Review of Attack on Titan Season 3

The first part of the third season of Attack on Titan capitalizes on themes and character motivations setup in season two while also setting up new themes and character motivations to lay the groundwork for events in the second part of the third season. Unlike the second part, not everything you see in these episodes will be extraordinary, but it is productive with its storytelling and still one of the most captivating seasons of anime I've seen. And, the show doesn’t even have much action this season. Quick reminder: def my opinion, not an objective statement. Also, quick note: If the opening didn't clue you in onthis, I am reviewing this part of the series with a reflective view following the second part of the third season. I will not be giving direct spoilers for either part, but I will hint at the moments I love at the very least. If you don’t want hints, don’t read.

Four of the characters get lots of attention in this season: Eren, Commander Erwin, Historia, and a new character Kenny. Eren and Historia change dramatically as they learn certain details and reflect upon their past experiences. Eren is redeemed and no longer that annoying protagonist that you seem to see in a lot of anime, and Historia is now her own person. Her connection with Ymir, which is established in season two, is used to great effect in driving her character progression and keeps well with the ongoing theme of living for yourself. For Commander Erwin and Kenny, we see their backstories, their motivations, and how they came to have those motivations. These two characters mean so much me in part because of the moment they inspire in the second part of the third season, which I will not explain because you need to see it for yourself.

This first part of the season is where we finally get lots of concrete details on the lore. A few small questions that you may have had about the government from the first and second season are answered while lots of new questions arise in their place. Many of those new questions remain unanswered in the third season about the timeline of the government during the events of the story in the first season, which can make you wonder "Is there an answer?" I personally do not find it a problem that there are unanswered questions and actually have fun thinking about what the potential answers could be. Those answers could also still come in the final season. Don't be too quick to assume that there's a plot hole ... because the writer is definitely trying to cover his bases with the world. Try to imagine what the answer could be. For me, that is one of the core appeals to Attack on Titan. Admittedly, it is a niche appeal, but the show is all the better for it in my eyes. As for the questions we did get answers for... my god. It completely fulfilled my expectations for the fantastical nature of the world and then some with mythological elements (I ain't spoiling stuff, so ask me directly if you want to know something that you might have missed in the show). And as always, there’s still more to know.

The soundtrack is phenomenal. It is so much better than the seasons that came before it (not counting the OP which does not at all match the tone of the show). Here are a couple examples that I liked.
1. At the end of the second episode the audience learns something about Historia's family that is definitely important, yet it isn't entirely clear how important it is and why. Then the symphony music cues in with slowly increasing volume to egg on our anticipation of the answer. You won't be able to resist watching the next episode lol.
2. That low volume and yet intense sound you hear once you see the cave for the first time (yes, there's a cave), it's one of those "oh s***" moments that gets you hyped for what's to come and the OST in that moment enhances and keeps the feeling alive inside you. It is so much more subtle than the in-your-face music from the first season, and it draws your attention to what's happening while keeping the hype!
There are plenty more instances to mention, especially with the symphony music. It fits really well with the grand scale and mysterious elements of the show.

From the perspective of animation, the art is not outstanding a majority of the time. Excluding one sequence with Levi that is balls-to-the-wall with animation, you can tell the studio took some liberties with CG, far out shots, and moments when your attention is on the dialogue. But, that does not matter to me considering that there isn’t much action in this part of the series. There are other things to consider about the art. Facial expressions are killer, and I am still a fan of WIT studios’ shading technique when they want to emphasize the expressions. Backgrounds look good and a lot of emphasis is put on the making the environment look as natural as possible. And the eyes man, I love the detail they put into the eyes. Best irises in anime lol.

To close, I want to focus on Kenny's backstory, which is my main highlight of the first part for multiple reasons. One, I got a glimpse into the world prior to the events of the story and the underground of the capital city. Two, I got to see Kenny's character progression and how he established his motivation. Three, I got a glimpse into the royal family’s motivation and -- in the process -- discovered a new theme that resonated with me immensely and is called back on in the end of the third season. Four, it serves to set up one of the best moments in the series thus far with another theme that I resonate with immensely! That one backstory makes Kenny one of my favorite characters in the series. It is also one of my favorite episodes in the series even with all the amazing episodes in the second part. Be careful when you watch it for yourself though. Don't get too caught up in his relatives! That isn’t the most important part, I swear!

Thank you for reading! I put a lot more into this review than I tend to for others and hope you got something out of it. The third season of Attack on Titan cemented the show as my favorite without even reaching the conclusion lol. I really hope the final season is as good as it’s hyped up to be.

And for you AoT haters … don’t ask me about the maneuver gear or explosives in that last action sequence. Or Levi and Mikasa dodging bullets. I know it probably wouldn’t work that way, but does it even matter considering what is accomplished with the story? If you think something else is wrong that I missed I challenge you to run it by me. I am willing to bet it is not as much a problem as you may think.