Final Impressions / First Impressions / Shingeki no Kyojin

「壁 ―ストヘス区急襲③―」 (Kabe ―Sutohesu Ku Kyushu (3)―)
“The Wall ―Raid on the Stohess District (3)―”

And here we go. The final episode of Shingeki’s first season has arrived and what we get is a fitting “ending” to what’s arguably been one of the most popular series in the last decade. After all, there’s nothing quite like seeing two human Titans fight each other while trashing everything around them, and it’s just a highlight reel of death and destruction as the Military Police continue demonstrating their inadequacies (THEY HAVEN’T EVEN PUT ON THEIR MANEUVER GEAR YET FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!).

MP Inadequacies aside though, this week brings us back to the notion of having to sacrifice something if you want to change something. Essentially, it’s about whether or not you’re willing to go as far as sacrificing your humanity to win, and it’s interesting to note that while Erwin seems willing to do everything it takes, Eren still finds himself struggling to do so. With that said, the secondary question then becomes “is it worth winning if you end up throwing away everything that made you human in the first place,” and it’s something that provides quite the philosophical dilemma. Because ultimately, while one can argue Eren’s hesitation effectively wasted a lot of the sacrifices they made in Stohess, one can also argue that Eren maintaining some of his humanity will be vital in a post-Titan world (provided they can win, of course). There’s also the consideration that if this operation wasn’t done, Eren would’ve been shipped to the Military Police, and really, it’s a dilemma one could debate for ages.

Either way, the fact remains that Annie’s not going to be answering any questions soon, and we’re left with more questions than ever before. The revelation that the wall’s are composed of Titans just adds further to this, and looking back, I’m amazed at how little we’ve gotten in terms of answers throughout this first season. What makes it arguably more amazing however, is how I seem to be perfectly alright with this, even though that’s probably only a short-term effect of the emotional highs coming off this episode. Looking forward, it’s undoubtedly going to be difficult trying to avoid reading on the manga to say the least, and well, I mean that’s about it really. As much as I’d like to spend a while speculating, I’m of the feeling that it’s probably just best to leave things here and just let the extra screen caps, full lengths, and the final impressions (below) do the rest of the talking.

Full-length images: 08, 42.

Author’s Note: Per the usual, there’s a zero tolerance policy for spoilers that aren’t in spoiler tags or in response to a query. Please also use your own discretion (and common sense) in regards to what you decide to speculate on and how you phrase any speculation. If you’re unsure, use spoiler tags.

Epilogue:

ED2.25 Sequence

 

Quick Final Impressions:

Looking back all the way to the Spring preview, Shingeki no Kyojin was one of those series that came in with exceptionally high expectations. And now that we’re officially at the end of the first season, it’s pretty easy to say that it met those expectations by far, and even exceeded them in some respects. After all, the immense popularity this series has enjoyed is something that few series have garnered, and arguably it’s something that it’s deserved. Because ultimately—despite the occasional pacing issues, animation quality inconsistencies, the many unanswered questions, and the general feeling that none of the characters ended up particularly unique in and of themselves—this was a well made adaptation that gave us a great story, left us yearning for more week after week, and provided us with memorable developments/enemies that we’ll likely remember for a long time to come. Combine that with Sawano Hiroyuki’s epic “OST of the year” contributions here as well and you have all the makings of a series that’s worthy of being an anime of the year candidate.

Indeed, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this series end up being the Reader’s Choice AOTY winner come the end of the year, and I wouldn’t have much qualms with it doing so. It wouldn’t be my choice personally—mostly due to the many elements it borrows from the Muv-Luv VN trilogy and the aforementioned issues in the first paragraph—but I can see where people can make an argument for it being AOTY, and again, I wouldn’t mind if they say it is. With that said, I do hope that you’ve enjoyed my coverage of Shingeki no Kyojin throughout the last half a year, and I’d just like to take a moment to thank all of you out there that come in week after week to view/comment not only on this show, but the site in general. In addition, I apologize for the constantly changing policies regarding spoilers/speculation throughout the series’ run. It took longer than expected to find a good balance between preventing spoilers vs. allowing speculation, and I’d just like to thank you for bearing with me in this regard. Last but not least, I hope you guys’ll join me next season for my coverage of Coppelion and Kill la Kill.

190 Comments

      1. You have to take into consideration that the author declared 3 days ago that he already knows how long the history is going to be, he estimated 20 volumes long and that will affect the incoming season. The way I see it, fans will want to see the whole animated so they may break into a season 2 and 3. At least it´s wonderful to know that the author knows where the story is going, garanteing it´s not going to get eternal. See you guys in season 2!. XD

        haseo0408
        Reply

      2. They might be able to do a one-cour season as early as summer 2014 provided the current arc on the manga finishes on volume 12, but if they want to do a two-cour season again it would take at least 2 years.

        Rhoen
        Reply

      3. There wouldn’t be much point in putting out a 1-cour. If they went that route, by the end of that season they’d be COMPLETELY out of source material and have to wait even LONGER to get more for future seasons.

        Da5id
        Reply

    2. No need to wait for 4 years. We can do this again right now.

      I offer memory wipe service. After this, you’ll get to watch it again from the start just like when you first saw Shingeki. You get the choice of golf clubs, baseball bats, and any blunt weapon of your choice. The memory wipe will be guarenteed. If it doesn’t work the first time, customers will get another free session, until your memory has finally been wipe. Please contact me for more details.

      inferno
      Reply

      2. Not just Deadman Wonderland, what about the Anime version of Cage of Eden, the Manga has concluded a long time ago and it will be great and perfect if it was adapted into an Anime series based on the Manga with no fillers and no hiatus just simply following from beginning to the end

        K C M
        Reply

    4. Maybe in the next year already or 2015 🙂

      See…
      Season 2 = maybe in the middle or end of 2014 / beginning of 2015?
      season 1 = 33 chapters
      season 2 = (?) in October (next year) will have completed more 33 chapters = 66

      I think that we have it in 2015.

      vane
      Reply

      7. Man I hope it’s 20 volumes then it’s like 2 1/2 years away which means they can probably start another season in over 1 1/2- 2 years time. But if it’s 20 more volumes damn that’s atleast 5+ year away at current speed. If they wait too long might be good to reboot and pull a brotherhood scenario.

        Either way I’m sad panda.

        Sherylfan
        Reply

    2. EDITED: Watch the stuff you put in your comments please.

      These anime staff bloody butchered that big reveal! Go and read the corresponding part in the manga, folks.

      Instead they changed it all around in this episode and what we’ve got here is like 2 second shot at the end in a slapstick manner (due to the blink-and-miss time span and the crappy anime sequence) as some kind of joke. They probably tried to employ it as a 2nd season teaser but failed so bad and it left bad taste in my mouth. Why do these morons keep holding onto their jobs at the anime studios is very questionable indeed… well more likely they just didn’t give a shit and it’s just a business for them, so settling for mediocrity. They did milk it a lot in these last two episodes by adding lots of fillers, but this cop-out was really something.

