Hi guys! Another anime fan here! Though I’m pretty new to the forums and to anime. I have watched Attack on Titan though and have followed the manga up through its most recent chapters. I can see why you say it seems to rely on shock value, because, well, that’s definitely a prominent thing in the show and it really doesn’t go away, but as you do go on, the story gets incredibly more complex. If you’re on the eleventh episode, the arc you’re on will be ending pretty soon and then the real stuff will begin. The Trost arc’s more or less a set-up for everything that follows. Getting to know the main characters’ histories, what the Titans are like, how the soldiers fight, their end goal, etc. The second half of the first season is much stronger in my opinion, and then what follows in the manga even more so, though none of that will be released in anime form until 2016. I like it mostly for the characters, I’ve found them all to be very layered and well-developed, and I’m just really curious to see how all the mysteries and plot threads come together. Because there are a lot of them. Also, I love the soundtrack and the art style and I’ve got a bit of a soft spot for war stories with soldiers facing impossible odds. Even so, as much as I like it, I will admit it is a bit overrated.
And as for the yuri pairing, yes, it
technically is there. However, the only hints as to any form of relationship between the two of them is that they are always together and would be willing to die for each other, a relationship that could be interpreted simply as being the best of friends. In fact, that is exactly how I interpreted it, until the announcement had been made. For now, I just ignore it. Nothing has happened between them in all 63 chapters so far, not even an verbal confirmation of anything more than close friendship, and the chances of anything happening are pretty slim, given the nature of the series, that is, the fact that there is next to no romance at all in it and that the chance of any character dying in any given moment is pretty high. If nothing happens, no sin, a disordered attraction, yes, but no sin or promotion thereof. Moreover, if I am correct, it was the producer or director of the
anime (who works quite independently from the writer of the
manga) who confirmed it. So, unless content is added to the source material, which, I admit, is possible, there is even less reason to believe the confirmation to carry any real weight. That’s all I’ve got to say about that.
But, on another note, any fans of Death Note or Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood on here? They’re the only other two anime (or is it animes?

) that I’ve watched.