Review of Attack on Titan

I wonder, why is it that today's audiences are so invested in stories that center around people suffering through harsh trials that, more often than not, showcase the worst aspects of this world? Is it some sadistic pleasure at seeing others jump through flaming hoop after flaming hoop, despite deserving better? Is it some internal relief that we get, knowing that regardless of our own lives tribulations, that it's possible for others to suffer far worse than us? Either is possible, but i choose to go for a third, more positive option. Through these works, we see the best of humanity in the worst ofsituations. Whether it be Battle Royale, Game of Thrones, or, for this review, Attack on Titan, we see a strong sense of will, determination, and faith, that shines in the center of the worst the world has to offer. But, with so many of these kinds of stories out there these days, what makes Attack on Titan stand out from the crowd to gain it the immense popularity it currently has?

Story (8/10)

In an unknown part of the world, during an unknown time period, colossal monsters called Titans, whose only purpose in life is to feed on humans for pleasure, have taken the place of apex predator and forced humanity into hiding. With only a small percentage of humanity left, they build walls to surround cities in order to keep the Titans out, and live their lives trapped, yet alive. But after 100 years of not seeing a single Titan, a colossal Titan kicks the wall in and sends the outer layer of the city into panic. In the frenzy, one boy named Eren Jaeger, watches first hand as his mother is devoured by a Titan. Driven by rage and a desire for vengeance, he joins the Survey Corps with his childhood friends, Mikasa and Armin, to fight against the Titans, and satisfy his thirst for retribution, and find freedom beyond the walls they've spent their lives trapped in. Attack on Titan is a classic tale of overcoming trials to find what you desire, but, where most of these tales often chart the progress of their goals, Attack on Titan follows a "one step forward, two steps back" program. It seems that the closer Eren and the Survey Corps get to rising up against the Titans, reality always follows to rub just how hopeless it is in their face. Question after question arises, with no answers in sight, and by the end of the series, humanity has yet to take their step towards defeating the Titans. Normally this would all be very frustrating, if it wasn't for the fact that the story never just strings us along. It is a hopeless situation, and the characters actions towards rising up are never completely in vain. It's a story about overcoming suffering, regardless of how futile it seems, and charging forward with nothing more than hope, which is enough to make a compelling, and somewhat optimistic series for people to find themselves invested in. Sadly, Attack on Titan suffers from being an unfinished show, ending on a cliffhanger and leaving it's audience unsatisfied. Considering it's success though, a second season should be on the way as soon as there's enough source material to work off of. Unless, that is, Studio Wit all of sudden starts hating the oodles of money the show has put in their pockets.

Art (8/10)

Attack on Titan was done by Studio Wit, a subsidiary of Production I.G, and their first major work. The art in Attack on Titan is eye-catching to say the least. The backgrounds are surprisingly detailed, implementing the CGI to good use for the buildings, and vibrant forests for outside the wall. The character designs are worth noting as well. Seeing as the setting has more German influence than Japanese, the characters are designed for a more Western look, putting aside the show's token Oriental, Mikasa. What's more each of the characters are outfitted with thick black outlines, giving the shore a more comic book feel. Though the most notable thing about the designs, would have to be those of the Titans themselves. Their bodies are, large and misshapen, with sickening flesh tones, but the faces had a bad habit of getting more and more ridiculous as the show went on, to the point where the Titans were more laughable than intimidating. As for the animation, it looks absolutely marvelous when it wants to, implementing a three-dimensional style to match the humans maneuver gear, not to forget about the splendid choreography that goes into using said 3-D maneuver gear, making for some flat out gorgeous action scenes. The rest of the time though, the animation can be quite lazy and often lags. That's not even bringing into account the times when the show would decide to stop the animation all together to implement still screens. It's not a bad looking show by any means, but it could've looked better. Of course it could've looked a lot worse too, if not for three simple words. Tetsurou Fucking Araki. Simply looking at his track record, comprising of Death Note, High School of the Dead, and Guilty Crown, tells you two things about him. The shows he directs look really good and usually end up being huge successes. Araki often implements a style of bombast and erraticism, taking complete advantage of the animation medium, and simultaneously creating copious amounts of online memes, providing his shows with free advertising. While Attack on Titan isn't as gorgeous as Guilty Crown, or as stylized as Death note, his directorial style still provides enough passion and adrenaline to take this show's visuals to new heights.

