SHINGEKI NO KYOJIN: THE FINAL SEASON

DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME ActionShingeki no Kyojin 3 Part 2
MANGA ActionShingeki no Kyojin
ANIME ActionShingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season Part 2
SPECIAL ComedyShingeki no Kyojin: Chimi Kyara Gekijou - Final

REVIEWS

• 

  AlmightyBismarck

  81/100
  Many sins of N.H.K and MAPPA executives

  In this review there will be minor spoilers for this season and what happens after this season. So, please beware. I will also be discussing the production quality by comparing it to past 3 seasons of because for people in the future that are planning to watch it should know that the right to produce AOT after Season 3 was gone to MAPPA instead of Wit Studio.
  There are some some aspect of the story won’t focus on them because that will spoil the story like character development etc. But I will keep on editing this review if I found a way to discuss the missing topic without spoiling it to everyone else.

  STORY
  Story wise I would say this was the best season by far. And we realize what the story was really about from the beginning of the first episode of AOT: ‘Cycle of Hatred’. The Titan eradicating humanity wasn't really the actually story. It was about telling us that children should not be treated depending on the sin of their parents and ancestors. It is the ideology of a foolish and a cruel person.
  This shows us that the oppressed can become the oppressor.
  But someone of the teaching this story give make no sense. Because one of the things the story is teaching is:
  Be completely evil. Leaving no victims will break the ‘Cycle of Hatred’.
  Which actually make sense in the Manga later on. But you are teaching us something that only make sense if we were going through things that happen in this story. But would never happen in reality at all. Then it should be just there for our amusement only.

  TIME SKIP
  So, now Imagine there is extreme sense of suspense on what will happen next or can they accomplish their task safely. At the same time as the event unfold you are seeing other perspective of people life, relationships and other details that make them more then someone that pass away later on or just show up in front of the screen. Because there is no problem of time management and pacing. Since, all the things are enwrapping all together.
  This is something that Isayama didn’t do. Instead, he skips to a time where we are only given 4 episodes to understand a whole new set of casts and their lives. Because certain event needs to quickly match each other. So, due to which some details became mysteries or shown through recollection. And majority of the flash back is important detail but aren’t as suspenseful as the current event. And mysteries didn’t even turn out to be really mind blowing and interesting as the current event apart from one. Which doesn’t even require to have the time skip to be a mystery there were other ways of doing it.
  Why is that so; because we know what became of those situations and event I the end. There was no suspense or mystery do what will be do now or what he is planning/doing now. We know what their conclusion is. So, there is no suspense or drama while watching it.
  (Spoilers for HxH)
  For example, a good amount of time was spending to find out what Eren and another character talked about. Just it turned out to be nothing special compare to what is going around. Waste of the time.
  For example, if Togashi wrote HxH Chimera Arc in such a manner that we only see the perspectives of the Hunters. So, we don’t know what is happening to the Ants and what development in their characters went through; what situation they are in; and what their reaction was as the whole invasion happened. And then we get to see Netero easily take the King to the desire site to fight them.
  So, we don’t get to see the great development of Meruem and why he easily followed Netero to the desired site. We also don’t get to see that actually Hunters didn’t have it easy in getting Meruem. They almost engaged in to a fight with two of the strongest guards. If it wasn’t for the circumstances that they avoid it and some of the Hunters are trying their best to holding two guards back; so, they don’t interfere. And we won’t get to see why Pouf, Pitou, and Youpi are going crazy over a girl until the very end of due to the flashback. So, at the moment we won’t realize how much of a big deal that little girl is. And we won’t have conflicting emotions like we did when we saw Pouf trying get rid of her. Or when Gon threaten to kill her in front of Pitou. The drama or tense won’t be the same after realizing unlike seeing it unfold with knowing all of the importance these events have to who and why. And rooting for one side would be easy. While, harder to recognize the dedication and care for other side.
  This is the problem with this arc.

  BAD FORESHADOWING
  In term of foreshadowing Isayama is one of the best Mangaka today. Not the best because sometime he forces foreshadowing. Which are basically spoilers. Foreshadowing is a detail which is not a clue and you won’t find any meaning in it until the event it was foreshadowing happens.
  Clues are some details you piece together to solve a mystery. But the following scene falls into the spoiler’s category:
  Eren says ‘fight’ two time in front of a mirror after the military arrest him and Hange comes to check on him. And Hange found it suspicious; think he is plotting something: which have two phases: he is telling himself or someone else to win both times.
  Even though she is an intelligent character. There are many ways to interpret it. Not even his personality makes it suspicious to require a deep analysis. Remember people motivate themselves and repeat single thing multiple time. Which is a way of saying ‘focus’ on that certain thing. She can be curious to what he is motivating himself but to such detail is just unbelievable and ridiculous. And she was accurate about it because it completely tells us about the final chapters of the Manga. Which many readers saw it coming for a mile away; since it wasn’t subtle.

