To many of you avid anime watchers out there, we all began watching anime for a kind of
epic adventure with cool battles.
Yes, I’m referring to Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Death Note, and probably Code Geass
and Full Metal Alchemist.
These are pretty much the anime shows that sucked up most of the current western anime
fans into the world of anime.
However, as we kept watching more anime, we eventually shifted into the slice of life
genre.
But gee, that eventually got boring.
As a result, we were left browsing anime shows every season in hope for a good anime.
When I say good anime, I don’t mean slice of life.
I’ll admit though, slice of life can be good anime but that’s not the connotation
of good anime I’m referring to.
The good anime I’m talking about is the anime that we were supposed to watch in the
first place.
It’s the anime that completely engrosses us in a new world.
It’s the anime that has awesome action scenes and a fascinating story along with a memorable
soundtrack.
It’s the anime that allows us to go back to our 8 year old selves and then fanboy the
anime community to death about.
Unfortunately, the good anime does not happen often.
In recent years, we got Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Madoka Magica, and Sword Art
Online.
And so this year 2013, we got Attack on Titan or Shingeki no Kyoujin
Attack on Titan, an on-going manga written by Hajime Isayama, got adapted into an anime
show under the direction of Tetsurou Araki who has directed Death Note, High School of
the Dead, Guilty Crown, as well as taking part in the production of Black Lagoon.
So if you’re looking for a visually stunning anime, (We got a badass over here) this guy
knows what the heck he’s doing.
Attack on Titan’s success has clearly been evident in the countless Attack on Titan opening
parodies on YouTube and as well as the sheer amount of cosplays in this year’s anime
conventions.
It was one of those anime shows that had tremendous hype even before the show started.
It’s dark.
It’s filled with intense action scenes.
And it is one of those rare anime shows with no fanservice.
And that is how I would like to start off this review.
Fanservice.
Fanservice is a controversial topic in anime and any entertainment medium itself because
whether you like it or not, there is always a polar split between the two.
To me, fanservice is a staple in any form of entertainment and media because SEX SELLS.
Whether it ranges from nude shots to subtle angle body shots, any form of fanservice will
always be present.
And so Attack on Titan’s absence of fanservice was a pleasant surprise because it displays
its want for pure story and entertainment.
Nothing that will impede the engrossing world that it has built.
Now onto the story.
We’re given a story that sets in a kind of post-apocalyptic world in which people
have been forced to live surrounded by walls because of the threat of giant man-eating
monsters, referred to as Titans.
Post-apocalyptic world with giant-man eating monsters?
Well that hasn’t been done before.
Basically, humanity is forced to live under the fear of the Titans and so they do what
they can (which ranges from defending the city or going out on missions for an objective)
in order to live normally again.
We get to see the results of human life and how society functions when humans are overthrown
from the top of the food chain.
The show’s debut did a magnificent job in creating an entire new world embellished with
awesome animation, a fascinating story, and a memorable soundtrack.
Aspects that change us into 8 year old fanboys.
While some parts in the show are very predictable, the creators took a simple, well-known idea
and turned it into something magnificent.
There are 3 main characters.
Eren Jaegar, an angry German kid who swore revenge on the Titans.
Mikasa Ackerman, a Japanese who happens to be too close to her brother.
Regardless, she is the strongest out of the 3 and most of the characters in the show.
Her nature is, for the most part, quiet, “tsundere”, and mysterious.
Then we got the English who cries himself to sleep, Armin Arlert.
Side characters include potato girl, an insecure guy, a loli, a bald kid, a mysterious and
violent female, Sonic the Hedgehog.
Wait.
And much more.
Characters are one of the downsides of Attack on Titan.
They are not well-fleshed out and there is seldom depth to all of them.
Most of the time, many of the characters go through the same depression thinking that
they are not good enough (such as leading a team or defeating a Titan) only then to
be encouraged by someone else or their own words.
It gets silly.
Much of the disappointment can further be found in the interactions between the characters,
Dialogue is poorly-written, making it sound like a cheap action movie at times.
Characters talk to each other, repeating the obvious and stuff we already know.
