Attack on Titan The Finale Season (Episode 60 onwards) - Anime Episode Discussion

[Guido]

The Rumbling

Here I am to deliver my last batch of reviews just before the finale rolls out on Saturday.

Truth to be told Attack on Titan still manages to make this memorable one-time comeback even after the manga ended, and the franchise exhausted itself for more than a year after the second part of the final season ended.

To say is that the Rumbling episode delivered me catharsis on many crucials moment from when Eren cried out to Ramzi in desperation knowing for sure he will kill the boy and his family through the rumbling up to Hange's fading away in blazing ball of fire much to the emotional agony of the subordinates she left behind, of Onyankopon suffering inconsolably, and, particularly, Levi sulking wishing farewell to his former superior and comrade.

Mixed emotions came rushing in my head when I witnessed Eren despairing that the rumbling was the choice left after finding out there were no other viable routes to save Paradis.

Then, the beautiful soundtracks that accompanied each scene to convey Annie giving up and throwing the towel to have some peace, Mikasa resolving not to kill Eren but to bring him back to her and Armin, Hange readying to give her heart to resolve dying while bringing as many Colossal titans as she could, and being welcomed by Erwin and the rest of the fallen Scout regiment as they all marveled the flying boat taking off to where Eren is.

Sinners
When I read the manga on Eren commiting mass genocide via the rumbling back then I had mix feelings for the manner he acted on.

This time around the anime helped me to put things into perspective with Eren carrying a burden that he cannot drop off unless his loved ones clash against him. At the end, Eren made clear two choices either to kill him in order to stop the rumbling or let him kill humanity outside the walls in order to permanently protect Paradis Island.

Well written and executed characters are not painted just white and black only in terms of morality, since relatability is achieved when they display multi-faceted personalities and got hurt due to personal choices that they cannot take back as if was the case for Annie, Kiyomi, and the Marleyans whom abused hatred to Eldians for centuries.

What we witnessed way back in the first season with Annie during the 57th expedition outside the walls in season one was just a microcosm or small foreshadowing on what Eren is achieving with the Rumbling at the finale.

As always, Attack on Titan excels in the soundtrack, and this second-to-last episode did not disappoint bringing forth such desperation on the Eldian and Marleyans musing with certainty the bitter prospect that death was inmiment, that's until the Survey Corps - Marleyan Military alliance at last made their entrance to bring forth a small speck of hope for the outside humanity even if it means to give Eren certain death.

Just three more days so the very last episode gets released and to end this all.

[blakstealth]

Livestream countdown:

I don't consider myself the biggest fan of AoT, but I've enjoyed the 10 year ride. I will always root for Eren. I've been on his side for a decade now and these past few episodes/special haven't changed a thing! Very curious to see how it ends.

[belatkuro]

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/new...-manga/.204113

As far as I saw, the only different thing in the ending was that Yelena was added to be working with Onyakopon when she wasn't shown at all in the manga ending. Plus Gabi and Falco were suppose to be escorting Levi in the city along with Onyakopon. In here the two were planting trees together while Levi is giving out candy. That wasn't much of a change I guess. Maybe considering the destruction of the world, having Gabi, Falco, Onyakopon and Levi walking in a built city and dressed well doesn't fit at all.
The actual ending was untouched. I don't have much of an opinion on the ending. I'll just enjoy the discussion that's gonna happen.

[belatkuro]

Wasn't that Historia? Which was the same as here in the last episode. The narration was by Historia as they await the AvengersAlliance that are the delegates for the peace talk.

[EroKing]

So many thoughts and emotions while watching this, the whole of which is gonna take me some days to completely process. But...


Truly the end of an era. Farewell, Shingeki no Kyojin.

[Jaden]

I'm glad AoT finally got an ending, but aside from that, it didn't make me feel anything.

The series hooked me with its creative action scenes and the survival drama. But when it comes to the lore, the cosmology, and the ways in which the fate of this world was decided, it never really clicked with me. Even though that stuff is what I usually enjoy most in fantasy writing, and AoT gets a 10/10 for originality, I still just don't quite get it.

My favourite part was the dream scene with Eren and Mikasa, because it showed the result of Eren choosing apathy instead of action. It drove home how that's a choice that Eren could never have made. He wanted to test the limits of freedom, so it makes total sense that he went for the extreme chaos, maximum impact, highest risk path instead. Great send-off for that character. The stuff with Armin afterwards felt kind of unnecessary.

[Guido]

I'm NOT going to binge-eating the entire episode in one swoop but to keep on enjoying the ride until I am finished, since this is the last episode to Attack on Titan.

The Battle of Heaven and Earth
Devoured or be devoured?

The dilemma, the despair, and the imminent death.

