First Impression of Attack on Titan

          Attack on Titan, originally a manga written by Hajime Isayama became commercially successful recently thanks to its animated adaptation of season one reaching a conclusion. I heard about it from one of my friends on a recommendation, but refused beginning the series due to a weak stomach. My first impression is a show concerning humanity trapping themselves inside their own walls to keep away the outside world, where cannibals reside. To me, it sounds like we are narrating our own fear of the world and its uncertainties. I mean, building ourselves a fortress to keep the outside out, from encroaching on our comfort and peace of mind… it sounds like a taste of classic fear from the unknown.

           I eventually got the nerve to watch the first episode, and eight episodes later I was hooked. Attack on Titan truly captures the feel of someone diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. It is difficult to do a light analysis of the themes in the show because each character has complex relationships with each other, themselves, and the wider world. Overall, Eren the main protagonist faces extremely difficult choices for a teenager as he decides how his actions will ensure the survival or death of his friends and comrades. He struggles with the validity of his responsibility to aiding humanity with his shifting powers.

            The show asks the question of whose authority you are subscribing to, and do you fully understand how you have the things you have. There is political subterfuge, but it isn't revealed in the first season. The hidings of the government make me think about contemporary leaders making the calls on what information to make public versus remain private. These calls could be for the benefit of people, or the detriment. It also plays the importance of obedience to authority that many members of military struggle with when faced with death. The countless characters lost in the show are remembered and honored as “another step towards freedom” against the creatures.

            Trust as a value makes the cut for important themes in the anime too. Just because we have relationships with people and know who they are as they reveal themselves does not necessarily mean we know them and their intentions. Trust is very important in the military, which is tested during one cycle in the season. The intensity of feelings each character undergoes put their own humanity to the test as they make choices concerning war and ethics.

             In conclusion, I want to make a recommendation for Attack on Titan if you are a person who enjoys the goose bumps feeling scene after scene. It is a roller coaster of emotion as you see characters die endlessly. There are political and religious tones to the show as well. Watch this if you really like animation and epic music. The soundtrack is on Spotify, and I use it for pump-up music. Watch the show if you are curious. See the pilot here and make your decision after that… but be warned, it is chair gripping intense.