Attack on Titan: How do you feel about it now?

[Tsukuyomi]

So I got into a discussion with friends last night (that has subsequently carried over via text messages to this morning) about Attack on Titan. A bunch of them love it, and I kind of hit the hornet's nest by mentioning that while I like the setting and concept, I feel like it was squandered and not used well.

While the argument ensued it occurred to me that I...actually haven't heard much about the series these days. Like when it launched, when it became available here in the states, there was a good amount of talk about it. But it seems like that talk didn't last very long for a series that was lauded by some to be unique and exciting and different from the typical anime/manga fare.

So my question to my fellow anime-inclined Escapists who have watched it is this: How do you feel about it now? Is it any different than from when you first heard about it/started watching? Do you think there's a reason that the hype surrounding it died down? If so, what would be that reason?

 

[Legion]

I have been following both the anime and the manga.

The anime was enjoyable, but had far too much filler content. They clearly didn't want to catch up too soon to the manga and so they padded things out. I am not against works of fiction being slow, as long as they are also interesting. The problem with Attack on Titan is that a lot of the time nothing interesting was actually happening, they just dragged scenes on rather than add anything new.

The characters are very much a mixed bag. Some of them are interesting, while others just fit the cliché roles that a lot of anime seem to "need". I personally cannot stand Eren Jaeger and like many others feel that if he'd died off early on like it seemed he might, the show would probably have been a lot more interesting. Unfortunately he fulfils the equivalent of the "chosen one" role where everything seems to hinge on him, purely because fate assigned him a unique ability.

As for the manga, I think the pacing is considerably better, but unfortunately a lot of the characters are worse. Eren is just as insufferable as well as adding hypocritical to the list. Levi and Hannes seem to completely change for not particularly obvious reason and it's now turning into something that resembles a political drama.

As for what I liked? The concept itself is brilliant, I think it's very clever and it adds a lot of interesting opportunities for plot and story telling. I thought the reveal at the end of the anime series (which is mostly similar in the manga) was a brilliant one and I look forward to seeing where they take it.

I find it interesting to see how there are differing factions all at play, it originally seemed like it'd just be humans vs Titans but they are slowly showing that without an immediate enemy (with the Titans not having breached the walls for 100 years) humanity started to fracture.

There are also some interesting characters, the most interesting being Annie Leondhart. While they have overplayed the mystery a little too much perhaps, it's been fascinating to see the different parts of her personality as she is clearly not a one dimensional character.

As for the hype dying down? Most series do once they have finished, I no longer see Kill la Kill being talked about now it's over and that finished a lot more recently. Once the next one is announced it will start to pick back up again.

 

[Casual Shinji]

So I got into a discussion with friends last night (that has subsequently carried over via text messages to this morning) about Attack on Titan. A bunch of them love it, and I kind of hit the hornet's nest by mentioning that while I like the setting and concept, I feel like it was squandered and not used well.

I feel the same way. The concept and setting were one of the most refreshing I've seen in anime in years.

And I actually liked it quite a lot untill...

Spoiler

...Eren turned out to be alive and have flesh mecha powers.

That and the fact that starting from episode 8 onward the pacing dragged to a crawl, and the amount of shonen rhetoric becoming so unbearable for me, that I just stopped watching. So I never finished it, but I do know how it ended. My feelings haven't really changed on the matter.

I think it might've been the uniqueness of the setting that launched it into popularity, but the monotony and familiarity of its shonen roots that made it die down somewhat. It also had a core of mystery (Who was the female titan?) that I'm sure kept many fans hooked. And as soon as this mystery was revealed it might've also taken most of the intrigue with it.

 

[Elfgore]

Like 95% of the time, watchers realize it didn't bring anything new to the table. It'll fade into obscurity like almost all other anime, it'll just take longer than an unknown anime like Noucome. The huge fans realized it isn't as good as they thought and then move on. It won't fall into the category of say Cowboy Beatbop or Dragonball Z and be remembered for a very long time.

I think Attack on Titan was good. Could've been great if the later episodes didn't bore me to tears. Nothing in my opinion has changed of the show. Still a really good story that makes me want to know more, and, for the most part, terrible characters.