  OP and ED
  The composer and the singers did a great effort for both opening and the ending. It is really fun to listen them. And the ending is really well done. It’s pretty emotional hearing it.
  But the opening song was generic. You may ask ‘how is it generic?’; so, let’s first discuss ‘what is generic?’
  Basically, music that lacks a strong, distinctive personality and "standoutish" qualities. Generally used for bands that feel interchangeable with other bands of the genre.
  Whereas Wit Studio hired composers and singers that use all sorts of instrument that usually aren’t use in a single type of song and have more unique theme in their opening. Like the season 2 opening theme was a National Anthem to feel patriotic for a country that doesn’t exist.
  That’s not just it; the opening didn’t had amazing visuals and animation every previous AOT opening have. It looked like an animation project whose foundation was made but details weren’t added. But I am just telling you this since there is a drop is quality. Wit Studio OP quality isn’t the standard for average opening.

  SOUND EFFECT
  MAPPA did an poor job on the sound design in comparison to Wit Studio. It’s ignorable but at the same time a downgrade.
  Some of the recorded sound doesn't match few actions. There is a moment when a Titan rip apart the cord that was attached to another Titan. When the Titan tear it apart it mean a sound as it was soft tissue being ripped not a huge sturdy cord at least a meter thick in diameter, which clearly had tough muscle. Since it was underneath a lot of rubble and didn't looked damaged. It should have sounded something like tight rope being torn apart.
  And the sound of ODM gear hook when it shoots into brick and cement structure is similar as a bullet or a metal rod hitting another metallic object.

  MUSIC COMPOSITION and SOUND DIRECTOR
  Wit Studio did the great job by hiring Hiroyoki Sawano. He creates the perfect music to match the theme of the moment by using every instrument they have in disposal to create different style of song. Like when we are shown Grisha's past then the music change to Jazzy with guitar like of 1920s music. Which perfectly fit for town and the era he grows up in. Making us feel his nostalgia.
  But the music not just matches the moment; also enhances the mood and the hype because of perfectly hitting key note and beats coordinating with scene making the moment more mind blowing and breathtaking. Like season 2, when Reiner and Bertholt revealing their true identity. It didn't just shock many viewers but blow them away thanks to the sound director. It was an epic moment.
  Let’s also look my favorite Beast Levi vs Zeke's Titan.
  (Watch this video with no other audio apart from the full OST of the fight with the scene to see the use of music composition and coordination.)

  But even though Hiroyoki Sawano staying for the final season; there weren’t as many good OST as there were in previous season because the time wasn’t enough for to compose new song or reuse old one making them suit for the different other theme.
  And the sound director also didn’t a great job as many scenes that would go well with use already existing OST were music less. Which took away the intensity of the scene. Since, music is the sound language. It pours out more emotion. Not taking the opportunity to make the any scene more memorable for the viewers is a bad idea.
  They also keep reusing a piece of music specially composed for this season in a lot of scene. Which is not like it is a great like YOUSEEBIGIRL. It was generic so the sound director did a poor job there. He should have use all other previous album to balance the use of all the music out. Instead of havng one over used.

  USE of CGI and CAMERA ANGLES
  (Watch this video first for reference.)

  Wit Studio didn't overuse CGI. They mainly did to animate Rod Reiss’s and the Colossal Titan. But not like they did to animate every Titan's important scenes like MAPPA did; they did in a poor job compare to some Anime that combine 2D and 3D animation. Unlike some show few things are CGI but rest are drawn. And combine in such way they are tolerate able. MAPPA used it even on simple thing they could have animated it in 2D. Like even on scouts using ODM gear. And the model is so stiff it doesn’t look like they have any air resistance. And the only problem with Wit’s CGI model was that Colossal Titan always had lips on his CGI version. Thankfully they 40% of the time they draw the Colossal Titan or else it would been really hard to look at it. And the Reiss’s Titan had arm that look like their stretching like gum and his Titan looked like a Turkey couple of time. But even he was drawn time to time.
  The overuse of CGI combines with poor camera angle made the Armor Titan look weightless. Now compare it to other 3D Anime like 'Kengan Ashura’. We can imagine of the impact of the attack and the pain coming from that attack. There model and use of CGI was not bad but was completely mediocre if compare to shows like ‘Advent Child’, ‘Garden of Words’, ‘Levius’, and ‘Lupin the 3rd: The First’.
  But MAPPA animator are great in using CGI to create amazing animation/visuals effects. Like rains and explosions.
  The camera angles were also weird. Just by choosing the wrong position to draw a scene. Could make something huge will feel small and weightless. And since we have Titans on this show means it is bound to get it right.
  Even in the scene they got it right for the Titan, we still have problem of getting weird POV. So, for example it would be great to see the battle by seeing it from the battlefield or a third person view. Looking through behind someone with the camera being over him. But you give us an overview of the battlefield. Now, you can’t properly see what is going on.
  And sometime we got weird POV where the camera is flying by some Titan Armpit. Instead of focusing on one scout and what he goes through in the battlefield. Instead of focusing on someone it bounces from one another.

