Attack on Titan [Anime Review]

Attack on Titan, or Shingeki no Kyojin (進撃の巨人 - literally 'Advancing Giants') does not sound like a very good anime at all. The first time I heard the name I had terrifying flashbacks to the regrettable animated film Titan A.E. which does not evoke a sense of quality drama. 

Ok. See now this already looks better than Titan A.E.

However a friend convinced me to try an episode.




Blown. Away. 

The introduction episode was more than I ever expected. I was hooked.

Killroy was here.

I have watched every episode currently subtitled, well all those I don't have to sign up to see. I wait weekly to see the next episode (the previous weeks episode).

It is a very engrossing story. You become entangled quickly in both the characters and the mysteries.


However, lets do the usual, a quick introduction to the show.

The mid episode bumpers have world details.

Humanity is a cowed race. It lives behind three massive concentric walls that are about ten meters thick and fifty meters tall. The outer most wall, Wall Maria, the middle wall, Wall Rose, and the smallest and most inner wall, Wall Sina, surround all of humanity that still lives.

Oh come on...

A salute. It's a bit odd, but makes sense.

Outside the wall are the Titans. Giants standing up to fifteen meters in height who prey upon humans. They are almost completely immune to human weapons, even cannon shells that rip open the Titan's skulls do little more than slow them. They regenerate at an amazing rate.

The year is 845 and humanity has cowered behind the great walls for nearly a millennium. Humanity has begun to grow complacent, secure in the safety of their walls.

Small bands of humans, the Survey Corps, explore beyond the wall. They are responsible for studying the Titans, however to the public they simply waste lives and taxes.

Young Eren Yeager (one of our protagonists) wants to become a member of the Survey Corps because they are the only humans to have left the wall in a very long time. This of course is against the wishes of his parents and adopted sister Mikasa Akerman (another protagonist).

It's Grizzly Adams the Titan!

One day they are hanging out with their friend Armin Arlert when their entire world changes. A new Titan, a Colossal Titan standing over fifty meters appears in a flash of flame and light. It kicks in one of the great gates on the Shinganshina district of the Wall Maria. The Shinganshina is a outer bulge on the wall, protecting the main gate of the Wall Maria.

Titan's flood in. People die. An armored Titan smashes through the gate inside Shinganshina breaching Wall Maria. The Wall is breached... Everything changes.

This show might kill more characters than GRRM.

Enough.

That's the quick summary of the events that occur in the first episode or two. I've left out a lot on purpose.

I have been utterly flabbergasted by this series. The twists and turns are fantastic, the characters very well crafted both visually and via personality.

Mikasa using 3D Maneuver gear.

You never know exactly where the story will go next, what turn it will take, but you know it will be good.

I see what you did there. I still don't care.

Visually, while sometimes the animation is a bit simplistic, it is absolutely gorgeous. I get swept up in the motion and the fluidity of scenes, pulled along with the characters on the 3D maneuver gear. And I even like the mid-episode bumpers (shown above). They remind me of the art style at the beginning of the Dragon Age games. It's not absolutely the same, but it has the same feel.

And the music.
My recent anime selections have all had such wonderful music. Something quite amazing as far as I'm concerned. Even Elfen Lied (which I panned) had quite good intro music. The same goes for Attack on Titan. The intro song is amazing... the ending songs, not so much. Attack on Titan leads with the best song forward one might say.

This series is absolutely outstanding. I highly recommend it. You can go watch it for free (or sign up and watch it in higher quality) at Crunchy Roll, right now. So... what are you waiting for? Oh yeah, my final review score:

5.0 Stars.

I'm going out on a very sturdy limb here. I'm honestly not sure I've watched another anime I have enjoyed as thoroughly. There have been some very very very close contenders. But this one is just astounding. I am eagerly awaiting the eventual Blu-ray. Is it perfect? No. Is it about as close as it gets, yeah. That's why it gets the full five. I cannot recommend this series enough. Now, stop reading, go watch it!