"I don’t know which option you should choose. I could never advise you on that. No matter what kind of wisdom dictates the option you pick, no one will be able to tell if it’s right or wrong until you arrive to some sort of outcome from your choice.” – Levi Ackerman
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) is an action, military, mystery, super power, drama, fantasy, and shounen anime. It was originally released in April 2013 by Wit Studio with 25 episodes. It has three continuing seasons, movies, special, and OVAs.
General Rating: 8.5/10
My Rating: 9.5/10
Attack on Titan is a classic in the otaku community, seemingly well loved by the majority of fans. I got into AoT back in early 2013 and began enjoying it right away. I was part of the generation of otakus that knew Attack on Titan as the anime that would never receive a season two, and kept watch as the producers continually delayed it. Of course, fans after 2016 would not remember this, but it was a common subject among AoT's early fans. Attack on Titan is a great anime and mysterious in every way. The characters don't sit around talking all the time (and I mean during fights or suspenseful moments) and they are not constantly explaining the plot to the viewer. I love that they are keeping the basement key a mysteria throughout the anime, as well as the titans' origins, their exact abilities, etc. This is what makes AoT suspenseful and interesting. At the time of this review, I have yet to see season 3 of the anime, so this analysis is based of only the first two seasons. I am planning to see the third season and update this review ASAP. The first season was a 10/10 for me, but the second seemed to disappoint (maybe it was all that hype?). I gave the second season an 8.5/10 in the end due to the fact not a lot happened, which I did not expect after the action-packed first season. I hear it picked up in the third season again, and will soon see for myself.
Attack on Titan is set in a grim period as mankind has been slaughtered to near extinction by monstrous humanoid creatures called titans that feast upon human flesh. The remaining humans have banned together, forced to hide behind enormous concentric walls. After watching their behavior, it becomes conjectured that the titans' taste for human flesh is not born out of hunger, but what seems to be out of pleasure. Living within the defensive barriers for one hundred years without a single titan encounter, the new generations forget the true terror the titans are. Soon the fragile calm is shattered when a colossal titan, a giant compared to the other titans, manages to breach the supposedly impregnable outer wall, and thus reigniting the fight for survival against the man-eating giants. After loosing someone dear to him in the titans' attack, Eren Yeager dedicates his life to their eradication by enlisting into the Survey Corps, an elite military unit that combats the titans outside the protection of the walls. Eren, his adopted sister Mikasa, and his childhood friend Armin find themselves joining the brutal war against the titans on the front lines in a race to discover a way to defeat them before the last walls are breached.
Story: There is plenty to the story of Attack on Titan that I can't see how it could possibly suck. It's got epic fights, badass characters, and the unknown. The group of main characters is forced into a battle for their lives and for their race. It's got some epic fights with the use of "Three Dimensional Maneuvering Gear" which was a unique element to the anime. I loved this method of fighting and thought it was pretty innovative and used well in the anime. AoT's greatest strength was how it continuously withheld the plot from being discovered. It was a great story and I am still a5t the edge of my seat for season three.
Characters: AoT does a great job with their characters, as in they don't follow the typical troupes. There's quite a few unique typings that are thrown in with the typical anime troupes that keeps it interesting. I am a sucker for mysterious characters, thus being drawn to Levi and Mikasa the most. Eren is the troupe of "becomes the thing he hates most" which at the time I thought was a revolutionary theme, only to soon realize it's a troupe that's been done before, but it was AoT that brought the popularity to this troupe.
Soundtrack: AoT's openings have always been highly acclaimed, and they do suit the grim, epic battle atmosphere well. The opening was originally one of the things that drew me to watch this anime, hearing in some youtubers' top ten list that this was an opening any otaku will recognize. The soundtrack and voice acting is very high quality and theme suits this anime well.
Art: AoT has a consistent dark art style that matches the grim tone of the story. It reminds me a bit of FMA's art style. The titans, while all oddly formed humanoid giants, all have detail put into them, and especially the named titans like the Colossal or Armored. AoT had a lot of detail put into its art in places like these and I really appreciated that about this series. The character designs are fairly normal however. AoT characters mainly stand out and express their individualizes through their faces, expressions, and eyes.
The Attack on Titan franchise is insanely popular throughout the entire 2010s due to its spread apart seasons and is a common favorite among otakus as well as a classic. Fans of animes like Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Elfen Lied, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Mirai Nikki, Black Bullet, Parasyte, Seven Deadly Sins, The Promised Neverland, Fullmetal Alchemist, or Akame ga Kill will definitely love this anime and should give it a watch if you haven't already.
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