Considered by many to be the most popular anime series of the current era, Attack on Titan is an anime that every anime fan has at least heard about. With over 3 million active watchers, this anime is one of the highest-rated anime series on myanimelist.
If the online rating and popularity of this show are not enough to convince you into watching, then this review right here definitely will. This is my unbiased review of the first four seasons of the Attack on Titan anime series. Be sure to leave a comment below if you feel like further discussing the story of this anime.
Please keep in mind that certain parts of this review will contain spoilers, but I will try my best to not mention anything major.
Plot
The plot of Attack on Titan follows the story of a young boy named Eren Yeager, who lives in an alternate universe in which colossal and frightening beings called Titans exist. These giants have sent humanity to the brink of extinction! The remaining humans managed to somehow survive by building huge walls that are impenetrable for the titans as they lack intelligence.
Humans stopped fearing the titans as much as they used to as the walls stood tall for more than a 100 years. However, everything changed one day when a titan taller than the wall itself suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Attack on Titan Story Review
Season 1
The first season of Attack on Titan was something anime enthusiasts all around the world immediately fell in love with. The story is pretty fast-paced and filled to the brim with action! In this season, we focus on the lives of Eren, Mikasa and Armin after the first titan attack. The personalities of these three kids develop a lot as they start training to become scouts.
While I loved the first season of Attack on Titan, I’d have to say the anime series did not really seem like anything special at the time. Sure, it was super entertaining and had some of the best animation sequences we had ever seen, but the story itself still seemed a bit bland and too straightforward. At first, Attack on Titan seemed like just another shounen anime. However, as I approached the ending of season 1, things started to get a lot more interesting.
Season 2
In my opinion, season 2 is where the anime series seriously starts to establish itself as a classic masterpiece. Because of the huge gap between the first two seasons, the hype for Attack on Titan had somewhat died off by the time season 2 got released.
Despite only having 12 episodes, the pacing of season 2 is a lot slower compared to season 1. However, don’t let the slow pacing fool you, as this season is also just as action-packed as the one before it. In this season, we learn more about the humans that are able to transform into titans at will.
Season 3
The third season of Attack on Titan has been divided into two parts.
Compared to the previous two seasons, season 3 part 1 contains close to no titan-action. This is because this season completely changes the atmosphere and focuses on the inner conflicts between the humans that reside inside the walls. This season reminds us that humanity is a way bigger threat compared to the titans. One trait that I seriously loved about season 2 was that it focused a lot on the side characters in the story, and this trait got further explored in this season. Season 3 part 1 truly shows us that Attack on Titan is way bigger than just a story about some man-eating giants and a few heroes.
While the first part of season 3 lacked a lot of the titan action that this anime is known for, part 2 more than made up for it. Season 3 part 2 is definitely the most entertaining and action-packed season of Attack on Titan. This season gives us an all-out war between the scouts and the invaders that live outside the walls. After the war ends, the anime finally unveils its biggest secret. The scouts are able to get to Eren’s basement and discover the truth about the entire world. The story of Grisha Yeager is also explored through Eren as he sees the memories of his father.
Season 4
The atmosphere of the show once again changes dramatically in season 4 as it focuses on the lives of the humans that live outside the walls. Two parts of season 4 have been released so far.
The first part of this season shows us that the humans living outside the walls are also just regular people. Season 4 part 1 adds a lot more complexity to the story as it shows us that no one is truly evil. The tables get turned in this part of the story as the humans living inside the walls decide to invade the outside world instead.
Season 4 part 2 is filled to the brim with twists and turns, and it takes us closer to the finale of the series. I won’t be talking about this latest season in detail in order to avoid spoilers. All I can say is that you will be left speechless.
Characters
Trust me when I say that the characters in this series go through some major character development! This anime doesn’t just focus on the main characters but also lets us fully explore the lives of all the many good and bad people that get introduced in the series. The characters of Attack on Titan are very well-written.
Visuals
The Visuals of Attack on Titan are out of this world!
Season 1-3
The first three seasons have been animated by Studio WIT, and they contain some of the most beautiful looking anime scenes you will ever watch. The use of CGI has been kept minimal, and all the fights are simply brilliant.
Season 4
The fourth season of Attack on Titan got animated by Studio MAPPA instead, and while it still looks pretty good, the animation is not even half as good as the first 3 seasons. All the titan fights in season 4 part 1 overuse CGI and ruin the intensity of the show.
I’m still glad that MAPPA managed to make season 4 part 2 look way better than part 1. The second part makes proper use of CGI and delivers in every single episode.
OSTs
The soundtracks of Attack on Titan perfectly fit the theme of the show and are very memorable. My personal favorite soundtrack is Apple Seed by Hiroyuki Sawano.
Attack on Titan Voice Acting Review
The voice acting in this series is also brilliant! Being an intense and emotional series, every line must get delivered with the utmost care. The VAs always manage to nail the emotions of the characters and get us further invested.
Conclusion
What I really love about this show is that it isn’t just the story of one protagonist. Attack on Titan is a realistic anime that can’t be defined by a single genre. This series shows us the reality of a very cruel world through the eyes of its many pitiful characters.
Another thing that I must mention in this Attack on Titan review is that almost everything in this series always gets foreshadowed and makes complete sense. All the seasons are connected to each other and tell us a grand story that will get remembered for many years.
So far, Attack on Titan is a 10/10 masterpiece which is actually as good as all the fans say it is.
Would you like to read some of my other reviews as well? Check out this review of Re:Zero.
