In 2013, the animated version of Attack on Titan sparked excitement in many people’s hearts. The much-loved manga, which started in 2009, quickly became an international hit that snowballed into a production and fan base of millions. Though the manga is still similar to the animated version, many fans believe that the anime itself was produced better than its original counterpart.
Throughout the whole series, with both additions in the animations and scenes within the storyline itself, the new concepts below are what make the anime of Attack on Titan better than the manga.
10 The Pomegranate Scene
The pomegranate scene within the first season of Attack On Titan was a widely talked about topic back in 2013. However, what’s truly interesting is that the scene itself was never in the manga. Fans undoubtedly loved Mikasa’s inner monologue at this moment, and because of the conflict she felt after Eren’s supposed death, the scene was a good addition to clear things up in the anime.
Because this scene did cause an uproar of memes and discussions throughout the internet, it is seated in our number ten spot. However, the scene itself is in last place because the reasons below impacted the audience’s viewing experience even further.
9 The Background Animation
Throughout this action-packed anime, the level of background scene animation was nothing short of a masterpiece. Within the manga, although the storyline itself was spectacular, the illustrations of backgrounds came short of the anime itself.
Many fans claimed that the backgrounds of the anime were gorgeous, and because of how emotional the plot of the series was, the beautiful backdrops of each scene only made the show better. Of course, there were even more things the anime did better than the manga, like the addition of focusing more on emotional aspects like the ones below.
8 Hajime Isayama’s Addition to Scenes
There were many things in the manga of Attack on Titan that had to be edited out to make room for other panels. The scene of Annie laughing in season one before she turns into the Female Titan was one of them.
In the animation, the creator of the series was able to add scenes that he believed should’ve been in the manga. This created a more dramatic effect, especially in the scene with Annie’s titan. This addition sits at number eight because the reasons below have an effect on the story as a whole and are not just limited to a few scenes.
7 Character Personality
Just like the plotline of the show, the characters in the Attack on Titan universe make up a dynamic that is unbeatable to other anime series. In the manga, it is hard to focus on just one character at a time. However, the anime itself adds more information — like Sasha’s potato scene — in order for the audience to get to know them better.
This is seen with Ymir, Jean, and Connie as well, leaving them more exposed to the viewers. Character personality is important, which is why this reason is placed higher than the concepts above.
6 Story Pacing
It is easy for some people, when reading a manga such as Chainsaw Man, to read faster than the author intended. With the Attack on Titan manga, this is sometimes the case. In the anime, the animation studio does a fantastic job of making sure each arc of the story gets the attention it deserves.
While in the manga, it can be hard to do this, the animation forces viewers to watch the original story as intended. For this reason, the pacing of the anime sits near the middle of this list.
5 Levi’s Backstory
For many, the news of Levi Ackerman’s backstory was a needed addition to the plot of Attack on Titan. Though it was also a manga before it was animated, the animation of Levi’s backstory changed a lot of scenes that were originally in the manga.
This short story also sheds a lot of light on characters like Mike, Hanji, and Erwin, three much-loved characters in the show. Adding a further dynamic to a top-loved character like Levi puts this reason in the middle of the list. However, it is not as important as the rankings below.
4 The OVA’s
The original video animations of Attack on Titan came as a shock to a lot of viewers when they were released. Because they are not necessarily part of the manga, or the original plot line of the show, many fans were unaware that they were released.
Their ranking sits at number four on the list because it wasn’t entirely necessary for the animation studio to broadcast them. However, their addition was something beautiful because they focused on the regularity of certain characters’ lives in the Survey Corps, something a lot of people were curious about.
3 The Fight Scenes
Because Hajime Isayama’s artwork was still at the beginning stages of its career, the fight scenes in the manga lacked a certain aspect that the animation had. WIT Studio, the animators of the first three seasons of Attack on Titan, took their time in animating the fight scenes of the show — a legacy that MAPPA took on with Season 4.
With the way the art was focused on intense moments (like Kenny and Levi’s fight), it is astounding that the studio was able to animate each fight scene better than the last.
2 The Soundtrack
Ranking in second place, the soundtrack of Attack on Titan is one of the most recognizable within the anime community. The openings themselves are repeatedly praised for catching the series’ personality, and of course, without the voice actors and sounds themselves, there wouldn’t be an anime adaptation.
The sounds of this show sit in second place on the list because the first contender is the one thing needed to create an anime adaptation. However, there is no doubt that the soundtrack of the show is unlike any other in anime history.
1 Detailing & Art
WIT Studio and MAPPA worked hand in hand with this animation series. While MAPPA is the most recent developer in season four, WIT Studio provided animation that was unlike that of other anime. From the way the Studio animates the backdrops to the facial expressions of the characters themselves, they provide a viewing experience that works wonders.
The manga provided a wonderful outline of panels that needed to exist before this show was ever created; however, with how well the anime was stylized, there is no doubt that the artwork within the show was better.