  ART STYLE and THE USE of 2D ANIMATION
  Unlike the previous seasons they art style was more faithful to the Manga. But Isayama himself admitted that he was artistically weak. Even though he improved he can only draw Titan beautifully. But still time to time we can see his weakness even in the Titan because he can not apply the shading technique at all. So, when they animated the show, we clearly saw a lot of mistakes. It was as almost the lighting in every scene didn’t matter. The shade and brightness of the color was most of the independent of the light sources. And just like Isayama animators draw line across characters faces to create shading. Which look ugly.
  And they didn’t even use re-design for many characters and Titans. So, Mikasa looked like a man and not Asian at all. Eren looked like a Latino at time. Instead of a German. But characters like Zeke and Reiner looked better; matching their race and age respectively.
  And the Female, Armored, Jaw, and Attack Titan looked better even than the Wit version. And those design were amazing. Which mean if they had got shading and color rendered properly, they would have looked mind blowing.
  And the atmosphere and back ground of some scene was absolutely gorgeous.
  But that’s all the praises. Not let get back to pointing out blunders. The facial expression is just ludicrous. This shows us that not all the time adaptation should be faithful the Manga in story or art style. Many reactions like anxiety, urgency and shock were similar. In those reactions they always stare with open wide eyes. And everyone have the same nose not just similar in structure but also in size. That is why on children it look big.
  But thankfully children version of some characters are more realistic.

  EXECUSION
  So, was all this excusable because of budget, time constrain and the plague going around? MAPPA had the animators that could have animated all the scene with the CGI in 2D. If we look at 'God of High school' animation. It was fluid, with great choreography, consistent, and had a great art style. Wit Studio had 34 employees working on AOT (Full time employees and Interns). While MAPPA had 200+ employees Full time employee, interns and free lancers. From which they could have selected a lot of staff members to work on complete season 4 in 8 months with great quality. Wit Studio released Season 1 with 25 episodes 306 days after starting it production right after they were form in June 1, 2012 as their first project with mistakes that easily fixed in the Blu-ray edition (which mean they were small mistakes). Then what was the cause of this low-quality production by MAPPA.
  That is because MAPPA recently have a bad habit of blowing their budget on adapting to many shows on the same time. Which effect the technical aspect of this season. Since, the staff was overworked.
  And other projects also felt that setback as well. MAPPA board of Directors and executives made every unprofessional business decision. Instead of focusing on one show that is going to become a cult classic and already have a fan following. Spending all the budget and assigning staff member it requires to create a quality production in 8 months. They tried to adapt shows whose source material no one care about and didn't had potential to do a decent job as well. A total of 5 projects were animated with it.
  Not that they are just making errors while creating a project. They also overwork and under paid their staff member. Which is disagree. Because all that for nothing but their personal greed.
  Plus, all that could been fixed if they should had delayed it. If they didn’t want to layoff some projects. Since, it was on it's height of its popularity. In order to make sure to make all money before it loses even a bit of popularity because the Manga was coming to an ending. The executive at N.H.K gave them only 8 months.
  A delayed project is always better than the rushed project. But they fail to recognize that.

  Continue on AniList
• 

  NextUniverse

  96/100
  The Final Attack Has Begun

  (TLDR Review at the bottom, as always, thanks for reading)

  Obligatory Dream moment note:
  Also, according to Anilist statistics, only a small percentage of people reading this review, are actually followed. So if you ended up liking this review, consider following, it's free, you can always unfollow later. Enjoy the review :)

  ---

  __Intro:__ 最後の進撃が始まる。

  Attack On Titan. But is it an attack on titans now, or maybe a bigger enemy at hand?

  I'm sure AOT needs no introduction, it is that one anime that has spammed up everyone's YT recommendations with drip memes, Eren table scene memes, 10 hour fuck Gabi videos and her getting beat up,ｔｈｉｃｃｋａｓａ if you dived that deep into the culture. When the first episode of the final season came out, it was so powerful not even telling my dad for the Crunchyroll to work was possible. When I say this anime is something else in terms of internal and external events, I mean that this anime is something else. God knows when we are getting another community and anime like this ever again. I am glad I was here to experience this bit of the trek with others like myself and beyond.

  I could go on and on about the moments shared. But I must write a review for now.

  ---

  __Narrative:__

  I may sound like a hardcore fanboy, but I am going to explain why I think this is a 10/10 narrative. I would also like to believe that people reading this review are aware of the references I will make to previous seasons. Ok cool.

