I don’t normally review episodes, but I’m throwing caution to the wind. So please, do forgive me if this isn’t my best work.
The latest big title to be promoted by Crunchyroll is, drum roll please, Attack on Titan! I usually don’t bother with the big, highly-promoted shows because they tend to be over-hyped. In this case, though, I wanted to pick up a show that was still being broadcast in Japan, and it just happened to be the case that Attack on Titan was one of them. For my impressions, I’ll be taking a look at the first two episodes of Attack on Titan.
Attack on Titan takes place in year 850. Humans have been living inside cities protected by a series of huge walls. They hide behind the walls as a means to protect themselves from “Titans,” humanoid giants that feast on human flesh. One day the outermost wall of the settlement is breached by a massive Titan believed to be 60 meters tall. The hole in the wall allows the other Titans to enter and destroy the city along the outer wall. The invasion forces the people evacuate into the inner walls to find refuge. Eren Jaegar and Misaka, his adopted sister, witness the Titan destroy the city and the devouring of their mother. Angered by the tragic turn of events, a young Eren vows revenge on the Titans. In order to accomplish his goal, though, he must become a soldier so he can take on the titans.
The first two episodes perfectly set up how dangerous and powerful the Titans can be. The sheer number of Titans along with people fleeing and getting eaten is enough to make viewers cringe. Many of them look to be scrawny, but their sheer size makes up for their frame. Perhaps the titans are a bit too powerful, since their size allows for mass destruction. The mystery of what they are, and why they exist existence will draw viewers into the world.
The three main characters seem like your normal anime archetypes at this point. Eren is the loud anime male, while Misaka falls into the “more mature than her age” slot, and Armin is naive and overly optimistic. However, the characters work, thanks to the show’s different perspective on the events that occurred. The fact that the three leads are children at this point helps to create sympathy, as it creates moments of powerlessness and inspire empathy in the viewer. The series does a good job in expanding this feeling past the children and to the town’s residents, from the villagers to the soldiers.
It’s still early on in the series, but I’m intrigued by what I’ve seen so far. I want to see how far the plot takes me,as a viewer, so I’ll stick with going forward.