      Instead of milking extra 5 minutes of titans running around the city/destroying the whole city/pancaking a bunch of folks, had they actually sticked to the manga plot-line for at least this last episode alone, it could’ve ended on a high note.

      BTW, what’s with these anime writers trying real hard to make Erwin the extreme consequentialist -aka Kiritsugu Emiya- instead of a good leader he is in the manga? The anime ver. Erwin not only doesn’t give a shit, but almost eagerly let the whole town of people die for his ideology/goal (the manga Erwin tries to limit casualties). And all these fillers in the anime so far have his additional plans fail miserably that it makes him way worse as a leader and completely incompetent. Do some of these Japanese anime staff have some sort of fetish on consequentialism or something? “Let a bunch of folks die for a greater good”. I’ve seen a lot now. Extreme consequentialism certainly seems like a fad in Japanese anime shows these days. They always come in a bunch, don’t they, these trends?

      deathtogeneric/formulaicshows
      Reply

    3. Oh all right, mods. I suppose the zero spoiler thing also apply to my rather vague reference to the past manga event…

      But so that people who read the manga knows what I am talking about (I will write it in more details to remind you as it will be masked under a spoiler tag), I was referring to how Show Spoiler ▼

      deathtogeneric/formulaicshows
      Reply

      4. If the titan was peeking in, then that would mean titans had gotten into Wall Rose (which I don’t think anyone would’ve missed, even if it had somehow teleported right next to the wall).

        More importantly, the bit of the wall that fell off for the reveal was too thin to leave a hole going all the way to the other side.

        Sekai
        Reply

      5. Just shows that it could be handled better because in my opinion as well it wasn’t clear whether that Titan was just standing there or if it was about to attack.
        The wall being composed of Titans, did you folks incl. Zephyr really come to that conclusion only by watching this episode or have you been spoiled?

        boingman
        Reply

      7. I am almost agreeing with @boeingman about that conclusion not being easy to conclude, but maybe when I look at the black area around him, I can assume he’s been there.

        That brings me to two thoughts:
        (1) Armin: this tunnel down here leads to a part of the city that was previously abandoned (although you can link it, Annie destroyed that tunnel.)
        (2) they kept Annie far ‘underground’, hm, now that story in the middle with the guy and the tunnel he kept digging is just playing in my head.
        (3) it was 2am last night when I watched the episode, could it have been Annie’s father and Erin’s dad? I mean, Erin’s dad probably had been the ‘researcher’ of the material, after all, he went to the main city to ‘meet a friend’ and intended to return in 3 days, perhaps he could not find his friend, and came back, and now he’s disappeared, he did mention ‘nothing suppresses a human’s curiosity.’
        (4) if season two doesn’t come soon, I will die. Though that said, if titans can’t act in darkness, were they locked in? those titans? and were the Colloseal titan and the armored titan intending to reach the middle walls and free their titan human whatever friends?

        so many conclusions, so many things to think about, now I hope no one replies with a spoiler, mainly because, I think having weird conclusions is one of the most fun part of watching a mystery. I’m not really pointing fingers, but you have to be a really focused dude to come to the point that that titan was hiding in the wall, lol, if i watch the scene again, it is obvious, but maybe only because I was told about it or maybe because the fact that it is dark area around him signifying that it is the middle of the wall or so. Cheers, M.

        Mi-Chan
        Reply

      8. Well i think that the titans can’t really move and that they weren’t peeking cause in some episode they show that titans are weak when there is no light/sun. So maybe crazy poeple captured big titans that way :P.

        somebody
        Reply

  3. It’s weird how Levi’s leg magically healed.

    Hmm…it’s nice that they included that cliffhanger in there, but I would have liked it earlier, as peer the manga, so that we can see Mikasa, Hanji etc’s reactions.

    So…where’s that dude that’s complaining about the church not being included in the previous episode again?

    Tremste
    Reply

    1. Hmmm… from what I saw it seemed like he just twisted it a little bit to the point where he shouldn’t be fighting if he can help it, but can fight if needed (at a reduced efficiency). And he only needed to cut out Eren in this case, so you don’t necessarily need to be at full strength for that eh.

      Zephyr
      Reply

      1. Hmm…just nitpicking here, but in the manga, Levi got injured into a state where he can’t even don on the 3DMG for basic duties

        Really wished they added in that part where Eren threw Mikasa up towards Annie, since that shows that Eren gained more control of his titan body…not like LOL MUST DEFEAT…ENGAGE RAGE MODE SMASH!

        Still, there are bound to be inconsistency with anime adaptations so I guess I can’t complain…

        By the way, if anyone wants to continue catching up with the series, the anime ends off somewhere around chapter 34 or so. Cheers.

        Tremste
        Reply

    2. Well it’s another example of anime’s notorious inconsistency. But it’s a well-known phenomena and while it’s surely annoying, I am not going to lose sleep over things like that.

      deathtogeneric/formulaicshows
      Reply

  5. After watching this anime I just binged the manga all the way up to the September issue (no spoilers!, I promise!). The manga is just as good and just as addicting as AoT’s animated incarnation. So don’t deprive yourself while waiting for season 2, just read the manga but be warned once you start you’ll hooked for a few hours at least. Haven’t felt this way about a series since Fullmetal Alchemist, just reading/watching it gets your blood pressure up.

    Absaroka
    Reply

    2. The manga is is organized for the sake of the story. The anime is organized for sake of making the story fit into the number of episodes they have. It can see where parts don’t quite fit and where they completely cut stuff out.

      EliteF22
      Reply

  7. I punched my screen due to this

    I loved this finale so much. <—Understatement of the year. Nothing can describe my love for this series. Well, time to read the fucking manga so I won't be spoiled to hell anymore.

    Season 2….Please come to me. I don't care how long I must wait.

    P.S. Even after everything that you've done, you've been a character I've admired since day 1 of your appearance. You may have killed one of my anime crushes, Petra, and many more people I've come to enjoy, but you still have my love, Annie

    swordhack4
    Reply

  8. For a series with such a great premise, it was good. It could have been more, like a true masterpiece of the conspiracy genre or even action genre. But unfortunately the execution was well below an satisfactory level for this potential GOAT. There was stalling throughout the series, one dimensional protagonist and then the adaption was sub-par. Apparently the manga is notorious for its slow plot movement, but the director does not have to copy that… they can work around it and present something that actually works for an animation. Nonetheless, I am willing to watch a second season, but obviously without the same zeal as some of the other people around…

    shini012
    Reply

    1. Just like with many others, if you don’t realize why their were pacing issues in this anime then there’s no use explaining it to you at all because that’s just a lost cause because you’ll never get it.
      *sighs*
      This is the explanation for everyone! The director saw a certain point they wanted to end this series and therefore they had to stall out certain scenes and include those flashbacks at the start of every episode (if you had a problem with those then just fast forward you big babies). They wanted to end the first season with a sense of closure and mystery and not on a huge cliff hanger (because with the least 2 year wait a cliffhanger would be a bad thing to do). Hence why the last two episodes were kind of shuffled with their manga information. Hell, they could have did more fillers instead of the episode flashbacks (because they actually do a good job on that to the point where we don’t even realize its a filler), that i’ll give the haters, but everything else is just one big NO. I can usually accept people’s opinions about hating a show or not liking it, or in your case, losing your drive to watch it, but only if their opinions are based on actual facts and not just on their…own opinions.

