Someone should have warned me that watching Attack on Titan would generate tempestuous urges to punch Eren in the mouth.
In order for Eren to vex me thusly, I broke one of my own rules: even though I am aware of the manga, I am watching the anime before doing the reading. I’m a “primary text” kind of guy who believes in the power of the original work, while adaptations are just for fun spectacle. I made this choice out of love; my wife and kids recommended that I watch. But I did not want to break two rules, with the other being that the work has to be complete before I consume it because I don’t want to be left hanging. See: Saga, Berserk, Miracleman. I fell behind my family’s pace of watching AOT, waiting until the series concluded.
So this is Season 1.
After a conversation with my little brother, he informs me that a key reason behind Eren Yeager’s insufferable personality is that shōnen manga and anime targets young boys; a main character begins a series as useless and undergoes his transformation through the series up to the moment he is supposed to be awesome. The Aesop’s Fables-like takeaway is to work hard, do your best, and you will succeed. My brother explains that this is why Naruto is named as such.
I have not watched or read Naruto, so I’ve added a note to do so at some point.
Anyway, Eren’s ability to transform into a Titan (capitalized for some reason, IDK) renders his mediocrity moot. I don’t know if AOT meets shōnen standards, but I hope not, because Eren’s ragaholicism is not a good example for young men to aspire. I am especially sensitive to his anger given the current political climate in the US, where the regime currently in power indulge in executing vendettas against those they hate (unjustifiably). Yes, Eren’s motivation stems from his mother’s death, but the “kill them all” energy manifesting into the very thing he seeks to destroy might be the actual lesson he should be learning.
Attack on Titan: join the military to kill world-ending monsters and get ate by one instead of going to therapy.
On top of blaming Hajime Isayama for creating the monstrosity that is Eren, I also have to struggle through anime tropes. I am no anime expert, but searching on YouTube for “anime tropes” yielded several annoying entries, but not the one that irritates me the most as a casual viewer. And that trope is, needlessly laborious conversations. Like, why are yall talking so much? We get the point already!
For example, in episode 18, the Scout Regiment flees into the forest to evade the female-looking sentient Titan. The show spends the entire episode with Eren arguing with Levi’s special ops team, claiming that they should turn around and fight. By the end, Levi fires a flare and the regiment captures the Titan with an ambush bolas and tethers.”See we told you so. Now you can trust us!” Yeah whatever. Two episodes later, the Titan escapes, and they go through this conversation AGAIN. Eren is like “Oh right! [We already argued about this two episodes ago],” and rides ahead.
The Titan then slaughters the entire team.
When the main character is an idiot but proves to be right annoys me, but as much as when anime characters spend entire episodes discussing one topic. Another example is episode 9, where Captain Woermann wants to blow Eren, Armin, and Mikasa to smithereens, so the trio has to plead their case as to why not. Finally in episode 24, Eren refuses to believe that Annie is a Titan and pleads her case because…well, I don’t know for any other reason besides his pertinacity. I do not know what to call this trope, but it exasperates me to the point where I do not want to watch anime.
I mean, AOT isn’t perfect, but I will stick with it. After all, I need to know why Eren can transform, why there are other Titans who can, and what their motivations are for blowing holes into the city walls which allow other Titans to enter. What is in the basement of Eren’s house? How did Annie become a Titan and what are her motivations?
Friggin cliffhangers, man.
In the meantime, I’ll say that Armin seems like an interesting egghead. Zoë is an amusing mad scientist. Erwin Smith seems like an astute commander. Potato girl is hilarious. Mikasa and Levi are obviously cool, and a quick Google search because I couldn’t remember their names reveals that they share a surname? Whoops, guess I’ll have to stay tuned to find out more about that spoiler!
Onward to season 2!
Blerd Beats 