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Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Chapters: Special 1 (2023)
This is it, the pinnacle of Attack on Titan and Eren himself
This episode is just 10/10 story, 10/10 ost and 10/10 character moments all round. The rumbling perfectly encapsulates the irony of Eren's character, for someone who chases freedom to no end, to project that childish desire onto the dream Armin had, to explore the outside world, and pretending that they shared the same vision of that dream, so much so that he regresses into his childlike state as he savours the scenery from above the cloud-like titan smoke, oblivious to the carnage caused by his unchecked and misguided ambition. It's a masterpiece of both storytelling and score with Hayashi and Isayama at their best.
And we end off the first chapter with Armin's hopeful monologue in a meta narrative sense, hoping that us viewers could fight back against the unending cycle of conflict that is in our nature, that our world could be so much different from the one they inhabit, juxtaposed with Eren's aversion of his gaze from the conflict on the ground as he lies dormant in his titan, communicating ignorance which in his words, is the furthest removed from freedom.
The second part encapsulates the spirit of the Survey Corps best-the Wings of Freedom as they call it, with Pieck continuing to wear the SC uniform as she emboldens her warrior ideals to Hange's selfless sacrifice going in swords blazing against the waves of colossal titans with BAUKLOTZE in the background, much like her predecessors before, while Armin takes up the mantle of commander, as someone who champions understanding the other party so well, which sets him apart from other traditional leader candidates like Jean. The alliance departs for their final battle on the plane as a result, soaring into the air with their own wings of freedom, as it symbolises the main casts' struggle for freedom and autonomy, a metaphor for the main casts' desire to break free from the constraints and oppression the world has bestowed upon them and soar to new heights.
Finally, the last part emphasizes the theme of guilt and responsibility that is heavily present as the characters struggle with their past actions and the weight they carry as a result. Eren, in particular, embodies this theme as he refuses to back down from his decision to initiate the Rumbling and sees it as the only way to atone for the sins of his ancestors and the mistakes he has made himself. His determination to follow through with the Rumbling, despite the pleas and attempts at understanding from his friends, showcases the burden of guilt he carries and his inability to let go of it.
This theme is further highlighted through the conversation between the characters, as they reflect on their own guilt and try to take responsibility for their past actions. Jean, Connie, and Reiner all express remorse for their roles in the war and the lives they have taken, while Armin and the others try to reassure them and shoulder the blame themselves. However, despite their efforts, the characters are unable to fully move past their guilt and find resolution, much like Eren's inability to let go of his own. It suggests that the characters see themselves as being unworthy of forgiveness and incapable of moving forward, trapped in a cycle of guilt and responsibility.
The first ten minutes of the episode is a grand spectacle of the destruction of all life under the rumbling feet of the colossals while the final ten emphasises the hope in the depths of despair with the alliance's descent on Eren while Armin questions Eren's notion of freedom. The following part will be a spectacle to behold for sure.
There is no doubt about it, this is the best episode of Attack on Titan by a long stretch, and will be remembered by generations to come for the masterpiece that it is. A wonderful penultimate TV special.
Monster: Blood on Their Hands (2022)
The Blame Game
This episode is called "Blood on Their Hands". But whose hands exactly? Notice how throughout the episode we were never shown a scene where Dahmer actually stained his hands with blood, except of course... Jeff's father. It's a brilliant way to show the different sides that enabled Dahmer's progressive obsessive tendencies. We were shown the racial prejudice by the police who didn't push harder, the judge for giving a repeat offender and pedophile a second chance (like why?) and his very own father here who laments his part to play in all of this. It's all very heartbreaking.
The look on the black woman's face as the judge said "I'm going to give you a second chance" was urgh. It's all very telling about the flaws of the American judiciary and prisoner rehabilitation system when Dahmer's father was dismayed to find out that his prison sentence did not have him visits from any medical professionals to reintegrate him into society at all. We were shown various flashbacks showing all the red flags and all, and Dahmer trying to cover it up.
This episode highlighted a lot of Dahmer's apathy for his victims when the first thing he had to say when hearing the names of those he killed for the first time was how they matched. Really powerful scene.
