Titan does a really good job at setting up the basic shonen tropes at the start and then proceeds to subvert them every chance it gets.
The level of foreshadowing from the very beginning is also absolutely top tier and can hardly be matched.
Also flesh gundams are just awesome
Another good part is that it has an ending, and the story is complete. But yes, this will set a very high bar.
Imo best anime to start Is probably Mob Psycho
13:45 Fun fact. "K2" is actually a pun. In Japanese, 2 is pronounced as "ni", so K2 can be read as Kay-Nee, or Kenny, which is a character in the series.
Fantastic reaction, by the way.
Someone saying "I really like this song, it's called KENNYY"
WHAT
I HAD NO IDEA, THAT’S SO COOL
@@EG-cm5th Sawano has an interesting (often coded) method of naming his tracks that bespeaks his creativity.
He did the same thing with YOUSEEBIGGIRL, which comes across as Yumiru
@@Number_055 Yes, indeed.
17:30 once you have the visuals of the anime in your mind, you just get straight goosebumps. Visuals and music absolutely go hand in hand
I'm the Armored Titan and he's the Colossal Titan.
...wut?
yeah this one is absolutely crazy dude, once i hear this i can see them sparking up.
yes at Eren's mom death scene .... and your life will never the same again after watch that
We DOING THIS !?!?? RIGHT HERE?! RIGHT NOW?!?
@@narrastoriesIMA?? KOKO DE!?!
Words can’t describe how “YouSeeBigGirl” and “Call of Silence” make me feel. Those two songs nearly bring me to tears every time I hear them. Especially Call of Silence. Sawano-sensei is a genius.
YouSeeBigGirl will never not give me goosebumps.
The setup for that chorus is glorious.
And they were both sung by the lovely r!N/Gemie! I wish she got more props since her interpretation is what we hear in so many iconic and gut-wrenching sections of AoT.
The buildup in YouSeeBigGirl to Vogel Im Kafig is brilliant
The big reveal 😇
@@TheSeeking2know yeah, Gemie is my favorite female vocalist i've ever had the pleasure to listen to
Hiroyuki Sawano has such a recognizable style within the japanese media sphere. The "Sawano drop" is a well known tool he often deploys. He's said hes attributed a lot of finding style to his work on the game "Xenoblade Chronicles X," so it might be worth giving a listen to!
Seeing that game mentioned makes me so happy 😭 I didn't know he said anything like that
Huh didnt know that he was a part of XCX soundtrack. My introduction to Hiroyuki Sawano was Guilty Crown.
These lyrics hold so much more meaning now that the Finale came out a few days ago. It's crazy the amount of foreshadowing there was used in compositions made 13 years ago. At the time you'd just think it was tragic music made to fit the mood but no, every. little. thing. has so much meaning. You wouldn't even realize what I am talking about until you go watch the show yourself. It's storytelling and plot is unrivaled in all of fiction and non-fiction. After 9 years since I picked up AOT I am still noticing little underlying themes or hidden meanings.
Absolutely, it is seriously impressive in retrospect.
It's a masterpiece! There's storytelling in all places: OPs, EDs, lyrics of the composition, including how the music was composed (building tension, conveying emotion, etc)
Best written show ever. No doubt
Never really paid attention to the lyrics much, but it's crazy how connected all of it is to the anime's story.
The opening and ending are very connected too...they always where
I believe Barricades was a soundtrack for 2nd season, and has so much forshadowing to the future. I've red (don't know if it is true or not), that Sawano was a fan of the manga and tried to incorporate later plotlines into the music.
And even if he didn't know what the end will be it just clicks and perfect.
@@vivienkoles1880theDOGS also has insane foreshadowing and deeper meaning after the ending.
@@vivienkoles1880 Even the 1st OP hints at Eren's character's future.
The music (at least some songs) are where Mikasa and Eren's love story resides since Isayama said he embarrassed writing love stories.
