I like it. It's not my favorite series, but it's the only one currently releasing that I really follow, so it's exciting to see a new chapter each month. During the time between chapters, I convince myself that the art really isn't that bad. Then, the next chapter comes out, and I realize that it most certainly is. I was originally very neutral and just reading it to see what happened at first, but I got really interested during the last arc. It was pretty much textbook conflict and social movement and not something like the government issues in Fullmetal Alchemist, but I still found it enjoyable. Getting back to the issues with titans now is good though. I think the pacing bothered me more in the anime than in the manga.
My wallet hasn't been attacked very much. I've bought a few things, but I don't have space or the desire to fill my apartment with AoT things. Though, I hope they make Erwin and Hanji nendoroids and/or gift plush in the future. I'd most likely go for those.
Musical Fanzine
One thing that I really like about AoT that makes it preferable (in my opinion) to some other popular animes is that the main character, Eren, is really like an inch away from being utterly useless and incapable of doing anything right.
Explaining that in the spoiler tag, manga spoilers below.
I mean, when Reiner and Bertolt kidnap Eren and Ymir, Eren is just acting like a ******** hysterical baby, and Ymir is the one who is actually keeping her wits about her and making full use of the opportunity to gather intel about Reiner, Annie and Bertolt's true motives. The reason I like that Eren is essentially a moron is that it puts the burden of the storyline largely on the supporting characters, and the supporting crew is amazingly well developed. I mean, Eren and Mikasa have been fairly stagnant, but Reiner, Bertolt, Annie, Armin, Ymir, Historia, Levi, Henge, Jean, Sasha, Erwin, even Connie...they're all really well-developed, and honestly, a supporting cast that solid is pretty rare in animes that are popularized in America. There's usually like a small handful of well-developed central characters, and everyone else is sort of backdrop for the central storyline. Granted, the development level of the supporting characters is part of the reason the series has issues with pacing, but I don't actually mind that much. Am I the only one who feels that way?
I really like your points about how useless Eren can be. Isayama actually asked them to make him more pathetic in the anime as well. I'd also take character development of different characters over good pacing. I like finding out their stories and what makes them act the way they do. (You are not alone.)
I hope we get to find out more about Erwin's dream. Seeing his midlife "I ******** over everyone" crisis during the last chapter was a bit frustrating just because I don't know where it is going to head from here. It's interesting to see him take a step back and look at what his decisions have done to everyone around him. Were his goals really rooted in humanity's best interest, or is it this dream that has been pushing him all along? (It's probably a combination of both with some psychological issues mixed in.)
I didn't see Armin listed in your group of characters who have been developing (possibly because he's more of a main character?), but I really like seeing how disillusioned he is becoming. His and Jean's struggles after Armin shot that female CMP were good to see.
Sasha's development when she goes to her village was a very good read. It's nice to see her be more than just her "potato girl" image.
I think Henge also gets written of as plain crazy instead of genius crazy. The way they handled the CMP right when they discovered Nick's death was very clever. They're definitely more than just your stereotypical weirdo, and I'd like to know more of their story.
Well, you can take one look at my avatar and probably figure out my opinion.
I think one of my favorite parts about SNK is the fandom. Sure, I have my problems with it. (Levi being over hyped, for example.) But, honestly, out of all the fandoms I've been in, it has to be one of my favorite. For one thing, the fandom is very LGBTQ inclusive. I'm not talking about 16 year old straight yaoi fangirls either. Almost everyone i've made friends with in the fandom is somewhere on the spectrum. I even met my current girlfriend as a convention while cosplaying an SNK character.
Another thing I've noticed is that the fandom seems to be...let's just say "tame" when it comes to fan creations. I have yet to run into anything that has truly squicked me. I can't say the same for any other fandom I've been in.
Then again, it could just be that i've been into anime for long enough that there simply isn't much that surprises me anymore.
They are thinking of doing a Attack On Titan and Marvel cross over, which I'm not so excited about. Marvel is cool but I don't want to see spiderman slashing the back of titan's necks.
I'm was hooked from the first episoded but overall im not too hype over how the story is turning out. The monthly release schedule is killing it for me
oh god i bought a levi figma for like $90 but now i sorta regret it bc i dont like it anymore (fans ruined it for me A LOT) but at least i can still use it for drawing reference