  Starting off the final season, we get a bit of insight into the enemies on the other side of the sea. From initial impressions, it can be told that this nation, which uses children in warfare, is clearly lost in morale. And that is the slow building of this new true evil enemy of humanity, Marley. How AOT goes around building this empire of Marley is an interesting one. Marley has qualities of a fascist, imperialistic, tyrannical nation which can be converged to past real-life nations in human history. Those qualities don't just exist for the sake of it too, it is part of the long prejudice against Eldians, in which Marley exploits that to grow themselves and their dominance around the world. It is that which starts a whole chain of events. A serious chain.

  AOT FS story is focused on the cycle of hate, the consequences it has and the action people want to take due to it. Everything that has ever happened so far in the story from start to end (as of now) the cycle of hate continues to prevail in high life, all the while both sides suffer from nothing but losses. That is where the story really shines, the story plays two events on both sides of the spectrum, one we already know and love, Eren's side, and the other we are made to hate Gabi's side, it does a good job at making us hate Gabi's side of the story too, but when you look into it, who is wrong in this mindless loop of destruction? Both sides have given birth to a nation that seeks to exploit and dominate in an imperialistic fashion, the other gives birth to a literal bakemono, a Monster, the devil himself if you really want to go there. The story does a really good job of making those find more important questions. No one here's truly wrong because, in war, both sides believe in what they are doing to be the just cause of action. Both sides are deluded by their beliefs so much so that there isn't a spec of question as to if they might be ever so slightly wrong in their actions. Everyone becomes a victim of their surroundings. It is a fantastic way to really emphasize this world of AOT. From the start, it is clear that the hate got too many characters to the point of joining the army at a young age and leaders making up false stories for the sake of maintaining status. The world is cruel, and it sure as hell shows it here.

  Characters are really something else in AOT. I want to first get rid of two characters that I found obviously flawed in the anime. Those two being Mikasa and Armin. In simple terms, the former is still a hardcore simp, the latter is still a hardcore weakling. How they don't change after all these years is beyond me. If Eren's drip game can go from 0 to 100, wouldn't it make sense his childhood friends caught on? But in all seriousness, I never quite understood the purpose of Mikasa and Armin. They are annoying, part of the reason I don't like them too much, but I acknowledge that annoying =/= bad character. The bad qualities of them should I say lie in what purpose they serve to the story as of the Final Season in my opinion. Mikasa has some benefit of the doubt given to her, she is starting to open up that Eren's apparent downfall is not one that wishes the best of him in his future, she even goes out of her way to question whether or not he is doing the right thing, but again, for the sake of the story, she needs to brainlessly be there for Eren even when my boy is committing various war crimes in the former Eldian empire. She was going places but easily lost herself due to a static character within her. Her "development", if you can even call it that, is a stretch in my opinion. She makes no effort to do anything she wouldn't normally do for a nice change in character, especially during these god awful times that both sides have faced. To be fair, Mikasa is supposed to be this life devoting girl to Eren because he saved her, but no development is absurd on quite a few levels, making her less of a believable character. Armin is still the same dude he was from the start, I honestly don't know why he too hasn't changed, actually, it would make sense that having the successor of human's greatest leader would feel like a burden, but all that time to train apparently meant nothing, well okay then. No development here to be pleased of.

  Now, for the real MVPs. Eren. The dude is one of my favourite characters in the series, and not because he does an edgelord moment, but his change from the start to the end whilst still being consistent is quite satisfying and understandable to view. When Eren said he was gonna kill his enemies, he wasn't playing games. He did everything in his power to make that try and this season shows the beginning of such a change of heart. His motives may be very questionable, but being the embodiment of the consequence of revenge and hate gets you exactly that, truly a well-written character.

  Gabi. The annoying girl? But is she really? I remember when it was very easy to hate on Eren because of quite a similar personality, I was the same in that boat. Everything she does is justifiable despite being executed in a way to annoy the audience. Past the clouds and she isn't really any different from other characters like Eren. Hate grew on her, and she is fighting for the sake of the people she cares about, sounds a little bit like Eren does it not? Overall, I think Gabi is quite an interesting character, though, unlike Eren, she is portrayed on the wrong side of the story, giving her a different experience than Eren's life, the person she is most similar to. Her character plays out quite well if I am honest, the truth which she faces, later on, the reaction of which makes for a tragic life for Gabi honestly. Great writing overall for her.

  Reiner. Gigachad hella swagger Reiner drip glow up. In seriousness, Reiner is one of the best characters in the series. He understands a lot more about the world and the harsh reality he has to face due to the brainwashing and control of Marley, he is a victim of the situation. A tragic one after what he has had to face during so. I feel quite bad for the dude but it goes to show like Gabi, he was part of the corrupted system which devalued his life so much that he was lost of everything.

  Zeke is one I want to get a little into too, later on in the story he plays a big role in everything that goes down, but there is more than meets the eye with Zeke. you being to understand his motives a bit more and why he did the things he does, an intriguing monke, to say the least.

