Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress

I see all these reviews stating this show is a COPY of attack on Titan. So does that mean every shounen of the past 10 years is a copy of dragon ball, one piece, naruto, or HxH? NO! This show shares similar points as attack on Titan as a Sienen show about survival, and it is incredibly fun and well animated. Do not listen to these reviews stating it's a copy - it is fun in it's own right. Watch it for yourself and see if you enjoy it, because others can vouch - it's a great time.

If you like AOT it's got enough in common to make you watch but it's differences make it its own show. However, it's not as well fleshed out as AOT. The characters such as ikoma, ayame and mumei are interesting but they could use more character development. Also, i actually like the pop rock with the action scenes, it's different. The threat of the Kabane though suspenseful and compelling isn't explored well enough to me. Maybe I missed something but the show doesnt explain where they come from, how they came to be and how exactly the main antagonist uses them. The threat switching more so from kabane to human is a bit jarring because it happens quickly. The show is good especially the last 3 episodes which are exciting but they are rushed. A lot happens and i feel most shows would've stretched those last several episodes into 6-9 episodes easily. 12 episodes isn't enough to adequately flesh out the show but to keep it short I feel like 20-24 would've done it. Some motives, back stories, etc are cut short or i feel ignored entirely but otherwise an enjoyable fast paced show. A solid 8.

The world is in the midst of an industrial revolution when near-immortal monsters appear and, through infection, turn humans into undead creatures: the Kabane. These monsters' only weakness seems to lie in their hearts, but these are protected by a thick layer of iron, requiring tremendous firepower or physical strength to destroy.

On the island of Hinomoto in the Far East, humans have built stations to protect themselves from these creatures; the transportation of people and goods between these stations takes place with the help of huge steam locomotives called hayajiro. The inventive Ikoma not only helps build these locomotives, he has also developed his own weapon to fight the evil creatures with.

When one day his home, the Aragane station, is overrun by Kabane, he tries to save himself with other survivors on board the Koutetsujou. After being bitten while successfully fending off a Kabane, he decides to sacrifice himself to allow the others to escape. However, he is saved at the last second by the mysterious Mumei, who explains to him what he has become: a hybrid of human and Kabane - a Kabaneri.

"Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress" actually surprised me positively, but that was probably because I wasn't expecting much.

The anime looks nice, just like the fights.

The story is relatively predictable, but the anime is still fun.

But it's mainly something for the eye.

When watching Kabaneri, everyone catches flashbacks to Attack of the Titans, and I am no exception here. It's still the same plot that there are humans and then there are kabanehs (you recognize that, right? Humans and titans). There are kabane infected with a deadly virus and become monsters, and there are kabaneri who have the abilities of kabane but retain a human appearance. All the same walls around cities that we're used to seeing, except there's also a huge train around which events unfold. There's a young girl running around killing everyone around her. All in all, those who like anime will like it, but for once to watch, to be honest.

First off, many are comparing this to Attack on Titan, but they are completely different. The kabane are zombie-like creatures with less intrigue than titans from AOT. The anime focuses less on the threat of the kabane and more on the social tension. The animation and soundtrack are amazing, often similar to AOT but that's to be expected given they share the same studio. The apocalyptic Japanese-steampunk setting draws you in and captivates you. Every episode kept you intrigued and hooked you to keep watching. There's barely any filler in the show which makes it packed full of plot. The villain is truly despicable, developing a hatred for him in just a couple episodes. Overall well done. I would give it a 10 if there were more episodes since some it did feel rushed in some of the backstory and plot points.