Attack on Titan: Good or overrated crap?

[Bocaj2000]

It depends on if you're talking about the anime or the manga:

The manga is in black and white, is loosely drawn, and has an overall gritty tone to it. All three of these aspects compliment each other perfectly to create a very well put together aesthetic. It also takes full advantage of the comic medium and makes good use of a variety of panel-to-panel transitions, which is typical for most manga. The story balances shonen and seinen audiences exceptionally well with just the right amount of elements from each thrown in. This may cause problems here and there, but it isn't too distracting. Overall, I'd give it a B+.

The anime utilizes a muddy pallet, has perfectly crisp outlines, and struggles with tone. Nothing about the show compliments each other and instead tries to rely on the sum of its parts to carry the whole. The anime doesn't seem to understand time based media that well, which is proven by the frequent use of dubbed stills and characters standing idle during their inner monologues. The story tries to be dark, but the clean lines conflict with the atmosphere and the J-Pop (which may be Mikasa's leitmotif, but I'm not sure) utterly destroys it. The monologues about blind vengeance from the manga is replaced with those of blind hope, further changing the tone. This is nothing more than a poorly directed and violent shonen- a huge downgrade from the manga. I'd give it a C-.

 

[KnightOfTwo]

My feelings on it are mixed. On the one hand, I really do appreciate the nature of the Titans themselves being creatures that we don't quite understand and are killing humans for seemingly no reason (at least they haven't directly given one yet). I appreciate how brutal the world can be at times, though all the people saying that any character can die at any time, that simply isn't true. It APPEARED to be for quite a while, but that was proven to be false (and I maintain that the series would have been better for it if that stayed true). The story is no masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, but it's presented in a fresh way, especially compared to a lot of the crap anime being churned out recently. The cast is interesting enough and the voice acting is solid. One thing I particularly like is that quite a few of the female characters actually have distinct facial features, as I find it annoying that female characters frequently have very bland or interchangeable faces (with only eyes and hair to differentiate them, though this is certainly not true about ALL anime). Animation can be gorgeous at times, though I'm still 50/50 on the weird clash of art style in drawing the characters versus the way the environments are drawn. I will say I've always loved the titan designs though. Many of them shouldn't be scary at all, and yet that somehow makes them more creepy to me. I will also say that I appreciate one scene in particular that does a very nice job of undermining the typical anime way of "friends and friendship will win out in the end". I won't say what it is for those who haven't watched/finished it yet. But it was very refreshing with this kind of material.

The series does have problems though, make no mistake. Eren as a character just isn't that interesting or impressive. He is a cookie-cutter angsty shounen protagonist Mikasa can be interesting or cool at times, but her constant attachment to Eren does get on your nerves after a while (especially when she can't go a few minutes without calling his name). It does lose a bit of steam after Trost is retaken. Another issue is that I didn't enjoy where they ended it on, while I understand why they chose that point, leaving the season to end when it did wasn't that dramatic or interesting. The action scenes can be spectacular at times, but sometimes the scenes of them talking while using their 3D gear are utterly ridiculous. Yes, I know they talk while doing this, but you've made a point to show they are effectively swinging like spider-man. Don't just have them floating through the air when they need to talk. It looks weird and completely out of place. The anime also isn't helped by the fact they had to tone down some of the more graphic scenes, which tends to diminish the tone and nature of the series (I started reading the manga when the anime adaptation was announced, so I've seen just how violent and brutal it can be).

Ultimately I would say it's solid, and I'm glad the anime is spacing out the source material so they don't run out of story and have to create their own filler. It has flaws, and I would say the series has been hyped up far too much. Then again I can't blame people for getting excited about it considering how boring/uninteresting/awful a lot of anime has been in recent years. It's nice to see one come out that's pretty decent (this isn't to say there haven't been any good ones, but there have been far too few that have made me care). My final thoughts though, is that the series should not have veered off in part of the direction it did, the moment when a very powerful, early scene with Eren was undercut was the moment where my opinion on the series went from being extremely excited to just being interested. A good series but nothing revolutionary or groundbreaking. Though if you don't mind reading, I would say read the manga over watching the anime. The artwork portrays the themes a lot better and the pacing is a bit better.