I think an important motif throughout the episode is also distance. Almost everyone that Dahmer meets has tried to keep his distance from him. His very own grandmother who as Dahmer himself had said "Didn't want to see what he was doing". Sure, she did try to stand up to him but not once did she ever connect to him and understand his POV. After the praying away the gay approach the previous episode she tried to intrude on his homosexual tendencies and deflecting it to alcohol. Every. Single. Time. Even his dad too. Alcoholism doesn't cause people to molest others, to be a pedophile or to masturbate in public FYI. The only people he could exert his control over are dead ones, those that couldn't leave him unlike his birth mother who left him alone, his own father who said he was at his wits end with. His own grandmother who chased him out of the house all the same, albeit she was probably the only one who tried to help him. We see this distance the smallest as Dahmer fantasises about hugging the dead body had he managed to dig deeper into the soil.
Really good episode, my favourite of the series. Shows the downfall of Dahmer as he goes into a downward spiral of his crimes and how those around him reacted to his red flags.
Monster: Silenced (2022)
The Most Heart-wrenching Episode
The silent man who was silenced by Dahmer in his cold hearted endeavour to exert control over him. This episode deals with another of his victims but in a special way as Tony mirrors Dahmer's problems in a way.
We begin with a flashback of how the man Dahmer lured to his apartment at the end of last episode was actually deaf from a very young age, kinda adds a layer of meaning to the title to this one. Really shows the struggles Tony faced as one who's black, deaf and gay. Two men who were outcasts in society and they found each other, unfortunately for Tony.
Dahmer sees himself in Tony, they face similar problems socialising with others, and seeing him struggle so much reminds him of him own in regards to his schoolmates, people he met at the bar and his family. It's an externalisation of his loneliness personified that causes them to connect to each other, even though their circumstances were so different.
"You seem worth it."
Probably the turning point in their relationship as for once in his life, Dahmer was appreciated by someone, and especially so for his efforts. All his life he'd been neglected and discarded for being a nuisance and a burden (by his family). But Tony treated him differently. He treated him well.
That scene and the next amplifies this contrast with the exaggerated distance between Dahmer and his father (and his wife), while Dahmer mimics Tony's posture in the former, a nod towards their newfound connection.
At his new and final home, Dahmer decides against drugging his new partner, because he feels that he's turning over a new leaf at that point. That he could suppress his obsessive tendencies this time, that Tony could change him. Dahmer also loosens his grip on the hammer as he tells him he won't disappear as he leaves for work, something that didn't happen with the rest of his victims, hence why he didn't kill him.
There's a lot of intricate character work and framing that's done exceptionally well to drive the characters forward, and a lot of it was done well to emphasise the family's grief and Tony's own perspective. An excellent episode, probably my second favourite of the show as well.
Shingeki no Kyojin: The Dawn of Humanity (2022)
Peak Fiction, Enough Said
Not only was the decision to combine 123 and 130 together impeccable, but so was the execution. Many scenes were elevated astronomically for a fantastic finish to part 2 of the final season. Here's to the finale next year!
Shingeki no Kyojin: Retrospective (2022)
Speechless
First of all, HOLY SMOKES. This episode blew me out of the water with so many ODM/Titan Sakuga cuts. Floch's dynamic camera action sequence was a masterpiece, and the same goes for Connie Ackerman, the 2D Female Titan, Cart Sakuga, Mikasa's ruthless killstreak, Falco's Jaw design and transformation, other Yeagerist Sakuga, e.t.c. Shishido and Hayashi had really put in their all into this episode and it shows. This is by far the best animated episode of the season by MAPPA and rivals previous masterpiece episodes by WIT. My jaw literally dropped while watching this episode live.
Loved the change of Mikasa's dialogue, reaffirming Mikasa's resolve to stop Eren from committing any more indiscriminate murders as well as her desire to place humanity before the self-preservation of her home in an effort to save as many people as possible, tying to her pride.
Keith and Margath's double sacrifice could not have a better OST selection, and the silenced explosion was something I expected and MAPPA delivered. It was both emotionally visceral and gut wrenching.
Adding the beginning of 130 near the end was a masterstroke, with Annie's agony directly testing Mikasa's resolve to kill Eren if she needs to, the perfect way to end off a perfectly adapted episode.
