There’s a current trend that favors dark and edgy stories such as Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and so on. Anime, being no different, saw the much anticipated release of Attack on Titan which is based on the manga of the same name. Given the astronomical amount of hype behind the series it certainly had a lot to live up to. That said, the hype was understandable as Attack on Titan seemed to have everything going for it, being produced by Production I.G., having top notch production values, and most importantly having a promising premise. Even I was taken in as seeing the trailer
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alone was enough to make me watch the series as it aired, something I don’t normally do.
Attack on Titan follows the story of Eren and the Survey Corps as they fight for survival in a world where monstrous beings known as titans terrorize humanity.
I absolutely love the premise of Attack on Titan. It’s definitely something that stands out and is at least somewhat unique in a sea of all too similar anime. Yes, humanity fighting for survival against monstrous beings has been done before but one could hardly accuse Attack on Titan of being generic. That’s unfortunately where my praise ends for the series. While the plot isn’t generic, almost everything else certainly is and it's not long before the show turns into glorified torture porn. The majority of the characters feel like little more than cardboard cutouts, including the protagonist. This is a huge problem in a series where death and survival are the main aspects, and a character’s death has no impact unless the viewer is attached to them.
Without spoiling too much there are one or more important characters that are introduced and die within the span of a single episode. The scenes are presented as if they are supposed to be dramatic and full of emotion, yet these characters are barely shown in the one episode they are in creating a weird contradiction. With little to no information on them it’s hard to really care either way, and important characters should not be merely thrown away to establish tone when there are tons of other more effective ways to do so.
Eren is the typical Shounen hero who has one emotion, anger, and only one way of expressing himself, yelling. Combined with his arrogant attitude and knack for fucking things up regardless of his big talk, Eren can become a very annoying character. It would be one thing if he learned from his mistakes, or if other people reacted appropriately to his continuously bad decisions but this never happens in the series to any meaningful degree. Something that also cheapens the impact of all the death in the series is Eren's ability to shounen his way out of death and other various situations on numerous occasions because, you know, good writing is hard to do.
Mikasa is Eren’s sister and plays the part of the super cool heroine of few words. She succeeds at everything she does because she has a nice ass and is pretty hot despite her manly abs. This is otherwise known as being a giant Mary Sue. I guess one could argue her weird and unhealthy obsession with her brother Eren is a flaw, but given the backstory behind it just comes off as incest pandering. I guess it's okay though since she does look good in those tight pants.
The rest of the main cast consists of various other trainees and the Survey Corps. They aren’t really memorable and I couldn’t name more than a handful of them even if my life depended on it. There’s Armin, he’s not so good at fighting but he’s smart or so I'm told. There’s Jean, he’s kind of a coward that only looks out for himself at first but later grows to have more leader like qualities. There’s Levi, he’s kind of like Eren's mentor and a male version of Mikasa except for the part of wanting to bang Eren, well, unless the shipping community has anything to say about it.
There are a few characters that I felt were somewhat more interesting. Sasha probably has the most personality out of all the characters and is at least likeable. There is also a Survey Corps officer who has an obsession with studying the titans who also adds much needed personality to series. I am conflicted however, on one hand the comic relief these two characters provide make them at least likeable but the comedy in Attack on Titan is so silly and contrived that it interferes with the otherwise grim atmosphere and messes with the tonal consistency of the show. I don't have any problems with a show having some contrast, but it should be appropriate to the show and not take the viewer out of the story. A good example would be Paranoia Agent, there is an episode dedicated to three people trying to commit suicide that is quite humorous but stays in tune with the show's dark tone while also making for interesting social commentary on Japan's high suicide rate in real life and plays into the overarching themes of the series. It is natural and fits the show with its dry humor, in comparison Attack on Titan literally pulls you out of an serious scene for a cheap laugh, like Armin and Reiner gawking at a pretty blonde girl while they are running for their lives.