Super happy to see Hiroyuki Sawano on here. He's another one of the absolutely legendary composers in the anime space. Like Yoko Kanno (who he cites as an influence, to nobody's surprise), he works in a variety of styles, although there's still a certain personality which shines through in much of his work.
His breakout work on Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn has some absolutely wild Jazz that I think you'd really appreciate. It's not at all the kind of soundtrack you'd expect for a show about piloting giant combat mechs in space, but it works so well.
I am genuinely interested in watching your transformative content here, it’s clear you’re not just a reactor, you’re providing something else on top of the media we’re watching. I don’t want to tell you what to do, everyone’s got a life. But the final episode of Attack on Titan drops in a week, if you do end up reacting to the series it would probably generate a lot of traffic to your channel
My favorite moment of this video is your appreciation of the brass at 21:59.
Also, START WITH ATTACK ON TITAN. Once you finished watching the show, revisit this suite again. This show is the Star Wars of Anime.
Calling it the Star Wars of anime feels so insulting 😭 Id say GoT, The Sopranos maybe? But Star Wars quality dropped too hard
Star Wars? Pfft.
Attack on Titan is what Game of Thrones could have been if D&D didn't f* it up.
(BTW It's cut from the anime, but in the manga about 10 characters from Game of Thrones cameo as Titans. XD)
AoT can stand on it's own without being compared to the likes of Star Wars or GoT or any of those others.
@@MIZZKIEWho are they? I only know about Arya x Gaby
@@hiyahiyakotet8927
Chapter 96:
- Tyrion Lannister
- Grey Worm
- Missandei
- Margaery Tyrell
- Varys
- Littlefinger
- Qyburn
- Arya Stark
- the Waif
Chapter 110:
- Joffrey Lan...ahem...Baratheon
Isayama also drew Tyrion, Jorah, and Davos in his blog.
It’s so cool that he kinda researched the show before the reaction. I’m not expecting everyone to watch the show but having a little knowledge about the source before starting was very nice.
For someone who claims to be rusty your german translation is pretty much spot on. Really impressive! I dunno if I could do that on the spot with any language not as present in my daily life as English or my mothertongue.
If he is a classical music composer he has studied classical music and German is very dominant in classcial music. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner...
To be fair spoken German is very close to spoken English. Native English speakers who have learned ZERO German can still understand about ~30-40% of spoken German. So id imagine for someone trained in German it would be near impossible to forget.
Note: this applies only to audio, as written German is quite different from written English
Hi Doug, this is my first exposure to your channel, and first and foremost I gotta say I heavily respect your commitment to being well-informed and well-researched. I'm impressed with the lengths you went to just to listen to a music suite, haha. Hiroyuki Sawano has some of my favorite works of all time, and I of course love Attack on Titan, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching this video. You've earned a subscriber; keep it up man!
Being a AOT fan and just learning that she was singing that line in German from this man earned a subscription from me as well, it makes it even more impactful for a number of reasons.
Hiroyuki Sawano is probably my favorite composer of all time. His work on the movie Promare, and the game Xenoblade Chronicles X is stunning.
I think you are the one that give the most respect to the songs by not pausing them every 5 seconds. I enjoyed your review very much !
Sawano's Attack on Titan work is truly a masterpiece, I don't know how he created so many amazingly unique songs. He elevated the anime so much with his music, so many great emotional pieces. Kohta Yamamoto, who's doing the final season soundtrack, was Sawano's apprentice I believe. He's also doing great work.
Attack on Titan sets the bar for the animes VERY high, but it's still 100% worth starting with, it's a journey from start to finish, and now is the perfect time as it's coming to an end in just a few weeks. Buuut you'd have to hire someone to moderate your comments to clean them from spoilers, if you want to record reactions.
I’ve seen a couple music reaction channels starting Attack on Titan because of this soundtrack, and they absolutely loved it. Literally became the best show they ever watched.