      SDFGS
      Reply

      2. I understand very well what happen, and why all of it happen that way.
        My point is: I don’t agree / don’t approve.

        Scenes like this battle, with transformations, super powers, “mhuuuhhuuhuhhah hu u uh”, Irwin “Gendo” Smith watching blood and flesh fly everywhere, and all the others “things” that… didn’t happen, this is not Shingeki.

        This anime is “Shingeki for the Masses”, for the people who tried read the manga and didn’t like because the lack of dramatization, indecisive MC, gay shipps, etc.

        It’s was very good, really, but no thanks.

        Panino Manino
        Reply

    1. Well that’s what happens when you adapt a manga that isn’t close to done yet. They could have gone anime original ending like so many other poor adaptations. We’re much better off that they didn’t.

      EliteF22
      Reply

  17. I’ll honestly say i liked the Wall reveal more in the manga. It just felt so unfair, or something like that. They had just managed to capture the Female Titan, but not in the state they wanted, then they get THIS thrown their way, literary minutes after the deadly struggle with the female titan: https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2025%20-%20Large%2044.jpg

    I just felt the lack of any people around pulled away much of the tension the manga managed to give. I do realize they had to change some things to end the show in a more “closing” manner, but i felt it diverted just a little bit too much from the manga.

    But by all means, it’s been an incredible ride, and one of the best adaptions I’ve ever seen. Studio Wit really did this series justice. And i can’t wait to see the continuation of their work in a couple of years or so.

    Wuz
    Reply

    1. I’ll concede to that, the wall reveal in the manga didn’t give you time to rest. Just when you thought you’ve been pushed to the edge, the wall reveal just tips you right over.

      That said, I’m stalling judgement for the studios decision to go this route. The mangaka does give his input on how the anime adaptation handles his material, and it doesn’t break logic that badly. There’s still time for the characters to see what’s inside the wall once season 2 picks up.

      But that said, the pacing felt significantly different. Maybe it was a way to entice the anime watchers to also give the manga a go?

      Also, did anyone notice how the wall cult congregation were formed during their mass? :p That thought has been bugging me ever since I started reading the manga way back.

      Vagrant
      Reply

  18. It’s finally over. I’m going to miss this 25 weeks of Shingeki.

    The scene where mikasa dropped annie off the wall… epic.

    I finally know how erwin became commander of survey corps.
    MP: I’m gonna shoot you now you traiter.
    Erwin: Ok, fine. But first, you must capture the female titan. Squad A is in control of supply, Squad B is… (omit 3000 words)… and Squad Z is… hey u listening?
    MP: zzz… huh? oh… eh yeah… ehh sure. I won’t shoot you now.
    LOL, just amazing. No wonder humanity survived when they have commanders like Pixie and Erwin.

    inferno
    Reply

  20. They changed a *lot* of things in this episode from the manga. I’m fine with changes from the source material as long as they actually help the story, but this hurt it. The reveal with the titan in the wall was done all wrong, probably Araki’s decision, in a cheap way to drum up suspense. It was done differently in the manga, and the way it was revealed in the anime causes some problems for the Utgard Castle arc, they’re going to have do some fancy writing to get out of that corner. And having Levi getting Eren out of the titan in the anime was a poor decision, the entire reason that he didn’t help in the fight was because of his injured leg, and having Levi save him here was just a bad deus ex machina.
    This series could have been so much better than it was, some people have said that we need a “Shingeki no Kyōjin: Titanhood,” and I fully agree.

    Kurama
    Reply

    1. Although I agree that this was significantly different from the manga, I tend not to judge a whole season from just a few badly done episodes/scenes.

      You have to admit they also did some really good ones.

      I don’t think that a few poor choices here and there was enough to spoil what was still arguably one of the better adaptations and anime out this season.

      I just think of it as incentive to both watch the anime AND read the manga (of course that could be their ploy all along… hmmmm….)

      I do hope they make good use of their choice of changes for this particular episode.

      Vagrant
      Reply

  21. One helluva ride there. Too bad I won’t be at the edge of my seat most of the time every Sunday now(Monogatari series will keep me edged there, though). See you in approx. 2 years, season 2.

    It’s Burning Titan-ing Titan!

    Loved every bit of the episode.
    Walls made of titans made sense.
    Mikasa being a baws.
    Eren overcoming his trial.
    and.. a small glimpse of Krista <3

    Senjougahara Hitagi
    Reply

    1. I had a major jaw drop when I saw the f$%&ing titan in the wall! I mean, there is a TITAN INSIDE the WALL!!! Just when I though I was begining to understand some of the misteries of that world they drop the bomb just in time for the finale. EPIC.

      haseo0408
      Reply

  22. “If you had a suspect, why did you not ask the Military Police for help?”

    …

    HAHAHAHAHA. IS THIS GUY SERIOUS?! MILITARY POLICE?! LOLOLOL – is how I would have reacted if I was Erwin.

    Anyway, thank you Zephyr for the weekly coverage and screenshots. It was something I looked forward to every week after watching an episode 🙂

    Vincent
    Reply

    1. That´s right Zephyr, your coverage of this amazing show has been magnificent. You have made the experience of watching Shingeki no Kyojin a lot more fun, I´d love see around for covering season 2.

      haseo0408
      Reply

  25. A reviewer of the series brings up a good point as to the way they went about with this ending.

    It’s possible that they went this route so the ending had “closure” in a sense just in case it didn’t get renewed for a 2nd season (assuming the episode was finished months waaaaaaaaaay before the decision to make a second season is brought up)

    Yet at the same time have that last ending hook that “it’s not yet over” to maybe either pull people into the manga, or at least have a way into season two in case the anime did get renewed.

    Vagrant
    Reply

    1. You’re right about that, this episode was probably finished months ago, perhaps before the show even started airing, so it’s not like they could have known how popular it would become.

      Kurama
      Reply

  27. Can somebody please explain me what would be “the many elements it borrows from the Muv-Luv VN trilogy”? Because I read both the Muv-Luv trilogy and Titan’s manga up to the latest chapter and honestly, I cannot see them. Is it just that in both cases the enemies are man-eaters? That seems pretty weak, especially considering what we know about the origins of the BETA and the Titans (which seems very different to me)…

    Steelman
    Reply

    1. If you think about it, the 3D Maneuver Gear is basically the Jump Units off the TSFs. http://i.imgur.com/U3yg4dI.jpg

      The world revolves around a mysterious enemy that is numerous in numbers that forces humanity in between a rock and a hard place. Fancy tech is developed to combat them. There is political dealings going on in the background that hinders the main cast from achieving their goal (although this is done better in MLA). The themes of war, sacrifice, duty, honor, camaraderie, etc. The utter hopelessness of the situation.

      I could go on, but to me, the similarities are as clear as day.

