Attack on Titan - Reviews

I came across Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin from a friend's recommendation.  I was with a group of friends and they were talking about it.  Curious, I asked what they were talking about it and they just gave me a vague description.  My one friend just described it as just an action show and it was just crazy.  I followed my curiosity and began watching some of it with my cousin.

Story

In a world where humans live in a world of giant man-eating monsters called Titans, humanity is on a brink of extinction and is secluded between three cocentric walls.  Within those walls lives Eren Jaeger, a young eager child wanting to know what's life like out side of those walls, Mikasa Ackerman, the adopted sister of Eren, and Armin Arlert, their childhood friend.  Eren wants to see the world by joining the Survey/Recon Corps, soldiers that venture forth outside the walls on recon missions.  One day, humanity received a cruel reminder.  A giant Titan (I know that's redundant) completely breeches the wall that was keeping Eren and company safe causing an immense invasion of the Titans.  After the devastation the 3 are left orphaned.  After living for a while as refugees, they decide that the only way is to join the military and become a part of the Survey Corps to be free from the Titans.  The action is fast-paced and balls-to-the-wall and there's plenty of it.  If there's no action there's some pretty intense drama.  There are also some light comedy there as well.  The more you watch, the thicker the plot becomes.  I just don't want to spoil what happens but it's pretty awesome given the premise of the show.

Animation

Knowing that there's tons of action, it gets a bit gorey.  I'm normally a big fan of gore because I get a little squeamish. As it's directed from the same guy who also did Death Note, Tetsuro Akari, it was pretty much coming to you.  Even though, I pulled through and kept watching.  The style is pretty good.  Action scenes were crisp and on point.

Sound

The most notable thing most people might say about the sound is that the 2 openings are awesome.  They both match the show's fast-paced style perfectly.  I've seen tons of people getting so hyped from the first few seconds of the song.  There's also the great sound effects of the show.  Nothing like hearing the sound of a sword slicing through something.

Characters

There's an extremely large cast here.  Not only is there the 3 main characters, there's 7 other side characters, and even more that serve great significance to the plot.  It's kind of difficult to keep track of all of them.  However, they're all really cool in their own respect.  They're portrayed really well and all serve their importance to the show.

Overall

One of the most epic animes I've ever watched in my life along with Kill la Kill.  Pacing is pretty good.  You get a nice balance of action, drama, and story telling.  It does get a bit confusing.  However, it's all about whether you were entertained or not.  I was very entertained.

best anime, best anything i have ever seen.

so the easy stuff out of the way- the soundtrack is unbelievable and incredibly unique as there are a lot of english lyrics.The instrumentals are amazing too, just chillling, they make the whole show. I could listen to the whole soundtrack without skipping a song and not dislike a single one. The animation! Amazing! During the battle scenes I could not look away! There was some just some beautiful beautiful art in here and the angles they shot from were stunning, it flowed perfectly! And the story was truly compelling.  Every single episode was totally awesome, there is NO SUCH THING AS FILLER IN THIS ANIME. I never felt a single second of dialouge or moment of action was wasted, it was all relevant or added artistic /emotional value.  The voice actors were impeccable. I can't use good enough words to describe all these things! Every single voice actor was amazing, totally authentic and flowy and full of emotion and power! Mikasa's voice epspecially struck me as soothing and beautiful whether it was filled with concern or she was fighting to the death. Eren was incredible too, as was Annie... just everyone! And the story was the best.  Every episiode ended with an enormous cliffhanger, new information and new mind effers, I just had to keep watching.  This was just so beautifully done it ruins all other animes for me because nothing will ever compare. Just a masterpiece from start to finish and I give almost full credit to the anime producers because if you read the manga it's a drag in comparison.  They completely made it their own and they made something so damn good, standing ovation! I really want to meet the people who say it is so overhyped because I want to see what a person who doesn't like this looks like. It's one of those things that I truly thought while watching, "wow, this is really a thing that can be universally adored. until now, I've never found anything like that." I have shown this to several people who want nothing to do with anime because of the reputation surrounding it, and they loved it too. I really think that the people who are saying it's overhyped are being super critical to prove that they're so mature that they're above what everyone else likes or some crap. Don't listen to any reviews, just watch the first episode, and if you're hooked keep watching, if not, i guess it's not for you and I'd like to see what such a person looks like

I just want to save somebody's time, like i would appriciate seeing a smiliar review myself before i started to watch this unoriginal, cliche filled piece of "mature" wannabe crap. I know every story written and original piece of entertainment is in decline these days, but it's also our fault for accepting cheap writing as normal these days. In absence of any good anime i took a chance with this anime, thinking from the synopsis, hey this doesn't sound so bad, might as well look what is the fuss about. Fuck, was i wrong. I dropped around at the 16 episode, but the chance it became something else then those first 16 episodes is smaller then internet's memes and universal internet comment jokes become funny. where should i begin?? Let me start from the story.

