SPOILERS
Following 49 immersing episodes of Attack on Titan, we find ourselves at the start of a season with perhaps the most implications yet. The stakes are higher, the pieces are coming together, and the hairs on our arms are standing up.
Personally, I haven’t read the manga for AOT, but I have no doubts in my mind that whatever made the manga good at this point in the story was reflected well in the anime. In fact, there are parts of this season that could ONLY be as good as they are through the medium of anime. For example, the famous scene of Erwin leading the soldiers to their deaths could not have been so amazing without the brilliant voice acting of Daisuke Ono (voicing Erwin). I truly believe that it would be near impossible to improve on this season if they tried. Usually, good anime leads to its follow up sequels carrying so much hype that they quite often disappoint fans. I think it speaks VOLUMES that after several predecessor seasons, fans were still wowed by S3p2, and often regard it as their favourite instalment to the franchise. I give a rating of 10/10 for Execution of Ideas and Intentions
In addition to that, my own personal opinions of the anime are also high. I enjoyed this anime A LOT. After watching 350+ anime, it started to feel like I’d already watched all of the good stuff, and that there wasn’t a lot left out there that could really be in my top 10. AOT is that anime. It gets better and better as it goes on, and this season REALLY rewards the viewer for its active viewing requirements. You HAVE to pay attention, and you are really rewarded for it in the end. It makes it feel like a journey with logic, climax and one that you don’t regret investing hours in to. Personal Enjoyment is a 9.5/10
I’m unfamiliar with who wrote this anime/manga and who are responsible for the excellence of the story, but whoever they are, they should be immensely proud of their work. We talk about some of the greatest writers of all time in several mediums like anime, film, TV, books, music etc. Whoever wrote Attack on Titan is UP THERE with the best. 10/10 for writing.
In this part of the story, it feels like each character has their chance to shine. Most showcased in the scene where the main characters are deciding on who’s life to save via the syringe. Similarly to a show like Breaking Bad, there aren’t really any textbook good guys or bad guys. Each character has their own motives and you really can sympathise with everyone. Many characters are beloved in this show and it’s clear to see why. Close to perfect. 9.5/10 for Characters
Perhaps a commonly overlooked aspect of this anime is the perfectly designed soundtrack and OSTs. The OPs and EDs are good, albeit not my favourite, but they are pretty good. The soundtrack design however, really shows the quality of the staff working on the anime. It provides nothing extraordinary, but it fits like a glove. I’d give the Soundtrack an 8/10 and I’d give the OP/ED a 7/10
I’m not actually sure if I’m in the minority here or not with this one. Art and animation. Not a massive fan if I’m honest. It’s really not bad, like I wouldn’t actually label the way this show looks as BAD. But it is probably the only department that I wouldn’t brag about and try to use to sell the show to other people. It’s satisfactory. Good enough. I just look at shows like the new BLEACH, Mob Psycho and JJK and I think that it could be better in ways. It’s good though. 7/10.
This is probably one of the standout anime of this generation and it could even be described as a modern day masterpiece. One of the best!
# FINAL SCORE-9.3/10