Well, this really isn’t a review per say as the show is only halfway done. Think of this as my general thoughts up to this point in the series. In case you didn’t already know, thirteen episodes have already aired and are available on various streaming sites. So I think it is safe to assume that this is arguably the most popular series of the spring. The hype had already existed before the show even aired it first episode. So does this show really live up to the hype?
The show had already grabbed me by it interesting albeit not necessary original premise. Mankind has been pushed to the brink by man-eating giants called Titans and they have caged themselves within a city whose walls are fifty meters tall. Though this isn’t necessary nuanced as the concept has sparked the imaginations of storytellers throughout history, what makes certain stories interesting is that they are able built upon older stories and make them their own. While the story that takes in this world and it myriad of unusual characters was enough the garner interest and it isn’t enough to keep the viewer engaged.
The antagonistic “Titans” behave very similarity to zombies. Thus making the show feels as if you’re watching yet another spin of the zombie apocalypse which everyone has probably seen or at least heard of before. This is probably why the show has much mainstream appeal as the zombie apocalypse genre is quite popular here in the west. This aspect makes this show great for the casual viewer. What makes this series stand out is the use third dimensional maneuver gear which is particularly interesting and make for some very dynamic fight sequences. The animation team really put their best foot forward doing sequences involving the usage of them.
The show is always brimming with energy from its fantastic score to its very fluid animation. However a show cannot stand own through these merits alone. If you begin to look past show’s more shallow aspects then you start to see that this show isn’t really as good as it looks. While the show’s many characters are quite colorful are actually pretty flat and don’t really step out the boundaries of being mere archetypes. You can assume sum of the cast in a little more than few words. They are very one note and thus aren’t very compelling. I dare you to describe the characters without mentioning what they look like, their manner of dress, their occupation, or what their role in the show is. I dare you. Any of attempts at characterization is laughable at best. When the many character fall victim to the Titans you are supposed to care about them but are we as the audience are meet with is indifference.
The world is quite bare bones and it really isn’t all that interesting. There is definitely something here but rarely is it ever explored in depth thus making the show’s world building come unbearably weak. You’ll grow weary of the same town and villages over and over again but this could be good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it.
The show mostly relies on shock value to reel in viewers week by week which by itself starts to irritate you after a while making it less and less shocking each time it happens. This leads into yet another point that I have. The show is a shonen through and through. The show attempts to tell a mature story with the inclusion of more mature and concepts that one can rarely in its genre. However the show simply comes across as pretentious as tries to be more than what it is. The show frequently plays up some the more tired shonen trope and clichés.
In the end this only serves to hinder the show overall.
On the surface, the show looks pretty but when actually start to look inward you’ll find the show is quite ugly. This is why this show is garnered so much hype as most viewers aren’t willing to take time to dissect it and only appreciate show at face value. Regardless, I am sure many will eat right up as they always have.
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