Attack on Titan - Part 1

Attack on Titan Promo Image. Source: Crunchyroll

A few weekends ago I marathoned all the existing episodes (that were available at the time) of Attack on Titan, otherwise known as Shingeki no Kyojin. I 100% do not regret this decision and hopefully you won't either should you choose to embark on this journey. If you've been following me on Twitter, you may have noticed my subtle hints to listen to the first opening song of the series over the past few weeks. I'm not entirely sure how I should best declare my love and enthusiasm for this song, other than to use CAPS LOCK or blast the music through some speakers as I walk down the street (gotta keep it cool yo).

Attack on Titan is based on the best-selling manga series by Hajime Isayama. The story is set in a dystopian world: the remnants of humankind live within towns and cities surrounded by enormous walls that are meant to protect them from the flesh-eating Titans. And for some unknown reason, the Titans enjoy devouring humans. Tasty. This is where we meet a young Eren Jaeger, who believes that people have grown complacent over the last 100 years of peace and wishes to join the cause to fight the Titans that roam outside the walls (even though many do not return home). Eren's speculation proves to be correct when the Titans attack and destroy Eren's entire life leading to his enlistment in the military, along with his adoptive sister, Mikasa, and friend, Armin.

Attack on Titan is compelling, well-written, and manages to convey both heartfelt and gruesome story lines and visuals. It is thoroughly unsettling, if not disturbing, to watch these Titans mindlessly stomp through streets, ripping apart and eating humans. The complex variations of human emotion are portrayed accurately as each character reacts differently to the violence and terror of their surroundings. In comparison to the usual 'yes violence is great and it definitely does not impact my psychological well-being at all' attitude that many recent films convey, it was refreshing to view a more multifaceted approach to battle scenes. It's difficult to discuss other interesting aspects of the storyline thus far, in great depth, without revealing too much information - so I think I'll have to do this in a later post.

Essentially, Attack on Titan, is a well-written, captivating anime that consistently leaves me wanting more. The characters are strong, and the music is excellent, so if you're interested in some dystopian fantasy horror, go check it out at Kiss Anime.