The show is by no means perfect, that is for certain, but there has never been a show that can perfectly replicate all aspects of real life. Heck, if real life was a show, you can still find imperfections, hence why I consider SnK to be one of the best without it being perfect.
It manages to hit the balance between all the elements that compose the story (character development, action, politics...). And sure if you look at each element individually (ie: politics) you can find a better story that develops it. What SnK tried to achieve by incorporating so many elements/topics/themes is something that is rarely even attempted, and when it is, it is butchered more often than not. And in this case, with the knowledge that there is no such thing as perfection, I would argue that SnK was not butchered at all. I proudly consider it one of the best shows ever made. I wouldn't say that SnK is a mature story for adults but it has things that would be appreciated more by adults, and it is more graphically violent than the vast majority of anime to be honest, and for me that is a plus.
Could it be better than it is? Yes!
Did it provide closure to all the character arcs? No!
Did it explain everything? No!
Does it do politics (or anything else for that matter) like real life? No!
Was the ending satisfying? Depends on who you ask but for me it would be yes and a lot of buts.
And I am saying this as an older anime fan that rarely liked any modern shows, be it anime or real life shows. So much so in fact that I catch myself giving a 7-8 to shows that were hardly likeable just because they have an OST to my likings and a couple of good action scenes even if the show itself failed at everything else.
