The highly-anticipated second season of the hit anime "Attack on Titan," or "Shingeki no Kyojin" in Japan, would not be released as early as fans expected. Ironically, the delay might very well be for the better.
Previous speculations pointed to the possibility that "Attack on Titan" season 2 would begin production within the year, with a release date of possibly mid-to-late 2016. After all, there are a couple of arcs that have already been completed in the manga that are just waiting to be animated.
As it turns out, such speculations are false, with new reports stating that the second season has been moved back significantly. The hiatus, however, is due to something very important - the manga.
The first season of "Attack on Titan" was immensely successful mainly because the series ran completely parallel with the plotline of the manga. Thus, it was very cohesive and well-rounded, told completely devoid of any filler episodes. For all intents and purposes, the first season practically animated the manga faithfully, and fans appreciated it fully.
Rumors have emerged that for the second season of the "Attack on Titan" anime to enter production, the manga must be at least four story arcs ahead. The decision was allegedly agreed upon by series author Hajime Isayama and the anime's director, Tetsuro Araki.
However, the manga is currently only two story arcs ahead of the anime. Of course, the two arcs in the manga that have been finished involve extremely important aspects of the plot, but if the new season would be limited to the two arcs, the pace of the second season would be a lot slower.
Apart from that, one of the arcs that was recently completed in the manga, which involved the overthrow of the current regime within Wall Rose, followed a very political theme with very little action. Thus, ending the second season without a bang would simply not stay true to the "Attack on Titan" spirit.
Therefore, Isayama and Araki's decision to hold off on the second season might very well be a stroke of genius. After all, the manga seems to be nearing the climax of its current arc, and if the events in the latest chapter are any indication, the current arc is its most epic yet, with the Survey Corps taking on the Armored Titan with a modified weapon and Eren's Rogue Titan attempting to stop the advance of the 50-meter Colossal Titan single-handedly.
Indeed, if the manga's events are any indication, it seems that the story of "Attack on Titan" is nearing its conclusion. Though Isayama has not announced if the manga's current arc is the final one, the progression of the plot is significant nonetheless.
If the anime is indeed waiting for the manga's progression before it enters production, fans can at least rest assured that the second season of "Attack on Titan" will be a ride that nobody will be able to forget.
