Reviews

I think I speak not only for myself when I say that Attack on Titan has been some of the most fun I’ve ever had following a show. What this series has managed to accomplish, not just within the anime industry, but in contemporary media as a whole is absolutely monumental. Seeing something like this come to an end will always, in one way or another, be emotional, be that in the form of sadness, joy, frustration, or a sense of fulfillment.

Having said that, just like when I initially read the manga, I came out after finishing this feeling incredibly torn on my thoughts regarding this ending. On the one hand, I find it painfully rushed, (mostly) emotionally disconnected, and overly ambitious in its thematic subtext. But on the other hand, I can’t help but feel the emotional weight of an entire decade-long title in those last, powerful moments with Mikasa beneath the tree.

It’s like I was given proper closure for one arc within the story, but not for the dozens of completely new ones introduced just a couple of episodes prior. Not only does a plethora of both old and new characters get any closing statements, but in the last few minutes of this show, it desperately tries to present ideas of life itself and illustrates the events of the story as just a small part of a larger tale. While I do enjoy these motifs in other works, they are absolutely not warranted here and shift the focus to underdeveloped themes rather than already set-up characters. And while I think it’s absolutely fitting that Eren dies and realizes his sins in the end, his final scene with Armin is a horrendous assassination of a character that’s been developed over the course of these episodes. It’s something I’d expect to happen in early Attack on Titan, something I personally thought the story had matured from at this point.

This season is one I could go on and on about (I haven’t even gotten into the technical aspects of it), and I’m sure my stance on the ending will fluctuate dramatically during this time of acceptance of the fact that the show is finally over. But honestly, I don’t feel the need to ramble more about a title as giant as Attack on Titan. None of you will read this and have your minds changed (which is a good thing), so make sure to form your own opinion and don’t jump on any stupid bandwagon that might already exist on the internet.

All I can say is “Thank you Attack on Titan, not only for being one of the cornerstones of my introduction to the medium but also for being an almost constant pillar of quality throughout these years that few shows in the industry can match.”