Shingeki no Kyojin: Traitor (2022)
A Reversal of Roles
It's yet another Omine episode, you know what's up. We have some very clean ODM cuts with great directing, I don't know what else to say because my mind is still hung up on the last part of the episode. The scene where Armin and Connie faces their ex comrades Daz and Samuel once again brought back memories of S2E6 "Warrior" when an enraged Eren screamed at Reiner for being traitors. Oh, how the tables have turned. Both of them probably couldn't understand their feelings back then until Armin talked to Annie in the crystal after raiding the port, and for Connie this was his moment.
In essence, the world of AOT is too cruel for clean solutions to these problems. It's the key component of the port fight which illustrates the same dilemma. Armin and Connie didn't have time to explain why they were going against Eren, and why they were betraying them. It was at that moment when Connie had a flashback of Bertholdt, as he now understood why Bertholdt and Reiner did what they had to do, and at the same time, he understood Samuel's feelings of betrayal by people who he thought were on their side. The callback was exactly reminiscence of that (Get it? Cos the next episode is called reminiscence/retrospective). Think back to S3P2 in "Descent" when Bert remarks that no one is in the wrong, this world is just that cruel. It's difficult to paint people as outright villains or traitors because it's just not that black and white.
Isayama uses this to illustrate changing perspectives along with the idealism which enables the alliance to work against the island to save all of humanity, but at the same time it's also important to ask: what about their homeland? This is sure to spark some controversy but I like how Kiyomi puts it:
"All you're doing is making your world smaller. These killings will surely continue as they always have."
Now even Floch acknowledges this, as had many other characters on this show, and I'm sure we can do as good if not better than that.
"Violence is one thing you can't take from humanity. Right, captain?"
Of course, this resonates deeply with Levi, who was raised to believe in violence as a means to an end to "talk" to people by Kenny. What does it take to end this cycle of human conflict, and how far will the idealism of the survey corps carry the alliance forward? I just can't wait to find out.
Gantz: Kei-chan, suggee (2004)
Story is exciting, but the dated animation doesn't really hold up
Weird changes overall, such as killing off the delinquent the moment the Onion Alien Dad arrives to the scene, yet eliciting little to no reaction from the rest? If the studio couldn't handle the repurcussions of such an addition then why change it at all? Subsequently due to this, we miss out on the delinquent screaming in shock after Yakuza A was killed.
Another cut that was regrettable was the teacher's hallucination of it still being a TV show instead of facing reality, which I was really looking forward to. Nonetheless, the parallels between Kei and his childhood were done well with fade in match cuts. I'm still enjoying the show thoroughly.
Gantz: Ningen janee (2004)
Hypocrite
I love how we get extra scenes to flesh out the attitude of those self interested bystanders when the girl was in trouble, and why Nishi was so easily believed in with his bogus story.
But I have to say, just like the previous episode with the train accident sequence, the timing of various scenes were off. The politician's head blew up too quickly without enough build up and proper direction, so it's a pity that the impact it left on my as a reader didn't quite translate here.
Gantz: Atarashii asa ga kita (2004)
The Beginning of a Masterpiece
Man, this anime really takes me back. It's a 2004 series so I won't be too harsh on the awkward animation with all the weird pans and camera angles but this series really deserves a reboot. That said, it's really nice how there aren't any cuts as far as I can tell but many anime original additions that enhance the plot by adding new dialogue and scenes to spice up the show, its characters and adjust the pacing. For Gantz fans who have read the manga already, this anime is definitely worth checking out.
Really good pilot episode with the extended intro that sort of makes the pacing translate better into television format, so far it seems really faithful to the manga, so I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm not sure if Oku had participated in the production but the scriptwriter has done a good job with it.
Shingeki no Kyojin: Night of the End (2022)
End's Eve, a Dialogue Episode of Emotion, Understanding and Reconciliation
This. More of this. This was what we needed and wanted, the joining of hands between ex-enemies, setting aside differences and banding together to fight for the greater good to stop the genocide. Regardless of the fact that Hange & co. Stand to be beneficiaries of the genocide.
Hange's speech was very needed to combat the pro genocide narratives floating around ever since episode 5. No, Erwin would not have supported Eren or the Yeagerists, and neither would anyone else from the SC. The Survey Corps fought for the freedom of humanity, not just the island, to seek understanding through dialogue and diplomacy.
