Attack On Titan

I am not much of a Manga guy. Something has to be pretty mainstream and popular in the genre to get my notice and like AKIRA, this one came onto my radar after seeing all the people doing cosplay of the characters.

Originally a print property and then an animated series, this review is for the live action movie based on the book and TV show.

Attack on Titan has become a commercial success. As of July 2015, the manga has 52.5 million copies in print, with 50 million copies in Japan and 2.5 million copies overseas.The release of the anime also saw a boost in the series' popularity, with it having received critical acclaim for its atmosphere and story. Although it also gained fame in neighboring Asian countries, the series' themes have been a subject of controversy.



It's story can easy be summed up better in the trailer than it could ever be by my description of it. Just suffice it to say that the imaginations of the Japanese were working overtime with this one.
How one deals with destruction and personal tragedy is a big theme in Japanese films and manga is not exempt from all the ennui and soul searching.

We get the usual mix of characters here and everyone gets their moment in the sun and as usual there is a wild one that cannot be tamed. He has the biggest lesson of all to learn. He has to forgive himself the sin of surviving the first attack by the horrifying Titans. I swear I will hear their sick laughter in my sleep.

 

The movie gives you a good overview of the story although I felt some of the effects let me down. I wanted to see more of the ODMs that the fighters wear on their hips that allow them to 'fly' against the Titans. The film revels in it's gore but that is not a bad thing. I would have be let down if they cut back on the carnage which it totally appropriate to this world.

 

The story also ended with a big cliffhanger that wasn't necessary if they had spent less time running around and more time advancing the story. I enjoyed what I saw but I wanted to see more. I got invested in this world pretty quickly.