Back to Huangi's Profile Huangi's Profile

Attack on Titan is not perfect, nothing is. That being said it truly deserves to be considered a modern classic and will go down as one of the most influential series to come out of this medium.


(this review will be spoiler free and very vague for those who have not read it)


STORY: 9/10

The story of Attack on Titan is unique, one of a kind, and undeniably brilliant. It has its clichés here and there but the overall thought put into writing such an intricate and compelling story is unbelievably impressive. The concept of the series is simple and nothing all that profound; titans ... invade humanity, and humanity fights to survive. However, it is soon discovered that this simple premise was not just a one dimensional action packed roller-coaster that it was originally portrayed to be. It was a well thought out, well calculated, and multilayered masterpiece that would be explored to the likes we could've never imagined. Isayama took this simple concept of titans vs humans and effortlessly molded it into a story of politics, racial discrimination, oppression, and many more powerful themes to create a story for the ages. Attack on Titan is able to bring out so much emotion in the reader whether it be through shocking deaths, unexpected plot twists, passionate speeches, and all around incredible storytelling. There is so much more to talk about yet I feel like my words would never do the articulate and beautiful story of Attack on Titan any justice.

ART: 8/10

The art in Attack on Titan is great, and fairly underrated in my opinion. Obviously series like Berserk, Vagabond, and Slam Dunk are miles ahead but that doesn't mean AOT is any bad. In fact, some panels in Attack on Titan are surprisingly beautiful especially when it comes to later chapters. I will say the art in the beginning of the series is very mediocre however as the series progresses so does the intricacy of the art. Additionally, the character designs especially of the titans is incredible. Their unique anatomy and uneasy facial expressions make them truly stand out from anything this medium has ever produced. However, the fight scenes are where Attack on Titans art is at its best, and truly is able to immerse the reader in the brilliance of the action. There is so much detail to every aspect of the panels, including movement, expression, highlighting, shading, that all come together to create a brilliant flowing scene. Attack on Titan has some amazing art in it that perfectly fits the tone and atmosphere of the series. Combine this with the unique and realistic character designs and you have the recipe for a beautifully drawn and instantly recognizable series.


CHARACTERS: 9/10

Where do I even begin? The characters in Attack on Titan are special, and are able to captivate what a lot of other series fail to do. Each of the characters introduced throughout the series serve a purpose in the narrative which makes it easy for the readers to become attached and drawn to their journey. Love him or hate him Eren Yeager is a fantastic protagonist when it comes to writing and character development. The amount of evolution he gets as a character is a rarity to find in this medium and is truly a sight to behold. In fact, every character in the series has amazing development and all evolve in a way from when they were first introduced. It is truly beautiful to see all these characters grow up together and become more and more unique as time goes on. The characters in Attack on Titan age like fine wine, becoming more intricate and detailed as the narrative increases its complexity. I also find it fascinating how the series doesn’t really have a definitive "villain" as it could really be anyone depending on your point of view. Yes, there are some obvious choices but this dilemma makes the story that much more interesting to read. Not too many series out there can have a lot of characters in their narrative that contrast brilliantly with each other whilst having unique personality traits to make them stand out. The thought put into developing and constructing the characters in Attack on Titan is marvelous and stands out as one of the best.


ENJOYMENT: 10/10

Reading this manga and watching the show has been one of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever done in my life. As soon as I was hooked to the series I couldn’t keep my eyes off of the screen and literally shouted on multiple occasions out of pure enjoyment. Attack on Titan isn’t the most thought provoking series out there (which is usually my cup of tea) however if we’re talking from a pure enjoyment stand point, there really isn’t anything that can compete with the sheer brilliance of AoT.


OVERALL: 9/10

Attack on Titan is not by any means a perfect series, however it is a god damn good one. If you haven’t taken the time to watch/read AoT please do yourself a favour and immerse yourself in this fantastic series. I was originally skeptical of the AoT as I usually despise “normie” shows and thus assumed it was just another hype piece of trash. However, after seeing Gigguks “Attack on Titan is incredible now” I sat down and easily binged through season 1-3 and fell in love with everything it had to offer. After completing The Final Season I read the entire manga from start to finish and now consider myself a fan of the series. I can’t believe it has now ended after over a decade but I truly believe AoT will go down as a modern classic and be remembered forever. Thank you Hajime Isayama and everyone else involved in bringing us this amazing and surreal piece of fiction that I will never forget.

This is my first ever review on MAL. I don’t expect anyone to read it but I just wanted to give it a go and see what happens. So if you have taken the time to read my review thank you and I truly appreciate it!

Disclaimer (spoilers): I wrote this before the last few chapters were released where I felt like pacing and delivery fell off. My overall score is now a 7. It's truly disappointing that a masterpiece like Attack on Titan didn't end with the same quality it had been providing for its entire run.