'We haven't even had a chance to talk this over!!'
A line that is brought up once more when the opportunity to talk things out finally arrives and all sides of the conflict gather at the campfire before they go on to fight Eren. Really glad to see all character dynamics come into play here, which I bet many were waiting for this kind of moment. 'I'm the same as you' is one of the most ubiquitous phrases in the post-time-skip and it's obvious why. The only thing separating them was a wall preventing communication from being established, and it all came crumbling down when push came to shove and the world's fate was at stake. And that's exactly why it's so satisfying when they all band together, to bring forth that miracle of friendship Uri chose to believe in, culminating in an alliance of ex-enemies in order to save the world.
The colour palette this episode was vibrant and colourful, with the entire campfire scene being pretty well adapted. Although I'd very much rather have the facial expressions and flashbacks from the manga adapted, our S;G storyboarder showed us his creative vision which cleverly utilises background shots and negative space to craft visual imagery for the theme of "Getting out of the forest" which is ever so pertinent for this episode. Since dialogue episodes are kinda my thing, this one is a clear favourite of mine.
Shingeki no Kyojin: Pride (2022)
Getting Lost and Finding Oneself
The episode begins with Levi and Hange in the forest, both missing an eye, contemplating what they were fighting for. I love the emphasis on Hange's tear as she couldn't bear shooting down the soldiers pursuing them, some she probably remembers as her ex comrades. Hange's flashback to Sannes reminds us of the time when he taunted her by calling out her hypocrisy for following in his footsteps. He mumbles about the inevitability of human conflict, and implied that all Hange is doing is perpetuating that cycle. Their roles have reversed and nothing has changed. And now Hange finds herself in his position, as someone representing the 'old ways' and Floch the new. On the other hand, Levi came out of the explosion alive but in bad shape. Narratively speaking, Levi's title was his hamartia. Introducing a character that is and I quote 'Humanity's strongest soldier' from the very beginning makes it incredibly hard to develop properly and effectively. It's a catch-22 when we get disappointed if the hyped-up character doesn't live up to expectation and the converse holds when they always win anyway, which would seem cliché and generic. In every battle Levi has participated in, he always wins, yet at what cost? Levi's perfect track record was always riddled with heavy losses, from his OG squad in the FT arc to his borrowed squad and Kenny in the Uprising Arc, to Erwin and nearly all of the survey corps in RtS, to his new squad when looking after Zeke in the forest. Both soldiers have had it tough, but they couldn't just give up and just run away from the conflict, as if they did, how could they face their fallen comrades who fought for the freedom all of them sought after? There is an overbearing sense of duty as the commander of the SC for Hange, and likewise Levi with his title as strongest soldier. This episode's title "Pride" aptly describes both of them as well as every other character that appears in this episode. Just what are they fighting for? This episode is also about finding oneself and one's pride, to find value in one's endeavours which one emotionally resonates with.
Connie and Armin too, have lost sight of themselves in this chaos. Affected by Connie's words, Armin's insecurities since serumbowl resurfaced as he lost his cool with Mikasa, and starts behaving irrationally which was only amplified as Connie went off about how smart he was compared to him, amplifying this feeling even more. Armin feels the need to live up to Erwin's legacy and be his successor, his flashback to his all or nothing gamble motivated him to test Connie by jumping into the titan's mouth. But this was no suicide attempt. On one hand it's a reminder that he's inherited the CT instead of Erwin so there's that angle that he needs to live up to that legacy. But this is a callback to 2x11 "Charge" as well, where Erwin led a suicide attack on Reiner to get back Eren. Armin's "gamble" banked on the assumption that Connie would save his life if he would attempt to sacrifice himself for his mum. And if Connie doesn't then so be it, Armin gives in to his insecurities, but this alternative is not on his mind at the moment, but the belief that.someone who can't throw anything away will never be able to change anything, tying himself to Erwin's words once again.
Shingeki no Kyojin: Sunset (2022)
An Excellent Adaptation
Rumbling shots this episode had significant improvement and Mappa's Annie CDs look fantastic, maybe an improvement from S4P1 even. Almost every scene so far in 125 had been elevated from the manga, for example the anime original addition of Annie's POV in the crystal, highlighting the darkness she endured over 4 years, and the nightmarish shots of the marching CTs with a sunset backdrop that's just wallpaper material.
