Shingeki no Kyojin

Imagine a world where humans are forced to live inside walls, banning books about the outside world - and speaking of journeying outside the world made you a heretic and was considered treason - but it was all to protect from man-eating beasts called titans. Even worse - these beasts eat people for the fun of it, not because they need a food source.

These walled cities haven’t seen a titan for more than 100 years until a titan taller than walls - named the Colossal Titan, appears from thin air and breaks down the gate. Enter Eren Jaeger, his foster sister Mikasa Ackerman, and their friend, Armin Arlert, who orphaned in the years after the fall of their town and Wall Maria.

After the death of his mother, Eren vows to eradicate the existence of the titans.

This anime aired in April of 2013 and ended in September of 2013 and it has quickly become one of the most popular animes in the world with the first season ending at 25 episodes, and two OVA’s (Shingeki no Kyokin - IIlse Langar’s Notebook and the Shingeki no Kyojin Chibi Theatre).

The author of this manga, Hajime Isayama, has done something new beyond ninja’s, pirates, alchemist, and butlers, he’s created a dark new world full of teenagers becoming adults on a bloody battlefield, trying to fight an enemy that they know almost nothing about.

Eren Jaeger’s endeavor to fight an enemy so much stronger than humanity itself is both riveting and heart-wrenching. All of the characters are so surprisingly human that you’ll ache for them as if you are there with them, experiencing their trauma right along with them.

One of the most striking things about this anime is that women and men are treated equally within the ranks of the military, and the lack of fan service. All of the main female leads are considered the strongest in their class, or just barely missing the mark. None of them are overshadowed by their male characters and can hold their own in a fight while retaining their femininity.

There are no ‘matrix boobies’ (see Highschool of the Dead, a terrible zombie anime), and no upskirt shots of a minor. Their bodies are proportioned properly (though Hajime’s art style can be inconsistent). The only ‘fan service’ in this anime is the animation.

If you’re looking for an anime that leaves the normal tropes with typical tsundere girls, ninjas, pirates, alchemists, and butlers, please take the time to watch (or read, because the manga is currently ongoing and updated recently). You will not regret it.

The downsides of this anime: You cannot have a favorite character because there is no promise that they won’t die in the middle of the series (I’m serious, not even the main character there is no guarantee any of them will make it out alive or humanity will win)

If you ship anything, be prepared for attacks on your pairing for people who take fictional realms, characters, and relationships way too seriously.

Rating: 4.5/5