The cycle of hatred has peaked, and Eren came to his own conclusion to deliver literal death to the world in order to achieve freedom and to end the hatred.

But, there are those who still refuse to throw the towel and are trying to resist the judgement.

Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Conny, Levi, Reiner, Pieck, Annie, Gabi, and Falco threw themselves right into the Titans den to stop Eren at their cost and expense of their sanity, their convictions, and their morals.

For Mikasa her dilemma is a conflict weighing down closer and closer to choose Eren or the World, the relentless world that will consumes us all.

For Levi is to carry out what the late Erwin last left him that faint ideal of a world without Titans where he would appreciate to live in a hell at being killed by ordinary men rather than being eaten alive by Titans which cannot be understood or bargained with.

For Armin is to marvel at the wonders the world has to offer in spite of all the hatred, ostracism, and the ridicule that would ensue if the alliance can successfully stop the Rumbling by miracle.

Death marches forward onto the world being brought by Eren's judgement, and in the sea of countless lives of people being lost they cannot afford for the miracle of life to be extinguished.

Yes, being borned into the world regardless of its innate cruelty is still a beautiful moment.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by belatkuro

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/new...-manga/.204113

As far as I saw, the only different thing in the ending was that Yelena was added to be working with Onyakopon when she wasn't shown at all in the manga ending. Plus Gabi and Falco were suppose to be escorting Levi in the city along with Onyakopon. In here the two were planting trees together while Levi is giving out candy. That wasn't much of a change I guess. Maybe considering the destruction of the world, having Gabi, Falco, Onyakopon and Levi walking in a built city and dressed well doesn't fit at all.
The actual ending was untouched. I don't have much of an opinion on the ending. I'll just enjoy the discussion that's gonna happen.

They made a very good change: they removed Armin thanking Eren for becoming a mass murderer for their sake (WTF) and instead had him say he's as guilty as Eren and they'll both go to hell together.

[Shinji103]

Originally Posted by belatkuro

Wasn't that Historia? Which was the same as here in the last episode. The narration was by Historia as they await the AvengersAlliance that are the delegates for the peace talk.

That doesn’t make sense though. Historia is living peacefully in the countryside with her child and husband. Then suddenly she’s in Kiyomi’s country looking like she’s dressed for war? That was definitely Kiyomi behind her; Kiyomi and her group left for their home country, I don’t see why they’d come back to the island when they would have their own problems. And why would Historia look like she’s mad? The letter she sent them sounds like she’s still on friendly terms with them.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Shinji103

That doesn’t make sense though. Historia is living peacefully in the countryside with her child and husband. Then suddenly she’s in Kiyomi’s country looking like she’s dressed for war? That was definitely Kiyomi behind her; Kiyomi and her group left for their home country, I don’t see why they’d come back to the island when they would have their own problems. And why would Historia look like she’s mad? The letter she sent them sounds like she’s still on friendly terms with them.

Wow. You really should rewatch the entire scene, the conversation made it extremely clear they were heading for Paradis for peace talks with Historia.

We actually saw NotJapan getting flattened in the anime, Kiyomi had nowhere to return to and since she was on friendly terms with Paradis, she most likely settled there.

Historia is still the queen. She just took a day off to celebrate her kid's birthday.

[Shinji103]

Originally Posted by Kanon

Wow. You really should rewatch the entire scene, the conversation made it extremely clear they were heading for Paradis for peace talks with Historia.

We actually saw NotJapan getting flattened in the anime, Kiyomi had nowhere to return to and since she was on friendly terms with Paradis, she most likely settled there.

Historia is still the queen. She just took a day off to celebrate her kid's birthday.

Um, I knew they were heading back to the island. They literally said exactly that……….what did I say that made it sound like I didn’t know that???

I said that we saw Historia in the countryside with her child and husband which made it look like she was out of politics and thus wouldn’t be doing anything with Kiyomi now. And with the new government centered around the Jaegerists, who were opposed to the old government that was built around the queen, it would make sense that they wouldn’t need the queen anymore.

Considering they said specifically in the manga and anime that Kiyomi and her group were going back to their country, and not once was it said they didn’t, it’s hard to come to the conclusion she went anywhere else. And since Yelena wasn’t seen anywhere else in the manga ending, I assumed that that was Yelena standing in front of Kiyomi’s group in the manga ending since she was last seen with her group.

[Mad Pierrot]

Man. That was a brutal ending. "See you in hell" I was confused about the Rumbling's objective since Eren claimed that the war would never end and the credits proved it. Maybe he wanted to delay it? Still the credits scenes must have been one of the most painful ways to the end the story. Society lived on.... until war came back and the world was destroyed. It only lacked a "Directed by Yoko Taro" considering the world's state after society's ending.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Shinji103

Um, I knew they were heading back to the island. They literally said exactly that……….what did I say that made it sound like I didn’t know that???

