I'll admit that I wasn't going to check this show out to begin with. I had been disillusioned with Anime for a good period of time since the early 2010s; I didn't have anything against it but for a while it was all starting to seem the same to me. I guess years of being into Anime can do that to you plus the massive amount of shows you check out. So even the cool costumes I was seeing at conventions weren't enough to persuade me to check the show out, and even the sparkly text and histrionics about this supposedly being the "Game of Thrones" of anime could. But a week ago or so, my resistance finally reached a breaking point and I found myself on Netflix scrolling for twenty minutes straight looking for something to watch. After several minutes straight of trying to resist its pretty looking poster, I gave up and began watching it. And to my surprise, my low expectations were immediately exceeded with its gripping opening scene and I had gotten up to 8 episodes that night before heading to bed, finishing the show two days later
I'll get the bad things about this show out of the way first, because there are quite a few of them: For one, the pacing is incredibly slow. I realize this isn't anything new in anime and DBZ had been the king of slow pacing, and thankfully it isn't a bother most of the time, but there are moments when its anime-ness begin to shine through- extended imagine spots and entire conversations did get rather frustrating. There are a few episodes that do rely on the characters not knowing what's on the outside of the wall, to the point where it causes the characters to act stupid at times. But then there is also the subplot where Eren becomes a Titan after being swallowed by one, and with a simple gnaw on his hand, can become a titan at will. There are a few situations that could be solved by him becoming a Titan, but he doesn't. In some situations it's effect but in others it's frustrating. And lastly the ending is a bit of a cop-out. I know it had to happen but even still it was somewhat unsatisfying
But like any patient viewer I didn't let these spoil the show and just sat back and appreciated it for what it was: a stunning piece of storytelling and visual mastery. For all its flaws, there were enough high points to dull them; be it some rather unexpected twists in the stories or even just the few moments where you can just sit and appreciate the visual beauty. In addition, the action scenes are truly fantastic and well done; it's been ages since there have been action sequences this exciting in anime. It's always a joy watching the gas tanks shoot steam and watching the characters fly at full force of one of the titans to attack it. And the characters; the first time I've felt any attachment of any kind to the characters. Part of them is that none of them are written to be perfect and all have their flaws; there's a sense of moral ambiguity in each and every piece of character development. It was always interesting watching Eren try to balance out the power of being able to become a titan at will and the responsibility that should be exercised; for a major plot point spent on a female titan, he is faced with the choice of becoming a titan killing the other titan, or letting his friends fight. Of course, he realizes the hard way that both decisions have consequences- it's the moments like this that make Attack on Titan a wholly satisfying experience
Attack on Titan is flawed no doubt, but bear with it- watching it is a truly rewarding experience. Sure, go for the badass costumes and epic action sequences, but stay for the grand scale storytelling and the visual brilliance. Even despite the flaws, it's clear that Attack On Titan's creators have poured nothing but love into it. It's fun to watch and is very interesting, but it also has parallels to Japanese war history and even throws some unexpected curveballs as a nice bonus. While I'm not sure my enjoyment is enough to have gotten me back into anime as a whole (though that "Knights of Sidonia" show does look awesome), I can say that you can count me as a supporter and a fan and while it is a shame we have to wait for a year to see the next season, I'm excited to see where this show goes next
I'll get the bad things about this show out of the way first, because there are quite a few of them: For one, the pacing is incredibly slow. I realize this isn't anything new in anime and DBZ had been the king of slow pacing, and thankfully it isn't a bother most of the time, but there are moments when its anime-ness begin to shine through- extended imagine spots and entire conversations did get rather frustrating. There are a few episodes that do rely on the characters not knowing what's on the outside of the wall, to the point where it causes the characters to act stupid at times. But then there is also the subplot where Eren becomes a Titan after being swallowed by one, and with a simple gnaw on his hand, can become a titan at will. There are a few situations that could be solved by him becoming a Titan, but he doesn't. In some situations it's effect but in others it's frustrating. And lastly the ending is a bit of a cop-out. I know it had to happen but even still it was somewhat unsatisfying
But like any patient viewer I didn't let these spoil the show and just sat back and appreciated it for what it was: a stunning piece of storytelling and visual mastery. For all its flaws, there were enough high points to dull them; be it some rather unexpected twists in the stories or even just the few moments where you can just sit and appreciate the visual beauty. In addition, the action scenes are truly fantastic and well done; it's been ages since there have been action sequences this exciting in anime. It's always a joy watching the gas tanks shoot steam and watching the characters fly at full force of one of the titans to attack it. And the characters; the first time I've felt any attachment of any kind to the characters. Part of them is that none of them are written to be perfect and all have their flaws; there's a sense of moral ambiguity in each and every piece of character development. It was always interesting watching Eren try to balance out the power of being able to become a titan at will and the responsibility that should be exercised; for a major plot point spent on a female titan, he is faced with the choice of becoming a titan killing the other titan, or letting his friends fight. Of course, he realizes the hard way that both decisions have consequences- it's the moments like this that make Attack on Titan a wholly satisfying experience
Attack on Titan is flawed no doubt, but bear with it- watching it is a truly rewarding experience. Sure, go for the badass costumes and epic action sequences, but stay for the grand scale storytelling and the visual brilliance. Even despite the flaws, it's clear that Attack On Titan's creators have poured nothing but love into it. It's fun to watch and is very interesting, but it also has parallels to Japanese war history and even throws some unexpected curveballs as a nice bonus. While I'm not sure my enjoyment is enough to have gotten me back into anime as a whole (though that "Knights of Sidonia" show does look awesome), I can say that you can count me as a supporter and a fan and while it is a shame we have to wait for a year to see the next season, I'm excited to see where this show goes next