Review of Attack on Titan
I had to watch this several times, as the audio is in Japanese, with English subtitles. SO after multiple viewings, I was able to better appreciate the artwork as I wasn't quite so busy reading what the characters were actually saying. Wow! One word really does say it all. But you might need more convincing, so I'll try harder. The story: fantastic, and fantastical. Either our Earth in the future, or a parallel timeline Earth, or a "Lost Colony" of humans on a distant Earth-like world, I don't know, but the "Giants," called Titans appeared several centuries ago and began eating humans. Societies collapsed, refugees fled, untilthe last of humanity is holed up in a giant city-state protected by a concentric series of 50-meter tall walls.
Technology has either stagnated or collapsed to late 18th century levels; muzzle-loading firearms and cannons are the most advanced recognizable weaponry, with the singular exception of the VME: the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment. Part slingshot, part bungee cord, this allows humanity to fly about from any handy vertical surface and fight back against the Titans, though it's utility is greatly diminished in "open field" terrain.
The story follows three main protagonists, with a close supporting cast. The three main characters are young friends, children really, at the beginning of Season 1; by the end, they've graduated Basic Training and joined the elite Survey Corps, one of three "Regiments" holding the line against the Titans on humanity's behalf, and the only Regiment that fights the Titans outside the city's walls.
The "supporting cast" is as rich and diverse as the main characters, with several "breakout" characters, such as Captain Levi Ackerman, Zoe Hange, and Commander Erwin Smith.
The artwork and soundtrack are similarly amazing; one of my earlier complaints was having to focus too much on the subtitles to watch the "bigger picture" and truly appreciate the often stunning beauty that went into making this series. But I didn't mind re-watching it several times until I knew the overall story well enough to appreciate the artwork and soundtrack all on their own.
Season 1 ended on a bit of a cliffhanger (naturally!), and I can't wait for Season 2, due out sometime early in 2017.
Watch this. Watch it several times, as it is plot and visual dense material; I'm still finding little bits of hidden gems I missed the first, second, and even third go-around in this outstanding series.