Rating: 4/5
The final season of “Attack on Titan” started airing with a bang December last year, with part one of the season consisting of 16 episodes. The English airing of episode 16 dropped on May 2, about a month after the original air date, and left on a climactic cliffhanger. The final season begins with a shift in perspective, with viewers getting an idea of the war that has been going on outside of the country they have been following for the past three seasons. The first few episodes had a rocky start but ended up truly living up to the hype.
The first thing to note about the final season is the change in animation studios. WIT Studio, the original animators, was replaced by MAPPA Co., causing major changes to the visual aspects of the anime. At first, MAPPA’s animations appeared sloppy and rushed. The opening theme song, “War,” was arguably the worst opening visual sequence “Attack on Titan” has ever had. The animation lacked detail and finesse, an aspect MAPPA tried hiding by adding an unnecessary amount of rainbow explosions and effects. The opening animation was extremely disappointing, especially considering the opening song itself was quite good.
After the opening theme song, the animation quality of the episodes was sporadic compared to previous seasons. Some scenes looked amazing, while others looked badly CGI-ed with minimal touch-up. The majority of the characters got a makeover, with both a time skip and an animation style change, and their appearances stayed true to their manga counterparts. Luckily, the content of the episodes was entertaining, with several plot twists regarding the sides portrayed as “good” and “evil.” After the series started picking up, MAPPA started to get their act together and made noticeable improvements to their animation.
The storytelling in part one of the final season is superb. Several plot points were not just expanded, but also enhanced. Multiple questions still hang in the air regarding the true origin of the Founding Titan, however. Several plot lines will still need to be addressed in the next part, but considering how “Attack on Titan” is well-known for the shrouded history surrounding the Titans, numerous revelations were still revealed about them. The episodes were not just all world and plot expansion either, with the episodes amounting to an impressive amount of fight scenes—a fact that makes MAPPA’s spotty animation a bit more understandable. The fights still had the suspense and horror elements characteristic of “Attack on Titan,” an element that has not changed even with the change of animation studios.
The pacing of the anime is also good, with driving plot points being revealed through well-placed flashbacks. The motivations of multiple characters—including longtime adversaries Zeke Yeager and Reiner Braun—are also addressed, humanizing many of the antagonists in the series. These reveals, alongside the lack of information the viewers get regarding the protagonist’s, Eren Yeager, numerous immoral actions and questionable behavior, repeatedly emphasize one of the show’s recurring themes: nothing is black and white and no one is innocent. Eren is seemingly carving his own path now—a far cry from old Eren who was content with following the orders and plans of others—, abandoning new and old comrades alike, and progressively becoming the very “monster” he swore to destroy.
Overall, despite the decrease in animation quality, the newest season of “Attack on Titan” continues the series’s legacy in terms of plot and hype. The anime continues to ask its watchers to reevaluate their opinions on what justice is and how to persevere in seemingly hopeless situations. The last episode of part one leaves viewers clamoring for more in part two, with a large battle on the horizon and multiple characters in precarious situations and conditions.