(Note: This review is spoiler-free)
Hype, hype, hype, hype, hype, hype, hype. It will be utterly impossible for anyone to discuss Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) this season without at least addressing the frenzied excitement leading up to, and following, its premier last week. The only missing piece in the puzzle was that it hadn't been licensed for simulcast yet, but that issue was recently resolved when it was announced that it would be airing... on both Crunchyroll and FUNImation. Did I mention this show has a lot of hype?
So from out of that nebulous hype cloud that brought us such anticipated titles as Guilty Crown and Sword Art Online comes Attack on Titan by Wit Studio and Production I.G. and based off of the highly popular manga by Hajime Isayama. I have been hearing about this show for months now, with speculation ranging from "best show ever" to "guaranteed suckage" and comparisons to every masterpiece and piece of shit to ever come out of an anime studio. The first two episodes seem to vindicate the yea-sayers, with episode 1 receiving more 5 out of 5 votes on MAL than I have ever seen (currently the number is a hair over 1200. Just to compare, episode 1 of SAO received a little over 700), but it seems that the biggest failures in recent memory were big failures specifically because they started off great. This is true for the two titles I mention above, as well as for others such as Eureka Seven: AO.
So let's get a few things out of the way:
1. I have not read the Attack on Titan manga and I don't really care if the anime conforms to it or not, so long as it is good in itself.
2. I have watched Guilty Crown but not Sword Art Online, the latter being the most oft compared to Titan that I've seen, so I only cite it in the context of hype, because I definitely witnessed a lot of the shitstorm surrounding SAO.
3. I try to avoid getting dragged into these giant anime wars. I love stuff that many people hate. I hate stuff that many people love. What I'm trying to say is that the hype and the positive reactions to the first two episodes are largely irrelevant to me. Everything has its haters, and something that inspires great love also tends to also inspire great hate.
That being said, the first two episodes of Attack on Titan were certainly entertaining and a feast for the eyes. Every frame is colorful and dense and it gives everything a good meaty substance. The story appears to be one that will be rife with tragedy and high on emotions. I get a very epic feel from it in every sense of the word – everything is big and loud and in your face. Anger turns into insane rage, sadness turns into tragic despair, and all gauges are maxed out. So far it seems to work well, making the show itself a kind of attack – it grips you tight and doesn't let go for the duration.
Titan tells the story of a future humanity confined to a territory surrounded by concentric walls to defend themselves from the Titans (or Eotens) – giants with a taste for human flesh. After witnessing a Titan invasion of his home enclave (the walls have protruding enclaves that serve as bait for the Titans) and the death of his mother, our hero Eren, along with his foster sister Mikasa and his friend Armin, decides to join the military Scouting Legion in order to battle the Titans and get his revenge.
A lot will be said about Sakuga and short cuts with regards to Titan. The previews contained some tentpole animation sequences, and in order to maintain that, you necessarily have to cut some corners elsewhere with static pan shots and other such tricks. To its credit, until I saw it pointed out that this was being done I had barely even noticed. The gorgeous backgrounds and some clever spacing out of animation go a long way. Pay attention to the pan shots of the crowds – they'll use a static image, and then put in one tiny touch like someone turning their head, and that one little bit serves to mask the fact that it is 99% static. As long as the show doesn't feel like it is cutting any corners, then it makes no difference. If an anime tree falls in the woods and it isn't actually animated, does anyone... Oh, forget it.
My only worry with regards to Titan at this point is where the story will go. While the world setting here is pretty interesting and contains some original elements that jump out at you, like the spring-loaded holstered grappling rigs they use to fight the Titans and such, I'm not sure how much variety the story can maintain over 25 episodes. However, by the end of episode 2 it became clear that this show will possibly span a substantial length of time, and could involve many as-of-yet unseen elements, so I am still withholding judgment. It also appears to deal with several societal themes such as the social structure in times of crisis, complacency due to decades of peace, and overcoming your fears to protect your way of life, all of which are present in the first two episodes, and all of which are fertile ground for some good drama.
I will also say for the record that both Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet and Valvrave the Liberator seem to have more promising plots to me (although that could be my inner sci-fi fanboy talking), but I certainly wasn't bored or disappointed with Titan, particularly visually, so thus far the hype is definitely not misplaced. Will it continue to meet the impossible bar that's been set for it, or will it crash and burn like a 200 ft. titan with a severed spine? We'll have to wait and see.
I will continue to post my impressions with this show as the season progresses. My initial instinct is that it will probably be good but have a disappointing ending (since the manga is ongoing). Perhaps it is already set up for a possible sequel, and if the online hype is any kind of measure of the show's actual sales, it will certainly be financially viable to make one.