THE STORY

The story itself could have been interesting if it didn't fall into the everlasting trap of simplified idiotic interactions and dragging episodes with no supstance in means of naruto, the slim dude with the hat or some similiar 94820 episodes dumbed story arc. There is one word that comes to mind for this show, CLICHE CLICHE (actually 2 words, cause so much cliche deserves another word to remember it forever). We have a bunch of kids, which i won't even name, cause there is no point in their unique names, because you already saw them in 10 million other idiotic shows.

CHARACTERS

Let's start with the main protagonist - the girl named german surname kid, who singlehandedly killed 2 slaver guys as a kid, i mean not a fucking 15 year old kid, he was like 8-9 without any logical background for that or supernatural strength, wants to go some scout special forces, of course there is no basis for him actually becoming one, but i guess his every episode boring ranting about his life, rejecting opinions, sacrifice, mother, father, naruto style filler episode get's him eventually in. Also with him, also come 2 of the most original characters in all anime shows, the prince valiant blond intelligent midget, who the german surname dude always protected from assholes, cause that is what he does, helping the poor and weak against all odds,the saint underdog with no questionable bad traits..Blondie later sacrifices himself for everybody like everbody else in this fucking show but of course he is not killed and that kind of stuff happenes on and on and on... I lost the count how many times does he yell the lead's charachter name in every episode. And yeah, he also goes from coward to the most courages dude on planet, yeah guess i should't wonder anymore, should i?? Then there is the quiet baddass OP girls who does everything for the lead character, a overzealous 15 year old mindless character, who is of course the strongest of all the special forces and kills 100 giants probably in 2/3 episodes but of course doesn't want to become a soldier, she is in just for the german surname dude. This is the main cast, there is some other cliche cast: the main protagonist's main arch enemy who want's just to be safe and is in bad odds with the main, but after some time he sacrifices his life for his squad, becomes friend with the main character and something unmemorable in that line, then a mysterious squad OP quiet dude, who probably got his  familiy or squad killed who acts baddas but deeply cares for everybody, is like the rest too superficial to be remembered and taken seriously, some, of course, crazy scientis women, and some more unoticable cliche add ons which are unimportant for the sake of this writing.

THE SOUND

Forgot there is even some sound from all the eren eren eren eren fucking shouting and repeating of sequences.

ANIMATION

I really don't care much about it in general. I guess it's decent, but if the story and characters are idiotic, this won't save it. It's like a blockbuster hollywood movie... you can sell it, but I personally won't buy it.

So for the end, I guess it's a shame that this kind of shows are becoming more frequent, and what is more disturbing, it get's praised and watched like it's something original and fun. But i guess, it's these times, where unoriginal content is being praised and loved, for example overused internet jokes from sites like 9gag or reddit, where people who have no jokes of their own use them in absence of their original ones, examples:hodor, boobs, like a boss and similiar unfunny repetead bullshit. Another example are games like Skyrim, fallout 3, cod, or some other graphic impresive bullshit with no content and heart prevails against games that actualy have something to offer like planscape torment. But i guess in the end, the joke is on me, so bitter i just needed to write this review, while somebody could have said: "if you don't like it, skip it", and he would be right. But, fuck it, i'm allergic to dumbing down anything to satisfy the moronic audience. Never compromise!

 ~ The following review may contain spoilers for the anime. Readers discretion is advised~

Story:

In a far future where mankind began as new. As humans live there normal life within the Walls, protected from the outside world. But one day they receive a grim reminder of the world they life in. One day the Colossal Titan appears and breaks the gate of the first wall. Now titans are walking into the wall and now they must fight the titans or the human race will be exterminated for good.

