Attack on Titan

If you have visited this blog, you are probably familiar with ‘Attack on Titan’, the work I am going to discuss here. So I don’t have any new information to offer, but as an ordinary man over 50 years old, ‘Attack on Titan’ was the first time I started watching anime. In other words, I have a strong attachment to this anime. This will be an uninteresting ramble, but we hope you will bear with me.

“Attack on Titan” is reputed to be superior to the original manga.

My friend, who had read a little of the original manga, thought it was ‘not very interesting’. I thought the original manga was quite interesting, but I could understand this friend’s feelings. Why?

In the early years of the original manga, the author’s drawings were poor. Bad drawing’ in manga does not mean that the drawings are not realistic, or that the perspective is wrong, or that the backgrounds are messy. It doesn’t matter. What is absolutely important is that each and every one of the characters is drawn separately. When you fail to do so, the reader will confuse the characters and will have difficulty understanding the story. In particular, the storyline in the early stages of Attack on Titan is based on the training of new recruits in the army, so the characters are close in age and wear similar clothes. In addition, the artwork is poor, making it easy for readers to confuse the characters.

Manga freaks like myself, who have been familiar with manga since childhood, have extremely good reading comprehension skills, so the fact that the original author’s drawings are poor is not a problem. However, when my non-freak friend read the original ‘Attack on Titan’ manga, he found that he confused the characters, which hindered his understanding of the story, and therefore concluded that it was ‘not very interesting’.

The anime depicts the characters with excellent drawings and colours, and above all, the performances of the unique voice actors ensure that the viewer does not confuse the characters.Thus, they can enter the world of the work without a sense of resistance. Of course, the quality of the anime does not stop there. The dynamic images, the background music and sound effects that enhance them, and the theme song are also excellent.

Which is better, the original manga or the anime? It would be tactless to think about such things. However, anime is better for me, as I have old eyes. Manga tires my eyes. 🥸

Highlights: In any case, it draws you into the world within the anime, so you can’t help but be curious about the rest of the story. This is addictive.

First, you are presented with a unique worldview full of mystery. Your mind is going, ‘What? What’s going on?’ and question marks abound. When you finally get to the heart of the matter, it is only the beginning of an even deeper mystery, and thus you are inevitably left wondering where the story goes from here.

Clues to the mysteries of the world of this work are presented in just a few clever ways. However, your expectations will be completely betrayed. While you freeze in amazement, the story moves forward dynamically. You will be one of the characters in this anime. Please practice and learn the salutes that the characters perform. “Dedicate your hearts!!”

The anime also has outstandingly interesting battle scenes. From the circumstances leading up to the battle, the well-thought-out tactics and precise decisions on the spot, to the gripping action and the sheer misery that the battle brings, every scene is so enthrallingly and brilliantly depicted that you will want to watch it over and over again.

The unique characters are another attraction of this anime. Their interactions and political games are interesting, supported by the superb performances of the voice actors.

Anime with interesting riddles lose interest once the riddles are solved. However, in Attack on Titan, the individual scenes are so excellent and exciting that even after the mystery is solved, you will not lose interest and will want to watch it over and over again.

Setting: The incomprehensible existence of Titans is astonishing. They counter with a cool weapon called the “Omni-Directional Mobility Gear” It is definitely exciting.

The uniqueness and strangeness of this anime is that the comically shaped Titans appear out of nowhere and devour people without question. They are not just killed. They are eaten alive. You will be shaken with indescribable fear and loathing. It reminds me a little of the movie “Jaws,” which I saw as a child.

However, the means to counter the Titans is really cool. It is the Omni-Directional Mobility Gear. This invention makes the battle scenes with the Titans very spectacular. Combined with the skillful use of moving pictures and the uplifting music, the action scenes are unparalleled.

↓Season1 Theme song of the first semester. The song is cool and the dynamic of Omni-Directional Mobility Gear is condensed in the video.

