Attack on Titan (2013)

Attack on Titan raises the bar for what anime can look like. The action sequences are choreographed and animated with a level of craft that live action can't match. the subversion of genre expectations is jaw-dropping every single time.

Attack on Titan was the first anime I watched and it set an impossibly high standard. The story of Mikasa Ackerman explores moral grey areas in war with a maturity I didn't expect. I've watched dozens of anime since and this remains the peak.

Attack on Titan uses its genre conventions to explore moral grey areas in war in genuinely surprising ways. Hajime Isayama's work rewards careful attention. There are layers here that only reveal themselves on rewatch.

Attack on Titan creates a world with its own logic, history, and rules. Everything is internally consistent. The way freedom and the cycle of violence shapes the world's politics and relationships is incredibly thoughtful. the subversion of genre expectations is the payoff to years of setup.

Attack on Titan establishes its world, characters, and stakes within the first three episodes. There's no wasted time. Armin Arlert is immediately compelling and the cost of vengeance is clearly defined. A sign of confident purposeful writing.

Attack on Titan has moments that hit harder than any film I've seen this year. Hero completely wrecked me. Hajime Isayama has an understanding of grief, hope and the human condition that is genuinely exceptional.

Great stories need great antagonists. Attack on Titan's villain understands that the most compelling opposition comes from someone with internally coherent logic. The conflict between Levi Ackerman and the antagonist is one of the great rivalries.

Attack on Titan has some filler episodes that slow the pacing. Get past them. The story arcs surrounding Hero are worth every minute of slower content. The best parts are genuinely great.

Attack on Titan has one of the great anime soundtracks. The music elevates emotional scenes to something transcendent. the jaw-dropping animation in later seasons is made three times more impactful by the score. Hajime Isayama clearly understood how music and image work together.

Attack on Titan took narrative risks that paid off completely. Hajime Isayama's willingness to subvert expectations while honouring its themes makes it genuinely original. The The Door of Hope arc is one of the great story arcs in all of fiction.