 

[Liquidprid3]

As someone who doesn't really notice plot holes, and doesn't mind slow pacing, I enjoyed the show for what it was. I just hated how cliché some of characters were. God. I hated Eren so much. I did like Armin, though. And something about how gruesome the show was really appealed to me. I'm not really into super violent stuff, but the show was a bit of an emotional Rollercoaster at time, and the whole thing was really cool. And that last episode. Hooooooly shit. I'm excited for Season 2, and to learn more about their world as a whole.

 

[Fappy]

So I got into a discussion with friends last night (that has subsequently carried over via text messages to this morning) about Attack on Titan. A bunch of them love it, and I kind of hit the hornet's nest by mentioning that while I like the setting and concept, I feel like it was squandered and not used well.

I feel the same way. The concept and setting were one of the most refreshing I've seen in anime in years.

And I actually liked it quite a lot untill...

Spoiler

...Eren turned out to be alive and have flesh mecha powers.

That and the fact that starting from episode 8 onward the pacing dragged to a crawl, and the amount of shonen rhetoric becoming so unbearable for me, that I just stopped watching. So I never finished it, but I do know how it ended. My feelings haven't really changed on the matter.

I think it might've been the uniqueness of the setting that launched it into popularity, but the monotony and familiarity of its shonen roots that made it die down somewhat. It also had a core of mystery (Who was the female titan?) that I'm sure kept many fans hooked. And as soon as this mystery was revealed it might've also taken most of the intrigue with it.

The mystery was so obvious too. I don't know a single person who was the least bit surprised by the reveal :/

 

[Daystar Clarion]

All the 'twists' you could see a mile off.


Protip, if you don't want people guessing your shit, don't make the Titans look like the bloody person.

I still enjoyed it though, despite the slow as fuck second half.

 

[Zhukov]

It was, uh... alright. I guess.

I'm kind of hesitant to comment. I really don't care for anime (and it's not like I haven't tried) so I'm sorta the wrong person to ask. A lot of the things I didn't like were things that are standard in anime. A lot of the humour, the way the characters talk ("Eh?" "Ooh?" "Uh?" "Hmm"), the constant indecisive internal monologues. But I guess that's exactly what the target audience is looking for.

- Premise: Cool.

- Pacing: Fucking incompetent.

- The way the script portrays genius (usually relating to Armin): Shits me off something fierce. To be fair, genius or exceptional intelligence is really hard to portray in fiction. Attack on Titan does it by having characters make wild leaps of speculation and then have them always be right because the writer can do that.

- Erin: An irritating twit. I liked him well enough early on. Impotent rage from a small child is effective. It's poignant and sad. Or at I think so. But then he grows up (relatively speaking) and gets a rage-based superpower and suddenly I give zero shits and just want him to die so someone more interesting can have the spotlight.

- Which brings me to my main gripe. I feel that a huge, huuuuuge opportunity was missed with the fifth episode onwards.

They make us think Erin is full on dead. Dead as dead can be. And I thought that was brilliant. Here they are, setting up this kid as the typical angry boy anime hero who swears vengeance through gritted teeth every morning before breakfast, complete with an ADOPTED sister who totally doesn't want to fuck him. So we're fully expecting him to be the hero and do anime hero stuff. After a few episodes he throws himself into the fray as expected. And then fucking dies. Quickly and brutally and in a realistically unfair and arbitrary manner, as if to say, "Fuck you plot armour! Begone from here!"

"Holy shit", says I, "They totally pulled the rug out from under me! Expectations scattered to the wind! Now we're going to have the story continue without its nominal protagonist as the now guilt-ridden Armin and the quietly driven but aimless Mikasa have to pick up the pieces and keep going. And I'm right on board with them because I was expecting Erin to survive just like they were. My god, this might be the best thing I've ever seen from an anime!"

Except then he turns out to be totally alive, complete with super anger powers and suddenly we've plummeted back down to the murky depths of baseline anime.

Oh well. At least it wasn't riddled with fan service and panty shots.

 

[the December King]

I was a fan of the series, as it was available on Netflix. I was impressed by the idea, but since my anime experience is rather limited, I try not to voice my opinion too much.

However, I 've never really liked characters like Mikasa, the thin but super strong an skilled waif ninja. There was no explanation as to why she was so strong and skilled, and that is tiresome to me. She's just the hot ninja girl. Her dedication to Eren and her emotional 'frailty' I found uncompelling as character elements to try to basically humanize a Terminator. Her flawlessness actually feels like a flaw to the series to me.

