Fee, Fie, Foe, Fom! The Titans are Coming! (Attack on Titan)

I was actually saving this review for a rainy day.  But due to this anime’s popularity not just in the U.S. but Japan as well- and that it is now on Toonami-, I’ve decided to give my two cents about it.

Shingeki no Kyojin, or more commonly known as Attack on Titan, is the anime sensation that has swept the nation, at least for anime watchers and otakus.  The story of Attack on Titan follows Eren Jaeger, a boy who lives in a world where humanity lives in fear behind a walled city which protects it from titans -giant humanoid creatures who eat humans.  On one fateful day, the wall fails and titans are let lose in the city.  After witnessing his own mother being eaten by a titan, Eren vows to kill all the titans.  The anime also follows Eren and his friends, Mikasa and Armin, as they join the Survey Corps to combat the titans.

In my overall opinion, I give Attack on Titan four out of five stars.  Now, I will admit, I haven’t finished it- in fact, I’m halfway through it.  But based on what I have seen, I think that it’s pretty good and has a lot going for it, but it could be better.

One of the good things about Attack on Titan is the plot.  Of all the animes that I’ve seen, Attack on Titan has probably the most original and unique plot of any anime.  The idea of humanity not being on top of the food chain and having to struggle for survival is something almost unheard of.  That is, without the antagonist being zombies.  This plot is also challenging and hard to stomach for a lot of people.   Think about it.   If we lived in a world where we had to defend ourselves from giant creatures that eat humans, you’d be scared too.  Aside from plot, the series overall is pretty well done.  Character development is good, the animation is pretty good and appropriate, the suspense is pretty spectacular, and the list goes on.  Again, pretty well done.

So now that I’ve said all the good things about Attack on Titan, we can get to the bad things about it.   The biggest problem with this series is, well, the plot.  Now I know what you’re thinking, I just said that the plot was the one good thing going for this series.  That is true. It is the biggest strength Attack on Titan has, but it’s also a big weakness-in my opinion.  Though the series shows Eren combating the titans, we’re taken to the very beginning to see where Eren’s hatred for the titans and desire to kill them all started.  This is nice in that it doesn’t leave any details out, but this is also a problem because it gives so much detail; it takes nine episodes to cover the events of one battle!  In my opinion, if it takes that long to cover an event that probably lasts a day, then it’s too much.  It’s tedious and it gets boring.  Now, I say that because I’m used to shows with a faster pace-and don’t take so damn long to cover one event!  Now despite the fact that I have my own preferences doesn’t mean I don’t think that Attack on Titan is bad.  I’ve said it in this post and I’ll say it again, THIS IS A GOOD SHOW, and I think it’s worth watching!  Don’t let me stop you!

Now, I wanted to share my opinion on something concerning the show.  As many people know, Attack on Titan was recently aired on Toonami- Cartoon Network’s late night programming for Saturday night- and has continued airing episodes since May 3.  Frankly, I was pretty shocked about this.  At the time, I felt that the American public wasn’t quite ready for Attack on Titan yet.  And I say that because the show is pretty brutal.  I’d be impressed if someone could watch the first episode without cringing.  I kid you not, I couldn’t watch the scene where Eren’s mom got eaten.  Then again, I speak for a lot of people when I say that.  But like I said earlier, don’t let that stop.  If you want to watch it, go ahead.  But remember, you’ve been warned!

So, to finish this week’s post, I think Attack on Titan is pretty good, despite my opinion on how early the show has made its debut on American television.  But like many anime shows, it could be better.  Now, to give a visual of the series, I have a link below to a YouTube video of the Toonami promo.  I chose this because the box set preview sucked, and the Toonami promo really hung the mood for the series.  I encourage all of you to watch it if you have a chance!  Well, that’s all that I have for this week.  Stay tuned for next week’s post!

Here’s the link for those interested:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXgz3y8Z79E

-Hanime on Anime