The story is a basic Godzilla thing only made a million times worse. It's about the MAJOR plot twists that's making this good.

Characters:

The main Character in this anime is Eren Jeäger. A boy who has big dreams and the stupid habit to talk and not think and just say anything that pops-up in his mind. His development in the anime is amazing. But there is one thing about him that ticks me off. And that is the fact that he's a fuckig crybaby!!! He does develop, but his personality is just very irritating.

The lead female character is Mikasa Ackerman. And fuck yea!!! She could have been the main character for this anime. Mikasa is "that" awesome. She has a stone-cold personality and where Eren goes, she goes. Bitch on Eren and she will hunt you down until she can kick your ass! Mikasa is an amazing lead character she brings all the action in this anime! And backs down for nothing! She is pretty much an anti-titan-killing machine!

The last character I wanne talk about is Levi. And he's pretty much Mikasa, only the a girl and without the Eren fetish! Levi is such a badass and just an amazing person for major development!

The supporting cast is great. They bring a lot of fun moments in the begin. And when someone dies you must become a brick 'cause you will cry when they die!

Music:

Those OPENINGS!!!! Holy GODDAMN! The openings of Attack on Titan are both done by: "Revo" and "Sound Horizon". Well, Revo is Sound Horizon. There are a lot of people who say that the first opening is the best.

Well, I prefer the second. I mean have you ever heard a Japanese person sing GOOD German? And the guitar solo at the begin! Hell yea! Now the OST's are good too. Some orchestra, epic singing. There is only one thing. The song DOA, when you listen to it it sound waaaay to much like" Something In Your Mouth" from: Nickelback. Just saying.

Development:

25 episodes of pure epicness? Not really, there are a lot of filler episodes and the anime needs them. There aren't beach episodes and I thank god but then again, where do you want to put them. The anime has a begin from at least 5 episodes, goes uphills, then falls faster than a baby bird and then learns to fly high with his wings of freedom! (too obvious?)

There is only one thing and that is that I think I would have enjoyed the development more, if all the seprated chapters where put together as OVA's. I think I would have loved that more. The characters have enough time to develop, but they don't do it at one point. The reason for this is the " slow pacing" At one point it loops 5 years in 2 episodes. And next time it takes 5 episodes for a day?!?! It is because of that the characters could not develop as they had to in my eyes. They had the time, they took waaaaaay to much for nothing at all.

Animations:

The animations of this anime where done by: Production I.G and Studio "WIT" (Wit is Dutch for "white" just so you guys know). And Attack on Titan has some goddamn well done animations and especially when it comes to the 3D-maneuver gear. It's fucking well done!  There are things here and there that aren't that great. And that is if you watch the anime frame by frame. And if you stop at the right time it's one giant blur. 

 And with this I present the score for Attack on Titan:

Story: 7,2 out of 10

Characters: 7 out of 10

Music: PERFECT 10

Development: 6 out of 10

Animations: 8,5 out of 10

Enjoyment: PERFECT 10

 

And Attack on Titan ends with a amazing score of 8,11 out of 10

Full review over @: Kingsnetwork.com

Attack on Titan spits in the face of all potential it has. From the bad pacing to missing every single opportunity for greatness, from the broken promise of maturity to the horribly annoying protagonist, not one bit of the fantastic premise is used to make something halfway good, let alone great. You'd think that with the violence and gore that they would follow through and make it a work for mature viewers. You reach a point in the show where you say "YES! FINALLY!" when something breaks the mold in a way that is totally awesome. And then the show says "gotcha! I was shounen all along!" and cackles manically as any viewer in search of depth cringes.

I have no problems with gritty and dark premises, and when executed correctly I absolutely love them. Plot based stories are fantastic when well done. Superpowers can make something mundane fantastic, and something imaginative downright inspired. Attack on Titan fails on all those counts. What is a dark and gritty premise turns out nothing more than a backdrop for cheap shock value scenes. The plot is plain bad and not even mildly resolved, yet stomps over any chance for character development. And the superpowers end up as cheap plot armor so the protagonist won't get murdered for his stupidity.

