Attack on Titan is FINALLY coming to a close, and to be honest, I'm not really sure how I feel about that.
Like many, I started watching the show when it debuted way back in 2013, and I've been a committed fan ever since.
Sure, I was a little (okay, make that super) annoyed that there was a part 3 to Attack on Titan's "final" season, but now that the end is finally here (and we have a final trailer to prove it), I have some thoughts on the popular (and oftentimes bleak) series before it ends.
Attack On Titan Is Now My Favorite Anime Of All Time
I wouldn't say that I've been watching anime my entire life, but I will say that I've been watching it ever since Sailor Moon (which is a great anime to start with) hit our shores. From there, I've gone backward in time and sampled anime from the '80s, and then pushed forward to current anime like Demon Slayer.
All this is to basically say that I greatly enjoy anime. Now, I'm not a fanatic like my brother, who turned me on to a slew of anime on Crunchyroll, but I think I've seen enough of the heavy hitters (Berserk, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, DBZ, One Piece, etc.) to make a somewhat informed opinion on the medium.
And, of the hours upon hours upon HOURS of anime that I've watched over the years, none has resonated with me like Attack on Titan (well, besides Spirited Away, of course, but that's a movie. Not a show).
Attack on Titan has just moved me on so many levels. From its first season, where it just seemed like one long nightmare after another for humankind, to its final season, where we learned just how hideous humankind's heart can truly be, Attack on Titan has been a roller coaster ride, which is why I once called it the most under-the-radar show on television. I didn’t call it that because people don't know about the show, but rather, because I think it stands toe-to-toe with other great shows that aren't anime, like Breaking Bad, and The Sopranos. It's seriously that good.
That Said, They Nearly Lost Me At Season 2
I’m going to be real with you. As much as I fell in love with Attack on Titan again in Seasons 3 and 4, they almost completely lost me at Season 2. In fact, a number of my friends have told me that they haven't caught up yet since they stopped midway through the second season, and I don’t blame them. So much of that season was set-up for the bigger and bolder things to come, and so much of it was confusing (at the time) that it makes sense that the second season is the hardest to get through.
And, this is a shame, too, since Season 2 arguably has the best intro theme in Attack on Titan’s history. It’s undoubtedly the most epic intro of them all, and if not for it, I might not have stuck around with the series, since I was always waiting for the season to live up to that spectacular intro. Thank heavens the third season changed everything around. So much so that I couldn’t wait anymore to find out what happens next, and decided to check out the source material. And, well…
This Show Made Me Want To Read The Manga, And I’m Wondering If The Show Will End The Same Way That It Did
Now, I had heard that the ending of Attack on Titan was bad. Maybe not Game of Thrones bad (though, the Cinemablend staff had mixed feelings on that one), but pretty bad. And, well…
Yeah, it is kind of mid. I wouldn’t say that it was as awful as people made it out to be, but given everything that occurred before it, especially with the Rumbling, I thought it would lead to a much more interesting conclusion. Now, keep in mind that I read the extended ending, as (for those who don’t know) there are actually two endings to the manga, with the second one acting as a sort of mea culpa for the first ending, which a lot of the fans detested.
Knowing what both endings are, I’m kind of wondering where this finale is going to lead. A part of me has a feeling that it will lean more toward the second ending, which is a lot more disheartening than the first, but we’ll just have to wait and see. Honestly, I’d love if there was a third possible ending exclusively for the anime, but I won’t hold my breath. Most signs point toward us getting the manga ending. And, I’m betting on it being the second one.
Stretching Out The Final Season Was Both A Blessing And A Curse
I’m kind of bitter that “The Final Season” was even called that since the first part came out all the way in 2021. That’s insane! What kind of “final season” takes literal years to conclude? So, a part of me finds that unacceptable.
But then, I’m also pretty glad that it took this long for the series to end. Would I have preferred it if there were, say, five seasons, rather than four with three parts to it? Yeah, I think so, as the idea of a “final season” makes me think of all these bands that say they’re having their “farewell tour,” only for them to come out of “retirement” a couple years later, and then have another final tour.
It just seems like a whole bunch of needless victory laps, and I’m not fond of it. However, at least I’ve had the past two years to really think about Attack on Titan endlessly, as it truly is up there in my ranking for the greatest shows of all time, anime be damned!
In The End, This Show Has Changed The Way I Look At Storytelling Forever
If you’ve read up to this point, I take it that you’re a major Attack on Titan fan, and you’re all caught up. So, with that said, here’s a major spoiler if you’ve never watched the show before -- The big twist was that Eren Yeager was the ultimate villain all along. Sure, I guess it’s been done before where the hero you root for ultimately reveals their true colors to become the villain (A la, Breaking Bad, again).
But, Attack on Titan did it in such a nuanced, sneaky way that it’s going to change the way that I view, and even write stories, from now on. Eren Yeager is a genocidal maniac, and yet, there are people who will say, in all seriousness, that “Eren did nothing wrong.” This is despite the fact that he is essentially ending the entire world with the Rumbling. Still, the story is so well-written, that there are several people who believe that they would do the same thing if the people they loved were in danger. And yet, I can’t see the story in that manner. Like, at all. Eren has destroyed humanity, and though I won’t spoil one of the manga endings, was it really actually worth it?
Either way, Attack on Titan has truly captivated my mind and soul, and I’m happy to give my heart, one more time, for this show’s ending. But, what did you think? Are you sad that the series is going away, or, are you happy that you’ve enjoyed the journey thus far? For more news on all things anime, make sure to swing by here often.