@@WaillerC5 What channels? Asking for a friend :D
While it does set a high bar, I've noticed that the high bar is able to overcome people's hesitancy to watch anime. It seems to make them more open to enjoying shows they wouldn't have been able to, or willing to, appreciate before.
@@FireOfTheUnderworldG.O.T Games, from the top of mind :)
TYLR Reacts@@FireOfTheUnderworld
After yesterday "all people are born free, of this there is no doubt", man. That hits NOT the same anymore. What a masterpiece.
Hi, I’ve seen this title very long time ago, could you please remind me of it’s context? 🙏
I never cared about the translation of the German songs.
I just blast it daily and make sure to capture it on my every rewatch of the anime.
I'm so surprised, and never thought that it was subtly telling the story of the season, even directly singing the scenes.
It's insane. The lyrics of the first song from season 1 tells the story of the 4th season.
Hiroyuki Sawano is genuinely just one of the best composers of the generation, in my opinion. Absolutely every single thing he touches turns to gold. Never heard a single song of his that’s even been average, let alone mediocre or worse. Always incredibly well thought out and arranged pieces with some really tasty creativity on instrument choice.
I love how formal you start the video yet there are no filler talks, just pure critical review. Really gets us the feeling of listening to a professional. I hope this stays this way.
I love how he does his research! It makes us fans feel appreciated!
AoT has alot of german theme's and *setting* but german influence or military series seem to be a trend where he pops up. Like the Kill la Kill ost Blumenkranz a villains theme still gives me chills, Owari no Seraph ost still gets tuck in my head. For sure his work on the Gundam Unicorn Ost is amazing
Even some german in the lyrics, the character names too
Sadly you can't understand the german without the lyrics
@@calvin9436 u cant notice tons of English in alot of japanese music with out the lyrics ether
@@fivedudes But german is more butchered than engrish
@@calvin9436 Of that I have no doubt.
Great music can be found in the least expected places. Seems that some composers have a promising outlet in soundtrack composition.
In Japan a lot of their greatest talents go into the animation industry
definitely one of the few soundtracks that lives rent free in my head.
Sawano's music always give me goosebumps, no matter how many times I listen to it.
the entire OST from this whole show is just stunning front to back. this suite is just a few of the greatest and most recognizable hits, but genuinely the whole entire thing is absolutely beautiful
It takes a special kind of show for powerful tracks like these to feel justified when they play. AoT truly manages to be as mindblowing as its soundtrack
The lyrics of every single song in Attack on Titan take on meaning after you watch the series. Even when we talk about "wings", or the name "Maria"....Everything is like a big, complex puzzle. And it's absolutely magnificent. I'm 49 years old and I love this anime and all of its incredible music. The Attack on Titan openings are on my playlist. Linked Horizon have done some of these openings and they have an engaging energy. Symphonic rock. Live... With so many elements playing and singing! The stage was absolutely mind-blowing!❤
Now THAT was something ! Powerful in every aspect of the word . Nice choice Doug. I'll be listening to this one again
Came here just bc i love watching composers/producers/fellow musicians reacting to masterpiece that is the AOT score for the first time but shout out to this guy for freaking knowing German and translating the lyrics, knowing them now (especially now that everything has ended) just elevates these pieces that much more. I second everyone in the comments recommending that you watch this anime, I can't explain enough how much of a masterpiece it is in every sense of the word!!
Even if you are not really into anime, Attack on Titan is a must watch.
I think aot is better than 95% of the movies and TV series I have watched,I am leaving 5% just to leave some room to be safe
Not only he reacts, but he also waits until the song is over to comment, and the most impressive thing is he explains the German language to his best ability. I shall subscribe.
Fun analysis! Worth mentioning that the lyrics make more sense if you watch the show.
Also, really have to say the improv piano melodic support you do to the music on the spot here and there is amazing and sounds really good. You aren’t the first music “composer/producer” titled channel for this show but you are certainly the one that supported your claim the most.