      Sol
      Reply

      1. Those themes are actually quite common in Sci-Fi literature and movies … Muv-Luv didn’t invent those themes nor the first anime/TV Show to have them … heck Muv-Luv is already way too similar to Starship Troopers books and movies in numerous aspects .. as well as similar to Blue Gender anime (an anime about humanity desperately fighting man-eating bugs with power-suits and robots .. with a lot of political intrigue in the background) sounds familiar .. yeah .. same concepts.

        I don’t think there is any point in making those comparisons becasue people who create stuff need inspiration to work with .. and it’s whatever they read/see/hear during their lives that sticks in their subconscious and is later mixed up with their own ideas to make something new .. so every generation feeds those who follow it .. there is nothing 100% original (this doesn’t mean that out right ripping someone else’s work is ok .. there is a big difference between inspiration and ripping-off .. and there is a difference between getting inspired by a very specific work or the general themes the reoccur within a certain genre).

        HunterWulf
        Reply

      2. @HunterWulf

        Never said MLA invented those ideas. And yes I know ML is an amalgamation of many different sci-fi series refined to something great (esp the ones you mentioned, along with All You Need Is Kill). I just compared it to the one that Isayama took the most inspiration from.

        Sol
        Reply

      3. I understand that, but you made it sound like the writer of Muv-Luv made a 100% original masterpiece and the writer of Attack on Titan just ripped him off shamelessly .. which is far from the truth .. neither of them is 100% original nor in a position to look down on each other since both draw inspirations from various sources .. i.e .. like everyone else.

        HunterWulf
        Reply

    2. Yeah, I’d have to agree with Sol. There’s a ridiculous amount of similarities overall, and the big thing is there was a reason why the ML creator had a big argument with the Shingeki author a while back, and if I’m not mistaken, Isayama even released an official statement saying he did plagiarize some aspects a few months ago.

      That’s not to say Shingeki’s not original at all, and it distances itself somewhat as it’s gone on, but yeah. There were definitely aspects taken, and one could spend a while listing them.

      Zephyr
      Reply

    3. Honestly, at this day and age, and with the internet as big as it is now?

      I think there’s no such thing as “original” anymore (or there are very very few of them). All ideas, concepts, are usually borrowed from something else.

      Personally it’s not who does it first that matters, but who does it better. And that’s a painful thing to think about when you consider you wanna draw/paint for a living LOL

      Vagrant
      Reply

    1. The reveal of the titan in the wall was done very differently.

      Show Spoiler ▼

      Kurama
      Reply

      1. You´re right Kurama-san but the important part is that they show the “sleeping beauty”, the writters will have more than enough time to fix it later. But everybody´s reaction at the time were breath taking, the fact that thing is sleeping inside the Wall gives fear a whole new definition.

        haseo0408
        Reply

      2. they can actually easily write that scene in at the start of the next season, the only difference would be the time frame….though it would have to be during that same night as Titans become mobile during the day…so I could see where you see it as a plot hole. Along with the religious guys’ general statement on what should be done about the titan in the wall in the manga.

        SDFGS
        Reply

  30. That titan in the end made me yell “holy molly guacamole testimony!”, as weird as that may sound, but ending the series in that way is cringe-worthy, I had some cramps in my stomach that I could not digest.

    That aside, I loved this episode and this series. Like I said, the last anime to have taken me to many highs and lows was FMA Brotherhood and I thought no anime could catch up to it, but suprisingly, Shingeki is doing a great job.

    I just hope Shingeki no Kyojin will be treated just like Chihayafuru, in the notion that the gap between season 1 and season 2 did not feel long, and there was no useless fillers that were so inconsistent that you could no longer find the rationale behind all main charecters.

    One of the very good developments throughout this series was actually Jean’s, a charecter I slightly disliked in the begning but have begun to like in the end. It is notable to see how Armin started getting used to his surrounding, and no longer the one being protected by others. Too bad we lost Marco in the start, I still miss him – I still would like to believe that he wasn’t killed by Annie. At this stage, no matter what back story she has, it still does not justify her actions to me, so far, I think..

    To be honest I am dying to know what happens next! How many times did they show us the ‘key’ this episode? How long will it take Eren to get there? I want to know already!

    Thanks for your review Zephyr and preventing spoilers from surfacing up and for your review, M.

    Mi-Chan
    Reply

  31. First of all, I would like to thank you for all your analysis and posts every week, Zephyr. It was a treat to read your thoughts on this series, and you’ve become another writer I particularly like at RC (since this is the first series I’ve followed with your posts).

    On to the episode-

    I think Kaji Yuki deserves some credit for his Eren in Titan-form voice. Just… blown away.

    Lol @ the MP not having their 3D gear on and the wall-cult ironically getting killed during prayer about the sacred walls keeping Titans out!!

    Levi taking the spotlight there was a bit unexpected– but loved it nonetheless.

    That reveal at the end (Titan in the wall) was exactly what I was waiting for. It was a little more creepy in the manga, but nonetheless still had the surprise factor it garnered.

    It’s been a fun ride these last 26 weeks. I hope next the fall season of anime can fill the void that Shingeki no Kyojin left. It’s going to feel strange not being able to anticipate another episode every Saturday.

    Jel
    Reply

  33. Well, I cracked. I went and read the manga after this, couldnt wait years for more answers. From what I see, the anime took 25 episodes to cover up to chapter 34 of the manga, and we’re up to chapter 49 right now. So really, theres enough materials to cover about 12 episodes or so. But given the fact that the manga is released monthly, in about a year and a half we’ll have enough for another 25 episode season.

    And now the wait for manga releases monthly is the new killer for me, sigh.

    YanDaMan
    Reply

      1. Haha well, if it makes you feel any better, the Manga up to the most recent translation still havent provided anymore answers to all the questions we have. Its just more battles and plot twists on the characters :/

        YanDaMan
        Reply

      2. I’ll hang on with ya Mi-Chan!!! this type of story (in particular the action) just can’t be represented properly by manga. The action needs to be fluid in order to show how graceful they are in their maneuver gear and the epic titan fight scenes.
        Anime was wonderful and can’t wait for season two

        zandy
        Reply

  34. Well,I’ll start off by saying it was better than last year’s most overhyped anime-Sword Art Online.

    As someone who’s never read the manga,I thought SNK was good but it could have been a lot better in terms of pacing,animation,action and character development. The pacing is uneven in many parts of the series, you have the first few episodes that were mostly well paced,then the story development just screeches to a halt for several episodes once it’s revealed that Eren’s a Titan before picking up again and the pacing continues to be uneven right up until the last few episodes. I’m aware the people behind the series were trying to give the writer more time to write more volumes but I felt several episodes could be cut down to let the story flow more smoothly thus not ruining my enjoyment of the show.

