Anime Review: Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 Page 1

Anime Review: Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2

Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 (UK Rating: 15)

The saga of Attack on Titan is finally reaching its end, in all of its forms. The original manga is planned to conclude this year in Japan, and the final season of the anime is scheduled to begin during the fall anime season. To help get fans in the West prepared, the conclusion of Season 3 is finally getting its home release. Coming courtesy of Manga Entertainment, this epic finale is available from March 23rd.

The previous collection, Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 1, felt very different from what came before. It ramped the revelations up through the roof, but the combat between Scouts and Titans took a back seat while the Scouts dealt with enemies their own size. The assassins of the military police dealt with and the true heir Christa assuming her rightful place on the throne. Now that the Scouts have cleaned house, removing their enemies within, they're facing outward once more.

They are finally going on the offensive and putting into motion a plan that has been long developing. They're taking back Shiganshina. Now that Eren has mastered his new abilities, he no longer needs to carry a bolder on over to the breach in the wall. Instead, he can harden and leave a shell to plug that gap. The trio of Titan Shifters is hardly going to just let him do this though. Now desperate to capture Eren and recover the abilities he has to their side.

Scouts versus. Titans. The core of the series, and it is the heart of this collection. Bringing together story threads and elements from the very start, it's a fantastic conclusion. Finally, so many long-running parts of this tale reach their conclusion. Bertholdt and Reiner have already been revealed, but here they have their grand showdown with their former allies. Armin finally shows his strength, showing the promise Eren always knew he had. Even returning to Eren's home and the basement that has been shown since the very first episode.

Recent developments and reveals play a huge part here. For example, the injection core to the first part of this season is now in Scout hands. This deus-ex-machina gives the Scouts a method of adding some extra strength to their ranks. Using it on an ally will turn them into a mindless Titan, and should this new Titan devour an enemy Shifter they will not only regain their humanity and be healed of any injuries, but also acquire the power of the devoured Shifter. A Pawn becoming a Queen, giving the Scouts a chance to add the power of the Armored, Colossal, or Beast Titan to their forces. All they need do is capture one of the Shifters and feed them to one of their own. The choice on using this injection leads to another of the elements of the series that helped to elevate it. The drama and emotion masterfully done. A chilling and tense moment.

As the conflict finally hits, there are so many elements to the battle. The Scouts separated on either side of Wall Maria. Outside the wall the Beast Titan is waiting with an army of Titans, facing off against Erwin and his men. Within the walls, the 104th has the opportunity they've always waited for: to confront the duo of the Colossal and Armored within. This battle makes up six of the ten episodes of the season, and those episodes vanish in the blink of an eye. Feeling entirely without fluff or filler, just pure quality through and through.

That quality is not just in the storytelling. The series has long been lauded for its art and animation, and that not only continues here - in the true spirit of Shonen, it surpasses them. WIT Studio has mastered its craft. Taking the explosive, high-octane art and animation that helped to establish the series, and refining them to deliver some of the most epic moments and battles ever seen. The term 'epic' is far overused, but it's truly deserved here. These episodes are full of so many unbelievable and phenomenal moments. Not just the action, but so many wonderful speeches and soliloquies fantastically written and performed.

The final few episodes give a glimpse of the world outside of the walls, and the history of Titans. A civil war between the people of Eldia, born from a Queen with the power of the Titans, and the people of Marley. The "Devil Blood" people of Eldia suffering discrimination and hate. An explanation around what the Armored, Beast, and Colossal Titans. Those three being part of "The Nine," a set of Nine Titans all from the bloodline of Eldia. There are many more huge revelations and developments in these final episodes, setting the stage for the finale to come.

On the topic of bonus features, there is a decent chunk here. There are the usual trailers and clean opening/closing videos along with two episode commentary tracks, in addition to one video commentary. There is the 'Eyecatch Gallery' which gives translations to the cards that flash on screen between episodes, giving further explanation and lore behind key parts of the world. Finally, there is 'Chibi Theatre: Go Get 'Em New Levi Squad;' 4-Koma style chibi-fied retellings of snippets of each episode within this collection using the Kotobukiya One-Coin style spiraled chibi designs.

9/10

Exceptional - Gold Award

Hajime Isayama's tale has truly become a Titan, and unlike the countless other series that drag on and on until they fizzle out, the creator gets bored, or they just get cancelled, Attack on Titan is going to tell its tale completely, and this collection is both the beginning of the end and the end of the beginning of that tale. Wrapping up many story threads that have been woven since the inception, revealing mysteries, having characters complete their arcs, and best of all, establishing many new mysteries that keep fans of the series on tenterhooks for the grand conclusion to come.

or sign in with...

Anime Review: Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2

Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2 (UK Rating: 15)

Exceptional - Gold Award

Comment on this article

Comments

Subscribe to this topic