There is good reason that this show and basically every part of the crew involved in making it won so many accolades. This is one of the shows that gets tossed around as a candidate for GREATEST ANIME OF ALL TIME, and you don't take a shot at that title if your soundtrack is anything less that incredible.
Every creator in any role put their hearts and soul into AoT. It's truly one of a kind. Top 0,5% of all anime.
Well said the both of you
Watching this makes me want to go back and rewatch the entire series again! OST is sooooo gooodddd
Great musical breakdown and very impressive German. The translation‘s been spot on and the pronunciation was very good! Keep up the great work, I’ve love every video of yours I’ve seen so far!
Wow, thank you for the added layers of German translation and music breakdown. I've been falling this series for the 10 years it's been airing and I'm watching reactions and commentary to Attack on Titan content since the whole series is ending on Saturday (the finale is airing) and I wanted to get hyped up for it. It's amazing how I'm still learning new things about Attack on Titan after all this time! It's a wonderful piece for discussion and your translations now add more to consider. Thank you!
It’s been a few years since i last watched attack on titan but you know a soundtrack is amazing when you can still remember the EXACT scenes they’re used for. I’ve watched so many anime throughout the years and no sound track comes even close to AOTs.
Your translation of the German gave me a whole new appreciation for these songs I have listened to over the last 10 years. Thanks Doug
Omg! This is one of my favorite videos of all time from the best soundtrack of all time! Never expected you would react to this!
Your translation of the german lyrics was truly on point! Loved the reaction and if you were to react to a series, Attack on Titan is a great starting point and an incredible series. I personally think Hiroyuki Sawano is a genius, his drum compositions are infamous.
As a former percussionist for 7 years throughout my time in school. Your timing with and notice of the percussion within all the music really made me smile! Your analysis earned a new subscriber for sure !
THE MAD MAN ACTUALLY DID IT IM SO HAPPY THANK YOU SO MUCH DOUG AND MEG!!!!
This music sounds amazing without context, but it is majorly elevated once you know the context of the characters and their struggles in the story. Most of the popular tracks for this series evoke an epic combative feel along with sadness, despair, regret, loss, mystery, inspirational resolve, and appreciation for the beauty of life. And that is indeed what the show is like, the context of the story makes this music emotionally potent. Every track makes me want to cry as much as it rouses me, but it’s a beautiful sadness. The ability of the composer to deftly combine so many emotions, authentic to the story that the music accompanies, into singular pieces of beautiful music is what elevates this soundtrack to me.
It's Sad now that We will never got to experience another AOT masterpiece ever again . Thank You Doug For keeping the AOT flames alive ❤🔥
aot is amazing and the music takes it to another level. each of these songs takes me back to certain scenes in my head
Truly one of the most EPIC soundtracks I've heard. It fits the show perfectly
The lyrics of every one of these songs are amazing at capturing what's AOT all about, the T:T song is called YouSeeBIGGIRL and it plays during on the greatest scenes i have ever witnessed, a scene that made my jaw drop so hard lol the last one is APPLESEED and it used to be the first part of T:T but in season 3 they added the lyrics! a lyrics that captures a story of it own. Nothing in Attack in Titan is random, a modern masterpiece for sure.
This is one of my favourite videos on the internet and it’s the video that brought me to your channel, people who really know what they’re talking about and people whom you can tell the level of experience they have in their industry just from the way they talk about a subject really pique my interest, and you Doug are both, love the content and I’ve checked your other stuff out too and love it, but this video brings me back in at least once a month since discovering your channel a few months ago. Would love to see more Attack On Titan as there is many many different moods and styles of music in this show and a lot of great content to sift through season by season.
22:34 God...that was beautiful! Lost in the moment indeed, well done!