    Animation and action are also major issues I have with the show. SNK was definitely not one of Production I.G’s better animated series to come out recently(I’m looking at you,Gargantia). SNK took way too many shortcuts, recycled too many scenes,not to mention not properly animating certain episodes(ep 6 and 13) which partially contributes to my issue with the action. The action scenes are very much a mix bag,in some scenes you have beautifully animated fights that look absolutely stunning while in others,the action is depicted using lengthened still shots that screams ‘CHEAP’. I’m generally not a fan of the director Tetsurou Araki or more accurately,the way he depicts an action scene. The dude has a tendency to use still images to depict a dramatic/action scene and it’s really noticeable in SNK to the point of overuse.

    SNK did not have the best of character development or the best cast of characters for that matter. Aside from Levi,Annie,Erwin and maybe a few others,most of the side characters range from bland or forgettable to outright horrible(Hange). The main character,Eren,I really could not give a shit about. Something about Eren always rubs me the wrong way,it’s either him being too much of a hothead or just plain uninteresting. Mikasa started out with a good deal of development before being reduced to Eren’s babysitter. Out of the main trio,I felt Armin is the most well developed, him starting out as a cowardly useless character who by the end of the series,develops into a tactical genius who is willing to risk his own life to stop the Female Titan.

    Honestly,I’m fine if readers voted SNK as AOTY,these are just personal gripes of mine with SNK and should not ruin your enjoyment of the show.

    nexushero
    Reply

  37. every few years there’s series like deathnote,FMAB and more which drag in people who aren’t familiar regularly in anime. and SNK is like that. the series..ignite fire in those people and expose them to anime world. it’s a good thing, only a few series did such a job.
    and it is indeed great series. the manga is good as well, and SNK earn that “title” respectfully. However, it’s far from being perfect (8th place in MAL..a bit exaggeration).
    first, characters – there isn’t depth in the characters, too much focus on adventure or story than its characters (especially in second half). for example, Eren is not the optimal protagonist, mostly he is annoying. I understand his reason for justice and fighting for good…but still…he is not the most sympathy hero.
    Mikasa is cold overpowered badass which isn’t fear from titans but we didn’t see anything special about her beside that good flashback.
    Armin which pass through the biggest change is smart and shit..but again – no depth in character.
    some of the secondary characters had its moment for this, but still in a 2-cour series I expect more chacarter’s development, and if it’s an epic adventure..the main ones should be..better as protagonist. if the most popular character is Levi…than it’s a flaw. sorry about the comparison..but I don’t see anyone says like that in Death note, gurren-lagan and so on…
    the animation was really good. well done IG. it made things look more epic and intensify the atmosphere.
    the series remain faithful to manga almost all time. and even though the..average drawing in the manga, the anime did really amazing job in that.

    I like much more the first half of the show than its second. in the second there was almost zero focus of characters, too much focus on adventure than story itself..even the animation, which was still good, has its flaws with titan’s recycled from first half. plus, in the second half there were a few unnecessary fillers. and sometimes it seemed like they…spend time for nothing.

    I admit the the OST and the 2-opening and 2-ending were amazing. really epic and really did great for the series and atmosphere.

    don’t misinterpret, I enjoyed the series and recommend everyone to watch it. but it has flaws and far from listed as perefect and masterpiece in our big-guns anime such as Death note, FMAB, Berserk..and so on.

    thedarktower
    Reply

  38. Awesome series finally comes to a close! It might be hyped up the yin-yang, but imo it deserves it. The animation/ost/pacing kept me wanting more and more! My only complaint is with how the series ended and how much it differed from the manga, while they stayed as true as possible to the script for all the previous episodes… That alone leaves a sour taste in my mouth, but in the end this was a very solid series. Can’t wait for the next season, though that might be in a while XD

    Kyosuke
    Reply

  41. I’m reading the manga since I can’t take the suspense anymore. The whole Beast-mode Eren thing wasn’t in the manga, and is pretty damn mysterious, so I do hope that makes sense later on. But even if it doesn’t, that scene was still super, super epic. All kinds of awesome, I just love it. Don’t even care if it wasn’t in the source material. It may just be all those hyped emotions going through me right now and the fact that I’m reading the manga after the anime, but who cares! THAT ANIMATION! THAT MUSIC! THAT VOICE ACTING! THAT EVERYTHING! SUPER AMAZING!

    Blazaking
    Reply

    1. After looking at the scene again, the whole shining blue eyes, the fire instead of steam, and the glowing “cuts” in Eren’s Titan body might have just been a pretty cool stylistic effect, showing his extreme drive to “kill every Titan”. Their bodies are already so hot to begin with, so I guess his will just super-charged the healing, making it so hot that the skin itself catches fire.

      Blazaking
      Reply

  42. No comments on the miner? I still have a hundred questions about the walls, luckily this episode made me.. well.. raise even more questions. The miner did eventually go missing, could it have been one of the face inside the wall? Then again, his friend went missing as well after a while. Did he search for him in his tunnels and get eaten as well, or were they both kidnapped and killed by someone for “knowing too much”? It’s clear the humans weren’t the ones who built the walls, but then how did they end up living within them? Either they just woke up one day and said “Oh neat, we’re surrounded by a wall now!, or they found the wall while fleeing from the titans. Imagine fleeing from a vicious lion only to hide within a wall of sleeping lions.

    Also, does this mean Eren and Annie’s fathers were in cahoots? They clearly had something to do with them being able to transform, which might mean they know more than maybe even Annie does.

    JayDrink
    Reply

    2. Yeah a lot of people missed the miner bit. Can’t blame ’em cause “WALL-O-TEXT”

      But that little lore plus the titan-in-the-wall will probably be touched on, if only a bit, come second season.

      Vagrant
      Reply

  46. Soooo,does SnK live up to all it’s hype?My answer would be no,but unlike a certain other overrated series it’s definitely miles ahead.Started off pretty strong but then we got to the “MOVE THE GOD DAMN BOULDER EREN!” part “Defense of Trost” arc that just kept dragging on & on which was becoming damn predictable & boring.It’s 2nd half however,was a a real thrill ride till the end in terms of action,story & a bit of character development for Jean & Armin as well as the introduction of other entertaining characters such as Erwin & Levi.

    Speaking of characters,I do believe it was one of this anime’s weaker aspects.While Jean grew on me as being the most human character out there and I eventually came to like Armin as well as the other more reasonable character I can’t say the same about the main character,Eren,as well as Mikasa.Both were as 1-dimensional as they come – Eren certainly did his job at being annoying every once in a while and as for Mikasa,well…I had hopes for her character when she was 1st introduced but seeing as how she turned out to be nothing more than Eren’s bodyguard/guard dog/you name it I ended up not giving a rat’s ass about her.As for other characters,Erwin & Levi would be the only ones that I think deserve mentioning which to me,were also more interesting than Eren & Mikasa.Still,I’m gratefull that the secondary characters got as much screen time as they did.

    I won’t complain about the still shots and will praise the animation in the action sequences.After all,it’s no doubt that SnK went for the shock factor and I believe they certainly used their budged in the right place at the right time.

    Won’t talk about the plot as it’s still far from over but I will say that it definitely managed to keep me interested & asking for more.I could even say that I’m expecting good things from it in the next season 😛

    Last but not least,thanks Zephyr for covering this.It’s been a fun ride!

