Written by Marcel Howell-Reeve
Obscure truths, seriously intense action and terrifying giants – Attack on Titan is nothing short of a spectacle. It’s gripping, exciting and emotionally exhausting at times, but the sheer mystery and moments of triumph make it impossible to ignore the success of Attack on Titan.
But is it a Masterpiece? I personally think so and here are my reasons why
A well executed mystery
Attack on Titan rapidly soared into popularity and it’s often questioned whether the anime deserves the attention it’s gathered. It’s an audacious statement but I think anyone with a human heart and mind will take interest in the world and characters of Attack on Titan fairly quick. The peculiar, dark but often relatable world invites you to a story dressed head to toe in mystery and emotional depth that’s hard to swim out of once you’ve dived deep enough.
It takes a while for things to be explained in Attack on Titan and even when they do, a new mystery soon reveals itself and the plot thickens, usually quite dramatically. This isn’t to say the anime suffers from being slow paced or convoluted, it actually strengthens the experience when you’re desperate to find out answers to the bigger questions. Doing well not to inject filler, Attack on Titan moves at a considerably fast pace and respects the audience’s time and patience – most of us know what it’s like to dredge on through filler so it’s appreciated when an Anime drives at a decent speed.
But what really keeps the mystery fresh in Attack on Titan is solving it not only serves our intrigue but serves humanity in their efforts to save themselves from impending doom. Getting attached to the quirky personalities, desires and organic backstories of the characters comes at a price, you seek the same outcome as them, with similar vigour too – you want to find out the truth of their situation, especially when they could shoot off and die at the bat of an eyelash
Needless to say, Attack on Titan gets outstandingly breath-taking once the bigger truths and events of story begin to reveal themselves
The Titans
Appearing as a race of seemingly sentient killers, the red skinned giants smile and parade around in the face of mankind before ending their lives in gruesome ways. Their uncanny human appearance and seriously eerie behaviours are just a few traits that make up their truly terrifying nature, the biggest question; Where on earth could they have come from?
In a genre full of supernatural and unearthly creatures, how often are you actually scared or disturbed by the enemies that plague humanity? For me, it’s very little. Unpredictable, uncaring and as of yet, unanswered, The titans create an atmosphere unfound in other anime attempting something similar. Acting as the driving force of mystery and action throughout the series, the Titan’s and the mystery behind them are a masterful creation worthy of notice and respect to Hajima Isayama.
The Style
Under a western archetype, the houses and market squares all share an old fashioned medieval design that’s more in the way of European architecture than anything else. The characters have names and appearances closer to European cultures and it creates a diverse feeling in a genre that usually follows Japanese born characters in Japanese settings.
Best described by the intense action and aerial combat, the animation stands as one of AOT’s strongest elements. With remarkable attention to detail, every movement required for shooting from buildings or decimating the nape of titan is shown effectively. The thick black outlines do well to emphasize the action and create an interesting art style in an already aesthetically enhanced world.
On top of that, the lighting is superb – Sunlight shines naturally across the faces of buildings and the characters, pushing the anime through a nearly golden visual filter which makes Attack on Titan a pleasurable watch
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