Just reacted to the two first songs, and you're traductions and reading the lyrics really made me realize; the words of these songs tie in so well with the actual story, the meaning of all the verses really made me think of so many story points and moments in the anime itself, not just one for one, but like the "what will we find beyond that wall/horizon", it's just make so much sense in the story for example, (I really liked also the "until the wind will cut off our wings", just so cool that it immediatly brings to mind memories from the anime) but it's for every single verse you've talked about, they all tie into reccuring themes that are part of the story. The musical directing on this was next level, I really can appreciate it even more than before when I was just vibing with the songs during my first (and numerous) watch. Your analysis and what you bring with it really helps people realize the scale of the efforts and creativeness that went into these orchestras for, let's face it, just an anime (wich, when you've watched it, wouldn't be the same without it). Really awesome
Trust me, when you see the soundtrack actually utilized....the music becomes more powerful. The story becomes more powerful because of the music. It's a perfect feedback loop.
I'm so happy to see this video! I get chills every time I listen to the AoT OSTs. Sawano is a genius
Scenes where these OSTs played come up in my mind every time, and that gives me even more goosebumps.
Favourite anime of all time, one of my favourites shows in general. Terrific stuff
This content is wonderful. As a gigantic fan of not only Attack on Titan, but also really profound things in general, your dedication to your crafts are quite the breath of fresh air. I eagerly await more!
the emotional weight of these songs paired with what happens in the series that show is truly a masterpiece i love it
its allways wonderfull seeing not only your reaction but also you adding a piece of you and your knowledge about music meaking the video richer for us. Wonderfull ❤❤
I've watched videos from a lot of reactors, some of them even producers or composers with a great work and a good insights about the music from Attack on Titan, but this is another level. I'm pleased to see someone who gets really into it and do the research, analyze the lyrics and dissects the music. Well done and thank you. You just won a suscriber.
Attack on Titan also has some great theme songs by Linked Horizon, a group whose leader Revo is my favourite composer, lyricist and just all-around musical storyteller of all time. Many people remember the songs but not as many know about the people behind them - which is why I appreciate that you talked about the musicians of this suite
this is amazing. One of my favorite shows of all time. The music was one of the reasons I got into it
AoT is a masterpiece and its epic soundtrack makes it awesome and unforgettable.
Even now while the music was playing the scenes were just flashing before my eyes.
Will miss you AoT😢
loved that you listed and named the performers
Hiroyuki Sawano is a genius composer. I would love you to react to the other songs he composed for Attack on Titan. And as the last episode of Attack on Titan airs next week it would also be a great idea for you to react to the whole series.
Thanks, an unfamiliar genre for me but right up thee with great rock soundtracks. Reminds me of so long ago in my day when I discovered Stumu Yamashta, particularly Sea and Sky with the rock, the symphonic and synthesizer expression. This is terrific.
I'm such a massive fan of Hiroyuki Sawano, I absolutely freaking adore his music. RUclips randomly recommended this video to me and I just had to see. It's clear how much you love music and enjoyed the composition - so lovely to watch.
Seeing you grab the keyboard in 17:54 when the ost goes to eb ab out of the scale told me a lot, great video, I would love to see more reactions👍👍
17:29 this moment always gives me goosebumps, and is so well fitted in the show itself!!
この裏切りもんがああああ. One of the best scene in the series.
Thank you for this analytical reaction not many reactionists do that, makes me happy :)
As a german, it really amazes me that you can understand the german lyrics and that you can translate them. Despite your accent you also said everything correctly.
Most people can‘t understand a single word in these reactions
Just figure he has the lyrics up and is reading them as it goes, still cool to translate tho
I just love the authentic "Sawano Drop" , gives me goosebumps everytime
Doug, i was on the moon when you mentioned that it sounded similar to Nightwish!! You must listen to the opening of season 4, track called My War - you will hear Empu's ghost in a guitar solo :D also, do give a go to all other openings, of attack on titan, they are all wonderful
Oh I love your insights! I'm not really good in understanding music myself but your comments really brought me some good pieces of knowledge. It's good to know that you're not just reacting like the others but also actually taking in the content of the music. Liked it!
nice german skills! Loved the reaction! an absolute masterpiece
This anime is a must Doug, i consider this, one of the most important philosophic works in our modern history. The anime is only the medium in wich is presented but is far from just a anime, and for certain, not the usual pre-conception of an anime.