    MgMaster
    Reply

  47. SnK as a whole was great. There were issues with its execution (ranging animation quality, boring Trost moments etc.) but arguably it was one of the best anime of the year. I tried to read manga earlier on but I don’t like how it is drawn and I just don’t feel it without OST, movement and color. Still i hardly can weit to see what’s going to happen.

    Regarding changes in last two episodes I rather liked it (I read chapters 32-34 only to see how it was out there after hearing all those bitching about it). The only problem I have with it is just [spoiler]the part on how Mikasa was able to get on the wall (it’s beter in manga cause it shows that Eren can maintain control over his titan body) and the big “wall revelation”. In the manga it’s part of fight and plot, we are able to see character reactions, get to realize that there are people that know more about walls and it just fits perfectly. Anime version lacks it.[/spoiler]

    Well, anime definitely wasn’t perfect but I can picture it becoming anime of the year (unlike some Shit Art Online).

    Zephyr, thanks for your coverage and for creating pleace where we can all read/talk a little more about this really awesome anime. See you around for [i]Kill la Kill[/i] (and maybe for [i]Coppelion[/i] as well – I’m not entirely sure as of yet if I will be watching it on weekly basis or just marathoning when it ends).

    (Heh, I didn’t know that writing in english will be quite so easy. In most cases I’ve got problem with finding right words even in my native language. Hope I didn’t fuck up to much. xd)

    Urizithar
    Reply

  48. The first cour was fantastic and it set the bar really high. That said, the second one wasn’t bad or anything. It just somehow felt rather lacking. Personally, the manga itself is not going in a good direction. Somehow, the first part of the manga felt fresh whilst not being completely original. Now, it’s haphazard and started to rely too much on established tropes and cliches. In the hands of a better mangaka this could have been a much more unique and better manga.

    hashtag
    Reply

  49. I’m sure some of us here have made the rather vague similarity connections with Evangelion. I particularly see this Titan fight as a homage to a quite similar situation in the end of the 2nd Rebuild of Evangelion movie.

    Eren-Titan – Eva01 Berserk

    Annie-Titan – Zeruel – infiltrating all the way into the heart of mankind’s final bastion

    Commander Erwin – Commander Gendo – looking on coldly and calmly even though the debris of the carnage was a hair’s width from crushing him to death

    https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2025%20-%20Large%2030.jpg

    echykr
    Reply

  50. I do wonder if this’ll get AOTY, while it is a popular series the manga fans, of which there are many and will soon be more now people can’t watch it, have a lot of criticism for the show. I’m personally hoping Kyokai no Kanata lives up to its potential and hype this season, if it does I can see it being AOTY.

    senefen
    Reply

  51. It’s funny that until now there are still some people who can’t move to the sword art online hype, it’s already a year guys …. ~_~

    Anyway I don’t have a problem with Kyojin, to say, it’s almost loyal to it’s adapted material, and it’s still better to see an animated show rather than just a picture. At least we saw how they’re fighting in a colorful world isn’t it.

    Thus was a great ride? So back from spectating a show this fall, maybe kyoukai no kanata will inherit this hyped? or Coppelion maybe? want to see the new shows already >_<

    BaKaYaRou
    Reply

  53. Manga fans are causing sh!tstorm over this, and though I personally thought everything wasn’t THAT bad (personally still not pleased with a lot of the changes but I’m not pulling hair over it or anything), personally it did feel weird that they’d opt to have Eren going into berserk mode especially when this was supposed to his time to shine in terms of showing control over his Titan form. Removing that aspect and having him rampage meant that they couldn’t have Mikasa’s co-op strategy with Eren, which is a bit of shame considering the level teamwork that the two could have displayed in terms of taking down Annie.

    Erwin scenes were awesome, had to laugh when Levi arrived despite his injured leg. Again, I felt that Eren’s berserk mode along with him jumping around and mangling Annie’s face was a bit much (and that’s not because my stomach is weak or anything, I just thought it was an odd decision). I’ll admit it’s kinda strange when you take note of how Mikasa took most of Armin’s moments with Eren, which almost leads me to think there could be someone in the anime staff pushing for some more scenes on Mikasa (you never know). That said, I guess the biggest plus side to Eren’s berserk mode is how it shows that the very sight of finding Annie in a state like that was the only thing that caused Eren to literally stop his rampage, which I personally didn’t mind considering how much content they already omitted in terms of interactions between the two.

    Overall a solid effort on the anime’s part, and while I’m still unsatisfied by some of the bizarre choices they made for the adaptation, it was still a fun ride for what it is.

    ronri
    Reply

  55. The adaptive writing was kind of great. They changed alot, but they needed to make it an ending, not a cliffhanger.

    The callback to episode one with Armin’s speech at the beginning. Eren’s rage tying in to what Levi said about Eren while they were being chased by the Female Titan. Eren’s last scene eating, which ties into episode 2, saying that he’s pulled back from the brink that Eren wants to live.

    Even the wall reveal was a nice bit of writing. The final line of the series being Erwin declaring they’ll find all the Titans hidden within the walls, before the dramatic irony happens.

    Also did any of the manga readers go “oh crap” at the last scene?

    Doodle
    Reply

  56. Okay, I’ve been reading this Tug of War between Manga Vs. Anime thing for 48 hrs now.

    I knew this would happen last week. The truth is they were never going to explain everything in 22 mins. They did however, intelligently, leave clues to unexplained events and actions. You can see by reactions of some of the characters, e.g. Notice Jean, as he waits for moment before leaving, expecting Mikasa to speak to Eren about something :). Things are moving in a direction to be revealed.

    Secondly, there’s the scene with Eren pausing…

    Shows how amazing an inverse connection there is between Eren and Annie. One that is beautifully portrayed through the Anime and NOT the Manga.

    If they showed where Sasha, Connie, Bernholt, Reiner, Christa and that other woman were headed. Then they’d have to open the entire Pandora’s Box. Which they can’t do in even 60 minutes.

    So when can we expect a Season 2 Announcement? Soon!, is what everyone wants to here. But I say between now and Dec 2013.

    Think about it, pessimistically, if a budget is not made available and there is no season 2 for years. They can always do a remake, but why would they even try an FMA or Evangelion style remake, when they have already produced a Masterpiece in 25 Episodes, alone.

    Just pray this doesn’t become another Guyver Bio Boosted Armor.

    So guys, please hold on to your horses. And if you can’t, then read the Manga, silently. But you will still find yourself deadlocked. 🙂

    MustangoRoy
    Reply

  57. Personally, the last two episodes were somewhat disappointing for me as a manga reader. They basically changed everything I was looking forward to seeing animated. Cuting off the development that Eren and Mikasa had in manga aside, them changing around the wall titan revelation was… ugh. It annoyed me. If I didn’t see an image of it posted before I watched the episode, I’d rage quit during the ending credits. Oh well! Still not as bad as Claymore ending, so it was fine, I suppose. Had nice time for 25 Saturday nights, albeit the last two didn’t live up to my expectations.

