I don't know if it is my age or just what I like and dislike, but I have tried several times to read this manga and for the life of me I can't understand its appeal...
You only have to look at the Oricon ranking to see that is is almost at freakin' One Piece level in sales per volume so people really love this story
but to me it just plain sucks
seriously what do you guys get out of it that I cannot see... I really don't get it?????
If you could be more specific as to why you don't like it, that would help.
As for why I like it?
The setting really helps. There's a lot of mystery the the world, where did the titans come from? Why are they killing people? Whilst people are trying to find that out you have a conspiracy within the religious societies and a corrupt military branch of cowardly elitists that are only looking out for themselves.
The titans, I think they are an excellent enemy. Literally giant human looking creatures that kill without mercy or remorse. They are relatively lightweight and incredibly strong, not to mention their regenerative powers. Truly a very scary opponent for a soldier to go up against.
The walls. Some see them as deities and others see them as the only way to survive the titans, but the dark truth about them is still unknown to the public. The walls themselves are something that few dare to go outside of, but then you have people like Eren and Armin who cannot stand to stay caged in them all their lives.
The world seems to be Renaissance but we have this futuristic invention called 3d maneuver gear and the swords which seem far too advanced for Renaissance. You also have the titans which are obviously not a natural occurrence and supposedly first appeared 100 years ago. Could this indicate that the world is in a futuristic post apocalypse setting where society has devolved a few hundred years?
The characters are also really interesting. Jean is a great example of this. At first he was full of him self, thinking he was just going to get into the MP and live a peaceful life behind the walls, but he learned quickly why humanity is worth fighting for and became a person who can lead the fight against the titans. There's also Armin. He has a dream of being truly free and seeing the world beyond the walls. He always stayed true to this beliefs despite being ridiculed and often bullied for his dreams of life beyond the wall. The characters in general are well developed and interesting to read about.
Then there's Eren himself. As many have already realized, he will be the one to change the world. Whether this will be good or bad depends on how he continues to change. As of now he has two powerful motives driving him forward in life. There is the curiosity of the world and dream of the land past the walls that inspires him to risk everything to defeat the titans. Then there is a psychotic hate driven side which is hell bent of revenge against all of the titans. We have seen both motives give him immense power, but eventually one will overtake the other. It's Yin and Yang. One day Eren will either become a monster that lives only to kill the titans or the hero that will show humanity the bright future beyond the walls.
If there's anything that I dislike about typing this out is that the words I'm using don't do the series justice. The series, in my opinion, is a masterpiece that keeps getting better and better. I don't know what I can do to convince you that this series is amazing, perhaps I cannot. But what I will say is that those that can appreciate this manga will read it's last chapter in awe as they think about what an amazing and wonderful adventure it was. That to me is what makes a great story.