But it really was her being indestructible/super that bothered me. Even after Eren became a freaking titan, Mikasa was saving him, and the day, all over the place through martial prowess. Since I couldn't relate to her, as she had no convincing emotions, I found it off-putting. Between the over-emotional Eren, the weak but intelligent Armin, and the infallible Mikasa, I liked... Sasha best. She offered some levity that I found was needed.

I realize that these are just my own tastes, by the way. And I do love the concept, and the visuals!

 

[Yuno Gasai]

I think it might've been the uniqueness of the setting that launched it into popularity, but the monotony and familiarity of its shonen roots that made it die down somewhat. It also had a core of mystery (Who was the female titan?) that I'm sure kept many fans hooked. And as soon as this mystery was revealed it might've also taken most of the intrigue with it.

The mystery was so obvious too. I don't know a single person who was the least bit surprised by the reveal :/

Spoiler: Related Attack on Titan spoiler

I recognized her identity just by her eye colour. Her hair colour was also a bit of a giveaway. When I saw her fight, and she adopted her token stance, I knew I was right.

I don't actually read the manga (I've heard the events of the anime don't exactly "follow" the manga, and I'm conscious of getting ahead of the anime and ruining surprises for myself), but what I'm concerned about now is how they intend to keep fans hooked.

Despite all that, I did enjoy the first season of Attack on Titan. I loved Mikasa more than anything else. I tend to draw a lot more from character development and interaction within anime than I do from actual plot, or indeed anything else. Which may explain why I adored Guilty Crown, and a few of my friends absolutely hated it.

 

[Zhukov]

However, I 've never really liked characters like Mikasa, the thin but super strong an skilled waif ninja. There was no explanation as to why she was so strong and skilled, and that is tiresome to me. She's just the hot ninja girl. Her dedication to Eren and her emotional 'frailty' I found uncompelling as character elements to try to basically humanize a Terminator. Her flawlessness actually feels like a flaw to the series to me.

But it really was her being indestructible/super that bothered me. Even after Eren became a freaking titan, Mikasa was saving him, and the day, all over the place through martial prowess. Since I couldn't relate to her, as she had no convincing emotions, I found it off-putting.

If I understood it correctly, the idea was that her epiphany as a kid (just before she backstabs that dude who was strangling Erin) left her with perfect physical self control. So she's been automatically awesome at all physical pursuits ever since. Granted, it's a a bit vague and may have suffered in translation to boot. Or I could just be completely wrong.

Anyway, I actually kind of liked her. I have a soft spot for quiet characters who get shit done without being a needlessly showy fop or a bragging douche about it.

But yeah, her infallibility reaches silly levels. No denying that.

 

[the December King]

However, I 've never really liked characters like Mikasa, the thin but super strong an skilled waif ninja. There was no explanation as to why she was so strong and skilled, and that is tiresome to me. She's just the hot ninja girl. Her dedication to Eren and her emotional 'frailty' I found uncompelling as character elements to try to basically humanize a Terminator. Her flawlessness actually feels like a flaw to the series to me.

But it really was her being indestructible/super that bothered me. Even after Eren became a freaking titan, Mikasa was saving him, and the day, all over the place through martial prowess. Since I couldn't relate to her, as she had no convincing emotions, I found it off-putting.

If I understood it correctly, the idea was that her epiphany as a kid (just before she backstabs that dude who was strangling Erin) left her with perfect physical self control. So she's been automatically awesome at all physical pursuits ever since. Granted, it's a a bit vague and may have suffered in translation to boot. Or I could just be completely wrong.

Anyway, I actually kind of liked her. I have a soft spot for quiet characters who get shit done without being a needlessly showy fop or a bragging douche about it.

But yeah, her infallibility reaches silly levels. No denying that.

You know, I think I remember a moment when something sort of metaphysical/mystical happens in that scene where Mikasa has an epiphany/moment , now that you mention it...

(just throwing out there that I know nothing of the manga, I just followed the anime, in case there is more to this element of Mikasa, later down the line.)

 

[senordesol]

JesuOtaku wrote an interesting thesis on AoT, explain why certain characters *are* the way they are.

