The story of Eren Jaeger and the Scout Regiment has been finished for years, but despite this fact, Attack on Titan keeps finding itself making headlines. To date, creator Hajime Isayama hasn’t confirmed if he plans to resurrect the series following his work on Attack on Titan: Bad Boy, though Bandai Namco Filmworks was more than willing to revisit the bleak anime universe. Unfortunately for the production house, they might have drawn the ire of the Titans with their latest film, causing Bandai Namco to issue an apology for both the Titan-centric references as well as many other anime easter eggs that appear in Sgt. Frog’s runtime.
Videos by ComicBook.com
For those who might not know, Sgt. Frog has been a well-known anime franchise in Japan ever since the wild franchise debuted as a manga in 1999. Ever since, the series from creator Mine Yoshizaki has received several anime offerings, both of the silver and small screens. With the latest film, Sgt. Frog: Upon Revival, Immediately Facing the Threat of Earth’s Destruction!, recently hit Japanese theaters, Bandai Namco Filmworks found itself apologizing for the references to not only Attack on Titan, but also anime franchises including Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ultraman, and Gintama. Surprisingly enough, this controversy has quite a few layers to work our way through, though you can read Bandai Namco Filmworks’ official apology by clicking here.
The Many Crossovers of Sgt. Frog
One of the most interesting aspects surrounding this Sgt. Frog controversy is how willing the film has been to bring the amphibian warrior into other anime universes. The latest film tried to build hype surrounding its release by creating an official animated crossover between Sgt. Frog and Mobile Suit Gundam, though considering that both properties are owned by Bandai Namco, it would make sense that this meeting would be far easier to pull off. While the specifics of the Attack on Titan reference have yet to make their way online, it clearly was significant enough to warrant a response from the production house.
Bandai Namco Filmworks did offer reasoning behind why this reference, which Attack on Titan disparaged, took place. Specifically, the company noted that a “serious communication breakdown” was to blame, and that they would take future precautions to make sure they don’t find themselves in a similar position in the future. Unfortunately, the latest Sgt. Frog film hasn’t confirmed when, or if, it will be coming to North America, as the franchise hasn’t gained a legitimate foothold with Western audiences. Fingers crossed that the amphibian soldier, controversy aside, will find its way to the West.
What do you think of this major anime fumble from Sgt. Frog? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
More Anime
-
Image Courtesy of Arvo Animation -
Image Courtesy of Studio Bones -
Image Courtesy of Ufotable