    Misk
    Reply

  58. It was a good show(imo, don’t know why ). Great OST (combined with the scenes it was intense as fuck) which was made by the same guy that made the OST of gundam Unicorn (not so suprising) and fun to see how bad stuff could get once shit hits the fan. I liked how they went over everything detailed but it could be faster. I mean. How long does it take for the wind to blow this god-tier fog away? And everytime the ending was displayed I was like: “That’s it? REALLY?! I WAITED A WEEK FOR THIS!”.

    But they literally fucked-up the entire episode (and the show) with that post-credits reveal of “walls consisting of titans” was just awful. If they spended one minute or so (which would be boring as fuck but something this big deserves the time) about the reveal of titans in it I would be blown away by how satisfying this show was and would root for that second season. Or they could’ve removed that part at all because the ending itself was pretty satisfying. The genius that put this in the end deserves a punch in his (or hers) face.

    God. FUCKING DAMMIT. NOW I HAVE TO WAIT 2 FUCKING YEARS (or more) FOR A FUCKING EXPLANATION THAT WOULD TAKE 4 FUCKING EPISODES FOR THIS!
    AND NO THE FUCKING MANGA IS NOT AN OPTION.

    (In the end I would like to apologize for my “strong” language. It was just an example of how pissed I am about this really crappy cliffhanger. Once again. Good show, enjoyed it.)

    Dualistdusk
    Reply

  59. I think people are being overly critical about the ending titan-in-the-wall scene. It really isn’t uncommon, almost a cliche in most shows and movies. That hook or bonus extra at the ending.

    True it could’ve been done better, or they could’ve followed the manga. But what people fail to miss here is that they did this episodes months ago, budget set, with no idea if a second season is coming.

    I’m sure the sudden surge in popularity came as a surprise to both the manga and anime studios involved.

    A lot of anime people find the last episode ok to great, with the post credits scene being ok to cliche. Only the manga readers find this really upsetting.

    !!But remember, the manga KNEW and was greenlit to go beyond the chapter so it was done that way. The anime had no idea if it was gonna have a second season at all. They had to give 25 a sort of closure feeling, keep it somewhat open ended so you know the world goes on, AND ADD A HOOK AT THE END in case it does get greenlit, or at least entice anime watchers to check out the manga!!

    If you stop raging long enough, breathe and took the time to consider that, it makes how they treated this episode more acceptable. Not entirely good, but acceptable considering the circumstances.

    But hey, I’m no director nor do I have experiences close to that so what do I know :p

    Vagrant
    Reply

    1. Make that anime-only people.

      Also some after thoughts… despite the few-many flaws of the anime. I think the anime, having done as well as it has, has done more good than harm to the franchise.

      If you think about it, the manga wasn’t at all that popular outside that circle of those few that read it. And no insult meant, the art really wasn’t anything special, it can’t even come close to the quality of some of the big names out there.

      But thanks to a well done anime adaptation, popularity and awareness for the source material has surged. And that should be more than enough incentive for those involved to do better.

      Also with the surge in popularity, also comes criticism, which if handled properly can also contribute to the improvement of the IP/franchise.

      And pessimists would say that popularity would also promote greed, more fillers, more money grabs, etc. But let’s try to keep it positive that all in all this is still good for both the fans and the creators.

      Can’t wait for season 2 >< Also a few more days left 'til we get the next manga chapter WOOOOOOOOOO!!!! \o/

      Vagrant
      Reply

  62. it’s an excellent anime that overcome many of the old and new famous anime in my opinion… I give it 10/10 as a story and animation… I really enjoyed it and am already thinking about reading the manga XD coz I can’t wait ;>.>

    as for the final episode, I think what Erwin did was so reckless and it can lead to hostility & hatred among people inside the walls due to having many sacrifices .. and watching this little child (the girl) alone can predict a dark future she could have.. she could revenge her parents death for example and she could become the current Eren, a person who abandons his humanity just to kill all the titans.. I think if Erwin thought carefully about the place and chose one where is no people around first and then perform his plan .. it would be much better..

    hana
    Reply

    1. The original plan was to lead Annie underground, where she can’t transform at all. Plan B was to capture her in the city (where it would be impossible to avoid sacrifices) using Eren and the traps, as the alternative was letting Eren be dissected for nothing and the Recon Corps being disbanded.

      Erwin did the best he could with what he had, and it turned out for the best (more or less).

      Sekai
      Reply

      1. I know… what I meant is that Erwin should think of the worst which leads us to plan B.. in my point of view if I was in his position, I would try my harder to reduce the number of sacrifices.. so the best way to avoid killing people inside the city by a mistake is to avoid fighting near them as well.. and since Annie has transformed into a titan to run away outside the city,I’ll suggest a plan where we can follow her with Eren and once we keep a safe distance from the city, I’ll let Eren fight her as a titan and capture her.. that would happen only if I was the Author of the manga I think XD

        hana
        Reply

      2. Erwin had no way of knowing that Annie would attempt to scale the wall. Even if he did, how would Eren follow? He can hardly go through the gates, as everyone would be too terrified to be anywhere near him. And even if he did somehow someone follow Annie to the other side, it would be him and Annie stuck in a one-on-one brawl (as the Corps can’t use 3DMG on open terrain), and we all know how well that went last time.

        Perhaps there was a better plan Erwin could have made, but I still don’t see it.

        Sekai
        Reply

  64. They cut out all of Armin’s scenes this episode :’c It made him look like he doesn’t even care about Eren. He was supposed to be the one to pull him out of his titan form. Plus other scenes, where they replaced Armin with Mikasa. Are they just trying to push some romance near the end?
    Otherwise it was an awesome ending.

    blux
    Reply

    1. Hmm. Haven’t read the manga. Seems to me the rich is getting richer and the poor is getting poorer. Rather than throwing a bone to Armin and have some character development for him, they seem favored making the already-looking-cool Levi look even cooler.

      vladrin
      Reply

    3. Each show seems has its strengths. Speaking for myself I find SnK the one that deserves it among them.

      That aside, the claim was for this decade, not this century. FMA was in the previous decade (I mean the original show). Code Geass too.

      vladrin
      Reply

    4. Popular? Geass? FMA? I think it isn’t that popular compared to the 3 big shounen anime, One Piece, Bleach and Naruto.

      In my country ask them about it? and they’ll tell what is that all about? Ask them about Naruto and they’ll answer you.

      So Most Popular anime are mainly for those 3 except one piece since it’s around 90’s.

      Anomaly
      Reply

  66. Guess, I’m not really human. After having read the manga and watched the show, I really can’t root for the ‘good’ guys. They have all the proper traits, but something important is missing from them. What that is, I can’t tell you. Maybe, it is that all though they are human they have given up their humanity. “The ends justify the means.” “At any cost.” “For the greater good.” “We had to burn the village to save it.”

    Yeah, it’s kind of hard to talk with something that doesn’t speak your language and wants to eat. Of course, when they do meet that opposite kind of Titan, it’s “KILL IT!!!”

