Review of Attack on Titan Season 3
Development is an important part of a series as a whole to keep people interested. If your characters remain stagnant, it's hard to follow an arc other than "this person does this thing every 3 episodes to win." I think Attack on Titan has been a great example of the theme and purpose changing over time. While it starts out in Season 1 as what seems like gore porn, it develops into an intricate plot of a nation's issues with an overbearing monarchy, racism, and near total annihilation. While some mysteries are close to being solved, others still linger in the background. Two things havedeveloped well over these three seasons: the story, and the characters.
The story has become almost a full political intrigue plot rather than simply a "fighting giants" story. It almost reminds me of how Code Geass wasn't "just a mecha" anime, it was a political story with a mecha theme. The actual structure of the society becomes much more apparent, with it's relation to the kingdom and how that power structure has remained in place for so many years. Family names even matter over time, with some clans being marked enemies of the state and others beloved and eternal friends. Some didn't really like the direction going away from the horrific and satisfying action, however I welcomed the change. Learning more about this universe seems integral to the experience, and parallels the one the characters go through as they learn about their very small world. Overall, the pacing is decent, and it doesn't suffer through some piss-poor ramp up/down episodes that so many shows seem fond of. It's a slow and methodical build to a climax that was pretty satisfying.
Character's agendas are revealed over time, and it's not always just a one track monologue that reveals the villains plans, but slowly executed plot points where they try to impose their will on the world. Some are in it for power, some for peace, and some for revenge. However, slowly everyone's true intentions come to the forefront. Some also gain motivation over time, or change their points of view completely. Go back to S1 and see Eren's motivations as straight up revenge, and see if they stack up to how he ends this season. The skills of these characters develop over time, yet they also remind us that they still try to remain the same in personality between conflicts. They can create a character without making a stereotype, or having them be a one trick pony. Sasha is a good example, food is her main gag, but she's still played as a serious character in combat and story with her interactions with Conney and others.
If I had any complaint at all, it would be that I preferred the old art style. It's not that this new one is necessarily bland, but I thought the old one added a lot of flavor and intensity to the world. The fights and animations are still great to watch and pretty hype.
Still, a strong third seasons, and with so many shows only getting two that's a welcome surprise.