Review of Attack on Titan
Shingeki no Kyojin has some of the most beautifully drawn art, from the action scenes to the actual scenery in the show. However, this is where a lot of it goes down for me. Somewhat new to anime, I decided Attack on Titan would be the second anime I watched after Death Note. However, halfway through the first season, I decided I hated it. Almost two years later, I decided to give it another go since I had started appreciating anime more. While I can say I don't hate it, it's not worth all of the hype it gets. It's a good anime, I justcan't get over how forgettable most of the characters are. AoT gives the illusion of character growth but at the end of the day, I didn't feel as though I had connected with any of the characters save for Levi, and a lot of that spawns from his backstory and his action scenes.
Story (7)- The story is pretty unique from an outside view. Eren has an interesting take on the world, as does his friend Armin. The story is very interesting and I loved the lore buried in the show. However, I gave it a seven because there are plot holes and details that are just kind of... forgotten. Also, at points, it feels like the story is almost unsatisfying as things get forgotten or completely switched around. I was overall pretty well written, I just wish it had covered some things better.
Art (10)- I won't go too deep into this, but the art is absolutely fantastic! The characters, the battle scenes, and the landscapes all look beautiful!
Sound (9) I love the intros and outros! I feel like the background sounds add a good ambiance to the scenes. The VAs did a great job on both dub and sub!
Characters (5)- I hated most of the characters, which is saying something because there are a lot of them, mostly because they get introduced right when another character dies! Either characters don't get enough time before death to have any growth, or they have false character growth. Eren isn't likable in my opinion, as he's a classic yelling fighter who thinks violence solves everything. Armin is interesting, I will admit. He was one of the few characters I thoroughly enjoyed, although there isn't much growth with him. Mikasa is the silent brooding type, along with much of the cast, and not much about her shines beside her being a badass (along with much of the cast.) Many of the characters have the same cold persona, same quiet nature. Or, they have the same loud and crazy nature. Loud brunette laughs at bad times, can't control her urges, and has an obsession with something most people don't- am I talking about Hange or Sasha? Quiet brooding boy is actually a badass with a really sad past. Am I talking about Levi, Eren, Reiner- the list goes on. Characters are forgettable at best, except the rare exceptions. The characters are super important for any show, and the characters ruined this one for me.
Enjoyment (8) - This show is enjoyable if you don't go into it expecting a lot. Don't come into this thinking it's a deep and complex show. That's how it's pawned off, but compared to many anime, it's about as shallow as a kiddy pool. It's very entertaining though, it did achieve that, I just don't think there's anything very special about it.
Overall- 7. I was borderline putting this show as a six, but the art and the acion scenes really saved it for me. It's good enough to reccomend to people, but there are plenty more I'd reccomend first. I'm still new to the anime world, but AoT didn't impress me.