“I had the sense that these insignificant moments were incredibly precious” >>> Attack on Titan feels like a story that was perfectly made for my tastes; one of the few stories that I’m in awe of exists. The plot, themes, action, characters, music, I really do think it’ll take me a long time, if ever, to find a new favorite. And it’s not even that I have a nostalgic attachment either, I only watched the show in 2021 near the height of its popularity. I knew nothing about it going in, and that’s the ideal way to watch it. If somehow someone’s reading this who hasn’t watched the show yet, never look anything up! Since then, I’ve watched it 3 times and it never lost its charm. The way that the story constantly changes and recontextualizes keeps surprising you, but it’s not out of nowhere. I appreciate a lot that Isayama had a good amount of general plot beats planned from the start which is why he was able to plant the seeds so well. Just look at the title of the first episode! You realize how good this all is too when a lot of the best episodes are completely dialogue or backstory, and it actually gets people engrossed! The episode “Declaration of War” took the world by storm and had people thinking thinking WW3 started because the episode trended, and it was just two characters talking. That being said, the action episodes are no slouch and many ODM gear sequences are the best in anime. I also love this story’s exploration of the cycle of hatred, determinism, human connection, understanding, and finding beauty in the cruel world I could write essays about this stuff. Another great strength of AoT is how it makes even small characters feel so relevant or makes you like them in such a short amount of time, Keith is probably my favorite example of this. Is it perfect? Of course not. I have my nitpicks like I do everything. Wasted potentials of certain characters, being on the nose at times, small pacing issues, and adaptational changes, but it doesn’t affect how I feel about this incredible story and I love it regardless :) It’s crazy that no matter what type of viewer you are you’re gonna enjoy something about this show, which is why it’s so popular. If you haven't watched it, you're missing out on some of the most rewarding and emotionally satisfying shows you've seen. I could honestly gush forever about the show and go down so many different threads. Didn’t even know if I was going to write this at all, but I thought I might as well ramble some general thoughts bc the brainrot is too much. Top 10 Episodes (idk check my lists I ranked them all but the exact ranking can change depending on how I feel because there are so many good ones) 1. Midnight Sun 2. Memories of the Future 3. Specials part 1 + 2 4. Hero 5. Bystander 6. Perfect Game 7. Friends 8. Children of the Forest 9. From You, 2000 Years Ago 10. That Day