A Brutal Examination of Survival in Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan (2013) is high-concept animation. There is both visceral action and deep political philosophy in the show, which is quite rare. This is a great show for those who want their dystopia to be morally challenging rather than entertainment for their jaded palate.
Visualizing the Gothic Horror of Survival
The series does a great job of making you feel claustrophobic with the Titans always looming and never too far away. The animation heightens the sense of desperate realism when the humans (who are both physically and technologically way below the Titans) are forced to be creative in order to high-stakes fight back. Although animation hiccups do occur here and there, the clever visuals have been enhanced by a love for grotesque design in monsters and sleek lines seen in the dystopian city. Therefore, the series creates visual language with animation and design that is unique to it. This style borrows heavily from Gothic design, but balances disgust and fascination intrinsically with the genre.
Navigating the Morality of War
One area where the show deviates from standard action-adventure content is its portrayal of the complexities of imperialism, genocide, and the cycle of hatred. Rather than the usual portrayal of a struggle between good and evil, the plotline begins to analyze how historic traumas and grievances can continue to perpetrate and justify violence.
Several critics have noted that the show’s reluctance to take a definitive stance against these darker themes leaves a lot to be desired. However, this is what allows the show to be timeless and continues to draw the audience in, while providing them with the difficult task of viewing the fictionalized portrayal of the given story and drawing the difficult, but accurate, parallels to historic conflicts.
A Challenging Proposition for Modern Viewers
Fans of serialized shows that break the norms of big monster films should add this show to their must-watch list. This show isn’t for everyone as its multi-layered politics and relentless amount of bleakness will be a tedious endeavor for audiences looking for a lighthearted and clean hero story.
Though, the show has done something impressive with maintaining consistent high levels of narrative tension throughout many years. I know people say it takes a lot of patience and a strong stomach to digest, but there’s a deeper meaning behind the freedom and history questions that are worth looking into.