Sound (9/10)

The OST for the show was done by Hiroyuki Sawano, whose previous works include Blue Exorcist and the aforementioned Guilty Crown. The show itself is a driving force of adrenaline and blatancy, so what better to suit it than heavy dramatic sounds, fully orchestrated with the obligatory choirs, crashing down on you while one of the characters charges off dramatically to go decapitate a Titan. Outside of the action, the show is complimented by vocal chorus pieces to suit the more moody and less intense scenes. Of course, you can't talk about Attack on Titan, without talking about it's openings. One of the things that sold Attack on Titan to so many people right off the bat, was it's first OP, Guren No Yamiya by Linked Horizon, which soon became an overnight internet sensation with hundreds of parody videos. To be honest, it is kind of as good as people say, but that shouldn't detract attention from the show's second opening, Jiyuu no Tsubasa, also by Linked Horizon, which is just as good if not better than the first opening.

Characters (8/10)

One of the bigger criticisms of the show is about it's cast of characters, where the words, undeveloped and bland most often appear. I'm going to respectfully disagree. Attack on Titan is not a complex show, nor does it ever try to act like it is. It's a straightforward action/adventure show meant to touch base with it's audience's own humanity. So doesn't it seem fitting that it's characters do the same? After all, sometimes simple characters are more effective than complex ones, especially when the point of these characters is to bring out human traits that the audience can connect with. There's nothing wrong with complexity in characters, and some shows even manage to blend complexity with humanity. But there are plenty of cases where a story might focus more on analyzing a characters inner workings that they come off as unnatural and robotic. In a 25 episode anime, where the themes are about the inner will and determination of humanity, simplicity works better. Eren is bitter and angry at the Titans, yet still desires freedom and the safety of his loved one above all else. Mikasa wants nothing more to protect Eren out of gratitude and love, gained from his part in providing her with a new life. Armin wants to find the courage within him to use his own abilities to assist his friends in the hope that they may someday live in peace. It's hard not to feel sympathy for the characters of this show, even those that don't necessarily deserve it, because the emotions they feel are justified and honest. Not to say they didn't need development, and some got it. Eren eventually learns to put his anger aside so it doesn't get in the way of what's important. Armin learns to put his fear aside so that he can use his intellect to help out. Jean decides to end his own selfish streak and step up as a leader for his fellow cadets. Not to say the cast doesn't have flaws. While i will defend Mikasa as a great female character and not just some emotionless guard fog, but she is a bit predictable after a while. Plus there are plenty of characters like Sasha and Connie which have yet to get any real attention outside of comic relief to bounce of the main characters. I've read the manga, so I know whether or not they develop, but this is a review on the show, so i'll be judging the characters on what they are, not what they could or will be. Still, Attack on Titan does give us an engaging cast to resonate with, whether it be their desire for vengeance, for freedom, for reason, and, of course, to protect what they hold dearest. Some people may criticize the simple designs for these characters, but i can't help but prefer humanity over complexity.

Enjoyment (9/10) Overall (8/10)

The question i expect to hear at least once after posting this review is, "does it live up to the hype?" and, quite frankly, it doesn't matter. Hype is a result of the community not the show itself, so to say something to overhyped or overrated is not a flaw of the show, but your own personal flaw. I hope that you can ignore the hype, and decide for yourself whether it's a show deserving of it's attention based off it's own quality. In my opinion, it kind of is. Attack on Titan is a thrill ride of action, impact, and pure enjoyment. It may be unfinished, but it was clearly planned with a second season in mind, which is all but confirmed, and will most likely clear up any loose plot threads and unresolved character arcs. I won't dismiss it's flaws, but i can look past them to see a quality show, one that i can recommend for all anime fans. Anyways, that's all for now. Til next time.