  Other side characters are great for the most part too, Jean, Sasha, Connie, Levi, Hange, Falco, the list goes on, they too have their importance and relatively in the story.

  AOT uses a lot of explicit themes in the story to give it the acclamation it has, like revenge, hate, dystopia, but one of the more implicit themes to be shared is influence. I have noticed that every character in AOT as a child has been influenced in some way. Eren with his past trauma growing into a hatred, Gabi the same without the trauma, more like a duty. Reiner the same, but it is based on duty rather than anything else, Zeke would get into spoilers, but you will see what I mean when you get there. AOT does well at this and has made for more believable characters in the grand scale of things, past experiences will have a lot on what you say as you grow up. It also makes me think that on both a superficial and intramural level, the story has something to share regardless of how deep you dive into it. There aren't a lot of stories out there like this one. One of a kind honestly.

  ---

  __Audiovisuals:__

  The visuals are an iffy situation, I would be a liar to say I enjoyed the visuals all the way, but notes to take into account are, watch this at a minimum of 720p HD quality, and try to get used to the CGI early on. The CGI really got to me in particular but I got used to it in the end, it is quite unfortunate that Mappa had been given a real bad schedule, it was borderline impossible to make great sakuga all the way through, welcome to the anime industry where money is the top priority, but that's a story for another time. I understand that there wasn't any substantial time for Mappa to even make 10/10 animation, but it doesn't excuse the fact that this isn't the best thing in the world. It isn't. So I didn't see this as anything of glory for the most part, however, even with a bs schedule, Mappa did actually have quite a bit of moment where there were just great scenes overall, their 2D animation and was still amazing to hold onto the tragic reality Mappa faced. They also have amazing camera work, which made most scenes that much more impactful. I could name a few but they would go into spoilers. This is a tragic category, but it is one that I still found goodness in.

  A few moments I quite liked and found cool (minor spoilers):
  https://www.sakugabooru.com/post/show/138686
  https://www.sakugabooru.com/post/show/142485
  https://www.sakugabooru.com/post/show/143271

  I have been meaning to only give 10/10 audio to only Clannad's OST, but that changes today, not that numbers meant much to begin with, but you know. AOT FS doesn't suffer from any kind of lack in the soundtrack to the point where innovation is needed, it also has a wide range of sounds that feature more or less anything that produces a sound, basically, this has it all, the great sound is clearly prominent in this series and has clearly shown that these pieces were composed. So many great tracks to remember, be it due to controversy or just the hype surrounding the said OST brings. OP and ED are in the same boat, I can't say both tracks have left my head at all and on the visuals side of things they are completely memorable and original. Amazing sounds. Nothing less. I also need to talk about the seiyuus because they did an outstanding performance, it is burnt into the memory of how well they performed, generally amazing on everyone's side. You won't see acting like this in a good while I tell you, endorse it now whilst it is still there.

  Look at what I mean:

  Eren was real for like a minute.

  ---

  __Enjoyment:__

  There are a lot of things very enjoyable about AOT FS. Most of mine comes from an external experience, in talking to fans about the philosophy of the characters, what might be upcoming and which side are you on. You can do this with yourself internally too, it depends on how you look at it really. Universal enjoyment is really what I just said, mostly about asking yourself the different questions this has to offer, there is no wrong answer which makes it all the more interesting. Random theories come out of nowhere but they could hold water. Is all fair in war? At the end of the day, AOT allows you to build your own enjoyment of what it gives to you.

  Other side factors directly within the anime include hype moments and fight scenes you are just dying for. Whilst they aren't the best, they are still extremely good and something that I find myself looking forward to at times. AOT needs to have its action here and there to satisfy both parties I guess. In saying that, I do have to point out that a lot of people get a bit bored with the slowness of episodes containing no action and serving as plot-based episodes, I would agree slightly, but it is the same slow journey that is worth the while. You just need to prevail. All in all, AOT does a good job of allowing everyone to enjoy themselves. There's something for all in this gem.

  ---

  __TLDR Review:__

  Story - 100: Philosophical questions, political troubles, generally very intriguing story to find yourself immersed in.
  Visuals - 90: Yes the CGI isn't the best, but it is actually used quite well, 2D animation still amazing and
  Audio - 100: Amazing OST, OP, ED and seiyuus. It is one of a kind here.
  Characters - 95: Slight hiccup in a few characters, everyone else
  Enjoyment - 95: Very minor complaint, sometimes episodes are less intriguing than others, but most of the time the hype is still there and this is something to look forward to.

  ---

  __Final Words:__

  Before I cut this review off, I really want to put out there this amazing things have gone down with everything in relation to AOT, good or bad, these events were something to witness, getting a following like this again for new manga, which will eventually turn into popular manga, into anime, into popular anime, into a global success, doesn't seem like it will happen anytime soon. I am glad I was here when this season aired, experiencing all the events that went down lol. Truly monumental moment.

