Reviews

Story 9: Humans are forced to live behind a massive wall in order to avoid being killed by man-eating monsters called Titans. Overall the story was excellent. The premise was unique and the plot twists were exciting. The story flows in a linear, arc-based format so there isn’t a monster/titan of the week that you might get in other anime. I generally prefer this format because I think the series can cover more ground and show more character/plot development. I was also impressed by some of the mature themes that the series tried to explore. To name a few: needs of few vs needs of many; idealism vs pragmatism; qualities of a good leader; the value of friendship and family; ugliness of human nature. These aren’t new topics in the world of anime but I think AoT did a better job than most at fleshing them out and really making the viewer feel characters’ struggles.
I have a couple of additional points. First, I thought that there were definitely a few slow parts that didn’t really add anything to the experience. Plus, there were some episodes that lacked any action. Maybe it was done on purpose to build suspense. The battle scenes are definitely worth it though. The series showcases a unique style of fighting that uses “3-D maneuvering devices”. Basically the soldiers have these gas-powered grappling hooks that can propel them in any direction and allow them to maneuver like spider man. It’s hard to describe but it’s fucking awesome. It reminds me a little of the slick action sequences in Darker Than Black. These fight sequences alone make AoT worth it. It does annoy me that the series ends on a moderate cliffhanger. To make matters worse, the Manga is relatively new too so there is probably not enough content for a new 24 episode sequel series yet. Sorry.

Characters 9: This is probably the best part of the series because a lot of effort is given to develop the main and supporting characters, and the series has a LOT of supporting characters. Some of them are central to the plot, some of them are meant to be Titan fodder, some of them you THINK are too important to die but then they get eaten anyway. In that sense it’s like Game of Thrones where they keep you guessing.

Art 9: Beautiful. I loved the battle/ride through in the forest. The action scenes are amazing and the city maneuvering is really really well drawn. The other thing I really liked was the design of the Titans. Their faces and bodies just ooze with creepiness. They are not stereotypically “scary” or “evil” looking like the cliché monster, but eerily ordinary looking. You’ll have to see for yourself but they shamble around in large doughy bodies with soulless stares, and remain devoid of emotion as they shove screaming civilians into their mouths. To me that’s a lot more unsettling than a fierce looking enemy.
Sound 10: loved the first intro song and it went straight to my ipod’s workout mix. The rest were good but not great imo.

Satisfaction 9: Love it. I want more and you will too.

Blood/Gore: A lot of scared soldiers getting eaten alive.
Love/romance: virtually none. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s introduced as the manga/anime develops but don’t expect it in S1.
Sex/Nudity: Not unless you have a Titan fetish.