"Attack On Titan" Is One Of The Greatest Anime Ever — Heres Why
There's been some great anime to have come out in recent years but none like Attack on Titan, in my opinion. The evolution of these characters has been nothing short of amazing, from the animation to the overall story arc.
Wit Studio / Via giphy.com
Before you pile it on in the comments, I mentioned in the headline that it's ONE of the greatest anime ever, not THE greatest, although the argument can be made.
I remember being told about the show when it first came out on Netflix and being told it's like The Walking Dead but with giants. That immediately caught my attention since I was a massive fan of The Walking Dead show and graphic novels at the time. After watching the first episode, I was hooked; I was invested in seeing how these characters turned out and what this world was about.
Wit Studio / Via giphy.com
Now that I am almost done with the show, I am stunned at how good the character arcs have been and how well they expanded on the world each season.
Naruto delivered some great character arcs, but they had many seasons to do so. The fact that we have seen Eren go through the transformation in the time we have seen and not have it feel rushed (I'm looking at you, Game of Thrones) has been excellent.
Wit Studio / Via giphy.com
With all that being said, I figured I could point out some things that stood out to me about this show and why I think the fans have been so taken by this incredible IP.
Warning: Major spoilers ahead!
1.Characters Upon Characters
To start, we get to see a lot of our main characters, in particular, our central trio, as children growing up within the walls of Paradis. They all have different perspectives on life, but it's Eren Jaeger who, as a child, sees the faults in a world where a few walls only protect humanity from gigantic mindless eating humanoids.
After the trio joins the Survey Corps, we're introduced to the rest of the characters we are invested in for the remainder of the show. It's this trope that we see in countless anime where young characters are enlisting into some elite group; in this case, the Survey Corps, and it gives us a little more depth on some side characters that we will be riding with for the rest of the season, sometimes series.
In this case, the stakes just seemed higher; it could be because of the violent nature in which we see some characters get killed that we hope and pray it doesn't happen to some of our favorites, but it's the way that they present the struggle these characters go through living in this world.
Even the antagonists that we meet early into the series, like Annie, Reiner, and Bertholt, have fantastic fleshed-out arcs and motives that made me feel conflicted and empathetic towards their cause.
As a viewer, seeing them commit such atrocities to the people of Paradis originally had me fuming, but after witnessing the oppression that they've had to endure due to the sins of their ancestors and the cruelness of the Marleyan government, it's understandable why these characters were able to commit such heinous acts. This type of writing sticks the landing in storytelling and gives characters, whether big or small, a role that makes sense in the world of AoT.
We see these young kids tackle a considerable dilemma in solving the Titans' mystery and discover that, like Eren, some Titans are very different from what they've experienced in the past. Yes, I know Levi is amazing, and so are the adult characters, but the kids we see grow up make this show shine.
Eren's fall from grace after discovering that his world is bigger than ever, and having the foresight due to the abilities that were handed down to him, albeit by his own hand technically, gives him one of the greatest arcs I can remember in recent years. He truly believes that the only way to protect the ones he loves is by destroying the world that had vilified his homeland for so long.
He plays the long con against his brother Zeke to avoid euthanization and the end of Eldians to achieve the impossible and convince Ymir to give him command of the Rumbling after thousands of years of serving the royal bloodline. He forgoes his empathy towards others by determining that worldwide genocide is the best option to avoid further oppression.
This slow reveal of descent into villainy and madness eventually has two warring sides work together to bring down a kid blinded by his hatred towards a world that has oppressed his people for so long. This isn't a new theme that we haven't seen before, although seeing it demonstrated in this fashion is one that has stuck out in my mind in most recent years.
2.The World Is So Much Bigger Than We Thought
With the focal point of Seasons 1-3 being in Paradis, show writer Yasuko Kobayashi made good on adapting Hajime Isayama's source material and delivering the world-building that has kept people invested in the story. We see the issues with competing military branches and hierarchies on this enclosed island, and how corrupt the government can be when trying to cover up its tracks when it feels it's doing what's best for the people they govern.
The history of the Titans was slowly being revealed to us layer by layer until we finally found out the truth. For me, it's what has kept me so engaged in the story, seeing that most reveals are things that we find out with the characters themselves, leading me to feel just as shocked when a twist is presented.
To see the royal family's history on the island of Paradis and to find out why Eldians were being oppressed and essentially isolated from the rest of the world had my jaw on the floor. Then thankfully, Hiroshi Seko and Shintaro Kawakubo have continued the great work and have delivered in this last season, giving us another perspective on the antagonists and the country of Marley they come from, providing a rich perspective history of these people we are introduced to as the enemy.
This type of writing allows a time jump to happen, and it doesn't feel cheap. The way it's presented, and the exposition we're given add to the story instead of feeling like a lazy way of progressing it. I have found myself surprised at episodes, feeling that even in the ones with little excitement, the story and plot moved forward, and there wasn't a feeling of slowing down.
3.The Animation Is Topnotch
Wit Studio
My hat goes off to Wit Studio and MAPPA for both having their own unique takes on the anime but both presenting amazing work. Wit Studio is what most people will be familiar with, seeing that they did the first 60 episodes, which are the three first seasons.
MAPPA / Via giphy.com
This is a show that has characters zipping around gigantic Titans and slashing away while also delivering on some gruesome deaths and destruction. I do enjoy the continuation of CGI that MAPPA has used in this final season, making some of the epic battles we've seen so far even grander.
I remember there being a concern when the news came out that Wit Studio would be handing over the reins to MAPPA for the final season, considering the time they had to do it. Seeing that MAPPA is also the studio that does Jujutsu Kaisen, it's no surprise that they were able to get it done when they did.
