But where exactly did it all go wrong? Maybe when Eren was revealed to be a titan? During the battle of Wall Rose? Post-timeskip content maybe? The correct answer is all of these.
Attack on Titan was never really skilled at its writing, the characters are hideous with often lacklustre development. I won't deny the potential of creating memorable characters who might be remembered in history for who they are, but instead the only reason they're popular is their origin. Not to mention the bland collection of tropes and inconsistent themes and constant plot holes in each story arc, it's absolutely boring to watch.
It's hard to describe how terrible the story is, but what doesn't help is how the story unfolds. Attack on Titan doesn't want to tell a story consistently, instead choosing to constantly jump between story arcs. The long paths of history revolve around the local geopolitics within the walls of Maria, Rose or whatever it is called. So why aren't we talking about a coherent political ideology? Let's go back and talk about the coup arc with the incredibly superficial villains the story focuses on, but with barely any meaningful characterization other than making the audience see them as villains. In any case, the representation of politics is boring in the way it describes conflicts without any real nuance. Attack on Titan stretches this part of the story so sparsely to the point where it is a long thread with a length of several miles.
For example, secondary characters can suddenly be transformed into main characters in one or two episodes. Gabi, Reiner, Historia, Levi are examples. This takes away the charm of the main characters because not only is the conflict boring, but you don't have enough time to really get to know the character. Which is funny because in the last season it's not like that anymore, but now it suffers from a poor pace.
Back to the current season. The main reason why the majority is more critical of the last season is precisely its fast pace. Subplots are introduced and then recklessly abandoned, and low-character characters are suddenly introduced to be left out later, even though their presence is an integral part of the story. Eren undergoes a massive off-screen personality change and becomes a master of anxiety, and while his actions make sense, they're still heartbreaking. Not to mention the comedic dialogue that is rife throughout Attack on Titan and shows a lack of comic understanding of how people actually react. Eren for example serves a narrative purpose that will be explored later in the story, and it leads to a lot of incredibly stupid dialogue with characters literally screaming information or feelings toward each other.
Another problem is the mischaracterization of the main characters outside the boundaries of the story. For example, one might expect the show to be an opportunity for the characters to constantly talk to each other or just speak naturally, right? No... instead, we get several scenes where the show is too dry and lacking in character or style, flashbacks that tell us, oh look, the characters have known and cared for each other forever, which justifies their sudden connection to the story and their emotional engagement which is exactly what happened with Historia and Ymir. If you take the three childhood friends Eren, Mikasa and Armin for example you can feel the lack of any real chemistry between the trio. We have heard so many times how their relationship is stronger than steel even though we have never seen any evidence of it.
Now I think it's pretty clear how I feel about the story and its characters, but I am not done yet. Because writing takes an absolute plunge right into the deepest part of hell. Do you remember Marco? I won't judge you if you don't. He's one of many characters whose death is treated as a great tragedy, but the context behind his death is revealed later in the series, this negates any emotional investment due to his limited presence. Sasha is killed, gets a retrospective flashback in a comic book scene, and is constantly mentioned, but the only traits that define her are her eating habits and saving a village at the beginning of the story. Levi goes from a main character to a supporting character for most of the story. Historia is pregnant by choice to support Eren's plans, but first she had a love interest in Ymir, as we skip to the finale where she is now raising a baby and happily getting married off-screen, leaving her story arc unfinished. arc of the coup and a complete disaster in every imaginable way.
In my opinion, Eren Yeager is the most intriguing character in Attack on Titan. Formerly a child who despised evil, Eren has become the very monster he once despised by committing genocide. He schemed to make the world a better place for his comrades. For his terrorist attack on Marley hinged using a child to transmit endorse letters to his comrades, starting the conflict for Eldia's independence. However, Marley is portrayed as this murderous dictatorship in which Eldians are also apprehended for they inform the police that their parents are state threats. The police are too ignorant to need to do any checks of the messages. This kind of failed attempt of writing really pulls the series back so much in the end, and the final two episodes are so absurd and idiotic you can't help but laugh at its stupidity. As a result of Eren's death, the Eldian people will be free of persecution in their homeland. Eren did not only destroy the environment, but also vast areas of the world. His death is glorified because he did it for his friends. What a load of bullshit.
TDLR: As a whole, Attack on Titan is simply an absolute disaster, whose decent ideas are sadly overshadowed by horrible execution, a bland cast of characters, terrible and nonsensical theming, horrible pacing and an abysmal ending. Undoubtedly, this is one of the largest trainwrecks in anime history.
