Anime Review ~ Attack On Titan: A Deep Dive into a Shonen Masterpiece

Hello Anime Lovers,

Anime Details

Attribute	Details
Anime Name	Attack On Titan
Number of Seasons	4 (4th season with 4 parts)
Number of Episodes	88, 8 OVA and 1 movie (Movie is filler)
Airing Period	2013-2023
Genre	Action, Drama, Shonen, Suspense
Theme	Military, Gore
IMDB Rating	9/10
MAL (S1) Rating	8.54/10
MAL (S2) Rating	8.51/10
MAL (S3 P1) Rating	8.62/10
MAL (S3 P2) Rating	9.05/10
MAL (S4 P1) Rating	8.80/10
MAL (S4 P2) Rating	8.77/10
MAL (S4 P3) Rating	9.03/10
Personal Rating	9/10 (S1-S3), 8.5/10 (For S4)

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If a list of the world's most popular anime is made, Attack On Titan would undoubtedly secure a spot in the top five, and almost everyone would agree on this. I have no doubt that most of those reading this right now have already watched this anime. Still, for the sake of this discussion, let’s talk about its basic premise.

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Plot Overview

In the world of Attack On Titan, humanity survived within three layers of walls. The outermost layer housed ordinary people and soldiers, also known as the Survey Corps, who were responsible for security. The Survey Corps’ duty was to stop Titans from crossing the walls. The second layer was home to the elite class, and the third, the safest layer, was where the rulers resided. Here, Titans are essentially human-like monstrous beings that survive by eating human flesh.

The main character of this anime is Eren Jeager, a boy from an ordinary family living in the outermost layer of the walls. In the first episode of the anime, two powerful Titans break through the wall, and many Titans enter, taking the lives of countless innocent people. Eren manages to escape from there with great difficulty.

Those who have read this far probably know what happens next. Speaking of Attack On Titan’s storyline, it is, in one word, one of the best storylines I’ve seen in shonen anime. Season 2 and Season 3 had some extraordinary and unexpected twists that were truly impressive. Seasons 1 to 3 were outstanding. However, at the start of Season 4, many might not understand certain aspects. This is because the storyline and storytelling in Season 4 were somewhat different compared to the first three seasons. I even have some complaints about the animation studio regarding Season 4. Four parts for a single season? What’s that about? Season 4 began streaming in December 2020 but is only concluding in 2023. Yes, I acknowledge that the second season was released almost five years after the first, but that’s a different matter. To me, Season 4’s animation felt stretched like rubber. It didn’t need to be dragged out so much. Still, it’s an enjoyable anime and, from my perspective, a must-watch.

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Technical Aspects

The first three seasons and the final season were not animated by the same studio. As a result, when you start Season 4 after finishing the first three seasons, the art style will feel significantly different. Some characters’ face designs even seemed completely ruined. Seasons 1 to 3 were animated by Wit Studio. I believe Wit Studio managed to maintain the quality of storytelling and action scene animation appropriately. However, when MAPPA Studios took over for Season 4, they elevated the action scenes’ animation to the next level, which is truly praiseworthy. Among the opening songs, Season 2’s “Shinzo Wo Sasageyo” was fantastic, and the opening for the first part of Season 4 was also great. Speaking of art style, Seasons 1 to 3 had a decent art style, which I hope everyone will appreciate. But when everything changes slightly in Season 4, it might not feel good at first, though I hope you’ll adjust to it later. Despite all this, one thing about this amazing anime disappointed me, and that’s its ending. I’ve read the manga, so I know what the ending is. For those who haven’t read the manga, I won’t give spoilers—watch it for yourself. Not everyone will find the ending disappointing; opinions and devotion to something vary from person to person.

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Character Analysis

Speaking of the characters separately, among the female characters, Annie was my favorite for some reason, though I see most people choosing Mikasa. It’s not that I didn’t like Mikasa—she was definitely great. Sasha was also decent. Among the male characters, the change Eren underwent in Season 3 made him an excellent character for me afterward. As for Captain Levi, he’s the character with the most fangirls and was also quite good as a character. The problem is, he’s excessively short (5 feet 3 inches).

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Now, let’s talk about the watch order for this anime.

Watch Order

First, as usual, finish watching all of Season 1. Don’t move directly to Season 2 afterward. You need to watch five OVA episodes before going to Season 2. The watch order for those five OVA episodes is: Ilse's Notebook, The Sudden Visitor, Distress, No Regrets Part 1-2. After watching these five OVA episodes, finish all of Season 2 of Attack On Titan. Then, you need to watch another OVA, Attack On Titan: Lost Girls: Wall Sina, Goodbye Parts 1-2. After that, watch the first 12 episodes of Season 3, followed by another OVA, Attack On Titan: Lost Girls: Lost in the Cruel World. After this, there are no further complications. Watch the remaining episodes of Season 3 and Season 4 in order, and your series will be complete.

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Final Words

If there’s anyone who still hasn’t watched this anime, I’d say, go watch it. Because this show is truly great.

Thank you for reading.

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Anime Trailer

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Credit
Images taken from TheMovieDB
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