Attack on Titan- Exceeding Expectations One at a Time

The first few episodes of “Attack on Titan” didn’t invoke a great sense of passion for me- while the technical aspects of the show deserved a high degree of praise due to the detailed drawings and strong emotions evoked by the characters, it did not seem like “my” sort of show due to the violence, blood, and gore. There was a disconnect between the statements “This is a good show” and “I like this show,” something which quickly wore off within 3-4 episodes.

The premise of the show is simple- humankind now lives in huge walled cities blocked off to defend themselves against human-like giants called Titans who eat humans for pleasure. After a vicious attack, main characters Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Artlet all join the military in order to fight against the Titans and defend their hometown. As previously said, the impressions from the first few episodes are strong, perhaps a bit overpowering, but it’s in a sense necessary to prepare the viewer for what to expect in future episodes. Getting acclimated with the series takes effort, and it’s worth noting that the roller coaster of emotions and shock does not taper off very much during the series. There’s a sense of power in the characters’ words and an even greater sense of passion in their actions, moreso when it is contrasted with the equally frequent feelings of helplessness and despair when a Titan is about to consume a human. Every plot action has a purpose, and the reactions available to the characters can be categorized as bad or even worse. Multiple curveballs are thrown to the viewer, but each unexpected sharp turn is made with confidence, and all the elements are tied together to form a broad, deep, plot which permeates throughout the series.

There is a subtle shifting of the point of view in the series, especially with Eren, Mikasa, and Armin, and while Eren is the “main” main character, thankfully there is still excellent emphasis on secondary main characters Mikasa and Armin through the use of backstory and thoughts. Some of the secondary characters such as their classmates at the military academy, senior members of the military, and leadership figures thankfully get a decent amount of character development and gradually work their way into having a larger role later on in the series. Each character, primary or secondary, contributes something to the story, and each character has a motivation to justify his or her actions. It’s difficult to choose favorites with these characters, as each individual’s strong suit manages to manipulate the viewer into liking him or her at least to some degree, so thus it is much easier to choose characters whom you dislike. There is also the sense that with some characters, one gets the sense that they are put in there to allow the viewer to get into the characters’ shoes and walk around. Easiest to hate, however, would arguably be members of the Wallists, a religious cult who advocate for complete faith in the protective walls and fight hard to disallow any sort of defensive modification to them for fear of running afoul of God. Finally, viewers should beware of developing a strong liking to any character, as the fate of some will leave you crying upon their death, and one often gets the sense that any character can get killed off with a swift and brutal death.

Within the military and amongst its members, one gets distinguished by his or her abilities, whether it be combat, tactical, or inherent reasoning, so while there is a sense of hierarchy, it plays a lesser role in the series compared with say, “Bleach.” The chemistry amongst the characters is excellent, and each comingles well with each other, at least within one faction of the military. The series does an excellent job of highlighting both liking another individual out of respect and actually caring for another individual, and when it comes to making characters have a good fit with one another, “Attack on Titan” deserves major kudos. Between the military and commoners, however, it is a completely different story, but this sharp clash of ideals pairs well with the moderately severe clash between the different branches of the military, such as that between the Survey Corps and Military Police. The most evident example of this is the scene in the courtroom. This moderately severe clash is then accompanied by the smaller clash of ideals and actions of the members within a faction, such as Eren’s ideals of joining the Survey Corps versus some of his fellow cadets’ desires of joining the Military Police or when a soldier has simply lost the will to continue fighting or succumbed to his or her primal instincts out of fear.

What is excellent, however, is the way the series uses the information that it does tell the viewer along with information that it does not tell the viewer to advance the storyline, and it’s as if the series continues to put on a straight face towards the viewers despite their hard interrogations for more information. When said interrogations yield information, however, the revelations usually have a muted effect at first, only revealing the full meaning and potential impact to the story slowly, perhaps over the course of multiple episodes. But don’t mistake “Attack on Titan” for the excruciatingly slow “Dragonball Z,” as the pacing is bang-on perfect, not too fast and not too slow, with powerful and linear progress made throughout the entire series. Think the Boeing 747 or the Shinkansen. Progress, whether through the series itself, the revelation of a critical event or the turning point in a battle, is accompanied by soaring operatic music, with strong vocals giving off a sense of strength and righteousness, highlighting the characters’ endurance, fidelity, and intelligence. The operatic accompaniment pieces are sandwiched in between an opening and ending theme which fits perfectly into the mood experienced at that point in the series.

As previously mentioned, extremely detailed scenes of splattering blood, grotesque body parts, and extreme violence permeate throughout the series, so this series is not for the weak of stomach. The realistic and highly detailed drawings in regards to character and Titan anatomy further highlight the realism. It is accentuated with the humans’ screams of agony plus the fear seeping out of their shocked gaping jaws and hangs about the series like the exhaust from their 3-D Maneuver Gear. This fear then mixes in with their subsequent angst, before transitioning into an attempt at coming up with the strength to move on, a feeling of hope standing in stark contrast to the feeling of hopelessness which will eventually begin to take over. This stark contrast theme permeates into the artwork, with light and shadow playing to great effect, and the matte color palate prevents the mood from ever becoming too optimistic. The matte palate along with the desaturated gray artwork used when revisiting of older scenes also gives off a sense of grittiness for the series, like there is a sense of uncleanliness and accentuates the fact that once one joins the military, he or she will get their hands dirty. As for other aspects of the series’ appearance, it is a treat to see a great amount of detail for both the foreground and background in scenery, to show equal emphasis and that the series should be treated as a whole.

The series can’t be treated as a whole without the ending, which is to say ending to the series but far from the ending of the story. Partway into the series, one will get the sense that a second season is likely, feelings which will strengthen as one nears the last few of the 25 episodes. Despite that fact, there is not a mad rush to finish the series and frantically tie up loose ends, and the series manages to portray a sense of conclusion on many story elements and plotlines. Despite that, the series provides an easy segue into the next season, and the only thing left to do now is for producers and companies to get together and make it happen.

The thought, care, time, and effort put into making “Attack on Titan” permeates throughout the series. While the violence may make it difficult to approach for some individuals, this is an anime series that should be respected not only for its technical prowess but also the content as well. Excellent drawings, fantastic music, great characters, excellent story and pacing, and subtlety sending messages to the viewer easily makes this series one of the best I have seen in all time. The series has successfully bridged the gap between “I like this show” and “This is a good show” for me. The second season can’t come soon enough, and it has a high standard to live up to. In the meanwhile, can I interest you in the manga?

*Screenshots are courtesy of Crunchyroll*