Every year has that one anime that becomes extremely popular and in the year 2013 Attack On Titan was that anime. So what attracted people to this series was its story. The story is set in situation where humanity is being brought to the brink of extinction by these giant humanoids called titans. These titans seem to have no objective other than to eat every human they encounter. To save themselves the human race built three giant walls to protect themselves from the titans. One day the biggest titan ever seen appears and creates a hole in the wall.
As a result a third of the population is lost and in realizing the stakes are high a member of the audience can get interested in the struggles of the human race to survive. Certain events in the series can shock a viewer but that is what makes Attack On Titan interesting cause if it did not do so the series would be and average anime where everyone survives extremely dangerous.
The main story is what happened after the incident and follows a group of rookie soldiers which are the main cast of characters referred to as the 104th corps. In the series the story becomes a struggle for the 104th as they are brought into duty to fight for humanity. The characters go into battle realising they could easily get killed by a titan anytime. The main story is like a continuous stress test for the 104th who must endure to win which goes for some more than others.
The 104th consist of many soldiers but only certain members stick out which includes the top ten. The top ten are the rookies who have the highest survival rate amongst the 104th which makes them the characters to get the screen time. The one who is most central to the story is Eren Yeager. Eren is the first to be introduced and wishes to kill all the titans one day. Eren starts off as immature but he will grow on you as he becomes more willing to rely on his comrades. He is a character who acts all tough but he cannot stand seeing anyone die.
Other Major characters in the top ten include Mikasa Ackerman who is the strongest of the 104th. They seem like a calm character but they are the type to kill everything in their path if they lose their composure. I like her character a lot because I find her to be a badass. Other crucial characters include Jean who is a character who grows on you over time as he seems selfish at first but like Eren gives a damn about the other soldiers although he is not as open about it. As a leader he makes logical decisions that result in the least deaths.
Other characters that are significant are Armin who is not really strong but is the most intelligent in the 104th. Compared to other characters he is more of a tactician then a soldier and is more better giving commands then fighting. There are also elite soldiers like Levi and Erwin who have a big impact on the story and other soldiers. Apart from those few the other central characters have great personalities that make them stand out from the crowd.
The Art in this series is really good. The soldiers are drawn well and movements are fluid. The main villains the titans are drawn in a way to make them extremely menacing and creepy. The textures used in materials such as the buildings, clothing and the wall itself are very nice and smooth. In the effects department some things such as explosions, buildings coming down, smoke and light on at the top level. There is a bit of gore in this series that can be brutal at times as these titans do tend to chew their victims to death.
One major cool thing about the animation is how they animate the scenes where characters use the odm gear. The odm gear is a grapple hook gadget that makes the characters into steampunk spidermen with swords. In the scenes where they use the gear there is a lot of 3d cgi with the buildings the characters are zooming around. The 2d characters are done so fluently that the mix of two art styles makes these scenes seem badass.
The music of this series is a mix between catchy and epic. The opening themes which include linked horizon are fun to listen to and have that catchy rhythm that gets you ready for an episode. In the show we get some epic battle scenes where the best and most suitable music is used to make the situation give off more of an adrenaline rush to the viewer. The sound effects used are on par and don't miss the mark in lining up with the animation in fast paced scenes.
Attack on Titan is a really good anime with epic moments of awesome animation that would be of liking to any general anime fan. If you are someone looking for an anime where the characters seem to be in a hopeless situation then this is the show for you.
