Story:
So brief run down, Eren Jaeger, a young teen, swears revenge on all Titans (man eating giants) following a tragic event of his mother getting eaten alive before his eyes. The plot is very interesting and while formulaic in parts and shounen 'like' it also holds its own uniqueness and is very compelling. Each episode basically ends in a cliffhanger that while some I did see coming (first episode for example), some I did not, like episode 5 for one. It's action packed and doesn't give you time to grieve for character deaths, because trust me, your favourite characters will die. The only downside is that it's a bit slow paced in some parts, the episodes dragged on and what could of taken one and a half episodes probably could of been down to just 1 episode, although I didn't really mind as you can't always have a fast paced anime, it would end too quickly (or catch up to the manga). Again great story and lots of plot twists!
Art:
At first I had a little bit of trouble dealing with the art style, it wasn't something I was use to, but I got over it by the end of episode 1. The bold and chunky art is solely unique to this anime (that I know of) and it somewhat resembles the art from the manga (and let me tell you, the manga art is quite hard to get into, the anatomy T_T!!!) While lots of people dislike the style, I like it a lot, it's SNK's trademark, like Bleach, Naruto, One Piece and FMA all have their own unique art style. Also the colours while are very neutral, suit the era and theme of the anime, it's depressing and set in a medieval period so it's not going to have flashy colours and such. The animation is quite stunning, the action scenes, the speeds and angles of the 3D maneuver gear are captured very well and are fluid and fast paced, it's exciting to watch. A lot of the animation focuses on intense facial expressions (especially the eyes) of the characters in despair or anger, showing raw emotion and of course, just like any airing anime, some of the art does get sloppy due to rushed production and such, but it's not very noticeable.
Sound:
Yes, the soundtrack is amazing. I downloaded it the minute it was released. The OP & ED are very lovely, the opening is very catchy and probably one of my favourites, it gets the blood boiling. The background music suits the eery and doomsday theme of the anime, and in some parts, the music is damn freaking awesome. I get goosebumps listening to it. The second OP is very good as well, not as good as the first opening but it holds its own and is quite catchy and cool too. The second ending I preferred more than the first.
Character:
I found that I love each and every character, they show good character development and have realistic reactions following different scenarios. Eren Jager is intense and fiery, he's a bit loud (but aren't most shounen protagonists?) but he has strong goals and morals, I find him quite likeable although a bit annoying in his pre-teen stages. Mikasa Ackerman is cool, she's a badass girl. In her backstory she was a very happy and shy sort of girl but following her parents death, she changed into a strong and independent girl, who's always looking after Eren. The only downside to her is that she's a bit overprotective of him, more than I'd like, and sometimes I find it a bit smothering and annoying. Armin Arlet, he is quiet and shy but incredibly intelligent. While a lot of people dislike him because of the useless factor, I don't find him useless at all, later on in the episodes, he risks his life for Eren and is very brave. He needs a haircut though :3. All the other characters are quirky, unique and are impressionable. I don't have a favourite, I like them all.
Enjoyment:
Probably ONE of the most enjoyable animes I've watched in a long time. It kept me hooked and excited, I look forward to every new episode and cry and laugh in each episode. While it has dark/depressing themes, it does add comic relief in some parts that is refreshing from it's usual pace. I get so excited watching this anime that the adrenaline in my body makes me shake and I end up needing to run around to get rid of the excess adrenaline, that's how much I enjoy Shingeki no Kyojin. From here on out, it will only get better I reckon and it definitely won't be a disappoint like some other notable anime that have come out in the last couple of years. (Cough well HOPEFULLY anyway)
Overall:
Well if you can't tell from my review, it's amazing and one of my favourites. Good plot, unique art, fantastic animation, great soundtrack and characters. Very enjoyable.
Story: 9/10
Art: 9/10
Sound: 9/10
Character: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Overall: 10/10
