The story behind Shingeki no Kyojin is both gripping and engaging. The show suddenly throws the viewer into a world with many unanswered questions. What are titans? How can they be defeated and if so, can they ever be defeated entirely? As the plot progresses, the cast slowly uncovers hints behind the origins of titans and leaves the viewer desiring more. Both the art and soundtrack of Shingeki no Kyojin are exceptional. As an example, the first opening, "Guren no Yumiya," left a large impression on those in the anime community. The quality of the animation in the series is surprisingly much higher than that of the original work. Significant amounts of details are added to even townspeople and backgrounds.
This being said, Shingeki no Kyojin appears to be a tremendously entertaining title. However, it is not without its own flaws. The main issue is the pacing. The pacing can be slow, excruciating slow, at times. While this can add to tension, it is taken to the extreme. The show includes a 6-episode arc, in a 25-episode series, which does little to push forward the plot. Due to this overall inefficient use of time, character development is almost halted and conflicts between the ranks and government are not fleshed out in a meaningful fashion. From this one deficiency, the quality of the show decreases dramatically and the viewer is left largely disappointed. Ultimately, it feels as if though all of the unanswered questions posed by the show are simply that, unanswered questions.
For those interested in picking up the show, I would highly recommend reading the manga at the same time for more closure.
