Initial Impressions: Shingeki no Kyoujin

I don't know about the rest of it, but at the very least, this premiere has certainly lived up to the hype.

Having never read the manga that Shingeki no Kyoujin is based on, I didn't have any personal expectations for the adaptation outside of what I'd heard from others, and as usual, I avoided spoilers like the plague. That being the case, I was prepared for something at the least decent, especially with Production I.G involved. Instead, we got something genuinely fascinating and well-executed, though whether the adaptation will be able to keep it up for the rest of the run is up for debate. There's no question that this is dark stuff; there's a rather frightening undertone to the whole idea of the Titans in general. They look like huge, naked human beings turned inside out (as if their flesh and muscles were in place of their skin) and their expressions as they murder and destroy are of an almost animalistic sadism. I don't know if there's supposed to be any parallels between the Titans and any commentary the author might be making about humans, but at the very least their presence is heavily unnerving.

There is, however, an existentialist debate at the heart of the series. Eren Jaeger (Kaji Yuki) is the son of a doctor, but he's utterly convinced (for reasons we're not yet told) that living in peace like prisoners within the walled city isn't a life worth living at all. His friend Armin Arelet (Inoue, Marina) agrees with him, though Eren's foster sister Mikasa Ackerman (Ishikawa Yui) seems to side more with their parents and the general sense that staying alive is a smarter choice that heading out into danger for the sake of the mere possibility of freedom. Both sides have good reason to argue their side. While most of the town seems to think that dying in the search of escape makes one's death pointless, Eren and Armin believe it inevitable that the Titans will one day breach the city, making it a necessity to stay prepared for war at all times. Unfortunately, they turn out to be right, and the city wall is destroyed at the hands of just one monstrous Titan that manifests itself seemingly from nowhere.

The true dramatic clincher, however, is the death of Carla, Eren's mother. Her sacrifice sounds noble and she begs the children to leave her behind, but at the very last moment she succumbs to the basic human fear of death, pleading that they take her with them. For me, this was the moment where empathic connection took over, and suddenly I was Mikasa and Eren, watching their mother be eaten alive by a creature so terrifying it smiles as it commits the deed. It is a visceral and horrible scene, one which succeeds in allowing Eren's desire for revenge to feel natural and understandable. The aesthetic values really help inspire awe and fear in this moment, but they're equally good throughout the episode. There's a bold outline to all the character designs that feels like a graphic novel, and there's some superb use of atmospheric stills and music. I've certainly got little to complain about for now, though it was a rather heavy experience for a Saturday night.

N.B.: Thanks to Ivan as always for the wonderful caps!

OP "Guren no Yumiya (紅蓮の弓矢)" by Linked Horizon
Episode 1 Screencaps: "To You, in 2,000 Years"