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Finale of Attack on Titan leaves writer in awe
Wed. | 04-27-22 | ENTERTAINMENT
Photo courtesy of otakukart.com
Fair warning: this article contains major spoilers, so you may want to stop reading now if you haven’t watched “Attack on Titan” (AOT) yet. Following the 34-volume Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama, “Attack on Titan” is a four-season anime set in an apocalyptic world full of action and dark fantasy. Be warned, however, “AOT” is not for the faint of heart as the show is quite gory and full of tragedies.
In an alternate universe, a young boy named Eren Yeagar finds his life turned upside down. For hundreds of years the people of Paradis Island have lived in fear, as towering bloodthirsty titans surround their home within walls. The people are protected by three walls: Maria, Rose and Sina which have held the titans out since year 145.
But in 845, a rumbling is heard over the town of Shiganshina, Yeagar's hometown, and a colossal titan breaks through Wall Maria causing titans to flood in. Soon Shiganshina is destroyed and all the people have fled, except for one–Yeagar’s mother Carla, who has been trapped under debris from falling houses. Yeagar and his friend Mikasa Ackerman try everything to get her out but are too weak, being only 10 years old.
The pair watches as Carla is lifted into the mouth of a titan and savagely eaten. As Yeagar is carried away by a soldier, he vows to
end the titan race. This is when the traumatic backstory of the main character develops and I think this moment contributes greatly to the unfolding of the plotline.
Over time Yeagar and his friends face challenges as the walls break again from another titan attack five years into the future, and the scouts are sent into action for the first time. Again and again Yeagar witnesses his own friends, comrades and civilians get eaten in front of his eyes. I can only imagine how traumatized Yeagar would be from such a young age. Not to mention the amount of deaths made me feel for the characters. But when Yeagar himself is eaten by a titan his friends are struck with shock, until they notice one titan battling others of his kind.
The first major plot twist occurs when it’s discovered that Yeagar has the ability to turn into a titan at will. The similarities between Yeagars personality and the attitude of this titan turned the wheels in my mind to think that Eren could be a titan. At this point in the show I had also become hooked and could not stop watching. This opens a whole new world of questions as the titans are no longer what they seem. As the plot thickens, the Scouts venture out farther beyond the walls than ever before in order to uncover the secrets and origins of the titans.
On April 3, 2022 the final episode of season four part two was released and apparently concluded the end of “AOT”. But when I sat down to watch the final episode, I was not prepared for a major cliffhanger. The last five episodes gradually developed the plot and consisted of epic battle scenes, flashbacks that answered questions and the fate of humanity left to be destroyed by the rumbling of titans. These episodes did not disappoint. Many loose ends from previous seasons were actually tied up, new bonds were formed between enemies and painstaking deaths shocked me to my core. But when the credits started to roll after the final episode, I was frozen. I thought this was the last episode, yet I was left with a cliffhanger. Thankfully, about a day after the final episode was released, it was announced in Japan that season four part three would actually be released in 2023, much to the appeal of fans all over.
Personally, “AOT” has been one of my favorite animes I have seen. The animation is amazing and continues to improve season to season. Abundant plot twists keep me hooked on the storyline, not to mention the constant amount of deaths that touch the hearts of all fans and make viewers feel as if they are really in the world of “AOT”.
Since season one of “Attack on Titan'' was released way back in 2013, I think season four part two has been one of the most awaited seasons yet, and now part three is going to be a sweet reward after waiting until 2023. I am so glad there will be a part three because the cliffhanger from part two has got to be answered. “AOT” ends with a major character on the verge of destroying humanity. You tell me if that deserves another season!
I highly recommend this anime for anyone who loves action, dystopian worlds or fantasy in general–it is a perfect mix of the three. Overall the rise of popularity “AOT'' has received over the last couple of years is well deserved. Only small changes have been made between the manga and the anime, so the storyline itself has been kept mostly accurate and presents an exciting adventure for viewers to watch as Yeagar and his friends must keep all of humanity out of the jaws of titans.
