“Attack on Titan” final season poster IMDB
The following article contains spoilers for the “Attack on Titan” series finale.
On Nov. 4, 2023, the popular Japanese anime, “Attack on Titan,” finally came to an end after its initial release ten years ago. The tv series followed the story of Eren Yeager and his best friends, Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert as they navigated their lives after giant man-eating monsters known as titans attacked their hometown.
After ten years, these characters’ stories finally came to an end in an hour and half long tv special. The epic finale truly captivated audiences as the dramatic story of “Attack on Titan” finally concluded. But, what made “Attack on Titan” so special that it maintained popularity over the course of ten years and through multiple hiatuses between seasons?
Depending on who you ask, there could be a million different reasons given as to why “Attack on Titan” is so popular, or why it has had such an effect on someone. Anybody asked could give a variety of answers because “Attack on Titan” has had a profound impact on each viewer.
It might seem strange to find relatability within characters who fight giant monsters, but fans of the show know that there is so much more buried deep into the show’s storyline. It all comes down to the beautiful writing and structure of the story that somehow makes animated characters feel like people you know.
For example, in a scene in the third season, the characters Eren, Mikasa, and Armin sit down to talk about their biggest dream- to see a world outside of what they know and reach the sea. This entire scene, beginning with them mourning what they’ve lost and ending with them yearning for a future they are fighting for, captures friendship in a very realistic way.
There are so many strong examples of engaging dialogue in the entire series, and every single one of these bits drives the character development of the characters who speak. Whether it be through a confession in a battlefield, or in a casual conversation between two minor characters, every single word means something. In a very tense moment in the series, the character Gabi realizes that she has spent her whole life hating a group of people only to actually meet them and realize they are human beings just like she is.
The way this scene is designed, beginning with a conversation Gabi overhears, and ending with her own realization, shows the audience how much her character has grown from the hatred filled girl she was at the start of the fourth season. It is moments like these in the series that connect to real world issues such as hostility and discrimination, and doing so in a way that is respectful and also very real.
Another special aspect that fans around the world have praised is the beautiful soundtrack. “Attack on Titan” truly has, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful scores ever created for a piece of media. Every single instrument used in each song has a meaning, and every single lyric hides a motif that may or may not have already been revealed in the series.
More importantly, every single piece of music is cleverly placed in each scene. The soundtrack varies from slow, piano-centered ballads to epic suites created by an impressive orchestra. Despite the various genres found in the soundtrack, each song is perfectly placed in various scenes to create an incredibly strong emotional feeling.
One of my favorite usages of music in the series is every time one of the original tracks from the first season is remixed and used in later seasons. This was the case in the epic finale as one of the original tracks from the first season, titled “Attack on Titan” was mixed with one of the newer tracks created for the fourth season, “Ashes on the Fire.”
The combination of these tracks filled audiences with a sense of compilation, realizing how far the tv show has come from when the track, “Attack on Titan,” was first heard.
While watching this epic battle go on as one of the original soundtracks played, I realized I could answer for myself what made “Attack on Titan” so special that I returned to its second season eight years after having watched the first. It all comes down to nostalgia.
Watching the epic conclusion and watching the few surviving characters walk away from a battlefield, I couldn’t help but think of my younger self who first watched the series and was absolutely horrified. I couldn’t help but think about how I was in fifth grade when I first started watching “Attack on Titan,” and how now I am getting ready to graduate college in less than six months.
Watching Armin and Mikasa, the two survivors of the original trio, conclude their epic story made me realize that part of my own story has ended too: my childhood. Finishing this series after ten years made me realize that the media we consume and love over our years plays such a huge role in who we are.
Finishing “Attack on Titan” ten years after its release was a slap in the face realization of how fast time can pass us. However, I’m grateful for the constants that have stayed like my love for a show about three best friends who dreamt of seeing an outside world.
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