jakimiku

In a city surrounded by giant walls, the world outside is remembered only for its peril. Soon enough though, those memories might surface in a bloody and fatal way that leaves only death in its wake. When a young boy arrives with his adopted sister, they bring with them a grim warning of horrors most have ceased to believe exist. As flesh eating titans step out of legend and begin to mount their attack, humanity's last hope might rest on Eren Jaeger and his mysterious ability that no one fully understands, and everyone fears.

I haven't watched a lot of anime. Myazakis films and some cult classics but that's it. Luckily enough I found Attack on Titan, quite on a whim to be exact, but more than grateful that I did. Brutal, bloody, unpredictable and engaging, the show has it all. The plot resolves around humanity retreated into giant walled cities and its struggles from the point of view of Eren and his friends.

The setting is really nice. Some elements of medieval times, some of steam punk, some of old horror stories and folklore molded together into a captivating surrounding. This kind of tale wouldn't be complete without heroes to cheer for and Attack has a load of them. Eren as the main character, ever vigil and impatient to fight back, his adopted sister Mikasa with a cruel past of her own and only Eren left in the whole world, their childhood friend Armin, and other numerous companions. It must also be stated that the characters are not colorless or empty husks, quite the contrary. They are real people with ambivalent nature and different sides. The show does not turn away from killing off main and side characters as well, which is both unforeseeable and shocking in one go. It must be, as humans are mere ants to the titans, aspect which is presented with ferocious proximity.

Attack on Titan is a quick paced story, with flowing action and exciting fighting scenes. Especially well is drawn the aspect in which battles are always uncertain and no one is safe. Music is likewise fitting with both epic tunes and more mellow ones when called upon. The show asks a lot of questions about human nature. Is it best to live as captives, always in fear, or try to be free even if it could cost you everything? Do you put your faith in your friends or trust your own abilities to prevail? How do you cope with the consequences of the events you know you could have influenced? Also, as any good show, the hints and unresolved plot points keep you on edge with constant cliff hangers pulling you further inside the story.

In conclusion, Attack on Titan is an outstanding story. It is captivating and engages both mind and soul, great characters and their relationships are believable and admirable. Fast pace, action and fierceness are also shaped into the story and turn it to a more brutal affair without losing its heart. I can say that Attack on Titan is a brilliant show and hope the second season comes as quick as may be.

Great expectations before the film, definitely, and they really paid off. Guardians of the Galaxy is one of the best Marvel films to date, and a really good sci-fi at that too. The film is strong on so many levels, outstanding characters, great worlds, is emotional and humorous.

Peter Quill, or Star Lord as he likes to call himself, is a quick-witted man of Earth thrown into the far reaches of galaxy, who has stolen an artifact that everyone seems to want. By accident he stumbles upon four other characters, Gamora the assassin, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket the enhanced raccoon and Groot the humanoid tree, and the five of them form an unlikely team. The characters are really well presented, their emotional core is strong and back stories engaging. In short, they're interesting and easy to like. All of them have great moments and keep us wanting for more and more. Rocket, in particular, steals the show with his anger management problems and bright one-liners. It was great to see a group of people each with their own agenda come together, this dynamic worked really well. Star-Lord carried a lot of this weight, and was very sympathetic.

The film doesn't take itself very seriously, which was refreshing to see after also great yet darker themes of Thor and Captain America 2's. Guardians has a lot of laughs, witty dialogue, characters rub off on each other (and the audience), writing is perfect. The film is so entertaining, non-stop adventure but also knows when to balance with more dramatic themes. Scenery and worlds are spectacular, visual effects top notch. As a reader of the Guardians comics it was great to see some smaller motifs thrown in that may not be necessarily caught by regular viewers, but which the comic book readers will definitely be thankful for too.

All in all, Guardians of the Galaxy was an awesome watch. Amazing characters, vivid cinematography, great dialogue, lots of humor, soundtrack was nice, story exciting. This wonderful adventure and its captivating characters will be in mind for a long time.