Shopping Guide
Attack on Titan is a new anime that has arguably picked up the most attention of any anime to debut this season. The original manga written by Hajime Isayama is also a huge hit, with more than 12 million copies in print.
Attack on Titan takes place in an apocalyptic world in which huge giants called Titans suddenly appear and threaten to wipe out human life. To protect themselves, the remaining humans build cities protected by massive walls and seclude themselves from the outside world within those walls, living out their lives like caged animals. However, one day a massive Titan the likes of which has never been seen before appears and breaks through the wall. The main character, a boy named Eren remembers this eventful day and the catastrophe caused by the Titans. Vowing revenge on the Titans and having the burning desire to annihilate them all, Eren enlists in the Recon Corps., the frontline in the fight against the Titans.
Attack on Titan is Isayama’s first published work. Even though he is a newcomer, the work reached first place in the 2011 Male Edition of “This Manga is Amazing!” and won awards in the shonen category at the 35th Kodansha Manga Awards. On top of this, the manga is extremely popular among its readers.
One of the charms of this work is the physically impossible Titans and weapons that are depicted in a strongly realistic way. The Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear flying mechanism and the wire weapons to tie up Titans are among those that add to the work’s charm. These components are conscientiously depicted, leading the work to give off a strongly persuasive fantasy element.
However, the strength of the story’s premise isn’t the work’s only selling point. Attack on Titan also features strongly unique characters and an interesting composition. The main characters are Eren, a boy with a strong sense of justice and an uncontrollable hatred of the Titans, and Mikasa, a beautiful, level-headed girl with a calm personality who some would say is overly attached to Eren.
Though, it’s not just the human cast in Attack on Titan that is impressive, but also the Titans themselves, who are strongly captivating and whose designs are terrifically revolting.
With its intertwining of many components, mysteries, and foreshadowing, Attack on Titan has a complex and rich appeal.
Directing the TV anime of Attack on Titan is Tetsuro Araki, who also worked on Death Note. Many wonder how the uniqueness he has shown in his past works will be displayed in Attack on Titan.
The opening intro to the anime, which shows characters flying through the air using the Three-Dimensional Maneuver Gear and features an emotional song performed by Linked Horizon, shows off the anime’s high level of completeness.
In much the same way as the manga, the anime shows the dread of the Titans and the hopelessness felt by those who are devoured without being able to do anything the save themselves. However, the anime depicts this with an intensity and urgency that only anime can. The anime isn’t only serious though; it retains the unique sense of humor found in the manga.
Regarding the TV anime, Isayama himself highly praised it on his blog in the following self-deprecating comment: “The original anime for ‘Attack on Titan’ is really interesting. I too will try hard on the manga.”
The story’s mysteries are beginning to be unraveled in the manga for Attack on Titan, and it’s becoming even more interesting. How the story will play out in the anime is yet to be seen. However, in making full use of the medium of anime, we are highly expectant of an all new appeal being created for the anime of this successful work, which is running on the frontlines of today’s shonen manga.
TV Anime Attack on Titan Official Site:
http://www.shingeki.tv/ (Japanese)
© Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / Attack on Titan Production Committee
This is a TokyoOtakuMode original article.