  __Overall - 96/100__
  Continue on AniList
• 

  AnimeDweeb

  80/100
  Sympathy For the Devil, and the Death of the Hero.

  #Walls have long been synonymous with the cruel world of *Attack on Titan* (AoT).

  From the series' opening moments, these monolithic structures tower over a civilization fighting for survival. On its last legs, mankind makes a final stand with aspirations as high as the barriers themselves: to defeat the enemy and claim the freedom that they rightfully deserve. But in almost 60 episodes of high-octane television, the franchise's trademark bravado gives way to a sinister realization. Perhaps the Walls were never meant to keep the devils out, but to trap them in.

  With the secrets of the Basement uncovered, the stakes have been reinvented. Just as freedom seemed ever so tangible for Eren, Mikasa and Armin; S4 places yet another obstacle in their path - one which will take them far beyond the shores of Paradis, and one which will irrevocably tear down the lines between hero and villain. There is no longer Right or Wrong on the battlefield; only Fear persists. To quote George R. R. Martin: "War makes monsters of us all." This review is spoiler-free for plot details in S4, but will refer to all prior seasons. Feel free to skip ahead to my Tl;Dr if you're short on time. As for everyone else: "Susume."

  ---

  #To understand how AoT's latest chapter succeeds, we first need to discuss the game-changing Basement reveal.

  Naturally, I was skeptical of whether author Hajime Isayama could address the many questions dating back to his story's beginning. The secrets of Grisha's household was always a big driving force for Eren's journey, and it'd be difficult to look back on past episodes fondly if Isayama dropped the ball with his big twist. Thankfully, the Basement reveal proved to be a masterclass in mystery-box storytelling. Providing satisfying answers without the use of plotholes or retcons is a big achievement, but alone isn't what makes these revelations so stellar. Rather, the genius of this premeditated twist lies in how it introduces a new perspective from which we can experience this grand saga unfold. Once the truth came to light, AoT would be changed forever.

  S4's introductory arc hits the ground running on uncharted territory. It doesn't take long for the show to make us realise we're a long way from Paradis. Aerodynamic ODM hijinks are traded for conventional trench warfare, monsters from millenia past make way for modern weapons of destruction, and familiar war-torn faces are replaced by new ones - those of young, sprightly children on a siege battlefront. S4's opening salvo boldly thrusts its audience onto enemy soil; but make no mistake, this is AoT through-and-through. While the context has changed dramatically, the same themes and ideas introduced since the very beginning are being expanded upon and reimagined.

  #AoT reinvents the wheel and finds sympathy for the devil.

  In contrast to the rapid-fire info dump in the S3P2 episode "That Day," our return to Marley patiently details the various struggles of the evil nation's inhabitants. The use of Titans in warfare kept Marley prosperous for a century, but history teaches us that empires are destined to fall. Other nations have levelled with the former tyrant, and their scrappy spoils of war mark a massive fall from the iron-clad world dominance held in ages past. To a nation edging towards the brink of collapse, their neighbors in Paradis pose a fearsome threat that would certainly prove fatal. With attempts at seizing Eren's rogue Founding Titan only resulting in further colossal losses to their military strength, Marley's position of power lies solely in their control of the narrative. The country's false account of Paradis' past atrocities pits the greater world against an unknown threat, and Marley's Eldians against their own blood. With this backdrop in mind, we observe the tragedy of a disjointed race of outcasts born into a world that seemingly has no place for them.

  #Eldia is a house divided,

  with neither half fully able to stand against their Marleyan masters. Both groups are products of mass subjugation, and S4 claims that the internment Eldians may have received the short end of the stick. In spite of the King's Vow and a vicious fight for survival against the Titans, Paradis is Paradise, because its human inhabitants are spared from ever doubting their place as the good guys. Contrast them with the marginalized Eldians of Marley, whose dehumanized existence is defined by sins of the past. It's an uphill battle, as they are cast down the lower rungs of a merciless social ladder and conditioned to accept self-hatred as a necessity of life. Breaking out of this systematic oppression is what motivates the Warrior candidates, Eldian militants devoted to proving their Marleyan allegiance on the battlefield. With false anti-Eldian propaganda forced down their throats, these soldiers can only repress their humanity as they vie for the coveted Warrior status. Even this best-case scenario confines the "lucky" few to 13 years of relentless battle, perpetuating a vicious cycle as one Titan Shifter makes way for the next. It's sad to take in the imagery of child soldiers Gabi and Falco, as they cling onto their flimsy rhetoric in a vain attempt to find order in the sick chaos that surrounds them. While Gabi's abrasive actions drew the ire of countless seething fans^, the script's portrayal of these tragic figures is commendable, especially given the risks involved in fleshing out antagonists so late into the narrative.

