Attack On Titan Season 3 Part 2 [Anime Review]

Note: Review copy supplied by Manga Entertainment

Title: Attack On Titan Season 3 Part 2
Anime Studio: Wit Studio
Publisher: Manga Entertainment
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Released: March 23rd, 2020
Classification: 15
Language: Japanese / English
Discs: 2

The long-awaited return to Shiganshinahas come. Once again, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin face the Titans in their hometown where the secrets of the Jaeger family cellar lie in wait. On this do-or-die mission to take back Wall Maria, the Scouts quickly learn that Reiner and Bertholdt are the least of their worries.

The first half of Attack on Titan season three saw a shift from human vs. Titan combat to a long spell of human vs. human warfare. With part two, we’re heading straight back into familiar territory as our heroes attempt to reach the fabled cellar. Ad things go downhill for them from there.

One thing that doesn’t go downhill though is the storytelling. For all intents and purposes, this series is clearly designed to set up the final season, yet it somehow succeeds in maintaining everything that fans love about the show. For one, we get to see an epic confrontation between the remaining heroes and their former comrades, which is used to remind us of some of those things. Attack On Titan is still perfectly capable of mixing high octane action, interesting fantasy tactics, and emotional story beats.

And boy do we get some highs in the emotional department in this run. From the death of a long running character to a flashback that not only explains the origins of the Titans but also offers a glimpse of the worst of humanity that is terrifyingly close to our own past, it’s all here.

Much as we saw some growth for Levi’s character arc in the last release, this time around, it’s Armin that gets to take the focus for a good chunk of the story. He has long been a favourite of mine, and it was excellent seeing him step up here and make the most of his screen time.

Aesthetically, this was business as usual too. The same slick animation and excellent soundtrack are at the forefront of the action scenes, and the dub cast continue to do a good job in the talk-oriented scenes. I was also thrilled to see Linked Horizon return to opening theme duties. As much as I like both Yoshiki and Hyde, I just didn’t feel like ‘Red Swan’ fit the series. ‘Shoukei to Shikabane no Michi’ on the other hand is far more what I expect in terms of feel.

The only issue I can see viewers potentially having with this release is that, if you were thrown by the shift away from Titan combat before, you may feel the same for the final three episodes here.

Overall, I would say that Attack On Titan Season Three Part Two takes the strengths of the first half of the season and builds on them. The brunt of the season takes place back in Shiganshina, and it’s an absolute treat. Then, the final three episodes take us up to a clear indicator of where we’re going as we march towards the end of the series. For having an excellent balance of action and emotional moments, this is a must own. 5 out of 5.