Not all anime are created equal. In a genre full of bombastic tropes and stereotypical over-the-top one-dimensional characters, the globally popular Attack on Titan seemed doomed straight from the onset to become a victim of the same pitfalls that plagued its predecessors.
Attack on Titan breaks free from the mold.
Arguably one of the best-written anime I have ever watched, Attack on Titan shines with its narrative cohesion, the believable development arcs of its characters, and Hajime Isayama, the manga’s author, knowing when to call it quits with the story.
Let’s face it, good writing is not as common as we’d like it to be in the anime genre. So it was a definite breath of fresh air that this show’s writing is sound.
Most of the time when watching other anime shows, I tend to turn off the logical part of my brain on some aspects so I can fully enjoy the entirety of the product without constantly being irked by inconsistencies and uncanny conveniences. In the most popular anime like Naruto and Dragon Ball, the spectacle itself is forced to eclipse the lack of substance in the shows’ writing. As a watcher, you just have to accept that, in any case, Naruto can talk his way through to a person’s heart, no matter how irredeemable, and that just magically repairs any harm done. Or that Goku can, for whatever way the story or plot turns, will his way out of any precarious situation.
The fluid and destructive action sequences, the imminent power-scaling, the discovery of new powers right in the middle of a crisis, the “hard work beats talent” angles, these are all common anime writing fallbacks when the creators have written themselves in a pinch. You see these tropes everywhere in the medium.
Attack on Titan uses these tropes to its advantage.
Of course, these tropes don't persist all the time, but these act as the standard. These elements are what define anime for what it is; it’s what separates anime from other kinds of shows. These are the reasons why some people love anime, but these are also the same reasons why some people hate anime.
And can you blame the creators for resorting constantly to these elements and tropes? The anime industry is cold-blooded, with writers and artists always under pressure to make the next chapter/episode and to finish the next volume/arc in hopes to turn out a profit. For mainstream shows and works like Naruto, Dragon Ball, One Piece, Bleach, My Hero Academia, the pressure mounts indefinitely. Millions of eyes everywhere perpetually waiting for what’s next.
The pressure does not faze Hajime Isayama. If anything, the pressure heightens the quality of his work.
Even at the pinnacle of its popularity, Attack on Titan remains cohesive, consistent, and well-coordinated. Although the show is still tethered to the anime-defining character stereotypes: the willful, hardworking, and intrinsically powerful main character, the silent badass side character/s, and all the over-the-top personalities of the show’s supporting cast, Isayama does not forego the work necessary to produce proper character depth and substance for watchers to be invested in these characters.
You get to relate with Eren, or at the very least you understand where he’s coming from. You empathize with Armin. You suffer with Erwin. You root for the character that most gets you. And when someone betrays the characters’ trust, you feel betrayed too.
Isayama also does not forget the work necessary for the watchers to be invested in the plot and story.
The premise itself is amazing.
Imagine a world where humanity has been cornered and confined within stone walls because of an apocalyptic threat of extinction in the form of gigantic unpredictable and mysterious humanoid titans.
Now imagine what people would do in such a world. Imagine their grief; imagine their temperament. Imagine the class systems in between walls. Imagine the societal mechanisms in place to keep humanity alive.
Now imagine breaking the walls down.
Imagine flipping that premise in over its head.
That’s what makes Attack on Titan special.
Not only does the show have spectacle in terms of action, art style, and music, but it also has the writing cohesion to string the show’s glamour together in a meaningful manner. But what truly sets the show apart is not its fascinating sequences (there are other shows that provide better action), nor its deep character work (there are other shows that create more engaging characters), but its ability to keep the mystery going for as long as it needs to go and its capacity to twist the narrative without it feeling forced or fraudulent.
Reminiscent to moths being drawn to a flame, the show leaves its audience craving for answers, only for these answers to produce even more questions in a grand evolution of mystery, where problems transform based on believable consequences.
By using common anime tropes to its advantage, binding its story on an engaging premise, grounding the world on believable systems of logic, and just being so darn engaging that each episode makes you want to watch the next one, Attack on Titan rises head and shoulders above its peers.
So watch it. You won’t regret it. It’s awesome.
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