  While the sinful children turn to their history books for solace, that comforting illusion of being in the right has begun to show its cracks for some. The battle-hardened Reiner finds himself caught in an ideological crossfire. His cryptic origins are finally explored in-full during this season, detailing the misfortune of having to fight alongside both his motherland and his foes. His split-personality disorder emerged as a result of his time spent behind enemy lines, and coming to terms with Marley's subjugation of Paradis pushed our Armored Titan to his psychological breaking point. Reiner, Gabi and Falco are all forced to confront the suffering dealt by their war cause. No longer is there any comforting doctrine to absolve them from their sins. Warrior Commander Magath says it best, in what is probably my new favorite line in all of AoT:

  "There is no doubt that Eldians are the spawn of the devil. And there is no doubt that we are devils ourselves."

  Marley's generational sins are coming back to haunt the nation. It's no coincidence that S4's opening arc closely mirrors the invasion that kicked off the franchise. Much like that first battle in Shiganshina, S4 uses its own powerful moments of despair as a launchpad for the ensuing conflict. This time around, the parallel is recontextualized, as S4 turns the invaders into the invaded. We're presented injustices without innocence, as Marley reap what they sow. At the same time we're shown an enemy coerced into violence as a means of escaping a system of oppression. It's not enough to absolve the internment Eldians of their wrongdoing, but speaks volumes about how Isayama has chosen this new phase of his story. S4 pulls the curtain on everything we thought we knew, finding tragic ambiguity in a conflict that was once simple. AoT achieves this not only through finding sympathy for the devil, but also by smashing its façade of heroism.

  #The franchise's identity has long been rooted in these soldiers' self-sacrificial blazes of gory glory.

  Adrenaline-pumping hype was all but guaranteed, as badass scouts sliced-and-diced their way through hordes of giants to the beat of Sawano's steampunk OST. Laying their lives on the line and giving their hearts, mankind would stop at nothing to keep moving forward. Eren and his comrades were fighting for freedom, and as massive manga sales figures (of over 100 million!) would indicate, us passionate fans were rooting for 'em. As I mentioned before, Paradis' place as the good guys was always certain. Rarely were we asked to call our heroes' past actions into question, because their goals were clear and good - kill Titans and claim freedom. But what happens when that fleeting freedom gives way to an unforgiving destiny?

  #S4 is a sobering deconstruction of its own winning formula.

  As a Marleyan insider makes the full extent of Eren's powers public, all of Paradis face a dilemma regarding their fate. The mysterious plan could finally secure freedom for the Eldians, deterring the world from annihilating the devils' island. In this new context, old trends make a resurgence. The military remains suspicious of the insider's true motivations, and their inaction seeds distrust among the masses. While us audience members may know that Paradis' government is working for the nation's best interest, it's hard to ignore that their puppet monarchy was achieved through a fascist takeover of the old system. How is their inefficiency that much better than the conspiratory ways of the Reiss reign? Their weak attempts at diplomatic relations are insufficient at appeasing the people, resulting in the emergence of a cult. Dubbed the Jaegerists, this secret society enacts a coordinated strike on the military government. The cult hails Eren and the insider's scheme as divine salvation, and their near-deranged devotion bears strong resemblance to the Wall Priests from past seasons. A chilling demonstration of their desperate faith cemented itself as one of my favorite moments in the entire franchise; as an anti-militant mob chants the ever-familiar "Shinzo Sasageyo" back at their opponents, turning a noble call to action into a bloodthirsty mantra. As the domestic chaos ensues, we're moved to wonder just what Paradis stood to gain from "giving their hearts."

  #Glorified in the past, AoT's heroes are rebuked in the present.

  Hange, starting out with hopes of changing the old ways that preceded her, now finds herself caged in Commander Erwin's shadow. Armin is forced to accept that diplomacy with other nations will prove ineffective in securing safety for Paradis, as he harnesses the Colossal Titan's destructive power. His loyalty is called into question, with his connection to Bertholdt's memories drawing distrust. Isayama also doesn't spare Mikasa from his scrutiny, as her formidable character comes apart in decisive fashion. Meanwhile, Levi is forced to eat his own words as he laments over the vain loss of countless comrades over the years, because he could never have determined whether trusting in Eren's power was right or wrong until he arrived at the bleak outcome of the present. And as for Eren himself, the strong-willed fighter has been overhauled and nearly unrecognizable. He has emerged as the most resolute figure out of the entire cast, as well as the most inhuman. Eren represents a naive wish for freedom taken to its ideological extreme, and the revelation of his true intentions takes the franchise to the darkest it's ever been.

  #What is right has become unclear, what is wrong has proven necessary.

