Review of Attack on Titan

I enjoyed season 1 of Attack on Titan immensely despite being on the fence in the first few episodes. What sold me on the series was the intense, unique, and sometimes layered action; the depth of the setting; and most importantly, the mysterious nature found in the history of the world and its supernatural elements. It is an under-the surface mystery combining the genres of action and fantasy and it does it really well. The main problem is, it is hard to look deeper with the high intensity of the show. There really isn't much breathing room in this first season. A direct result of thatis I really got to know most of the characters only at a surface level. And even further than that, that intensity sometimes feels forced making the story a little bit less believable despite the depth of the setting. Breaks in immersion are the downfall of fantasy narratives.

Despite that problem, I still loved this first season mainly because the setting was interesting enough to make up for it. The very first scene let me know that there was something to this story that I wouldn't be able to see, and the mysteries kept piling up from there. Those mysteries were always presented in ways that piqued my interest and told me to look deeper. What is actually happening beneath the surface of this plot? And there were still many questions that had yet to be answered at the end of this season, which had me really interested in what was to come in the following seasons.

And lets not forget the action. Action is inherit to this setting. There are horrible monsters, the Titans, and mankind has to fight them. The mechanism the author came up with to fight those monsters is just so creative. The 3D maneuver gear isn't something you're typical fantasy author could come up with. Not only does it add to the depth of the setting, but it's also really entertaining to watch in action ... especially since it's unlike anything I've seen before in an action series.

The action isn't at all mindless either. It's incredibly consistent with the rules of the setting, not to mention the layers of strategy and even narrative weight at times. And, of course, the action couldn't have worked without great animation, which it definitely has. The action would have easily been the highlight for me if not for my love of the fantasy and mystery elements.

Overall, this first season is an outstanding introduction to the world of Attack on Titan. So much so, that I was more than willing to overlook some underdeveloped characters and a few forced action scenes.

ADDENDUM
8/2/2020 - I should clarify that you do have to look for the mysteries in this season of the show. They aren't directly presented to you through the characters. Instead, the show presents a blatantly vague and simple premise that's meant to stir the audience into questioning it and then eggs that questioning on with a variety of passive reveals (by that I mean events in the show that allow the audience predict unknown details of the world). If you don't catch on to questioning it you won't care as much for the *under-the-surface* mystery and you'll likely enjoy the show less than I did -- because there are plenty of off-putting moments in this season -- or enjoy it in a different way.

Please comment on my profile if you want to talk with me about it! Because I'd love to explain further what I mean. I just don't want to drag on a review with addendums that I don't think anyone does besides me lol.