The End of an Era
Not! I, like many other fans, were very surprised to see the announcement last weekend that a part three was coming next year. I am torn about this. I'm glad that we'll get more story because I was definitely wondering how they were going to wrap the whole story up in only one more episode. At the same time this show has been going on for so long and now we have to wait another year for the conclusion. It's a bit disappointing to be honest.
So part II concluded on Sunday and it was sort of a meh episode. It took us back in time to when the core character group travelled to the continent for the first time. It was interesting seeing all of their reactions to the technology and lifestyle that Marley had compared to Paradis. There was a rather lighthearted scene where the group shared drinks with the people displaced by the ongoing war. I didn't particularly like a certain scene between Mikasa and Eren, because it almost made it seem like it was going to move in a romantic direction. I really hope they don't decide to go there. The episode ends with Eren leaving, which begins with him disfiguring himself so he can blend in and talk with his brother.
I think the way that the show navigates morality to be brilliant. We see Eren in this season shifting from the person we are rooting for, to the person we are against. I think we can all safely agree that genocide is pure evil, and the fact that our main "hero" is now the villain is not something you see many shows attempting. We first meet him as this young, idealistic child and he's now this exhausted, terrifying Titan that has a completely different goal in mind. The way we see his friends turning against him is heartbreaking. We see multiple characters start to show the weight of everything that has been happening. I loved Connie's arc in this second part of the season. He has definitely shifted from a minor character to a main side character.
Also interesting is the way that the main "villains" motives (the Eldian Titans like Reiner, Annie, and Pieck) start to make sense. This second part had a lot of death. Unlike previous seasons where the deaths may have been focused on more, like Marco's and Bertholdt's, we see scene after scene of quick deaths. People getting smashed out of the air, shot off of roofs, torn to pieces in explosions. I don't want to say they weren't impactful, rather the speed in which people die just shows the change in conflict.
There were so many "oh shit" moments in the last few episodes. At times the story was confusing but it seems to me like everything has come to a fruition. Attack on Titan is one of those shows where your really do have to pay attention. If you miss an important plot point, you'll have no clue about something that will happen two or three episodes later. Or in this case, multiple seasons later.
There was a scene break where it tells us that at first the enemies were only the Titans. Then the enemies became a different country. Now the enemies have shifted once again and become more personal to the core cast. The series has always been rather emotional, but this last season definitely has been more-so. Anyone can die at any time. No one is safe. The characters I started rooting for completely shifted. Our main character has lost himself and is attempting mass murder.
I do not know how this series is going to end. I haven't read the manga and I don't plan on doing so. The show is one of my favorite anime's of all time. I love a dark story and I really hope the ending does the entire show justice. Sadly we'll have to wait until 2023 to get the ending and while I am tired of how it seems to be drug out so long, if the ending is worth the wait, I won't have any complaints.
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