The beginning is often the most exciting part.
Summary:
- The first season of Attack on Titan is special for a lot of people.
- It was exciting because it was the beginning of a new story.
- Attack on Titan used to have a unique art style.
Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) had a good run and no matter what you think about the finale, we’re sure that you’ll remember the series for a very long time. Or maybe even forever. The last season of the anime was filled with action, unexpected plot twists, drama, suspense and revelations. However, some fans think that Season 1 will forever remain the most special out of all, and we feel the same.
What’s so special about it?
Let’s start with the most obvious idea: starting something new is always more exciting. You don’t know anything yet, and the characters, the setting, the atmosphere — all of that feels fresh.
The world building has just started, and the story is gradually explaining things to you. Who are the titans? Why are there titan shifters? What is happening and who is the enemy? Questions and puzzles are always fun, and they’re the force that glues you to the screen and doesn’t let you drop a series.
Attack on Titan Season 1 was very good at preserving the mystery, but not to a point where everything you saw was a mystery. It provided just enough answers to make you keep watching and wanting to progress with the story.
Visuals also play a big role
The art style of the first season was nothing like other shounen anime. Every series has its own style, yes, but there was just something about Attack on Titan that made it so recognizable and you just knew: if you see a completely new AOT character out of context, you’ll realize that they are from this anime.
The backgrounds were beautiful and they provided great contrast to the gore and violence that was happening on the screen. The character outlines were thicker and even closer to comic-style projects.
Despite some obvious issues that the WIT studio had during the production (like CGI, for example), the animation quality was phenomenal. Attack on Titan has plenty of action, and all the battle sequences were executed perfectly. The direction was also great, and a number of fans praise Tetsuro Araki, who directed the first season of the anime.
Some fans suggest that the Attack on Titan anime can thank Isayama for the visuals in the first season. Early chapters of the manga had questionable drawing quality, which allowed the animation studio to create their own backgrounds and sceneries. Isayama developed his style over time, and later seasons focused on adapting manga panels more than on creating their own visions.