The Omni-Directional Mobility Gear seems to be powered by gas pressure, but that should not be enough power at all. There are plenty of unrealistic points besides that, but since they seem to use a special ore as a raw material, I judged that it controlled gravity and acceleration with the same action as the “Levitation Stone” in “Castle in the Sky”. On the contrary, I felt a sense of reality in the disposable sword shaped like a box cutter. (Incidentally, the box cutter in reality is a Japanese invention.)

What is a Titans? It is fun to think about this and that.

Titans appear out of nowhere. They are completely incomprehensible. As you continue to watch the anime, you are naturally left to imagine its true identity. At the beginning of the story, nothing is given as clues. The following information is presented little by little as the story progresses.

• Titans eat humans, but their purpose is to kill. Titans do not need food.
• Titans are lightweight despite their appearance.
• Titans are so large that they would normally have difficulty even standing. Therefore, some people think that the phenomenon they are aware of is different from the actual situation.
• Titans are too powerful when compared to humans in terms of size.
• When Titans appear, there is a flash and explosion like a lightning strike.
• Titans repair themselves quickly even if they are damaged except in vital areas.
• When Titans die, they are reduced to bones, as if they evaporate. (Perhaps the bones will disappear in time.)

The hypothesis I have derived from the above information is that “Titans are weapons created by prehistoric civilizations, and in reality they are high-energy bodies. Their energy is supplied instantaneously in the form of lasers from a satellite far above. When a human being is exposed to this high energy, an error occurs and he or she is transformed into a giant humanoid.” Of course, this hypothesis is dead wrong. 🤣

In retrospect, this hypothesis is also “Castle in the Sky” like. Castle in the Sky” is an old anime movie, but it is occasionally broadcast on TV, so I may have just happened to think of it when I saw it.😅

Story: The development is unpredictable. It’s too shocking for the mind to follow. That’s why it’s crazy interesting.

Anyway, this anime is a series of shocks. Just when you think you have found hope, you are thrown into despair. The characters are beaten down by defeat, but they rise up and strike back. The ups and downs keep our minds busy. The unexpected twists and turns are so fascinating that we can’t help but be curious about the rest of the story.

While the battle scenes are the highlight of this anime, the development of the mystery is also thrilling. The reactions of society as a whole to the appearance of Titans are also realistic. The political tactics of the various characters in different positions intersect with each other. This anime offers a truly multifaceted perspective.

Another factor that draws the viewer in is that the scale of the story grows as the main character grows from a small child. The growth and emotional changes of the characters also add depth to the story.

The original story of this anime was serialized for a long period of time. When you watch this anime all the way through, you will realize that the original author had everything perfectly in mind from the time he started writing the first episode to the ending of the final episode. It is an act of genius. The original author was only 24 years old.

However, it can be exciting and thrilling without thinking too hard. This is the essence of anime.

The characters in this anime are all very unique, and the voice acting is truly excellent. I urge you to watch it in Japanese.

It is well known that the main characters, Eren Yeager (voice: Yuki Kaji 梶裕貴) and Mikasa Ackermann (voice: Yui Ishikawa 石川由依), were excellent, so I would like to focus on just two of the many excellent supporting characters. (Of course, they cast other great voice actors besides these two.)

Hanji Zoë (voiced by Park Rumi 朴璐美). How many times have I been saved by her brightness, curious eyes, energy, and humor? All of this was made possible by the acting ability of voice actress Park Yuami.

Armin Arlelt (voice: Marina Inoue 井上麻里奈). He plays a semi-leading rather than a supporting role. In any case, the story progresses almost entirely from his point of view. The voice of a man from boyhood to adolescence, and the various emotions he goes through, was superbly performed by a woman, Marina Inoue.

And don’t forget. Every man should admire Levi’s strength and coolness. Hiroshi Kamiya(神谷浩史), the voice actor, has the same voice as Penguin from “Polar Bear Café”. Furthermore, Daisuke Ono(小野大輔), who plays Commander Erwin, is the llama from the same work. If you have a chance, please watch the anime “Polar Bear Café”. You will be surprised at how the voice actors’ voices have changed.

I’m jealous of those who haven’t seen “Attack on Titan” yet. You can watch all the episodes at once without a pause.