Also, Hanji Zoe is my hero.

 

[Frankster]

It's ok/decent in my book.

At its best the giants feel like a creepy threat and the bodycount is high so liking supporting characters is a risky affair which helps add to the tension.

On its negative side...

-Tendency for characters to have internal monologues that last forever, reminds me a lot of DBZ planet namek taking a lot more then "5" minutes to explode. A lot of the internal monologue stuff could be cut out for no loss and the show would be about half its run time, not a good sign.

- Whoever says something like "omg characters can die at any time!" must be watching wrong anime. The protagonists have titanium plot armor and there's a few characters that stand out as not only being invincible, but FEARLESS as if they themselves know there isn't a chance in hell that they can be eaten by titans. Granted a lot of these fearless characters tend to have more to them then the bulk of the supporting characters but either way, you can tell who is invincible fairly easily and those characters have 0 chances of casually dieing so a lot of the tension that comes from having expendable characters tackling titans evaporates whenever one of these characters are involved.

-Pacing issues. Related to characters having interminable internal monologues, the pacing of the anime is haphazard and makes it a chore to watch at times.

-Eren is a boring protagonist. I was ready to praise the anime to the heavens when it tricked you into thinking it might have killed off the protagonist and left ermin as main character with mikasa dealing with the mental consequences of having the object of her obsession (for lack of a better term) torn from her. But nope, he survives. Goddamnit AoT, if only you had the guts to go all the way here :/

Mikasa was initially a very annoying character due to her fearlessness and OPness, but there's been more then a few other characters to give her competition in this categories so hard to single her out anymore besides her relation with Eren being another source of annoyance.

 

[the December King]

I liked it!

I didn't love it, though. This might surprise some people who have read my posts on other topics, but I didn't enjoy the 'wanting to be the driving force of change but really just whining alot' boy, nor the mysteriously well skilled unstoppable ninja girl. Shocking, I know. Sigh... at least I'm consistent!

But the horror of the titans was fun to experience, and I actually liked the fear that most of the military exhibited when fighting them.

So... not as polarizing for me, since you asked, Sean Hollyman. But entertaining.

 

[bbchain]

From the Half a season I watched of it it was very well written. It was probably one of the most emotionally draining shows I've watched in some time, I was consistently on edge waiting for someone to die. I can't speak for the rest of the show really but if it follows suit from what I've seen I'd say it's worth a bit of the hype.

 

[hentropy]

I didn't like it that much. Sorta "depression and tragedy for the sake of it" with little point to any of it. I've been a fan of various "dark" anime, and there's good ways to do depression and bad ways. Gunslinger Girl is probably the best example of "depressing with a point" and calling up concepts about war and the cycle of violence, where something like Casshern Sins is the worst example- 26 episodes of essentially the same depressing message with no upside or nuance. Attack on Titan isn't that bad but it's closer to Casshern Sins than Gunslinger Girl.

 

[Risingblade]

It's pretty much the anime version of Game of Thrones, especially so if you've been keeping up with the manga.

 

[vid87]

Somewhat in-depth analysis that requires umbrella spoilers.

Mostly, agreed on stellar music and animation, but story and characters are muddled. I will also say I'm confused how social media had such a cheery, fun-loving bent on this when it, especially in the first episode, is one of the most ungodly depressing things I've ever seen.

Spoiler

One of the major problems I have involves the things that aren't mentioned or are hinted at but not fleshed out - they're not only frustrating, but, for me, undo the entire emotional vibe the series is going for. Mainly, the humans don't seem to think much outside the box. They have cannons and their nifty Spiderman grappling belts, but they don't look at combat in different ways and create many of their own problems. Why do they let cadets get eaten by the slow-moving Titans when their weak point are wide open? Why do they state outright that field missions in open plains mean their belts are useless, yet they don't devise caltrops, trip-wires, any secondary defense other than flares? Why are inexperienced cadets offered readily for battle when a handful of the elite clearly can mop the floor with an entire horde? It's nitpicking, yes, but for me they're questions that build a kind of apathy towards the humans - if they really aren't doing everything they can to defend themselves, and I mean just against the Common Titans never mind Variants or Super ones, then I just can't care when they get deservedly slaughtered. Sad but true.