I'm so glad you are enjoying this process so much! I hope a lot of people who have never heard these anime pieces can also be inspired by the amazing music.
I would try listening to a song called "Narukami" from the anime "Naruto". It's also beautiful and powerful but in a different way.
Attack on titan is a perfect exemple about how a soundtrack can make you feel the emotions on screen. You really feel the music and the lyrics, sometimes it made me cry.
Thanks for this music, great artwork Sawano and the performers
Wow Doug! Ive been listening to you for very long and somehow you end up listening to things im obsessed with.
The images I get from listening to these gives me chills. If you even could fathom what was going on here 🥲🥲🥲🥲 it’s my favorite thing ever made, on every level!
When it comes to going into anime rabbithole, I think there isn't a better choice to start than Attack on Titan. Countless people have been hooked in thanks to this great show :)
Are we not gonna talk about how Doug killed it on the piano improv at 22:28 ?? At first I thought that Counterattack Mankind was good already but Doug added the cherry on top with the ending part of it. Keep it up man!
Hiroyuki Sawano is a legend among us anime nerds/fans. He's done many fantastic sound tracks for some amazing anime. He loves using german vocals and is often a big draw for us to watch a show even if the anime is meh or not your cup of your time. That's just how good his music usually is.
Apart from Attack on Titan. Some pieces of his I adore is Avid from 86, Satsuki Kiryuin Theme from Kill la Kill and God of Ink or Gravity from Re:Creators. Actually honestly you could just google his name, find an anime he's worked on and its bound to have a banger or two.
The nerd in me is so happy to be watching this. I’ve been obsessed with AOT music for years. No one, not even my musician friends/family, share this interest with me. The last episode of AOT has a really INTENSE song where the instruments themselves sound like they’re in distress. It’s the song that takes place during the rumbling, I believe. The story alone is so amazing but the music really takes it home! I love the terms you used about texture and layering in music. Great way to describe it!
Such a treat to watch you discover and enjoy this music❤
I was brought to your channel by chance today. I love the way you weave your reactions while allowing the music to continue in the background. Many reactors will pause every 20 seconds or so and disrupt the flow. Thank you Dr. Helvering for not doing that.
Hearing you compare the opening to Nightwish and your fondness for them was the icing on the cake for me subscribing.
I truly wish to forget everything and re-watch it all over again😭
What a great take. Discovered this vid randomly. Ever since I heard Sawano for the first time i kept fishing for his compositions. Now I've ended up watching anime at 40. Its just another medium of presentatiom, right? My kid and niece and nephew agree haha. Thanks for this vid and the mutual respect of Hiroyuki. He's got other really good ones but Titan is a decent collection.
Man this man analyzing the music to the finest details without knowing Attack on Titan. And the interpretation is SPOT ON!. Bruh this gives me shivers
What a surprise to see you do this. Thank you very much, awesome to see you try so many things!
Attack on Titan is pretty great as a beginner Anime, since it doesn’t require a lot of knowledge of Japanese culture.
It also has 7 outstanding opening and ending themes (if I recall correctly) with most of them being Rock/Metal themed, and performed by Linked Horizon.
Might be worth checking out. ^^
Your content truly is a breath of fresh air, and it’s always a treat when you upload!
This is the best analysis I have ever seen of the Suite. I LOVE the music theory and how you broke it down. Earned a sub, Cheers!
Glad that you took time to read the lyrics!
AoT finished the other day and my God the music takes me right back into it.
Thank you so much for doing so much research for this video. Loved the added context.
Subscribing for more