Attack on Titan is a major letdown. The initial episode is great. Jaw dropping massacre and an immediate introduction to the cruelty of this world. This ladies and gentlemen is how you sell people on your show. The problem is that AoT refuses to let up on the gore. Episode after episode AoT is littered with brutal imagery simply for shock and awe. This doesn't go away until nearly the end of the series. Once its been established it doesn't need constant overselling. Far to much time is spent trying to sell the viewer on what they are watching rather then telling a story.
Eventually AoT does get moving on the story front until it jumps over years in a single episode. Time constraints do limit what anime can do compared to manga but considering the speed of the series later on the jump is unjustified. What stabilizes everything is something im going to call the first event. Something happens that completely changes the premise of the show. From this point on AoT is something that is theoretically worth watching. It may not be the most entirely unique thing out there but it's entirely watchable. The downside is AoT would much rather show images of people leaning against walls than actually doing things so it spends allot of time wasting time rather than working with their new premise.
It turns out there's a reason for that though. Despite the fact that the premise of the show has already changed once, AoT starts dropping the least subtle hints in the world of anime, that the Titans are not the real enemy. This is the worst part of AoT so far. There is no reason to go on a conspiracy train when you have a solid engaging premise right in front of you. It puts some serious dents in the show when what the show is supposed to be about is not what the show is doing at any point. Attack on Titan seems intent on, episode by episode, trying to introduce a new plot hook each time as though its viewers wont be back next week. None of this pays off in the end when AoT expects everyone to be surprised by the secret that everyone already knows.
What really crushes Attack on Titan is the second event. To this point AoT has been a series crushes any hope at every opportunity. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. The one shining beacon that gives a sliver of hope is our hero. Then the second event happens. Immediately everyone is shocked by the reveal. Taking a step back however brings the logical implication that everything is over. At this point the show might as well kill every character in it, drop the mic, and go home. There is no recourse. Everything that happens after this is an arbitrary and pointless endeavor. Attack on Titan has no reason to continue save for becoming overly increasingly stupid.
Ultimately Attack on Titan is pointless. Hopefully it does not get a second season. Hopefully the money goes elsewhere. Hopefully someone learned something from this. Watch if your really bored. Don't be surprised if its not stisfactory
-Docbrown - Otakucenter.com Reveiw Squad
