100 years prior to the story proper, the survivors of the initial Titan attacks created a series of 50-meter high concentric walls to retreat into. The outermost wall is known as "Wall Maria," the middle wall is known as "Wall Rose," and innermost wall is known as "Wall Sina." The walls were created to add a defense-in-depth protection from the Titans, who now inhabit what's referred to as the "outside world." Within the walls, humanity has built numerous towns and cities, but by being closed off to the outside world, resources are scarce, and a class system has somewhat developed. The lower-class live in Wall Maria, and the upper-class live deep within Wall Sina, which keeps them safer and better off than most of the population. However, they'll soon find out the peace they've grown accustomed to is short-lived when an aberrant, Colossal Titan beams down from the sky to breach the Wall Maria.
That's really all you need to know from a story standpoint, because to expand anymore would do more harm than good. The strength of the show lies in its characterizations and plot development, so it's best going into it knowing as little as possible. The pacing of the story starts off fast, and we see Eren, Mikasa, and Armin go from being powerless civilians to skilled soldiers in the span of a few episodes. Then, from the moment they begin training, the scope widens and we're introduced to a variety of interesting characters. Some characters only last a few episodes before either being killed off, or fading from the focus of the story. But each character has a distinctive personality that separates them from your typical side characters. The main trio is an affable bunch, and within a few episodes, you'll find yourself emotionally invested in their plight. Eren, in particular, has such an intensity to him that it's hard not to get caught up in his emotional tirades. On the other hand, Mikasa is the complete opposite, but her understated nature portrays a strong loyalty to those she cares about. And while he’s not a focal point as much as the other two, Armin has moments that allow him to prove his worth.
The series does not hold back on the violence neither, as Titans and characters alike are dispatched in some pretty gruesome ways. That's not to say the violence is extreme; most of it is left to the imagination, but the impact a death leaves is somber and meaningful. You'll find yourself lamenting the loss of minor characters because their death resonates throughout their friends and relatives. Conversely, what's probably most surprising aspect about Attack on Titan is its ability to combine humor and drama in a way that neither undercut what the other is trying to achieve. With most of the characters philosophizing about the limitations of humanity and their worthiness of survival, the appearance of characters like Dot Pixis, Hanji Zoe, and Sasha Blouse provide some much needed levity. Without them and their character quirks, the story would probably be too bleak. The series knew exactly when to ease up on the drama, and it was much appreciated.
As mentioned earlier, the series wastes no time getting into the core of the story. Then it slows down considerably, as episodes are crammed with indecisiveness, internal monologues, and a whole lot of flashbacks. The material during those episodes is definitely fascinating, and allows for a good deal of character development (even from minor characters), but you can easily accuse the show of dragging its feet. Attack on Titan does suffer from some pacing issues, but when it comes to postponing an inevitable conflict, Dragon Ball Z is the undisputed champ. Interesting enough, the last few episodes of Attack on Titan are a perfect balance of exposition and action.
The animation and art style is fantastic and highly technical. The medieval-like setting is brought to life by beautiful backgrounds, and the combination of hand-drawn and computer-generated imagery. The characters are designed exceptionally well, and you really a sense of their emotional state of mind just by looking at the subtle changes in their faces. The Titans are visually frightening -- their bodies have strange proportions that make them look even more bizarre when compared to their human counterparts. Everything's pleasing to look at, but the battle scenes visually stand out as the most memorable.
Battle scenes are smooth and easily to follow, and they're enhanced by the usage of the character's main mode of attack - the aerial 3D Maneuver Gear, which is a set of gas-powered grappling hooks attached to a person's hip. This gear allows its wearers to fly through the air and battle the otherwise impervious Titans. They're the primary mode of attack against the Titans, but are practically useless in an open setting. But when used in closed quarters, with tall structures to latch on to, they make the fights between the humans and Titans exhilarating. And despite humans having the 3D Maneuver Gear at their disposal, aberrant Titans make for unpredictable opponents.
Having never read the manga this is based on, I'm not sure how long the series can last. Nevertheless, this is a must-watch for anyone who loves serious anime with a sense of humor. It's far from perfect (despite perfect rating), but strong characters, crisp animation, and a very absorbing story ranks it amongst the best anime I've seen.
