Is “Attack on Titan” Really That Great?

In 2013, the anime series “Attack on Titan” hit the world by storm, creating one of the biggest anime hits of all time. Come on, don’t pretend – if you’re here you know about it! Practically every single anime convention ever since 2013 has had at least one member of the Survey Corps among its ranks of cosplayers, and even today, in early 2016, the Internet is STILL buzzing with discussions about it! Hell, the anime was so successful that even the creators didn’t expect it to grow THAT big, which is why today, 3 years later, the second season is still in development. That didn’t stop the Japanese movie machine from releasing two live action movies of dubious quality, several animated features with footage from the show and, of course, countless ads featuring the titular Titans. And after playing numerous videogames based on the franchise, the latest of which (titled simply “Attack on Titan”) released weeks ago in Japan, I can’t help but stop and ask myself… Why? Why is this anime so unbelievably popular, to the point where it has overshadowed everything else released in the last 3 years? Let’s take a closer look.

First, let’s discuss the things the anime does really right. It doesn’t take a trained otaku to realize that the visuals are phenomenal. This is a show that spared no expense in crafting its visuals, and it really shows. While “Attack on Titan” looks great practically all the time, it really shines during the action scenes, which involves the main characters leaping around in an attempt to reach the necks of the gargantuan Titans. The camera spins around, tracking each member of the Survey Corps as they leap across buildings in a way that would make even Spider-Man jealous. It is by far one of the best-looking anime series to date, and I’m comparing it with the best, such as “Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works”. Another thing I really loved about it was the depiction of war and PTSD. While there isn’t such a thing as a draft in the “Attack on Titan” universe, a lot of young people are pretty much forced to either join the army and help fight an enemy that they don’t understand nor stand a chance against or starve on the streets. As such, when the Titans finally attack, it’s little wonder that everyone is absolutely, gut-wrenchingly terrified. Some even go as far as to take their own lives, considering that a preferable option to being devoured. Watching the first real battle of the anime gave me chilling “Enemy at the Gates” vibes as I saw these young people, literally on the day of their graduation, being slaughtered like cattle. It’s horrible, it’s hard to watch and I love every second of it.

There were, however, many things that I didn’t love. Can you give me a synopsis of “Attack on Titan”? Okay, so the main character Eren is living a peaceful life with his family… And then Titans attack and everybody he knows dies safe for his best friends Mikasa and Armin. He vows to fight and kill all the Titans, joining the army and training to become a soldier… And then Titans attack and everybody he knows dies, safe for his best friends Mikasa and Armin. Distraught, Eren decides to join the Survey Corps and leave the comfort of his own home in order to kill all the Titans… And then Titans attack and everybody he knows dies, safe for his best friends Mikasa and Armin. You seeing a pattern here? The anime doesn’t have a plot, it just has a series of skirmishes against the Titans, which I guess would’ve worked out fine if they were spread out across Eren’s lifetime, but after the initial Titan attack in his childhood the guy seems to be attacked by Titans every few weeks. It’s ridiculous. This war, if you can call it that, has been fought for thousands of years, and all of a sudden this dude shows up and survives numerous battles in the span of a month or so alongside his best friends? I call nonsense.

And speaking of the best friends, have you noticed that all of the characters are extremely simplistic? Eren’s entire character can be summed up in 5 words – “Wants to kill the Titans”. Mikasa, his best friend since childhood, is even simpler – “Wants to protect Eren”. Don’t even get me started about how problematic it is that a female character’s entire being and everything she does and feels is based around a male character, to the point where when Eren is considered dead Mikasa almost ceases to function as a human being in the middle of battle. Armin is the most complex of all, since he takes slightly more words to describe, but essentially he wants to prove that he’s not as useless as his friends despite being the worst out of them when it comes to killing Titans. But that’s another major problem, isn’t it? Eren, out of nowhere, has the ability to turn into a Titan at will. Mikasa, out of nowhere, proves to be the most proficient soldier who ever lived, even putting veteran Titan killer Captain Levi to shame. Armin is hinted to be a strategic genius, but I’ll leave him alone for now and just focus on Eren and Mikasa. Why are these two people so special when all of their compatriots die left, right and center? And more importantly, why are we even following them? This is supposed to be a war story, even if the enemy isn’t human. You don’t see the Terminator pop up to save Private Ryan in the movie, do you?

But at the end of the day, maybe this simplicity is precisely what makes “Attack on Titan” so popular. It’s not an anime that requires you to think too much. Its premise alone provides you with thrills, excitement and drama, so as long as the writers keep throwing Titans at us we’ll be happy. Not every anime needs to be “Ergo Proxy” or “Neon Genesis Evangelion”, after all. Sometimes otakus need comfort food – something that’s, as the meme goes, same same, but different, but still same. “Attack on Titan” is that comfort food, and it does its job well. Just don’t expect it to be a gourmet.