Shounen isn't bad by definition. It just usually is because it fails to become more than a formula. What is painful about Attack on Titan is that there are plenty of chances to escape that formula, but in the end refuses to take every one. The absolute worst thing is that the show actually reaches a point where it does something extraordinary, only to take it back... and not only take it back in a simple way, but rather by reaffirming it will never allow for a change in the mood. In essence, it dangles a delicious treat in front of the starving viewer, only to take it away just as we are about to munch down.

Don't get me wrong. Attack on Titan isn't all bad. The premise is wonderful. The animation is gorgeous. The soundtrack is a fantastic fit, if a bit overdramatic at times. If you aren't annoyed by the shounen formula, then it probably won't be too painful to view. It remains a slightly above average show despite the glaring faults. I'm just annoyed with the fact that it could have been so much better.

Writing (Story and Characters):

In case you didn't notice by the rant at the start, the writing of Attack on Titan plain sucks. This is even ignoring the glaring holes in the logic, the stereotypical backstories, and the failed attempt at being truly grim. Instead of reveling in the darkness of the premise, it adheres to the shounen formula of the plot armor protecting the hero from all harm and allows him to continue being stupid. The gore grows tired once you see that the main characters are shielded from it.

Any plot based story requires intelligent pacing and a combination of tricks to keep the viewer fascinated. From a technical standpoint, Attack on Titan does this well. It goes for a war pacing. Anyone that's been in a war knows that the action is short but seems long, yet the most of it is waiting, preparing, and menial tasks. The problem is that while it is like that in real life, it makes for bad fiction unless the characters add a dimension of interest with their interactions. They don't. So it falls to the twists. Of course, keeping with true shounen form, there is no real twist except for once where they say "fooled ya!" and take it back.

The characters in a plot based story are supposed to offer a character who you identify with and guides you through the plot. Of course, the protagonist doesn't fit the bill because he is nothing more than an screaming ball of moron. The most a character achieves in this show is a dimension and a half, because calling the characters flat would be being generous. Still, we get a well balanced cast (screaming moron, unemotional killer, "smart" guy, mad scientist, et cetera), at least for the war thing. Minor characters die a lot, but you get numbed to it rather fast, making the time spent with them eventually turn into boring filler.

People hyped Attack on Titan like crazy, and doubly so when it started being shown in the US. I never expected the show to live up to its hype. Hell, I never expected it to be anything beyond workable. The start is interesting, but it quickly falls off. Then, there's that moment where you think "oh, this is what the hype was about", only to be sorely let down later. I won't say that it is uninteresting, as the writing is professionally done and very effective. It just isn't good.

Artwork (Animation and Sound):

No two ways about it, the artwork is magnificent. The high budget is evident in the production values. There is no forced gritty backgrounds, but rather a nice ensemble of medieval(ish) backdrops and dramatic music, which allow the premise to be the source of darkness rather than force it upon the viewer. It gives the show a far more realistic feel than it deserves, and allows the viewer to ignore some of the faults in the writing.

Production I.G manage some shock and awe, and at times shock and awesome, with the animation of Attack on Titan. The backgrounds range from great to absolutely stunning. The character designs aren't particularly distinct, but that fits with the military theme. Still, there are moments where the motion is not fluid or is skipped entirely. The concept of the manueverability is just cool (doing the Spider Man thing), and is usually executed very well and in generally impressive. Overall, a very strong production on the visual aspects.

I really wish the sound had been great. It could have added some emotional depth the characters desperately needed, but the voice acting is downright annoying at times (looking at you, angry screaming moron main character). The music is as dramatic as it needs to be, sometimes going for the full cinematic drama thing, which helps things feel epic and matches the giant theme of the show. The effects are well done, and the filtering is simple professionally done in a clean no-frills way.

Where the artwork truly shines is making the world of Attack on Titan rich from an aesthetic point of view. The combination of animation and sound is truly effective, and carries a definite vision that gives the writing far more drama than it could rightfully ask for. The issues with the movement and voice acting are rather serious, but only downgrade the show from "absolutely amazing" to just "really good" from the artistic perspective. Without this, the entire show would be a complete waste of time.

Overall:

Attack on Titan isn't as good as the hype suggests, but is decent nontheless. The writing is attrocious from a creative standpoint, but has some upside with the premise... and the artwork at times can nearly make you ignore that completely. The problem is that there isn't even a hint of resolution to anything, and the show doesn't seem to be worth viewing as more than mindless escapism, and therefore not for a second season.