There are some other problems, such as pacing issues where the series just grinds to a screeching halt and drags on for a fair bit. A lot of other parts of the story dip into shounen levels of silliness and predictability. I’m still not entirely sure how the transformation aspect of the show works either, besides something about biting your thumb while you have some kind of goal in mind or something very ill thought out and almost random. I suppose these are things that aren’t meant to be looked into too deeply… or at all. The dialogue is also bad with the characters having to explain every little thing they do or have an internal monologue every five seconds. It's all these things that add up and really take away from the show.
The production values of this show are good. The art and animation are nice and fluid, with the art style itself being very distinctive. The characters have an unusually thick border that outlines them that I don’t really care for, but other than that I found the art in general to be nice. Character design is pretty good even if the characters mostly wear the same military uniform they are unique enough, though I'm not quite sure how they move in those ridiculously tight pants. The technology is pretty neat looking as well, from the 3D maneuver gear to the box cutter swords. The music is decent, if not somewhat overrated. It’s all fittingly high energy and I don’t have a problem with it.
By now it’s no secret that both the anime and manga versions of Attack on Titan are sweeping successes. Near everyone has watched this show, including people that weren’t particularly big on anime to begin with. While its success with the mainstream market is commendable I can’t help but feel disappointed with the actual content. Much like other popular shows currently airing, I can see Attack on Titan riding the hype wave with the support of the casual market for as long as it can. It doesn’t help that the creator is prostituting the series with several spin offs, a live action movie, and even going as far as to change the original ending to pander to fans. It’s a shame really, I had high hopes for Attack on Titan but a few big missteps crushed those. Regrettably Attack on Titan will be a story of what could have been instead of what was.
Alternative Titles
Synonyms: AoT, SnK
Japanese: 進撃の巨人
More titlesInformation
Type:
TV
Episodes:
25
Status:
Finished Airing
Aired:
Apr 7, 2013 to Sep 29, 2013
Premiered:
Spring 2013
Broadcast:
Sundays at 01:58 (JST)
Producers:
Production I.G, Dentsu, Mainichi Broadcasting System, Pony Canyon, Kodansha, Pony Canyon Enterprises
Licensors:
Funimation
Studios:
Wit Studio
Source:
Manga
Demographic:
Shounen
Duration:
24 min. per ep.
Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
Statistics
Ranked:
#1082
2
based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity:
#1
Members:
3,940,206
Favorites:
171,786
Available AtResourcesStreaming Platforms | Reviews
Filtered Results: 49 / 895
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Your Feelings Categories Dec 25, 2014
There’s a current trend that favors dark and edgy stories such as Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and so on. Anime, being no different, saw the much anticipated release of Attack on Titan which is based on the manga of the same name. Given the astronomical amount of hype behind the series it certainly had a lot to live up to. That said, the hype was understandable as Attack on Titan seemed to have everything going for it, being produced by Production I.G., having top notch production values, and most importantly having a promising premise. Even I was taken in as seeing the trailer
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Feb 17, 2014
Shingeki no Kyojin, the anime that has brought forth a new wave of anime fans and stormed the anime world when it debuted in spring of 2013. An anime that was quickly subbed and added to Netflix after it's airing, that has gained the attention of thousands of people who normally do not watch anime. It has sold extremely well in Japan and the manga has profited well in the States as well. This must mean the series is something revolutionary and a game changer for all anime after it correct? After all it can't all be hype, there has to be some serious substance
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Aug 1, 2014
The fact that so many bloggers still name Shingeki no Kyogin “the greatest or most significant or most influential" anime series of 2013 only tells you how anime still is from becoming a serious art. Anime critics have long recognized that the greatest anime series of all times are Neon Genesis Evangelion and CardCaptor Sakura, who were not the most famous or richest or best sellers of their times, let alone of all times. Other critics rank the highly controversial Aku no Hana over classic anime who were highly popular in courts around Japan. Teenage bloggers are still blinded by commercial success: Shingeki no Kyojin
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Sep 2, 2014
[REUPLOAD]
"I'm going to kill all the Titans!" Why, of course you are. "Zombie" is a genre. It's not survival horror, it's "Zombie" respectively. This is because Zombie follows a completely different set of rules, tropes and clichés, while survival horror is a vague category that could really be much broader. Shingeki no Kyojin is not a horror show, not a serious Seinen, or a well written show. It's a disappointing mess of a Shounen zombie show. To qualify as a Zombie show, several plot points are required. You need a menace/zombies, the survivors/prey of the menace, as well as a location where supplies are limited or scarce. ... Mar 11, 2024
this anime is fascist. it tries using allegories to depict it and at some point, attemps to make anti-fascists and anti-militarism remarks in it's story. fails miserably. the only thing this anime succesfully achieves by the end is depicting a genocide.