    Both manga and anime are enjoyable stories and I’ll enjoy them again and again.

    rh75
    Reply

      2. Hmm. Spoiler tags my friend here are for speculation purposes exclusively.

        Your first post seemed responsible, so I thought it would be fine reading your reply. Which I’m disappointed you’ve wrote it.

        For those who didn’t read manga, above contains a hint/spoiler of things to come, read it at your own risk.

        vladrin
        Reply

  67. When the episode first ended, I was unsure what to think about it as next to nothing got answered. Then the wall fell…

    Overall, it was a solid episode. However, once Eren appeared the Recon Corps didn’t seem to be doing anything, which rather annoyed me. I went and read the manga version of the episode (but didn’t go much further!), which I much preferred as Eren worked with Mikasa and the Corps.

    As for the reveal itself, I thought (from the context of the anime) that it was well done. The change from the manga can be rectified in the next season, so as a cliffhanger (and as an anime-only viewer on first watching it) I thought it was well-presented. What I find horrifying is the implications from the eye-catch. If it’s true, the citizens aren’t just surrounded by titans around the cities, but also right under them too!
    Another thing I’m not sure is relevant is the direction the titan was facing. If all the titans in the walls are facing inwards (towards the humans), then are they keeping the free titans out, or are they keeping the humans in?

    All in all, it was an amazing series, despite its several flaws. I can’t wait for the second season, especially as I (like many of you) am trying to withhold from the manga!

    Sekai
    Reply

  68. As someone who reads the manga, I’ve abstained myself from posting anything out of respect for the website, but now that the season has ended, I only have one thing to say:

    BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!! I was praying for the season to end this way!!! (albeit it was just a tiny bit different)

    I can’t wait for when they pick up the second season! Xd
    OTL

    Sissy
    Reply

      1. I say just read volume 8 at the beginning chapter 31, it starts off where eps 23 starts. That way you can see what all the whining is about in the changes. If you just want to jump right in chapter 33 is pretty much the last ep with chapter 34 being different from when eren gets pulled out of the titan.

        Sherylfan
        Reply

  74. Awesome show, which at times gave more detail than the manga. The ending of season one though… through various tweaks, if they had ended it with the wall chipping away revealing the titan eye/face and everybody going “OMGWTFBBQSause?” and THEN ending it would work better imo. A cliffhanger like that causes people to flip out and scream “Give me more NAO!!”, which then makes people seek out the manga, effectively boosting manga sales. Also the music was off-the-chain!!

    Also thanks alot to ZEPHYR for not only giving sweet ass reviews each week but for also spoiling that tid-bit about the wall in the third paragraph. <- thats not a spoiler is it?

    kishagi
    Reply

  75. Here’s something that’s common in both the Manga & Ep 25.

    When the Female Titan falls, Annie has a few flashbacks with dialogue. Simultaneously, Eren has dialogue in his Hyper Mode.

    Annie’s Flashback Dialogue = Eren’s Hyper Mode Dialogue.

    Meaning, they have the same objective, subconsciously.

    MustangoRoy
    Reply

  79. By Far the BEST anime this season!
    The mangaka said in a special TV show that he grow up in a montain hills city in japan wondering as a kid what had beyond those hills, also used an anatomy book for the character expressions and once in a bar seeing a drunk old man speaking japanese and no one understanding him trying to communicate , but scaring other people around, he thought that the most scaring beings are trully the Human beings for its nature.

    His first work and already a million stone mile anime!

    Hajime Isayama Congratulation long no see some real quality anime T_T.

    Tensai Otaku
    Reply

  81. That’s surely one epic finale for the first season .. at least they warped up Annie’s issue -temporarily- and managed to get Erwin starting his Titan hunt that will put humanity on the offensive (or as the title of the series says .. Attack on Titan .. it was funny the series is called that when the human where the ones getting attacked all the time .. well now it makes sense .. still a bit ironic)

    Speaking of “irony” .. Eriwn was the star of this episode .. not only did he pull off an “Ikari” impression (by standing there with nerves of steel while Annie’s arm flailed at him causing all sorts of blood splashing and destruction due to the battle between his subordinate “Eren” and Annie .. any Evangelion fan will immediately recall that infamous blood splash Ikari scene from EVA XD) .. But when Erwin goes on and says “we will hunt the titans inside the walls” .. bet he didn’t expect the anime director to pull a one on him and show a sneak peak of the titans hidden literally “inside the walls” .. oh .. the irony is strong with you Erwin XD

    Ahm .. either way .. that was one hell of fantastic show (it’s like one of those shows that get everything right to a great degree that it becomes an unforgettable ride .. think FMA:Brotherhood .. Eureka 7 .. Death Note .. etc etc) .. it was a great ride so far and i can’t wait for the 2nd season -you might think this is a rhetorical statement, but no, i mean it .. i can’t wait “literally”- so i decided to go read the manga .. sorry anime purists .. my resistance just cracked .. kinda like the wall in the last scene XD

    HunterWulf
    Reply

    1. Erwin is the man…With the nerves of steel! At least there is one anime to portray a military leader as competent and fully deserving the position he holds. With him and Pixis possessing superior leadership skills and actually having a vision for the future, and given that the aristocracy are a bunch of half-witted cowards, I wonder why a coup d’etat did not happen so far… Does it happen later on in the manga, manga readers?

      SherrisLok
      Reply

      2. I get your point, but ruling is something and running the military is something else .. Pixis and Erwin might be great military leaders but they might not be very good rulers .. as ruling involves politics, dealing with the royalty and rich families, making compromises .. etc etc .. i’m not saying it’s impossible for them become good rulers but just don’t assume they will be good rulers/kings becasue they are good military leaders.

        And i see a lot of rebellious actions from Erwin who made and executed such crazy outrageous plan on his own without telling any of the higher-ups (unlike Pixis who seems to be more old fashioned and wouldn’t do something like that without permission from higher-ups at least in the military .. like he did with the boulder plan), i’m expecting a coup if Erwin finds any relation between the human-titans and the king or royalty (that’s speculation so far but i have a lot of reasons to believe the king and royalty are involved somehow in the titan business).

        HunterWulf
        Reply

  83. Despite the issues I took with the series at times – the pacing, the ALWAYS EXTREME EMOTIONS ALL THE TIME, and the occasional dip in animation quality – on the whole I can say I’ve rarely experienced a series like AoT.

    A more gut-wrenching, terrifyingly visceral series I have never seen. Action-packed is one thing, but the clever use of military tactics, the very believable scars inherent to soldiers and civilians in war, the wells of philosophical and sociological debates, so many things made it worth watching, digesting, and coming back for more.

    I found it difficult to get into the manga because of what I felt was a less-than-stellar grasp of anatomy and perspective use, however in light of watching the adaptation I feel I owe it to the series and myself to give it another go. In this case, I’m happy to be wrong in my snap to judgment.

    Thank you, Zephyr, for your coverage and for the admirable efforts to contain spoilers while still allowing people to theorize and speculate. That is a needle-thin line and I think you and the others here at RC navigated it well.

    See you in a few years, little monsters. ’til then, keep the fight alive and the Titans at bay (whatever form they take).

    Ashen
    Reply

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