There is little twist to the conversations and most of them are unexciting.
Even battle strategies, if you can call them strategies, have little excitement to them
because there’s not much of an impressive twist.
If there’s something redeeming about the show’s substance, it’s the world that
the author built.
Attack on Titan clearly has a vast world with a lot of lore yet to be explored and that’s
the exciting part about the show.
For example, while watching the show, I wondered…
What really is out there past the walls?
What are the Titan’s motives and goals?
What the heck is up with the Titans?
Will humankind ever get to live normally again?
The mystery aspect behind the science of the Titans is especially interesting.
The director made sure that there was substantial information dispersed throughout the show
to keep the viewer constantly interested.
I can’t finish this review without talking about the art, animation, and soundtrack.
Here are my thoughts on them…
They are superb.
Character designs are reminiscent to cartoon style art and as a result, there has been
some criticisms on the dark, bold outline of the characters.
I, on the contrary, like the outlines because I find that it supports the mood much better.
The dark lines highlight the darkness of the show and feel more fitting to the atmosphere.
The design for Titans are mixed.
Some actually look creepy with their death glares whereas some look ridiculously dumb.
Sceneries are also well done, making them look amazing to stare at.
Furthermore, the animation looks spectacular.
Whenever the guys go Spiderman in their 3D maneuver gears, you know that the animators
are going to give us some over the top, balls to the wall, jaw-breaking animation.
Seriously, DAT ANIMATION.
I really loved when the characters started jumping on the rooftops or trees to kill the
Titans because it just looked FREAKING AMAZING.
And I also need to say that the animators KNOW how to make scenes look epic.
Everything was dramatized, added with epic music and clever camera angles and shots to
make even putting down a rock look like one of the most epic things ever.
Allow me to let the epicness of that scene soak into your souls.
Another note on the animation was the usage of stills.
Possibly due to the limited budget, stills had to be incorporated in order to balance
the budget between the action scenes and the serene scenes.
In addition, the soundtrack emitted an epic vibe whenever it was played.
It used orchestra along with a choir and some percussion and electronic which worked out
really well.
Seriously, a choir makes everything look epic.
The music really helped the mood and at times, made dull scenes seem epic.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t a big fan of the English-insert songs used during the adrenaline-rush
moments.
And really, it’s up to musical taste.
But to me, they didn’t feel fitting and I didn’t feel as excited compared to the
moments when epic choir music was used.
Another note, voice actors (and voice actresses).
They put their souls into the show, making scenes look very convincing and very well-acted.
It was clear that the lines were not BSed.
At the time of the release of this review, dubs have not been out yet.
I also have to say that the animators did a good job in giving the characters emotions
on their faces.
Eyes played a dominant role in this.
Whenever characters were shocked, their eyes showed it.
Whenever characters were angry, their eyes showed it.
Whenever characters were distressed, their eyes showed it.
So does Attack on Titan live up to its hype?
Kind of.
Attack on Titan certainly was impressive, but the show had its throws during the first
half.
The show suffered from pacing in many episodes during the first half, as well as badly-written
dialogue and a largely predictable plot.
Regardless of the flaws, Attack on Titan is relatively one of the very good anime shows
released compared to recent anime shows.
It personally is an anime that I won’t be afraid to recommend to one of my non-anime
oriented friends.
In addition, it created a boundless world that surely is asking for another season.
And if that isn’t enough, Attack on Titan is one of those shows that the studio put
their best efforts and soul into.
The art was consistently beautiful, making sure every little detail was not left out.
Animation was perfected to movie class budget during the action scenes.
The studio made sure when scenes look epic, that they really look epic.
Voice actors put their heart into their lines.
And really, the studio put their utmost into giving a show for us to purely enjoy.
It’s a show that shouldn’t be watched for deep thorough analysis of society or deep
symbolism; but rather, it’s a show that should be watched for the aesthetic value
of entertainment.
And to those who watched Attack on Titan on a weekly basis and did not enjoy it, sucks
to be you because the show was meant to be marathoned.
Overall, I give Attack on Titan an 8.5 out of 10.