After having so many of my friends recommend the show “Attack on Titan,” I finally caved once I found out it was trending worldwide. With season four set to end in April 2021, fans have glued themselves to the show more than ever.
Being a newbie to the weeb society, I had never seen the show before and thought now is as good of a time to join the bandwagon as any. After watching almost the whole series in a week, I only have one thing to say.
If you value your wellbeing, I urge you not to watch “Attack on Titan.” This show is probably the worst thing I have ever watched. Not because it was bad, but because it was so good I didn’t want to sleep.
I have rarely found a show so binge-worthy where I regularly chose sleep deprivation over waiting until the next day. With unexpected plot twists and cliffhangers in seemingly every other episode, it is genuinely difficult to stop watching.
There are many things that make the show great, and it’s hard to not go on forever about everything that makes it a masterpiece. After much deliberation, I was able to narrow it down to my two favorite things about the show.
The Plot
The show is set in a dystopian medieval future. Humanity is on the point of extinction after almost having Titans (giant, cannibalistic humanoids) decimate them. In order to protect themselves from the Titans’ threat, humanity must live in a walled society to survive.
The story follows Eren Yeager in his quest for revenge against the Titans after a Titan eats his mother alive when he was a child. Determined to kill Titans and take back the land stolen from them, Yeager enlists in the military with his childhood friends Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlet.
Throughout their battles, Yeager and his comrades uncover mysteries about the Titans as well as their own civilization culminating in a conflict to decide the fate of the entire world.
The storyline of the show moves relatively slowly in order to properly develop plot lines and build character backstories. The pacing of the show makes it mysterious because, as the viewer, you rarely know anything the characters don’t.
Additionally, the show has some edge to it and is not afraid to kill off a central character at any moment. Focusing more on the moral grey area, characters find themselves in incredibly difficult situations where even the fans can’t decide what the “right” choice is.
The Dialogue
Whoever wrote the dialogue deserves an award, if not several. It comes off so naturally it hardly seems scripted, other than the cliché yelling that most action animes have.
The show conveys every emotion well, making it easy for fans to get attached to the characters. With death around every corner, you can hear the fear and sadness the characters feel.
Even awkward situations — like the embarrassment of telling your crush how you feel — are well captured in the show. You can’t help but sympathize with the characters because they seem so human. Paired with the high level of character development, you truly build a strong bond with your favorite characters.
Overall, there is very little to complain about the show other than the fact it is ending. It is worth all the sleepless nights and elevated stress levels incurred with every episode. Even if you are not a fan of action-packed shows, you will still appreciate the drama and suspense built into every episode. The only people I would not recommend it to are squeamish people or anyone that has a big test they need to study for.
