In a world where the rest of humanity is surrounded by walls, surrounded by thousands of titans, a young boy named Eren Jeager vowed one day to exterminate them all, no matter what. In 2009, a manga under the name Shingeki No Kyojin was released in Japan.Arriving later in France, the manga, then the anime of the same work is an international success.It is in April 2021, that this true work of art ends.Let's immerse ourselves in this beautiful universe that is Attack of the Titans!
Striking characters, sometimes detestable then endearing
This is surely one of the major strengths of this manga, the characters.Indeed, in a world where only survival is the watchword, the best and worst traits of the human race stand out.In SNK, the characters are both funny and offbeat, as are female characters like Hansi and Sasha, which makes them all the more endearing.Others are more solitary, introverted, like Corporal Livai or Mikasa. There are determined people in their own way like Armin or Eren.In short, SNK, offers us a gallery of touching characters, very endearing, who know how to make us vibrate in their own way.With all this, it's really hard to hate anyone. Beyond being simply, Eren, Armin, or Mikasa etc. These characters are also representations, true personifications of emotions and feelings. When you watch Eren act, you think of freedom at all costs.Justice and peace are notions that echo Armin's character. Then love and friendship represent Mikasa somewhere.Isayama's characters are true symbols of life, which further enhances the writing quality of Attack on Titan.
Relationships
The relationships between these characters and each other are very well developed. In this world of survival, the young recruits of the exploration battalion have never stopped helping each other, betraying each other, then loving each other, separating, or saying goodbye. The way these relationships are approached pushes the reader to be with them, as if, somewhere, we also live within these walls.
The quest for freedom and truth
Locked up for years, surrounded by walls, the Eldians, the people of Ymir, including our heroes, will seek to free themselves.But at what cost? Do we really have to sacrifice everything, risk our lives, to achieve our goal? Eren, who represents this quest for freedom, serves as a banner for this cause, which seems to be a wasted effort. The author offers us in his manga, a fight for survival that requires a lot of sacrifice. This is one of the main aspects of SNK.This is the common thread of each season, but in different ways. For our heroes, our group of warriors, all truth is good to hear. We see it throughout the seasons, since there is only one thing that interests them; know where they come from, why they are where they are. And somehow, the author integrates us into this group of warriors, because the reader is not omniscient. We move forward through the visions and trials of our heroes. All this brings an intriguing side to the thread of the story. The whole plot is full of revelations and twists and turns. Isayama manages to keep his readers in suspense, one has the impression of living with Eren, Armin or even Mikasa.We also in the end, we want to know where the titans come from, why our heroes are locked up on this famous island of Paradise.
Caught in the trap of government and propaganda
This is not particularly felt in the first season, but more in the following ones, the author offers us such a political work. This is also rare enough in manga to emphasize it here. Creating a supernatural work with so much political and social coherence is risky, but it is a successful challenge for the author.In SNK, propaganda is a highly developed aspect.Can we say that with these themes, Isayama denounces our current society?Readers are free to make their opinion! Without spoiler, the manipulation of the masses by the government of the island of Paradise is part of a very important axis of history. Beyond that, it is one of the arteries of Attack on Titan. All Eldians face a government that does not tell everything, and that even goes so far as to influence the masses. And of course, propaganda is commonplace, in a world where survivors are facing themselves.
Fate
When we read or watch SNK, we can only realize the fatality that weighs on the universe. No matter what path our heroes take, no matter what the trials, it feels like some kind of curse will follow them to the end.The epic side of the work also greatly reinforces this fatality, which seems not to want to detach itself from our characters.Like ancient myths, Attack on Titan sounds like a tragedy, a destiny that is all mapped out, which our heroes may manage to get rid of one day. SNK is a true inspiration from the ancient Greek counts, where the characters find themselves stuck in a kind of inevitable fate. The suspense, the epic, warlike, sometimes even horrifying side, are facets of the work that show us how close this anime is to the tragedies of Sophocles, Euripides or Aeschylus.
The cycle of hatred, war
The infernal circle of hatred is the fundamental aspect of this manga.Indeed, in this world, mistakes have been made in the past, everyone takes revenge without really knowing why. In Shingeki no Kyojin, the faults of the past have repercussions of traces on the present.And these traces in the present will create mistakes in the future.And for good reason, no one is left alone, everyone seeks justice. When you, reader or viewer, have finished SNK, ask yourself the question, what if the author had told us the story from the other point of view?With this kind of work, the question arises, because in the end, we realize that in the world of attack of the titans, everyone fights for what seems right to them. No character acts in a malicious manner.Even to the point that it is impossible for us to hate anyone in the attack of the titans. Throughout the manga, our heroes continue to be at war.You will see how, but we feel the inspiration of the wars of the 20th century.In SNK, we have the right to real confrontations, punctuated by beautiful music, which therefore emphasize the opposition, the epic side. There is a lot of fighting.Even if it is not the most important point of the work, it was necessary to talk about this aspect.
Editor's opinion
It is clear that SNK is one of the best manga of its generation.First of all, the mastery of the work and the common thread is to be noted. In addition, the manga manages to stand out thanks to its atypical side. This is partly due to the backgrounds and the look of the characters.The committed, thought-provoking side makes the work better. Only, we regret an ending that would have deserved a little more explanation, speeches.We may leave the characters too quickly after the last events. The work remains coherent.As for the anime, the quality of the themes (music) is to be highlighted, because we immerse ourselves all the more in the universe developed by the author.
Shingeki no Kyojin is ;
A work that encourages reflection, which, beyond simple drawing or simple writing, reveals a real philosophical significance and transmits a message of peace.