Anime is a fascinating category of storytelling. Despite a plethora of critically acclaimed and unique shows, from Jujutsu Kaisen to Demon Slayer, it can be difficult to get even some of the biggest TV lovers to dip their toes into the genre. Some worry that the animation will be subpar, while others don’t think they’ll understand or engage with the premise. Yet, if there is one show that is the guaranteed best tool to introduce someone to anime, it has to be Attack on Titan. Not only is Attack on Titan a feast for the eyes, with dynamic action and animation, earning its high budget, but its premise is instantly engaging. At first, it may seem like a simple fantasy apocalypse series, Attack on Titan adds layers of complexity that make its thematic exploration one of the most nuanced and emotive in all of TV.
What Is ‘Attack on Titan’ About?
The character solidly at the center of Attack on Titan‘s four seasons is Eren Yeager (Yûki Kaji), a young boy born inside The Walls. The Wall encloses the last remnants of humanity. These 50-meter-tall barriers keep out Titans, some of the most terrifying TV monsters ever put on screen, giant humanoid creatures that do nothing but kill and eat any human they find. When the Titans breach the outer wall one day, destroying Eren’s life, he embarks on a mission of revenge. Along the way, he joins the Scouts, a group of soldiers who specifically exit the walls to fight the Titans, and he learns that the power to defeat the Titans may be within him after all, with his deceased father, Grisha (Hiroshi Tsuchida), seemingly keeping infinite secrets that remain in the basement of Eren’s now-destroyed house.
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At first, one may assume that Attack on Titan is a simple premise akin to that of a zombie apocalypse. However, through the Scout regiment and Eren’s learning, the world beyond the walls is expanded upon, and the battle against the Titans and other foes allows for a complex analysis of war and revenge. Eren sinks deeper into his mission to destroy the Titans, becoming more cold-blooded until the fiery yet ultimately well-meaning boy we meet at the beginning of the series is gone, leaving only an exhausted shell. Yet, his friends, Mikasa (Yui Ishikawa) and Armin (Marina Inoue), balance Eren’s rage and cynicism with compassion and an optimistic view of the world, believing in mercy over revenge. In doing so, Attack on Titan analyzes grounded topics while removing real-world biases, allowing audiences to think about our own destructive and, at times, futile conflicts.
‘Attack on Titan’s Animation Makes It Worth the Large Budget
When you look at some of the most expensive TV shows of all time, such as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Stranger Things, with episode budgets soaring well past $20 million, Attack on Titan’s roughly $150,000-per-episode budget doesn’t seem like much. However, that makes it one of the most expensive anime ever created, and Attack on Titan‘s animation makes every penny well spent. From scenes such as Levi Ackerman (Hiroshi Kamiya), the show’s most badass character, attacking the Beast Titan or fighting several Titans at once, to Titan-on-Titan brawls, the action is well-choreographed and given a cinematic scale. This isn’t just due to the Titans’ size, but also the ODM gear, which is a pressurized grappling systems that allow Scouts to swing between buildings and trees. This equipment allows the Scouts to move extremely quickly, making them nimbler than the hulking Titans, resulting in dynamic battles as two opposite forces are pitted against each other.
The action is also where some of the most shocking moments come in Attack on Titan. Quite literally, no one is safe in the show, with several key characters dying out of nowhere and in brutal, bloody ways, from being bitten in half to swatted like flies. This action, coupled with the well-written thematic dialogue and character development, means that, whether a battle or a quiet conversation is occurring on screen, Attack on Titan always keeps the viewer engaged. Even if there is someone who has never watched anime before, it’s almost impossible that they won’t love this show. In the end, the only potential downside is getting them to watch other anime without comparing them to Attack on Titan‘s sheer brilliance.
