A Show Like No Other: Attack on Titan

A show that has steadily begun attracting American watchers is rising to the top of best-rated shows in the U.S: Attack on Titan. This show st

ems from Japanese culture, the genre name being called anime. Anime is nothing different than a cartoon made in America, the only difference being it is spoken in Japanese. Anime shows derive from mangas, basically the book-to-movie idea that is present in America. Now I may have lost you after that: how could one enjoy a show that’s in an entirely different language? That’s simple: Attack on Titan is available dubbed, with the show being re-uploaded in English. Personally, I recommend watching this show, or any anime, with subtitles. The voice acting is phenomenal and very emotion-packed, but the dubbed is also very flattering.

Attack on Titan is a thrilling, complicated, extremely detailed show that requires your full attention and curiosity to be able to really feel the story. It reflects on the universal idea of ‘history repeats itself,’ and in this case, it’s war. We start off with the main characters, Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert in the year 845 CE; this year would be way in the past, no technology, no advanced achievements.. They live comfortably inside the walls that surround the entirety of their town. These walls were created to shut out titans, human-eating monsters that are terrifying to think about. One sunny day, the walls collapsed. As Eren, Mikasa and 

Armin stared in disbelief, they witnessed a titan 60-meters tall kick a large hole in the walls they call home. In disbelief and panic, Eren remembers his home and his mother. He runs to his home, praying to find his mother well-alive. Short-story short, Eren & Mikasa encounter Eren’s mother, (Mikasa’s foster mother), buried under rubble that had been caused by the titan. They are soon swept up into the arms of Hannes, a family friend who works for the Garrison regiment (people who maintain order within the walls). As Eren tries to struggle from Hannes’ grip, he witnesses his mother be brutally devoured by a smaller titan that had fled into the city. 

This disturbing first episode is the fuel for the main character’s will, and that will is to be free. We then begin to witness Eren’s journey as training as a Survey Corps member. The Survey Corps venture outside of the walls and kill titans first hand by slicing a precise cut on a titan’s nape (back of their neck).. Now this takes a lot of courage and bravery, and we can see our main character has both to the max. Each episode carries small hints and precise writing that connect with each other throughout all 4 seasons. 

At first sight, this show may seem weird, unrealistic, or odd. That is all reasonable when watching a show descended from another culture. As we delve deeper, we begin to realize the universal aspects of the show. It touches on the problem of racism, a group constantly being suppressed due to qualities/attributes they were born with. It also reflects on how war always repeats itself, showing each side and having you unable to determine who’s the protagonist and who’s the antagonist. With a show as intricate writing as Attack on Titan, even the last names of characters introduced are spoilers. 

As someone who has finished the show and has finished reading the manga, this show is overall my highest rated show. It’s a show that has always been a hit for anyone despite the fact that it’s anime. With new episodes airing every Sunday at 4:45 p.m streamed on Hulu, Crunchyroll & Funimation, the show is nearing its end. The ending is beyond what I expected, and it will certainly shock fans across the globe when it is aired on TV (for those who have not read the manga). Overall, this series gets a rating of 5/5 paws!! I recommend this series to anyone because I promise you, it is truly a game-changer, and you’ll find nothing else like it.