Spoilers for Attack On Titan The Finale
So, here it is. Attack On Titan has officially ended its run after 10 years (2013-2023). After 7 months of waiting, MAPPA greatly delivers to us viewers an absolutely fascinating adaption of the manga, and it's no denial that this has once again, brought up a lot of mixed opinions regarding the ending of the series, which already exists when the manga ended in 2021.
This episode kicks off immediately where the previous special ended, with the little girl seeing the scouts' plane flying through the storm to get to the Founding Titan. This episode features some of the best animation I have seen from MAPPA so far, arguably even better than the previous episode. 2D and 3D are used pretty efficiently, especially when the scouts were fighting the hordes of titans on the founding titan's body. ODM sequences are splendid as usual, although WIT is still the best and gives off the most nostalgia. Chapter 134 finally made its appearance with its incredibly creepy music, and the lighting during this scene truly depicts the despair from all the people getting trampled over by the titans
However, the most disturbing scene in this episode has to be this one:
This scene being gray-scaled really gives off the feeling that it's truly over for humanity, and with the baby and mother being the only ones painted with color highlights the horror of the rumbling even more, then follows everyone trying to save the crying baby... absolute goosebumps...The voice acting is also incredible, Armin's VA Marina Inoue truly takes the MVP spot in this episode. When Armin was crying in the Paths, screaming and begging for his body to wake up, the helplessness and frustration in his voice was perfectly portrayed by Marina. Then comes the climax, Armin vs Eren. The fire sparklings and explosions with the yellow sky truly makes this scene an elevation from the manga, with Mikasa envisioning an alternate universe where Eren and her were living together peacefully, then reverts back to the reality that she is forced to end his life.
Onto the issues though, the pacing of this episode is quite fast, which results in a lot of scenes leaving a lasting impact on the viewers, especially when Mikasa killed Eren. The fast pacing also makes the flow of the episode kind of hard to process all the events happening at the same time. The slightly excessive use of philosophical messages and themes is also one of the downside within this last arc, although I don't dislike the use of it.
That being said, even though the ending has left a lot of fans divided, it shouldn't eliminate the brilliance of its journey. This series, with its amazing world-building, complex characters, and profound themes, captivated everyone throughout. While the finale does pose a lot of questions, the emotional depth that AoT has given to the viewers is undeniable. Despite its imperfect conclusion, Attack On Titan remains a groundbreaking masterpiece in the anime and manga world, leaving a lasting impact on us. Its remarkable storytelling and character development has made it an iconic series, reminding us that while endings matter, the unforgettable journey is what truly makes this series stand out from all other animes and mangas out there.
Truly the end of an era and an unforgettable experience. Thank you Issayama, WIT and MAPPA for all the work they have done to this series, and bless are we to be alive to witness this masterpiece ends.
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