Also, the main three are off-putting. Armin is ok for the most part - wimpy kid becomes brave, that's fine. Mikasa is, well, God, but the minute she believes Erin is dead, she becomes suicidal. I've read she's actually revered as a quality female character (I think she won a poll or award), but her co-dependency on Erin, regardless of the fact that he saved her life once, was disturbing. Eren himself is, if the term technically applies, a "Mary-Stu" - everything revolves around him, especially after he gets his Titan powers, and his gutsy attitude is endearing, but he's demonstrably useless in battle (admittedly how he saved Armin was impressive, but he still "died" in his 2nd fight) and warriors far more qualified than him sacrifice themselves because he's "the chosen one."

Other characters (can't remember names) aren't really memorable - I liked the jerk who becomes more sympathetic, the crazy girl who loves food, and the psychotic elite scientist who experimented on 2 baby Titans (probably my favorite episode). Oddly, despite my barely remembering who she was, I called Anne being the Female Titan from pretty much the first appearance - that's never happened before honestly and I'm not sure how.

Lastly, I'm surprised so much hype has been built around this despite there being only one season that ends on a cliffhanger. I was sure there'd be more but apparently it's enough to warrant a live-action movie. Amazingly enough, my thought for how this ends is based on a PS1 RPG, Legend of Legaia. I won't say specifically, but, from what I've gathered, both seem to imply that the monsters that ravage a wall-offed city have decidedly...scientific origins.

I admit I want to see where this goes, but there are a lot of improvements I think should be made for me to get more excited about it.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

I'd agree with the opinion that it is kind of like Final Fantasy 7. It is very obviously quite overrated by certain groups but it is still very worth playing(in this case watching) as long as you understand the hype is bullshit and leave it at the door.

 

[Mr Companion]

The show is far above average but not quite mind blowing, I would say the hype is mostly justified. The characters are very bland but the setting is excellent. The mystery is enticing but the backflashes are too slow. The animation is perfect but the facial expressions are far too extreme. Overall it's good stuff and I can't wait for another season.

Speaking of which when IS the next season?

 

[Dalisclock]

It's a neat idea but it's overrun with the typical anime/JRPG crap, overwhelming amount of angst.
Look, I get that these are giant monsters and they're terrifying but you have a trained military force to deal with these things and your soldiers are screaming in fear cowering in corners, bloody openly defying orders from superiors to their face, shooting their own faces off, EVERY CHANCE they're given they're screaming "hopeless" and generally not acting like any trained soldier ever.

Considering it takes 3 years to graduate a single class, this and the fact that something like 60% die the first time they see combat, I'm surprised that they even have a military left.

Hell, it only takes 2 years to train a Navy Seal, and those guys are elite. They also don't die in droves like the AoT soldiers do.

 

[ckam]

I used to be OK with it, until I saw this video that just brutally took down the entire show. Don't really remember what it's called though.

 

[Souplex]

I've seen episodes 1-13.
It's entertaining schlock.

 

[Jacques Jones]

When the Titan Shifters were introduced, I tuned out.

 

[crazygameguy4ever]

i've tried watching it.. but the only thing it has going for it is the story.. everything else, the character designs, the voice acting ,the script, the animation, and everything else is so horridly done. attack on titan is the worst anime i think i've ever seen.. next to kill la kill that is.. at least that has a few better voice actors/actresses..

