ANIME REVIEW - Attack On Titan: Season 1

By The Masked Medic

Now that I have started doing anime reviews, my sister has been hounding me to watch one anime in particular. If there has been any delay on my part in not watching this, it’s because of how highly everyone speaks of it, and I’ve just started watching anime, you know, didn’t wanna peak too soon, but oh well, here goes!

The first season of ‘Attack on Titan’ introduces us to a world in which humanity has been forced to live in a piece of land defended by 3 walls, against the threat of Titans; large, mindless giants whose only goal is to attack and eat humans. As a matter of necessity, three branches of the armed forces have been created. There is the “Military Police”, the force responsible for protecting the innermost section of land, the “Garrison”, who are responsible for guarding the walls, and finally the “Scouts” who venture outside the walls and will often come up against the Titans. The story is focused initially on three kids, Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert, who live in one of the outer segments of the outermost wall. One fateful day, a gigantic Titan appears, who looks different to the normal kind, and smashes through the outer wall, letting the Titans in. As hell breaks loose, the Garrison attempts to help evacuate the inhabitants of the town, but in the ensuing chaos, lots of people are killed and eaten by the Titans, including Eren’s mother. In the years following the tragedy, Eren, Mikasa and Armin resolve to join the military forces, in particular the Scouts. But what they discover along the way will change the way they see the Titans forever. Can the Scouts find a way to stop the Titans from attacking? And just what can these three do to help humanity survive?

So given that these series follow the manga, there is often more than one central arc in the season, and the first season of ‘Attack on Titan’ is no different. The introduction of characters is done in a good way, although I will say that, similar to shows like ‘Game of Thrones’, it can sometimes feel overwhelming to try to remember who everyone is. That being said, you very quickly learn who the main characters are and who you have to keep an eye on. My sister often goes on about how this is not only the best anime she’s watched, but also probably the best TV show in general she’s ever seen, which is such a big claim. Having watched the first season, and knowing that there are 3 more to come, I was genuinely very impressed. The creators have woven one of the most intriguing stories I’ve seen in years, and there are twists and turns throughout the season that keep you hooked. I also love the difference in the characters and their dispositions. Eren, for example, is so set on what he thinks is right and stands by it no matter what, which I respect a lot. But then you have Levi, one of the captains of the Scouts, who is just so badass and nonchalant. My only qualm with the show is that it’s a lot of death and destruction to have to watch, which sometimes I do find difficult. I also have only one fear about this show, and that is, will this quality of story last? I’m so used to watching shows that, after a season, begin to decline in quality due to the writers' inability to come up with more shocking elements to the story. Hopefully, that won’t be the case here, but I have to keep it in mind!

So the first season consists of 25 episodes. Not a massive deviation from normal. There are certainly variations in the pace of the show; some episodes are slower, but those are often the ones with backstories which are pertinent to the understanding of the setting. Often, with the shows that I watch, I will rate each episode on IMDB and I found that none of the episodes got below a 7. In terms of animation style, I thought it was certainly different, but not in a bad way. A lot of the characters are drawn in ways that make them look very depressed, but that is completely valid. The theme song of the first half of that first season? Perfection. Why did they mess with that? I don’t think I’ll ever know. Overall, this show is very, very good. Please don’t disappoint me!

Rating:

• Story: ★★★★

• Character Development: ★★★★

• Animation and Visual Style: ★★★½

• World Building: ★★★★½

• Enjoyability: ★★★★