  And it's in the death of those moral constructs that we are able to observe a world driven by fear and hatred above all else. Marley and Paradis are nations trapped in a realist zero-sum game; even though Armin's hopes for diplomacy and cooperation yield the optimal solution for both sides' concerns, fear of the unknown dictates their decisions, leaving them with no other outcome than mutually-assured destruction. Just as lost children stumble their way around a forest, so do soldiers struggle to make the right choice in the heat of battle. All we have are our instincts, the greatest of which being fear.

  #AoT's consistency appears to be a double-edged sword in some aspects.

  AoT's weaknesses are just as present as its strengths, although that's not necessarily a bad thing. Flaws that I'd attribute to the series don't feel like mistakes, but rather a natural consequence of the kind of story Isayama intends to tell. None of these really need changing, but none of these are gonna convince AoT detractors to side with the show 4 seasons in. For example, the show's characters are still mostly one-note and thinly-written, but act as superb vehicles for AoT themes as a result. The worldbuilding and narrow political thesis behind the Marleyan-Paradis conflict only functions off unrealistic conditions, but it's because fabricated reality that we're able to witness this truly epic thought experiment. Even though former AoT director Tetsuro isn't on-board this season, it seems that his over-the-top facial reactions and melodrama still found their way into S4. While AoT certainly handles most of its large-scale battle sequences more effectively than its smaller confrontations, it's in these unnerving expressions that showcase our suffering characters giving into their inhuman instincts. For a "battle shounen," the amount of action in S4 is surprisingly lacking, but I'm pleased to see that myself and many others have grown so invested in the painstaking depiction of Isayama's twisted world. The few action sequences we do get do fall ever so slightly short of the gold standard we've grown to expect, but MAPPA have done a mostly remarkable job in handling its animation. CGI usage isn't as rampant here as Twitter makes it out to be, with its infrequent recurrences still blowing the industry standard out of the water. Plus, the change in art direction serves the show incredibly well, capturing a more modern time period while still facilitating Isayama's distinct style.

  ---

  #**Tl;Dr**:

  AoT S4 interrogates its own past, proving to audiences just why this giant deserves to stay relevant, 7 years after its premiere. Using the Basement reveal to great effect, S4 opens our eyes to more perspectives in this miserable conflict. Constantly drawing parallels to precedents from past seasons, AoT isn't afraid to recontextualize its formula and challenge ideas that were once accepted without second thought. It's not the strongest AoT has ever been, but has every opportunity to achieve those peaks in a sequel as inevitable as the incoming war. 8/10~

  ---

  #STRAY RAMBLINGS (**SPOILERS**):

  • ^Real talk, Gabi gets too much hate. It's definitely justifiable to hate her actions and character, but she holds up as a great vehicle for expressing Isayama's message about the dangers of basing your life around political rhetoric and propaganda. Observing audience reactions surrounding her character reminds me of Skyler White from Breaking Bad. I'm no Gabi fanboi, but the vitriol unjustly targeted at antagonists that are doing their job as, well, antagonists - that just baffles me. The memes are admittedly fire tho, I'll give ya' that.

  

  • Scene of Connie and Sasha realizing their mutual stupidity is basically me and my last two brain cells in college.

  

  • The entire Hizuru plotline didn't click for me. The foreign ambassador is probably the least friendly diplomat I've ever seen, going as far as to lick her lips at the mention of "national resources." Anyways, the real issue is that it straight-up doesn't work for Mikasa at all. Like, maybe it's a female-empowerment thingy where our girl is revealed to be some badass princess or whatnot, but Mikasa is never given a reason to care about their proposition, so the whole thread just feels kinda awkward.
  • Totally get what the Niccolo motif was going for (he's a chef, Sasha eats his food, etc.,) but associating dinner with her death wasn't really cool when Connie did it the first time, nor was it any less cringe when it gets rehashed in later episodes.
  • Floch is a dumbass. 'Nuff said.
  • Remember when everyone was malding over "My War?" Me neither, that song is a certified banger! For me, "Guren no Yumiya" is still gonna be the song I'd associate with the series, but Shinsei Kamattechan's track is the bop I'd put on loop.
  • THANK GOD IT'S NOT A MOVIE SEQUEL. Simulcast is a godsend for people that actually enjoy watching stuff without getting spoiled, and I'm already struggling to keep myself safe. Imagine having to go months without the internet before a theatrical release… yeesh.
  • BEST GIRL: Enjoy your meats and potatoes in Heaven, Sasha. Fly high.

  

  ---

  Oof, this season really made me grateful for taking up an intro course on Political Studies. I've been relatively late to the AoT hype train, but I don't regret not picking up sooner, as there's so much that I likely wouldn't have appreciated back when I was younger. In any case, I'm well-aboard seeing this massive saga conclude. If you happen to like my verbose rants, feel free to check out my other reviews for seasons past and present. I also frequently post writeups under my list updates, so definitely take a peek if you'd like to see me mald over anime as they hit the airwaves. Peace~

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