Review of Attack on Titan: Final Season - The Final Chapters

Hooter’s company slogan is “Delightfully tacky, yet unrefined”. No better words could be used to describe these final two extended episodes. There is a lot to love here with excitement and intrigue, but it just barely misses the mark on a “perfect ending”. Regardless of the divisive takes on this season in particular, I believe it’s safe to say AOT will hold a special place in anime history regardless of how the ending is perceived. This is especially true for myself. I wouldn’t say I’m the biggest fan by any means, End of Evangelion or bust, but I definitely hold AOT dear to my heart.That said, I’m conflicted about The ‘actual’ Final Chapters.

When the final season part 2 released, it was by far one of the best seasons in anime period (this is my personal opinion). The lore intrigued me, Ymir Fritz’s backstory enthralled me, the story surprised/shocked me, and the characters, along with their actions, captivated me. With every unexpected action there was an equivalently unexpected reaction, keeping me on my toes for the entirety. It didn’t seem like there was any down time, and each moment held so much weight. I won’t go through any specifics, but I felt the intensity of each moment, to which I value immensely.

I suppose I could see why others wouldn’t feel so positive though, especially if the lore of the Eldian/Marley didn’t grab you. This leads me to this “season”, for which I’m frankly at a loss for words (in a metaphorical sense…). I definitely connected with everything going on. I could still feel the weight of each decision made and the impact of the events on the characters, but there was a sense of wanting. What I wanted however, I’m not sure of.

Ultimately, I am okay with how it ended. Normally I like happy endings, but endings that leave more to be desired are equivalently valuable in my eyes. Personally, spoilers ahead, I would’ve liked to have seen Mikasa’s story resolved better….and yet I think what we received from her was truly beautiful. Same for Eren…What he did is definitely NOT a good thing….and yet I wanted something better for him still. There is certainly an internal conflict in regards to my viewing, even though I massively enjoyed what I saw.

My most obvious qualm was how vapid the story felt this time around, compared to part 2. There seemed like there was a lack of buildup, which could be attributed to it being only 2 episodes. But I believe the pacing just differed from what I am used to with AOT in general. This is certainly a packed ending both in action and emotion though…it just lacks the time to ruminate. I believe, had the Final Chapters been extended, I would’ve connected differently. This is not to say I didn’t connect, but it just seemed like odd pacing at times, without the sense of urgency stories like this require.

I definitely resonated with everything, but continually felt disconnected in some way. I’m retroactively appreciating the series more as I type though. To be honest, executing a universally accepted ending with how beloved this series is seems like impossibility. So with that in mind, I believe it couldn’t have finished stronger.

The story that needed to be told, was told…and well at that (imo). But ultimately it didn’t grab me the same way as the previous season. The tension wasn’t quite as palpable, but I appreciated it none the less. It’s almost perfect, but this sense of uncertainty I’m feeling has me keeping the score below a 10. Beautifully done but not obviously flawless. Definitely worth your time to watch, if not just to see how it all concludes.