Basically: Armin, Misaka, and Erin represent 'Mind, Body, and Spirit' in that order. In this way, they all have their attributes but are utterly reliant on each other. In this way the writer explores how the 'human condition' reacts to adversity and how certain limitations are reached if too much stock is placed in solely one of these attributes.

I found that her thinking bore out in the series and it's worth a listen if you get the chance...but I think that such an approach unnecessarily limits the scope of the writing (and creates some damn annoying characters to boot).

With regard to how I feel about the show: it's a good cure for The Walking Dead, I like the way the characters actually try to generate a plan and protocol with regard to how they want to deal with the titans. But it is slooooooooow.

 

[Legion]

I don't actually read the manga (I've heard the events of the anime don't exactly "follow" the manga, and I'm conscious of getting ahead of the anime and ruining surprises for myself), but what I'm concerned about now is how they intend to keep fans hooked.

As far as the plot goes it's basically the same, except that they show the training sections through flashbacks rather than it all being in chronological order. The big reveal at the end of the season was also different (and in all honesty better) in the manga. I am speaking about what happened after the credits.

Anyway, I actually kind of liked her. I have a soft spot for quiet characters who get shit done without being a needlessly showy fop or a bragging douche about it.

Especially in anime, as such characters are somewhat rare. Normally the toughest characters have to make sure everybody and their pet dog knows about it. My issue with Mikasa is that she is like a Pokemon except she only ever says somebody else's name. "Eren." "Eren!" "Eren?"

 

[DarkhoIlow]

I haven't followed the manga, because I am looking forward to the anime Season 2. I already have a few Mangas that I read weekly so I don't want to encumber myself with so many.

I did watch Season 1 and enjoyed it a lot. Definitely in my top 5 for me.

 

[The Wykydtron]

I really like it, the setting, the visuals, the fucking hilarious but scary Titans (Moe Titan anyone?) the fact that anyone can die aside from the main three, although the manga keeps the possibility of one of them dying alive in the back of your mind I think. Some of the side characters who die later on makes me question just exactly how long some people's plot armour is going to last. Unsure about the politics and unsure as hell about how he's going to end it. I have seen interviews that say he had a dark "everybody dies horribly" ending already written but he trashed it once the anime made his fanbase skyrocket. He just couldn't do that to so many people.

It does have its faults but I was blind to them because I liked the slow pace because that's how a good action anime should do things, show a cool fighting mechanic but never overuse it to the point of boredom, looking at you George Lucas. To be honest AoT was the first straight Shounen anime I have actually enjoyed for years, I have long taken the word "Shounen" to be synonymous with "bad" so the fact that AoT exists at all is a great thing, see also Sword Art Online. You wait years for a good Shounen anime and two come along at once...

I DID manage to miss every single piece of hype surrounding AoT because I don't really know any good anime news sites worth frequenting so that likely helped.

Also the way the manga did the episode 2-5 training and reveal thing was absolutely mindboggling. Why cut it like that? Why not put it in chronological order? You just blew the best emotional shock for ages away from you. Thank christ the anime put it right.

Seriously I was so shocked at that piece of bad pacing I looked around for different scans because I swear they must have disordered the chapters...

 

[Weaver]

I started disliking it around episode 10 and kept watching for some kind of hope of a resolution. Instead we got a shitty ending that resolved literally nothing and made basically the 10 episodes prior to it a non-event.

 

[lord canti]

While I find it highly overrated, it has my attention enough to bring me back for season 2. I just wish that the characters didn't lose their personality after five episodes.

 

[Gaijinko]

Like a lot of people I fall into the camp of what this anime could have been. No titan transformations, characters with no plot armor who could die at anytime, a dark fantasy about human survival against impossible odds. Still its a fairly good kick as it is, and I cannot wait for more.

 

[verdant monkai]

I think the concept of the anime is great, the feeling of indignation and humility we get from being eaten by Titans and forced to live trapped in fortress is great. The characters aren't all that amazing but for me its more the situations of the story and its rather unique setting that make it good. I like it a lot! not as much as some though. I'd give it a 7 out of 10 (Great).

As for why there isn't as much hype any more. Well I should have thought that was fucking obvious. Its been out for a while and there is other stuff to watch, no doubt the hype will return when season 2 is made.