if you still want to watch this hot piece of garbage, you'll probably stay due to the art style and action scenes being fun to watch. if you leave your political side behind, this is actually a fun experience. nothing magical, something that will change your life forever, but a little fun thing to watch before you go to sleep or anything like that. or you ... Aug 14, 2013
Okay I am a fan of some giant comics and films. I was disappointed when i saw this series. I take a look at things from episode 1. If its not interesting at that first episode the anime show is not good. This anime show went beyond that. It was boring, and i seriously wanted to smack myself for wasting 20 minutes even scanning through this. The plot to this show is also rediculous, and the characters within the show do some of the most idiotic things imaginable. Like building a city and staying in it for 100
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Aug 24, 2015
Remember this is opinion I'm going to be blunt and to the point.
Story: The story while being unique in it's own little way is pretty generic shounen absolutely no surprises. Art: Have to give it credit it's unique it's not good but not bad. Sound: None of the music really got me in the mood you know what I mean if you've watched an actual good anime before. Characters: Okay here's my problem right here, there's little to no character development there are relationships (friends) but everyone is so bland SO BLAND! Enjoyment: ... Oct 29, 2013
So, Shingeki no Kyojin was like the most hyped anime in the last season. Yeah, why not? There were good basics, survival horror and action, mixed with an interesting setting. These are usually conditions for a good anime.
But instead of that you get offered a bad production, logical issues and incredible weak characters. The only reason why I finished this show is that I usually never drop any anime. Story: The story is like 'end time survival-action', really exciting and it gets the interest of the viewer in an instant. All in all the story was quite good, almost amazing. BUT: there are so many logical ... Mar 3, 2015
Well, I'll admit that it's been a while since I tried to sit through this...
Where do I begin? Well, first of all, this anime is ridiculously overrated. I began watching it when a friend of mine was obsessed, and I have to say I was vastly disappointed. I knew that both online and in real life, people were mass-talking about SnK, so I guess I was expected more than what it was giving me. Story - 3/10 We've all already heard the one about the angry, slightly crazy main male protagonist who has some sort of weird connection to the antagonist/ism in the show, and the protagonist's ... Oct 10, 2013
Shingeki no Kyojin was one of the top rated anime in this season and I had high expectations on this. However, it did not meet my expectations although it was a well-produced anime with realistic graphics and awesome character development.
For those who do not enjoy gore and despair in an anime, I do not recommend you this anime since you may probably end up with nightmares at night. Even I almost ended up puking in the end since humans were killed like flies without any consideration and I found it hard to accept that the lives of humans can be so easily lost. However, I have ... Jan 13, 2015
Oh how I know I'm going to be going against the masses with this review. When I first watched AOT I was intrigued. What an interesting notion: the decline of humanity, being forced to live like caged animals behind massive walls to be safe from massive human-eating beings.....and that's where all of the good stopped for me.
First off, we have the three main characters: Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. Eren (aka - mr. grumpy-pants who never stops yelling) seems to be an ideal character at the beginning, but as we move onwards through the series....where is the character development?! Come on!! Mikasa, is literally ms. perfect in every ... Jul 22, 2023
I feel almost obligated to begin my review with this simple statement: Attack on Titan is absurdly overrated. There, it’s done, and now I can get on to explaining the very many reasons why.
