At 12 years old, I never expected a show about teenagers joining the military to fight human-like monsters to have such an impact on my life. I remember eagerly anticipating every Sunday so I could watch the weekly episode of “Attack On Titan,” and — four years later — I can’t believe the series has come to an end.
As I sat down in the theater, I thought of every night of binge-watching that led to that moment. Even though I had already read the finale of the series, experiencing it in theaters was an unexplainable feeling. It made all the nights I spent bingeing the show worth it.
The film follows the last two episodes of the series in a compilation-style finale. The main character, Eren Yeager, begins to spiral after he realizes what is beyond the walls wasn’t the paradise he expected. With that, he starts the “Rumbling” — a plan to eradicate any threat to Eldia by destroying every living thing with an army of Colossal Titans. Eren’s former allies and enemies are forced to fight together in an effort to stop the attack before he destroys humanity.
The first thing I noticed was the animation. Maruyama Animation Produce Project Association (MAPPA) is the animation studio behind the film as well as the fourth and final season of the series. The studio did a great job translating the emotions of each character onto the big screen. I also enjoyed the details MAPPA added that weren’t originally in the manga ending. However, I would’ve loved to see the original animation by WIT Studio, as it has a more unique art style closer to the original. Although the animation is beautiful, it lacks the essence of the old animation style.
One of my favorite parts about this film is the soundtrack. Sawano Hiroyuki composed all the original soundtracks for the series, and did another spectacular job in this film. Each song expresses the tone of every moment perfectly, and even listening to them now makes me emotional. Not only is the music amazing, but so is the sound itself. The surround sound experience made me feel like I was placed right in the middle of the action.
The story is spectacular and the ending couldn’t have been more perfect. I expected some differences in the plot — since there was a lot of backlash regarding the original manga ending — but I was glad to see that there were no major changes. The story impressed me by staying true to the original without feeling rushed, despite being a compilation film.
The main reason many fans watched the movie was for the end credit scene that differentiates it from the series, and it did not disappoint. The scene was an adaptation of the final volume’s “School Caste” bit: an alternate universe where the characters are regular school kids. It was a silly way to end it, and truly was the cherry on top.
Once the end credits rolled, I was left with a bittersweet feeling knowing the story I love so dearly had finally come to an end. Even so, I can proudly say that “Attack On Titan: The Last Attack” delivered a satisfying conclusion to the series. The story effectively illustrates how humanity is bound by its nature and the cycle of war and hatred won’t end, despite efforts. With its thought-provoking themes and unforgettable storytelling, this series will likely go down in history as one of the greatest of all time.
