The Old School Otaku Lounge

I haven't seen a single episode of this show yet (My local library has ordered some copies and I have one on hold) but I've seen its name pop up quite frequently in Saturday US TV ratings reports. It's usually ranked #1 or #2 when it comes to original cable Saturday programming in the U.S. so it seems that this has significant appeal outside the usual anime fanbase, because it's certainly not just anime fans who are driving these high TV ratings. And they've pulled consistently strong numbers week by week...4 months after it first premiered, not just for the first 1 or 2 episodes. Space Dandy failed to really take off despite all the hype, but this might be the REAL biggest non-kiddie anime hit on CN since...Cowboy Bebop?

I've seen many "huge" Japanese anime phenomenons fall short in U.S. popularity, or fail to rise above typical anime fandom. Azumanga Daioh. Haruhi Suzumiya. These shows got tons of hype but never quite became as "hot" here as they were in Japan. But this Attack on Titan thing seems different. It might even be only a matter of time before Entertainment Weekly devotes an article to it...

So it's on Cartoon Network? I live in Japan and I am still waiting for it to be reshown on Animax or something...

Yeah, it's been running since late April or early May, I believe. It's been arguably one of cable TV's biggest ratings stories of the summer, at least for original programming (reruns of well known shows like Big Bang Theory and Simpsons still top overall cable ratings). It really seems like it's on the verge of breaking out into mainstream awareness.

Truthfully, it doesn't really seem like my type of show. I'd watch it, but I wouldn't go ga-ga over it. Still, I do wish it well. It's a show that showcases anime in a GOOD way--edgier and more violent than anything US animation does, cross gender appeal (girls really seem to like this show, and it has almost zero fan service I hear) and cross age appeal. There are many worse anime out there that could get mainstream acceptance.

We watched the whole first season on Netflix earlier this summer, and I enjoyed it. My wife is a bigger fan of it than I am, I think. It's working a really interesting mix between fantasy, horror, and action that entertains on several levels, and I'm looking forward to the next season. There's enough "anime" about the show to keep the anime fans satisfied, mixed with enough honest creepy chills and bizarre, what-the-hell visuals to capture the attention of anyone watching for more than five minutes.

It does seem to be a series that's attracting attention beyond the typical anime fan audience.

i have been reading the manga and i love it. still haven't watched the anime yet but season 2 and the live action movie should be coming out next year.

Ratings phenomenon compared to what? I've seen no advertising for it over here. I knew it was on but since its censored I have little interest in it. Oh well, new and returning shows on within a month. Check here:

http://www.epguides.com/grid/fall.shtml

_D_ wrote:Ratings phenomenon compared to what? I've seen no advertising for it over here. I knew it was on but since its censored I have little interest in it. Oh well, new and returning shows on within a month. Check here:

http://www.epguides.com/grid/fall.shtml

It premiered with nearly 1.3 million viewers, with the second episode getting 1.4 million. http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2 ... on-network

For an anime title on TV, that's pretty substantial. Even One Piece and Bleach, which are both very popular, haven't been seeing those kinds of numbers.

As for censorship, I watched the dub a few times just to check it out; and it's actually not censored very much, surprisingly. Most of it's just cut for time. I'd say almost all of the violence present in the original version is still there. (It's rated TV MA here for a reason!) But it's on Netflix and nearly every streaming site now (which I think is something that helped push it's popularity here), so if people really want to see it uncut, it's pretty easy to do so.

I talked about it a little a while back in the "what are you watching?" thread when I saw it, but I think it's catching on also because 1. it's been a while since we had a fairly unique sci-fi/fantasy series with a lot of attention to world-building, and 2. it's not a dopey sci-fi/fantasy comedy with a lot of fanservice and/or dumb jokes--so it doesn't just appeal to teens, but also regular ol' adults who don't usually go for anime because of those things. Pair that up with how easy it is to watch it (it's on Netflix AND TV!), and it's pretty accessible to a wide group of people. Which I think is pretty cool, it's been a while since there was a real "gateway" anime on TV for people to get interested in anime with.

I honestly have no idea if Naruto or Bleach pulled in these kind of numbers in their heyday--I suspect they might have, but it certainly felt more like only kids were watching them. My impression is that Attack on Titan might be pulling in the type of crowd that watches Walking Dead, or any number of cultish sci-fi shows. Check zap2it.com's ratings reports every Saturday--Attack on Titan is mentioned nearly every week as #1 or 2 in terms of "original" programming, and I don't recall other anime being mentioned as often so consistently in the past, at least not in the past few years.

Even as an anime fan, my reaction to stuff like Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece is simply, "ugh." For non-anime fans, I imagine that the reaction is even stronger. Attack on Titan does have a rather broad appeal. Among my students, it seems that most of the biggest fans are girls. It doesn't seem to talk down to the audience, nor panders to dumb otaku crap. The character designs aren't annoying as hell, either (like Naruto or One Piece). Something like that should have a wider appeal that the others lack.

If it's getting attention, I think it's because the show actually goes somewhere. It really built up a feeling that ANYTHING might happen and any character might die, even the leads. It's also refreshingly free of MOE.

I've been interested in the 'world building' that's gone on, it raises so many questions, many of which will likely not be answered or worse yet end up in a 'infodump' coda when they shoot the last episode.

I mean, why is the technology frozen in appx. Europe late 18th century, except for the 3D Maneuver Gear which is WAY more advanced than everything else. Why are there no aircraft, or lighter-than-air vehicles? Is the entire thing some kind of isolation experiment?

bah.