Review of Attack on Titan

**SPOILER FREE REVIEW** "Sind sie das Essen? Nein, wir sind der Jäger!" This German phrase, which roughly translates to "Are you the prey? No, we are the hunters!" Is a term that people who have watched this anime are all too familiar with by now. Attack on Titan (a.k.a. Shingeki no Kyojin) is to 2013 what Sword Art Online was to 2012; a show so hyped that you can't call yourself an anime fan if you haven't at least heard of it. While I haven't finished watching SAO, I am well aware that the majority of people feel it was ruined by the hype. Does AoT fallinto this same category, well, honestly, no. I don't think it does.

Story: 8/10
In an alternate universe, humanity has been nearly wiped out after the appearance of a new species of beast whose sole existence seems to be eradicating humans; the titans. Titans are massive, mysterious creatures whose origins, method of reproduction, and true motivations remain completely unknown to humanity. The humans have retreated into 3 circular walls that are large and strong enough to keep the Titans out, but for how long?
AoT gets major props from me for creating the darkest, most convincing, most tragic war environment I've ever seen in a TV show. The sheer amount of suffering, physical trauma, psychological trauma, and portrayal of devastation is so horrible and disturbing that it is beautiful. If you like watching happy-go-lucky, feel-good anime, this show is NOT for you. Rule number one of watching AoT is to NEVER expect something good to happen. Doe it seem like something good is about to happen? Well, something bad is probably about to happen.
AoT really manages to create an atmosphere where the viewer is viciously cheering for humanity to prevail, and that is no easy task. And of course, that just makes it all the more devastating when that character you were finally starting to like gets eaten. The storyline is extremely engrossing and interesting, but due to the fact that the story is incomplete (hopefully season 2 will be announced soon), I can't give it 10/10 or 9/10 in good taste, but AoT is very much a plot driven anime.

Art: 9/10
Very detailed and stylized. Style is something that is very hard to explain, but it fits the atmosphere perfectly. I loved the art.

Sound: 10/10
EPIC soundtrack. "Epic" is an overused word, but all you have to do is listen to the opening to know that this show is just EPIC! The voice acting is stellar as well.

Characters: 7/10
Seeing that this is an anime that is not finished, it makes sense that a lot of the character development is also unfinished, but the main characters are all intriguing.
Eren, the protagonist, is headstrong and reckless, but also very compassionate. He has a fascinating and tragic backstory (that the show still hasn't completely told), and his internal struggle between either sacrificing his humanity for the good of his race or maintaining his humanity and saving every individual he can is very engrossing and one of the show's strong points. Eren is clearly a round character and I like him quite a bit.
Mikasa is Eren's childhood friend, and to say Mikasa is protective of Eren is an understatement. She has no family left, so Eren is the only thing that keeps her going any more. She is by far the best fighter out of all the recruits and is a total badass when fighting. You can't not love Mikasa...
Armin, also Eren's childhood friend, is a frail boy who isn't much of a fighter, but possess great strategic intellect. He has proven to be one of the show's more dynamic characters as he breaks out of his shell as the anime goes on and realizes that he isn't as useless as he thinks he is.
Levi is a BAMF. That's all you need to know.
There are also tons of intriguing side-characters, but I wouldn't get too attached to them if I were you. NOBODY in this show is unkillable, except probably Mikasa. Don't be surprised when a seemly major character gets eaten in the blink of an eye. AoT really keeps you on the edge of your seat in that regard. If the show was complete and the character's development was finished, characters would have likely gotten a 9/10 or 10/10.

Overall: 8/10
So far, AoT is the rare case of an anime living up to the hype. With an epic plot, complex characters, badass art style, and an epic soundtrack, AoT has the potential to be something really special, but lets wait for the end of the second season (which will totally be announced soon) and it's ending to draw any conclusions.