For some reason I cannot fathom, I decided recently to start watching Attack on Titan, a pretty popular recent anime. I've never been much of anime watcher and I'm typically annoyed by a lot of their common tropes--despite the fact that I'm a pretty big fan of JRPGs which are typically steeped in anime themes. Still, I've watched a couple over the years that I've really liked. I watched the Persona 4 anime and liked it a lot, but that should come as no surprise considering how much I liked the game it was based on.
My decision came about as sort of a random whim. A friend of mine mentioned anime in passing on Twitter and something just sprang to life in my mind. I suddenly felt the need to watch something so I asked him for a recommendation. He asked if I'd heard of Attack on Titan. I had, but I'd had no particular intention of watching it--until now. I've watched a little under half the series now--that is, I've seen the first twelve episodes. And you know what? I like it a lot.
From what I can ascertain, Attack on Titan is one of the more mainstream of modern anime. I get the impression that "dedicated" anime fans might dismiss it out of hand or call it overrated. I can't say for sure because I'm not really a part of that group. If anything, I'm a casual observer. I have nothing against anime per se, but not a lot of it generally interests me. I have little to no perspective on whether or not it's derivative of other anime in the same genre--but I can certainly say it's often very pretty to look at. The music is exceptional and frequently sets the mood of the scene perfectly. The amount of detail put into the pseudo Tudor style architecture is impressive. I really get the sense that the characters are inhabiting a living, breathing world.
The eponymous titans are equally interesting. They are creatures of great and varying sizes--certainly imposing, but also deeply unsettling. They closely resemble humans, but with every trace of humanity removed from their dead eyes and mirthless grins. At a glance many of these titans seem almost comical, but in a way that makes them all the more terrifying. Their only motivation, their only interest, is in the destruction--and consumption--of humans. Evidently they do not require human meat to survive. That is not their purpose. As they crash through the imperious walls of one of the last great human settlements, they are driven only by their desire to kill, to eradicate the human race.
Humans are a stubborn and valiant lot when they need to be, at least in the case of Attack on Titan. By making use of strange devices called 3D Maneuver Gears, many of the most elite soldiers within the walled city hurtle through the sky, propelled by compressed gas, firing grappling hooks into the many structures choking the city to gain momentum. With these devices and a great deal of combat training, these soldiers are able to scale the massive titans and destroy them--by attacking them at their weak spot. This weak spot is located at the nape of their massive necks. With twin swords that are apparently standard issue in this particular military force, these soldiers cut a swath through the titans' necks and they fall violently to the ground, stripped of their regenerative powers.
Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Alert make up the main cast of Attack on Titan. Eren is determined to eradicate all of the titans as a form of revenge for what they had taken from him and his friends, his resolve bordering on bloodlust. Mikasa is Eren's stoic adopted sister, whose combat skills are without equal. She will do anything to protect Eren. Armin possesses a brilliant mind, but is astoundingly frail and weak of spirit. Together they form an effective emotional core for the show.
Attack on Titan is a grim and brutal ride, but only because it makes you care about its characters. I am emotionally invested in their trials and tribulations because of how effectively their various motivations are painted. Eren and Mikasa have an overwhelmingly dark past--but it has made them stronger and in a way prepared them to face the titanic struggle ahead of them.
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