I applaud the choice to use the instrumental version of the ED while credits roll over Connie and Falco's scene which not only allowed for more content to fit into this episode but also made the scene more emotional, which fit well as it transitioned to the after credits scene where we are met with a slick Levi CD. I'm pleasantly surprised and satisfied that Mappa managed to keep up the quality of these episodes, so I'm just as excited for the rest of the season as with the first 5 episodes.
One Outs: Shori no Saki ni (2009)
This needs a season 2
It's sad to see this end here just when Tokuchi's exploits start to ramp up in the world of baseball. With that said, it's still nice that the anime had good pacing overall, not rushed by any means with a good stopping point here at the end of the BlueMars arc. Here's to a season 2 in the future I guess. What a thrilling anime!
Platinum End: Tower of Nightmare (2021)
Insightful
Mirai's desperation clouded by his inability to kill another human being was beautifully translated to animation by adapting a few of the iconic manga panels of Kakehashi with tears in his eyes as he fights Metropoliman, with some intense 2DCG Sakuga to boot, and eventually, his hesitation cost them the death of their enemy as he caught a glimpse of Metropoliman's face. Another noticeable foil that surfaced would be Kakehashi's pleas to stop him from involving civilians in his plans which revealed that just like him, Metropoliman too lost a loved one, yet is able to kill others because of it.
The ending of this episode really hit hard as well. Saki said that she couldn't fall for him, because of her insecurities about being a burden to others, not wanting to love or be loved by others. Could being with her actually make him happy? Two peas in a pod, the two of them represent selflessness to the extreme, and the gradually deafening laughter of the crowd of students amplify that sentiment, that dissonance of happiness between them and the rest of their schoolmates. Perhaps this is the fate of those who are saved from the brink of death by the angels. And because of this, I'm expecting a twist to happen towards the end which dives into treasuring the importance of life.
Akagi: Honmono no burai (2005)
FKMT really doesn't hold back
A middle schooler wielding and shooting a gun and shooting others? There's barely any censorship and I'm glad the anime gave the manga justice by animating its raw violence in all its entirety. Tension was at its highest during the Russian Roulette scene, which kept me at the edge of my seat. And as mysterious as Akagi can be, I'm thankful to catch even a slight glimpse of his inner monologues, which help to develop his character and our understanding of him gradually.
Akagi: Yami ni maiorita tensai (2005)
Starts off very strong
The pilot episode kicks off with a gloomy summary of the setting and period of Akagi, setting the tone for this gambling thriller as if it was a documentary on the gambling scene of Showa Japan.
The first thing that captured me was the music. Composed by the renowned Taniuchi Hideki who also composed the soundtrack for Death Note, the music in this episode fits the vibe so aptly, with smooth jazz for the parlour scenes and DN vibes all over elsewhere whenever the MC Akagi is involved.
The mahjong terminology and gameplay is very faithful to real life and I really loved the battle of wits in this episode, a seriously underrated anime.
Shingeki no Kyojin: Thaw (2022)
Sasha & Inspiring Conflict Resolution
As usual, Isayama hits us with a double entendre (or triple?!) in the title. "Thaw" aptly refers to the thawing of the situation after the initiation of the rumbling, but also serves as a metaphor for the breaking of the walls, and by extension, the "thawing" of all hardening including Annie's crystal in the end. Likewise, the metaphorical "walls" between Kaya and Gabi have broken down as their relationship heals (since walls are a metaphor for the obstacles hindering mutual understanding, similar to Mr. Braus's speech on children of the forest), thus their relationship can also be said to be "thawing".
As the situation "thaws", so begins the Rumbling arc. I urge everyone to pay attention to this seemingly uneventful stretch of episodes to come as they serve as important build up to the soon approaching finale of the season as well as the entire show. The discord between the Eldians of Paradis mirror our fandom quite nicely as people are conflicted about whether to support the MC we have been following up till now or to oppose his actions (which honestly speaking, makes more sense to). Gabi proceeds to protect Kaya which reminded her of Sasha's selflessness, leading to Niccolo's reaffirmation of Sasha and her father's ideology in stopping inherited conflict by getting out of the forest, including a nice hint of shingeki Idealism. The MVP of this episode would be Gabi and Niccolo, but I'd honestly give the award to Sasha as I see her arc getting completed in this episode as it all comes full circle to connect back to the theme of the children of the forest.