 

[neonsword13-ops]

i've tried watching it.. but the only thing it has going for it is the story.. everything else, the character designs, the voice acting ,the script, the animation, and everything else is so horridly done. attack on titan is the worst anime i think i've ever seen.. next to kill la kill that is.. at least that has a few better voice actors/actresses..

the animation

the animation

Care to elaborate on how Titan has horrid animation? Seriously, I'm all ears. Give me a show with more gorgeous and fluid animation than this that's easy on the eyes and really creates an immersive atmosphere.

As an artist, I can see all of the effort that was put into Titan and how Studio I.G. just went all out with it. It's visceral, clean, and just so fucking cool to watch.

 

[SuperSuperSuperGuy]

I think it's overhyped to high heaven. It's good, at best, but it's not like it's god-awful. It does a good job of establishing an overall claustrophobic and oppressive atmosphere, but other than that it's only alright. There's an overwhelming level of angst present that makes the characters pretty unlikable, however understandable said angst may or may not be, given the circumstances. The series doesn't really explain most things and tends to raise more questions than it answers, and a lot of things just plain don't make sense (lookin' at you, 3D maneuver gear), but in some ways that's (sadly) par for the course. The animation looks great, though; it's very fluid and detailed, even if I don't like the art style, personally.

 

[Snotnarok]

It's a neat idea but it's overrun with the typical anime/JRPG crap, overwhelming amount of angst.
Look, I get that these are giant monsters and they're terrifying but you have a trained military force to deal with these things and your soldiers are screaming in fear cowering in corners, bloody openly defying orders from superiors to their face, shooting their own faces off, EVERY CHANCE they're given they're screaming "hopeless" and generally not acting like any trained soldier ever.

Considering it takes 3 years to graduate a single class, this and the fact that something like 60% die the first time they see combat, I'm surprised that they even have a military left.

Hell, it only takes 2 years to train a Navy Seal, and those guys are elite. They also don't die in droves like the AoT soldiers do.

Maybe if they took more time to focus on doing their best to survive and win instead of cry and hide they'd win.
One soldier was disobeying the higher ups screaming "I just want to see my family" Okay, by that logic go ahead, go hide and cave to the inevitable death without trying. Good on ya solderman!

You bring up good points, didn't think to mention actual solder training length, but yeah I think it applies. More discipline, less angst and cowering.

CAPTCHA: "Take Back Your Freedom" for electronic cigs, sweet, I didn't know I had a right to give myself lung cancer!

 

[das_n00b]

Has anyone addressed the fact that the concept is almost an Evangelion clone? I even remember a friend of mine who isn't as familiar with anime recommending it to me a few times, and thinking it was exactly like Evangelion when I watched it.

Now, I'm sure most anyone would be ready and willing to point out that those defending their city against these titans (which incidentally are a lot like the angels in Evangelion. Won't get into specifics, but you're deluding yourself if you're unwilling to admit I'm somewhat right) didn't have giant suits, robots, or creatures to control (until that episode I briefly watched in which some of the characters discuss manipulating one of the titans) and are a glaring difference between the two franchises; but to this you only have to compare the respective limitations found in the design of what the protagonists in each respective anime use to fight: in evangelion, the EVAs cannot sustain themselves with out a giant chord attached to them at all times. Likewise the protagonists in AoT rely on maneuver gear to defend themselves, and dealing with this specific systems advantages and limitations.


At any rate, my point is that it was rather difficult for me to enjoy or even get into this particular anime due to the fact that it felt too familiar. I realize it's rather silly to expect innovation from a media genre that thrives on giant monsters pummeling each other, but when your work feels too similar for anime, you know you're not doing something right.


(I guess I'm just saying that it's a "steampunk" Evangelion)

please take me up on this, or correct me if you feel I'm missing something here!

 

[deserteagleeye]

I love it so far, but I fear what it's leading up to. Is the basement hype gonna be some bullshit plot device? Is the female-titan character actually justified in her massacre? Is Sasha going to become an actual character beyond the potato-girl that everyone in the fan-base and the narrative have labeled her? Is there going to be a suitable explanation for this fucking magic that is titan transformation?

There's too many things hanging in the air that make me worry.