It seems like the fandom just casually forgot about the anime’s bombastic premiere.
Summary:
While AoT’s finale is controversial, its first episode is still one of the best premieres in all of anime.
S1 EP1 does everything the viewers want from the anime — and that can be said about the first arcs in general.
Yes, AoT could probably do more with an extended premiere, but some of the beauty of its Episode 1 comes from how concise it is.
Nowadays, Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) seems to be mostly talked about because of its controversial finale. It wasn’t always like this, however: for the first few seasons of the anime, the series was almost universally beloved by fans — and one of the reasons is just how perfect the premiere of it is.
AoT’s EP1 is perfect
First episodes, in general, are extremely important, as they need to capture the viewers’ attention nearly immediately. Nowadays, there’s so much anime that many fans would immediately drop a series that doesn’t interest them. Attack on Titan knows that — and so it hits the fans with the first episode they’ll never forget. It does everything the anime actually needs — showcasing some of the crazy action, getting you emotionally invested in characters’ struggles, and explaining the basic ideas behind the world it’s set in. It’s very easy to get hooked from there, and there’s basically no moment in episode one that bores you, making Attack on Titan’s first episode truly one of the best anime premieres ever.
This can be said about the first arcs as well
Overall, the first arcs of Attack on Titan are made in such a way that appeals to both newer and more seasoned fans. There’s a lot of action and violence, and the anime doesn’t hold back its brutality or deaths — you learn the hard way that the characters will die in this one.
While this is not uncommon in anime, it might catch some of the viewers that only watched more light-hearted series off-guard. And for more experienced otaku, the first arcs are filled with foreshadowing and mysteries, some of which would only get revealed way later. This leaves room for speculation and fan theories, promoting more discussion and attracting more and more people to the anime.
Could it be improved?
Nowadays, however, many anime have tried different approaches to the first episode. Oshi no Ko’s Episode 1 is basically a whole movie in itself, spanning well over an hour (and it’s by far not the first anime that did that). Frieren released the first 4 episodes at once, giving the viewers the taste of the show which perhaps could not be contained in one episode alone.
Could Attack on Titan’s first episode be better if it was longer, some fans wonder? Yes, perhaps, but some of the beauty comes from just how concise it is — it only needed 20-something minutes to show the viewers everything they needed.
It seems like the fandom just casually forgot about the anime’s bombastic premiere.
Summary:
While AoT’s finale is controversial, its first episode is still one of the best premieres in all of anime.
S1 EP1 does everything the viewers want from the anime — and that can be said about the first arcs in general.
Yes, AoT could probably do more with an extended premiere, but some of the beauty of its Episode 1 comes from how concise it is.
Nowadays, Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) seems to be mostly talked about because of its controversial finale. It wasn’t always like this, however: for the first few seasons of the anime, the series was almost universally beloved by fans — and one of the reasons is just how perfect the premiere of it is.
AoT’s EP1 is perfect
First episodes, in general, are extremely important, as they need to capture the viewers’ attention nearly immediately. Nowadays, there’s so much anime that many fans would immediately drop a series that doesn’t interest them. Attack on Titan knows that — and so it hits the fans with the first episode they’ll never forget. It does everything the anime actually needs — showcasing some of the crazy action, getting you emotionally invested in characters’ struggles, and explaining the basic ideas behind the world it’s set in. It’s very easy to get hooked from there, and there’s basically no moment in episode one that bores you, making Attack on Titan’s first episode truly one of the best anime premieres ever.
This can be said about the first arcs as well
Overall, the first arcs of Attack on Titan are made in such a way that appeals to both newer and more seasoned fans. There’s a lot of action and violence, and the anime doesn’t hold back its brutality or deaths — you learn the hard way that the characters will die in this one.
While this is not uncommon in anime, it might catch some of the viewers that only watched more light-hearted series off-guard. And for more experienced otaku, the first arcs are filled with foreshadowing and mysteries, some of which would only get revealed way later. This leaves room for speculation and fan theories, promoting more discussion and attracting more and more people to the anime.
Could it be improved?
Nowadays, however, many anime have tried different approaches to the first episode. Oshi no Ko’s Episode 1 is basically a whole movie in itself, spanning well over an hour (and it’s by far not the first anime that did that). Frieren released the first 4 episodes at once, giving the viewers the taste of the show which perhaps could not be contained in one episode alone.
Could Attack on Titan’s first episode be better if it was longer, some fans wonder? Yes, perhaps, but some of the beauty comes from just how concise it is — it only needed 20-something minutes to show the viewers everything they needed.