Highlights of the episode includes Sakura san's excellent voice acting as usual as well as the cliffhanger showcasing Annie's return. Other than the nice ODM sakuga cuts, animation this episode seems to be on par with 4x17 "Judgment" and 4x18 "Sneak Attack" which is very nice, showing that the production has improved quite a bit this time compared to the Final Season Part 1, that they were able to maintain the same high quality animation as in the first two episodes this year.
All in all, this was a solid episode to kick off the final arc of Attack on Titan, and I'm very excited for the next few episodes to come as we continue to develop more characters other than Eren, Zeke and Grisha.
Shingeki no Kyojin: From You, 2000 Years Ago (2022)
PEAK. FICTION.
Greatest of all time. Zenith of the medium. Hallmark of media. Gold standard of storytelling. Apogee of creativity. Vertex of invention. Crest of ingenuity. Acme of imagination. Pinnacle of innovation. Epic of epics. Legend among legends. Peak Fiction.
I'm literally speechless like Ymir right now. This is definitely the BEST episode of Attack on Titan. I don't care what anyone says, there's no question about it. Eren's dream under the tree in chapter 1, his motivations in the post timeskip, the origin of the titans, the truth of this cruel world, the names of the walls, the name of the first chapter and episode, how the Attack Titan's power came to be, literally every piece of foreshadowing from the first episode was building up to this point.
13 years ago in the manga, 9 years ago in the anime:
Episode 1 "To You, 2000 Years Later"
Today:
Episode 80 "From You, 2000 Years Ago"
SPEECHLESS.
One Outs: Kecchaku (2008)
Mindblown
What an amazing conclusion to this arc, Tokuchi not only manages to cancel his debt up till now but uses the rules of Baseball to his advantage to score him a 9-0 win (multiplied by 20x) to boost his salary. Gave me strong Death Note and Kaiji vibes, probably one of the strongest One Outs episode so far, a thrilling end to this mini saga.
One Outs: Hansoku gassen (2008)
Battle of Wits (9.6/10)
Never would I have thought that Tokuchi's plan would affect even the opposing team as well, in a way that they would actively "work with" Tokuchi instead to get what he wants, so to speak. The level of foresight this man has is incredible.
One Outs: Trick & Trap (2008)
Tokuchi's plan unravels.. (9.5/10)
Very impressed by the million yen vase strategy by Tokuchi, giving me strong Liar Game vibes (another Kaitani series). The music complements the tension very well, and each plot twist comes almost unexpectedly, but with sufficient foreshadowing for it to not seem out of place.
One Outs: Teikaiten sutorêto (2008)
Tension is rising (9.2/10)
A lot of baseball terminology this episode and it's starting to get interesting. I guess this is where the true battle starts where Tokuchi goes up against seemingly impossible odds all stacked against him.
One Outs: Kibô (2008)
A Yoshida Episode (9.1/10)
It's amazing how while last episode the show made us hate Yoshida for betraying his own team for a few bucks, this episode we are driven to sympathise with him, cheer for him and even admire his actions towards the end. We were also shown the more empathetic side of Tokuchi as he proves to be more than just a solo sport, providing unnecessary assistance to his teammates to give them the extra push to win.
One Outs: Nain no shikaku (2008)
Tokuchi vs The Owner (8.1/10)
The music complements the tension in this episode so well, can't wait to see how Tokuchi manages to outsmart even more skilled opponents from now on, especially when fighting against pawns even within the team itself.
One Outs: Wannautsu keiyaku (2008)
Title Drop
A surprising development as Toua is shown taking a step back to concede defeat to Kojima despite the loss being against normal baseball rules. It shows how despite his cunningness, Toua is a very fair person and keeps his promise. A decent build up to Toua going pro, where we'll probably get a chance to see his mind games in action on a much higher level.
As someone unfamiliar to baseball, this might surprisingly make for a warm introduction to the game, though it does take some time to wrap my head around some of the jargon and logistics involved.