Wir Sind die Jaeger!: Attack on Titan Review (spoiler-free)

The entire cast of Attack on Titan

Adult Swim has a new addition to its Toonami line-up. It’s a series that I’ve been told by a lot of people that I should see. It’s quite possibly still one of the most popular cosplays for the past 2 years. That series is “Attack On Titan”.

This series has a serious fan base. Even at an event like Comic Con where you’re more likely to see cosplay for western comics and a small smattering of anime cosplay, it was still popular. When I went to the Best and Worst Manga of 2012-2013, it took both best and worst mangas (best for story, worst for drawing).

Eren Jaeger

And honestly, I was resistant to watch and read it. I was curious. But for the longest time, I just hadn’t gotten around to watching it. It was one of many new series that was on my list to watch (along with K and Gundam Unicorn). However, it’s something that had slipped by the side repeatedly. I was repeatedly told that I should watch the anime and read the manga. So, I finally sat down to watch it a couple of months ago.

Attack On Titan is about a walled city. People once again lived in walled cities because of the appearance of creatures known as Titans, creatures akin to giants. The exception is that they have no real intelligence and like to eat humans… not just human flesh, but people. So, they’re like what happens when you have zombie giants. The walled cities help ensure the survival of what’s left of the human race after the appearance of titans.

The military insignias from left to right: general military (boot camp graduates), Stationary Guard, Military Police and Scouts

That is the setting for Attack on Titan. The story revolves largely around three characters: Mikasa, Armin and the main protagonist, Eren. Armin and Mikasa are childhood friends of Eren. Mikasa has lived with Eren since she was little and Armin is a kid that Eren befriends.

The series starts with the outer ring of the walled city known as Maria. A new type of titan has appeared that acts a lot like a tank. Maria is razed and Eren’s mother is eaten by a titan. This fuels Eren to join the military and his wish to destroy titans.

The series follows them through military training and then onward as they continue in to the military.

I don’t want to give too much detail because I would like to keep this spoiler free. So, I won’t go on too much longer about the plot. I believe you have a good idea about how the story progresses.

Eren and the colossal titan

So, what did I think of the story?

Honestly, I thought the pacing was really slow considering the amount of episodes in the first series. For me, it took ten episodes for me to really start getting into the series. As I said, some of the big reveals were already told to me, so it made the first big reveal not such a big deal to me. The pacing is a bit slower than I would like. Once they finally start getting to the heart of the story, the series becomes engrossing. I finally wanted to know how things got to where they were. I just wish that the story got there a lot sooner than 10 episodes. I will say this, it took me some time to get a feel for the main characters. I still am more interested in many of the supporting characters more than I do for Eren.

What’s the animation like?

A few panels from the manga

This is something that did start to get to me. The backgrounds are gorgeous and well-detailed. There’s one thing that I couldn’t understand… all the humanoid characters had a thick, bold outline around, well, everyone. It’s something that I was having a hard time getting past. I wonder why they all the people were outlined in such a manner. Some times, that bold outline started to distract me from the anime itself.

Would I recommend the series?

The short way for me to say this is yes with a but. Once the story finally gets going, it’s great. It draws you in and keeps your attention. It takes some time before we get to see some good character development. I wish the pacing was slightly better than it is. I didn’t feel as engaged at the beginning of the series. This is actually due to the story. I started reading the manga and the plot was incredibly slow to start there as well.

Mikasa Ackerman, Eren Jaeger and Armin Arlert

Once the story finally gets rolling, it goes like a steamroller. You start to learn more about the world they’re in. It’s the backing story that starts to become the star of the series.

It’s certainly worth the watching. Just keep in mind that the pacing might not be what you were looking for. If you hang in there, you’ll find your patience rewarded.