I said that we saw Historia in the countryside with her child and husband which made it look like she was out of politics and thus wouldn’t be doing anything with Kiyomi now. And with the new government centered around the Jaegerists, who were opposed to the old government that was built around the queen, it would make sense that they wouldn’t need the queen anymore.

Considering they said specifically in the manga and anime that Kiyomi and her group were going back to their country, and not once was it said they didn’t, it’s hard to come to the conclusion she went anywhere else. And since Yelena wasn’t seen anywhere else in the manga ending, I assumed that that was Yelena standing in front of Kiyomi’s group in the manga ending since she was last seen with her group.

Alright, I guess I misunderstood. You thought Armin and the others were going for peace talks with the Jeagerists and that Historia was in NotJapan for other talks, is that correct?

There was no indication the Jeagerists took power, they simply started a movement. Historia was still the Queen, and the letter was an invitation for peace talks, probably in an attempt to quell the growing Jeagerists movement.

Another change I noticed is that Paradis was bombed once buildings started to look like ours in the manga, so peace probably didn't last that long (a century at best). In the anime, the buildings look futuristic. Also, for some reason the anime reenacted 9/11...
And that one isn't exactly a change but the picture is so small during the credits that I doubt many anime onlies realized Mikasa married another man and had children with him.

[Ayakashi]

Originally Posted by Kanon

They made a very good change: they removed Armin thanking Eren for becoming a mass murderer for their sake (WTF) and instead had him say he's as guilty as Eren and they'll both go to hell together.

FWIW Isayama said in a recent interview the intent behind that line in the manga was the same as what Armin said in the anime, in that he wanted to be an accomplice and shoulder the responsibility of the genocide with Eren.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/05/a...-on-titan.html

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Ayakashi

FWIW Isayama said in a recent interview the intent behind that line in the manga was the same as what Armin said in the anime, in that he wanted to be an accomplice and shoulder the responsibility of the genocide with Eren.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/05/a...-on-titan.html

Well, that comes across better when characters actually express themselves properly. Getting that from the original line requires quite the leap.

[blakstealth]

Originally Posted by Mad Pierrot

Man. That was a brutal ending. "See you in hell" I was confused about the Rumbling's objective since Eren claimed that the war would never end and the credits proved it. Maybe he wanted to delay it? Still the credits scenes must have been one of the most painful ways to the end the story. Society lived on.... until war came back and the world was destroyed. It only lacked a "Directed by Yoko Taro" considering the world's state after society's ending.

Eren admitted that he was an idiot. And idiot with all the power in the world.

It's definitely been done before, but I didn't even think of Eren doing the things he did for the sake of his friends...becoming the most hated being in the world and to make his comrades out to be the heroes of the war. I always knew that there was definitely something else going on and Eren didn't just turn cold in S4 just to be a jerk. But still...it was a tough decision he made. It's been a fun ride. The ending is not bad at all. I don't see the hate it got when the manga ended. From my understanding, the anime ending didn't differentiate a whole lot from the manga, and the reception for anime viewers seems pretty positive so far.

[Ayakashi]

Originally Posted by Kanon

Well, that comes across better when characters actually express themselves properly. Getting that from the original line requires quite the leap.

Agreed, as a fan of the ending I thought it was quite tone-deaf.

[Mad Pierrot]

Eren taking Ymir's power for the Rumbling was also an excuse to make her notice Mikasa right? The objective was that Mikasa inspire her to destroy the loop by killing the King, ending the Titans in the process, right? Well, the Rumbling was also an objective too

I'm having Tsubasa's timetravelling memories.

[Psyco Diver]

I feel unsatisfied, like in a weird way. I don't feel negative nor positive feelings or thoughts on this finale.

I wonder if this has to do with the long wait for this last episode, it just felt like it came out of nowhere as in I just happened to see every YT channel talking about and I just thought "wait I didn't know this was suppose to come out now". We just get thrown into it right where it left off

I just don't know what to think or feel over it, I do believe this was horribly mishandled which is leading to how I feel about the ending

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Mad Pierrot

Eren taking Ymir's power for the Rumbling was also an excuse to make her notice Mikasa right? The objective was that Mikasa inspire her to destroy the loop by killing the King, ending the Titans in the process, right? Well, the Rumbling was also an objective too

I'm having Tsubasa's timetravelling memories.

The way I see it, Ymir completely manipulated Eren in order to put Mikasa into a situation where she would have to choose between him and the rest of humanity. She wanted to see if Mikasa, who presumably loved Eren just as much as Ymir loved King Fritz, would be able to do what she couldn't and kill her beloved. The outcome apparently satisfied her.