Novelty
There are vague elements of Attack on Titan here. There’s also a distinct vibe of “Evangelion without the Jungian mindfuck.” Nonetheless, the central concept of an elite military force taking down kaiju just works incredibly well no matter how many times you trot it out.
Plot
I flip back and forth about whether this show is going quickly or plodding. There were only 12 episodes in this season, so it’s hard to judge. I think in terms of blowing the central secret of the main character, the show is going a million miles an hour. In terms of the overall plot and the “secret” of the kaiju, it’s a slow jog. The show is made to last.
Design
The world and the kaiju are all incredibly well animated. The various characters on the Japan Defense Force unit are also drawn distinctively. One negative, and it’s a big one: the main character has that recent trend of being non-descriptive in his design. I suppose it’s an “Everyman” thing, but I don’t like it. Give me a main character who looks like a main character.
Characters
Most of them are pretty unique. We’re not quite at Gundam Wing levels on this team, but there are some immediate rivalries that could be considered compelling. I tend to gravitate toward certain archetypes, like the “master tactician” and “the weirdo who somehow got into a leadership role,” so Hoshina was a favorite. To a lesser extent, Kafka separated himself from the chaff by bringing his previous experience as kaiju clean up crew into identifying monster weaknesses. Reno was actually the character I was rooting for, though, as his development ended up being pretty consistent throughout the season. Shinomiya gives off distinct Asuka Langley tsundere vibes, especially her innate feeling of superiority combined with her lack of tolerating personal failure. The other characters? They’re there.
