[Abbreviated review, link to full version at bottom of text]
SEGMENT I — Review of all seasons
[spoilers for all of AOT]
What do you think about the world? In Attack on Titan there is no question about it, the world is a cruel place with cruel people who do cruel deeds. AOT reaches high points several times throughout the seasons in the search for truth and hope. During this extremely exciting puzzle, we are treated with spectacular ODM scenes and unforgettable character moments. The truths reveal themselves one after another culminating in the glorious symphony that is Season 3 Part 2, and peel away the enigmas to
...
show only larger questions and more terrible answers. It turns out the fantasy world is not fantasy and the titans are relatives, furthermore the leaders actually kept this hidden, and kept the suffering going.
For me, Season 4.1 was very disappointing. Naming it "The Final Season", when it would take three more years until we saw the end, was just hideous in a multitude of ways. You just have to accept that the ending you sought is not the one you will receive, and learn to enjoy the hell of the final episodes. I do enjoy a sad ending, and I commend anime for often daring to go there. The credits roll, and stomps it into our hearts one final time, war and destruction will never end. The fighting through all those episodes only led to the worst outcome that the world could ever hope for, and the sacrifice Eren makes saves no one.
Now, standing at the end of this series I look back at ten years of experiences. I am thankful for that. And for believing in Mikasa. And for all the potato scenes.
SERIES SCORE: 7/10
❧
SEGMENT II — Review of The Final Season Part 3
[I watched this in Japanese with English subtitles on Crunchyroll 30 December 2024, I am a 33 yo. male Swede]
Oh, Wit Studio, where art thou? As the huge series Shingeki no Kyojin comes to an end, we put our hope in MAPPA to better their ways after the lacklustre animation they've given us so far. Alas, even here when trying their hardest the results still leaves a lot to wish for. Characters are standing stiff, upright, with arms dead at their sides, with that constant look of dread in their eyes, mouths ajar and eyebrows tense. Whether the mood is warm, sad, comedic, or heartfelt, the dark lines drawn over the eyes are ever-present. With this, the characters we learned to love no longer have life in them, what's left is something akin to a sad parody. The only moments resembling what we know as the anime Attack on Titan is a couple of flashbacks, that almost mimics the quality of the original scenes. It's ironic: in the first seasons Wit Studio did a solid job of transforming the poor art of the early manga volumes into stylish high-quality anime; and now after Isayama refined his artwork over the years to the level seen in the final volumes, MAPPA actually drags the entire visual level down into hit-and-miss territory. The best snapshots feature complicated ODM action sequences, and the worst feature pixelated CGI shit. The story deserves better.
The second biggest offender may be the pacing. Too little work has been put into translating the written source story into a body of animated film entertainment. The manga's final chapters are just given half an hour each, put into two episodes. The bursts of senseless violence, fiery zeal, and gory bloodshed are laid out without appropriate build-up or release, and after that high action follow suddenly and unsettlingly long, awkward, silent, immobile scenes — the combination of this back and forth unfortunately dulls any sharpness intended. Haphazardly throughout is the flashbacks and dream sequences. All in all the pacing consists of skipping back and forth between different moods without concern for the viewers enjoyment, leaving a bitter taste in the mouth.
What is good here is the story of this horrible world and our horrible heroes. The incredible payoff, or anti-payoff, of having the classic protagonist of shounen manga become the history's singular most evil being is immense. And I mean immense, unbearable even. I remember ten years ago, I didn't like Eren's character, but I LOVED when he went psycho-killer and screamed "I am going to kill them all!". In those moments he was all gusto, all spark, all momentum. Ofcourse, I thought he would conclude his ark like every other shounen MC and save the world. It was inconceivable his murderous intent would actually have actual consequences. But...
Through Eren being bullied and beaten throughout childhood, having his mother eaten before his eyes, eating his own father, titans destroying his birthplace, living as a discriminated refugee, joining the military at a very early age, killing at an early age, facing the destruction of his country, seeing most people he knew die, and learning of a world of hate for him and his kind. All the while having a mindset to crush his enemies and protect his loved ones, raging and going on tantrums, being put in a glorified position of destiny and power where countless lives are sacrificed for him, being contacted through past and present by godlike entities with different intentions. Was there any other way? Couldn't he have turned out to be one of those who creates good outcomes out of evil lessons? Maybe in another world. But as they remind us about their world, from the beginning, again and again:
This world is cruel.
❧
STORY ★★★☆☆
CHARACTERS ★★☆☆☆
ACTING/SCRIPT ★★★★☆
SOUNDTRACK ★★★★★
OP/ED/EC ╳
VISUALS ★★☆☆☆
ENJOYMENT ★★★☆☆
Score: 6+/10
❧
Link to full version of review:
https://myanimelist.net/blog.php?eid=906821
Dec 30, 2024
[Abbreviated review, link to full version at bottom of text]
SEGMENT I — Review of all seasons [spoilers for all of AOT] What do you think about the world? In Attack on Titan there is no question about it, the world is a cruel place with cruel people who do cruel deeds. AOT reaches high points several times throughout the seasons in the search for truth and hope. During this extremely exciting puzzle, we are treated with spectacular ODM scenes and unforgettable character moments. The truths reveal themselves one after another culminating in the glorious symphony that is Season 3 Part 2, and peel away the enigmas to ... 
Nov 21, 2024
Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (2009)
(Anime)
add
I watched all 28 episodes of season 2 (this MAL entry) quite tightly, almost like binging them. Perhaps because of the fact that I had already seen season one I thought this second season was a lot better, at least for a start. It was a strong 8 out of 10 all the way to the middle of Endless Eight; I would have preferred four, five, or six Endless-Eight-episodes. Eight was too much and lowered the grade a notch.
The end of the season does not give you that complete feeling. We get some character developement between Haruhi and Kyon, and Nagato and Kyon, but not ... 
Nov 21, 2024
Kaguya-hime no Monogatari
(Anime)
add
Kaguya-hime was Isao Takahata-san's last film before he died. After watching most of them, I arrived at Kaguya-hime when it arrived in cinemas in Sweden. Loving his previous films under Ghibli's banner, I had immense expectations, and I fully enjoyed the very special occasion.
Going by the experience of the film, it felt like a 9/10. However, after the film ended I was seized by how masterly everything was forged and put together. In the same way I can't deny how "Fanny & Alexander" is a 10/10 classic (you just have to surrender flat), I can't deny Kaguya-hime. The music, the artstyle, the story, how they ... |
