Back again but this time with another anime review and I don't think I have done one of these since my review of Sword Art Online (might redo that one since I after re - watched it and I am having second thoughts about my verdict). This review will be on the anime that everyone has been talking about; Attack on Titan. Minor Spoilers.
Attack on Titan is set one hundred years after a race of giant humanoid creatures called Titans suddenly appeared and brought the human race to the brink of extinction. Titans come in many sizes (the tallest being 15 metres) and they live only to devour humans without any mercy. While they lack intelligence they are extremely strong and are near invincible, they cannot be destroyed by any method except by slicing off a small area on the back of their necks. Humanity has been forced to retreat behind three massive 50 metre walls that have blocked off the Titans but have also isolated what is left of the humans from the rest of the wall. The main protagonist is Eren Yeager who dreams of seeing the world beyond the walls and hopes to one day kill every last Titan.
Now I just had to watch it because everyone I talked to was going crazy over this series and after watching it myself I can understand why. This a really unique and dark story that is unlike any others that are out there; it combines horror, supernatural, action all mixed in a medieval kind of setting.
First off lets talk about the Titans, the creatures that I am sure was the main attraction for most viewers of the series. At first you would not think that these slow moving giants with low intelligence would pose any threat to the characters but that all changed in the second half of the first episode when we get to see what the Titans are capable of. These things are brutal, strong and completely single minded about wiping out humanity and not only that but I have watched the anime and read the manga and even though we get some answers the Titans are still shrouded in mystery. This is just one example among many that makes you want to keep on watching the series.
I will also talk about the animation and music now because these two points also connect with the Titans. Another thing that is great about the Titans is the many, many faces that the artists give them ranging from comedic to down right creepy. For example who wasn't creep out the first time you saw the face of the Smiling Titan? It is these faces which to me almost have a kind of strange attraction to the Titans, you just cannot take your eyes off them in the scenes.
Also, you might have noticed but around the Titans and human characters there is a black line that separates them from the background. I have not seen anything like this before but it really makes the characters stand out, it even makes them look even more animated.
As for the music it is all great, we got a lot of orchestral soundtracks in here that blend well with the situations on and the music for the main intro is just awesome. Once again during the first episode when you see the Titans devouring humans and what the Smiling Titan is doing, it really makes you feel like all is lost.
However this anime isn't just about doom and gloom because the action can be really over the top when it wants to be. This comes in the form of the manoeuvring gear, along with a pair of swords, that the characters use to reach to the back of the Titan's neck. While this does make for some great action sequences, watching the humans take on giants with swords, some of this can look a bit silly. An example of this is when Eren rushing towards the Titans in episode five and his weaving about between the buildings. I have read the manga so I know that that scene is mostly over done so while it does work on the screen I cannot help but thinking that Eren should have been splattered on a wall.
But when the fighting does get started it is edge of your seat good and it is really dark because of the gruesome death scenes that the humans suffer. This is not for the faint of heart but those who like a lot of blood in their action will be glad here. Not to spoiler too much but in the series we also get some unusual Titans who attack each other which is some of the best moments in the anime.
My favourite part, and arc, is with the Female Titan. She is so badass that she is also my favourite Titan, she is just epic when I read the manga and it was great seeing her in the anime. Glad that they managed to include that arc before they ended the first season.
Now if I am going to be completely honest if I had to pick something that nagged me during the series is my lack of liking for the three main characters. Eren Yeager is a decent protagonist but I just find his outbursts of slaughtering the Titans to be annoying at times, he is good but defiantly not my favourite. Armin just gets on my nerves sometimes because he is a wimp for the most part who has yet to kill a single Titan, I know he is the brains of the group but I just can't find myself to like him. However the one who bothers me the most is Mikasa who is the biggest b***h since Rachel from Revolution in my opinion. She is portrayed as this ultimate fighter who is an expert at slaying Titans but they have made her too flawless at it that it lowers the danger of the Titans. Also her complete obsession with Eren does go overboard most of the time, I know he saved her life but her complete single mindedness with Eren (and her willingness to kill anyone and disobey the rules for him) is just not enjoyable to watch but frustrating. There are however a lot of great side characters such as Reiner, Bertolt, Annie, Levi and Zoe just to name a few.
Overall this a near perfect anime and a perfect adaption to a great manga.
9/10
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