Art/Animation: – So the animation is top notch. Yay 2013. Definitely this anime’s strong suit, probably this anime’s only strong suit. The characters were well drawn, and well proportioned. It is worth noting that even secondary, and tertiary characters appeared well designed (as opposed to some anime’s where the character’s detail is a direct correlation with the size of their role). The city was amazingly ... Jan 12, 2024
Aot was hailed to be one of the best animes to have ever came out, which for the first few episodes initially captivates viewers with its dynamic animation, fluid action and premise brimming with intriguing potential. However soon after that the entire writing staff seemingly got replaced with edgy 12 year olds probably because its cheaper to hire and then falls into an onslaught of narrative inconsistencies, predictable character cliches, and hollow worldbuilding that wants you to dig deeper into an empty cavern. The level of quality I'd see people bashing about for 5 hours but I guess the probably 100 million+ people who saw
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Dec 9, 2015
This anime is popular for a reason, its flashy, the animation and music are great, the fight scenes are stylish and on the surface level it seems really cool. With that out of the way, I HATE this anime, when I was watching it I literally wanted to punch my screen. The First thing that pissed me of were some of the characters, most of them are mediocre to slightly interesting, but some are awful. The main character is alright, but Mikasa is a cold soulless husk created so that the writers could have someone to kill a titan if they need it. Armin is
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May 24, 2021
an overrated, snoozefest at best.
Many of my friends came to me saying this is one of the best anime out there, so i decided to check it out. I was extremely dissapointed. The animation and sound was pretty good, to be fair. What i had the most problems with was the characters and the overall weird storyline. I got bored halfway through season three and really only continued watching to cross it off my list. I can name only about two or three characters that i liked. Most of the others are either very bland, annoying, or straight up overrated. (*cough* Levi *cough) Apr 17, 2014
Story 2/10
In terms of story the only thing that'll grip you is the plot of this anime and the surreal situation around it. Giants taken over world? Live in a damn cage? Pretty interesting, but the story itself about a teenager putting so many asspulls and breaking universal laws is interesting enough for me because objectively Kyojin has a very weak story. It's dull and dead beat entertainment. Nothing about it different from anything else other than the typical revenge shonen story. No explanation or anything with asspulls, when it tries to be serious story, but hey it's a shonen. What the hell do ... Apr 25, 2022
This show is honestly the most overrated garbage I've seen. Most people who enjoy this haven't read any good manga or anime. The show has predictable plots and most of it sucks. I can't find anything in that in that's special besides the worldbuilding, which is ruined by every other aspect possible.
The worldbuilding is awesome and it reminds me of a lot of fantasy novels. The ideas and concepts are amazing but are ruined by the story and characters. The characters in this are some of the worst characters of any mainstream anime/manga. They are horrible have nothing special, and fall into every trope possible, without ... May 16, 2015
After finished this series, there are a couple things that I must point out.
Lots of action, but for some reason the characters seem to need to have conversations while standing still in the middle of battle. They tend to reiterate things over and over and over, I feel like I'm being talked down to. There is a lot of filler in each episode, and a they go way into depth on characters that have almost no hold on the plot. Characters seem to stand around in battle or while under attack when any normal person would be doing something, literally anything. All of that said, the artwork is absolutely ... Nov 8, 2014
Since the hype about Shingeki no Kyojin is rather hard to escape my girlfriend decided to watch it, and so I watched along. We watched it in one go.
And to be honest it wasn't really worth the time for me and not for her either. I partially understand what people may find awesome about this anime but all the things that felt over dramatized, unrealistic or outright stupid simply outweighed the good points for me. Story: The story of Shingeki no Kyojin is at least rather unique and it does a lot of things right. It's not really easy to predict and it keeps luring with questions ... Jan 24, 2017
attack on titan storyline:
titans destory the wall some titans are killed they bulid another wall its time for a time skip boom more titans are killed they break the wall they bulid a wall and boom as we know its anime world so if you bite your finger you get into the monster you need to be ... |