Anime 35760 Shingeki No Kyojin Season 3 Reviews Filter Check 1

[Spoiler Warning]

Coming into Attack on Titan season 3 I was slightly nervous because I heard that this season was going to be more focused on Human vs Human, but by the second episode all my doubts had been relieved and thought It was the greatest shit ever.

Visuals and Animation - 10+
Out of nowhere Studio Wit upped the quality of the production values to a point I didn’t was possible in a TV anime. The Levi vs Kenny Squad sequence in episode 2 had some of the best Sakuga and animation I had ever seen All of anime, let alone TV anime. The amount of ... shit going on in that scene literally just made my brain go like, “what the fuck that just happened.” Not only did the animation improve but also the art quality improved. In some scenes I was just in awe of how Wit Studio crafted the world of attack on titan so beautifully.
The only thing I had a slight issue with was some of the CGI cuts. The rod titan was done pretty well but some CGI cuts were not pretty. I Also liked how they designed the crystal basement, thought it looked nice.

Sound & Music -10+
Hiroyuki Sawano, the man, the myth, the legend. This dude has composed almost everyone of my favorite soundtracks and is always consistent. Some uneducated people might say all his work is too similar, but guess what? Who tf cares if it is similar all his music amazing and on top of that Attack on titan has in my opinion the best soundtrack in anime EVER. PERIOD. Everyone song in attack on titan sets the mood and tone perfectly and can strike a range of emotions, whether it be sad,inspiring,hype,heartwarming,scary, or nervous every emotions can be felt. Also the last scene when they played the scouts theme and Erwin was getting the scouts and the people hype was fucking heart pounding and gave me goosebumps.
Not only is the soundtrack good but the voice acting and sound effects are excellent as well. Dub and Sub both do a great job.

Characters - 9
Eren- had some pretty good development learning that he is not special and developed some chemistry with historia and became overall more mature, only issue I had was he sometimes got a little over dramatic and the stretch of episodes where he wanted to be eaten and was called constantly crying got a little old. Though even did come up clutch with that crystallization power and was badass when he through the barrels in rod titans mouth

Levi- We get some much needed depth on Levi’s backstory and see how his mom died and was a prostitute, how he lived with Kenny and when Kenny died how he really showed sadness that his father figure died. Also we get to see how fucking badass he is taking out every mf in his path. He went off against Kenny Squad twice and even injured Kenny. But that chase sequence was something else and just shows us how super human Levi is. Also the scene at the end where he is threatening to break Erwin’s legs so he can’t go on the mission shows how much he cares for Erwin and doesn’t want to see his friend dead, but at the same time when Erwin reveals that he values going on the mission to retake Wall Maria more than humanities victory Levi has to respect Erwin’s dream and let him continue. Also we see how Levi has to mentor the new Levi squad - Connie, Eren, Mikasa, Jean, Sasha, and Armin, to kill other humans and hardens them as shown when the new recruits see that there faces have changed.

Historia - she gets a lot of development in this season, first we see her backstory how her mom was rod reiss’ mistress and didn’t care for her in the slightest. We also see her develop a relationship with Freda, who she remembers when rod shows her the erased memories through his magic bloodline power. Historia for the first half of the season is manipulated by rod who wants her to become a titan so he can get off on his God fantasy. Historia who is blinded by the memory of Freda blindly follows and at the last second changes her mind and breaks the syringe and flips Rod. This a huge development because historia is finally taking control of her own destiny and doing what she feels is right. When historia was made queen I thought it was going to be weird but AOT pulled it off and Historia gets her huge payoff when she cuts ties with Rod completely by cutting the last piece of him, thus ending his life and breaking historia completely free of her past. Also Historia gets closer with eren and Mikasa catches wind of this in episode eleven when she gives Eren the Death Stare.

Erwin - Uh oh, the Erwin death flags are high after episode twelve, with Levi showing concern for his safety on the mission to retake Wall Maria. Moving on, Erwin starts of this arc being arrested for murder he didn’t commit and having dramatic conversations with pixus and Nile.
He then comes up with a badass plan to fake a titan invasion and turns the table on the aristocratics running the government, who panic and want to quarantine Wall rose. This doesn’t sit well with pixus or Nile so they overthrow the government and head for eren. We also see Erwin’s backstory and how his father was killed because he found out too much about the world and that drives Erwin to uncover the truth of the titans and the world. Finally, Erwin gets the send off he deserves rallying the crowd and the soldiers.

Mikasa- she doesn’t really get that much focus into her character but does have some pretty cool fight scenes but we do see her mood improve when eren goes back to his normal scrappy self when he fights jean.

Armin- in ep 2 armin gets his first human kill and gets emotional about it, he starts to show maturity and is more useful to the scouts also he cross dresses and gets felt up which was weird, reminds Eren about dream to go she the sea

Jean, Connie, and Sasha - we get see just how More mature they become when in the first battle vs Kenny squad they are indecisive and nervous and then in the second fight they just straight up murder people from the Kenny squad. When I saw my boy Jean slice that dudes neck and Connie also kill someone I was like “fuck they really out here killing people.” Also that scene when they are hype for the send off was pretty funny

Kenny - personality was super unique and he was a really cool character his fights with Levi were pretty hype and the whole gunman style of him in his squad was really dope. His death was pretty sad and the story of how he came to live with Levi was well done only issue I have with him is he died before his character was completely fleshed out.

Plot - 9.5
Finally the PLOT! I appreciated the change in direction and commitment to focusing on character development rather than Titans. Although I did think the bloodline power thing was sorta whack the story was overall good. All though I am pissed that series is taking a break because I was hype to see them retake Wall Maria but whatever.

In a desolate world where corruption, power, and control rules all, Attack on Titan feels like a story that goes far deeper than just survival. As someone who has been following the series for several years, this franchise has really made a reputation. I’m not even talking about the commercial sales revenue or fan base. I’m talking about how this show evolved from a war between Humans and Titans.

After only a year, Attack on Titan made its grand return. Given the popularity of the franchise, this was inevitable but the big surprise was how soon it got announced. The first season ran for 2-cour in ... 2013 while the second season ran for only a single cour in Spring 2017. Yet, here we are with a third season after just one year. As a fan myself, I’m more than pleased to say that the third season continues to live up to its household name. It’s a franchise that truly deserves its acclaim.

Watching the third season will make fans quickly realize the change of mood in the very beginning. In fact, this season may not be what you are used to and will take some time to adapt with. The lack of Titans is evident from the first few episodes. Attack on Titan has been praised in the past before for its great action. Not only does the production quality and rhythm enhance the experience, the show itself always managed to capture the momentum of every battle. Here we are in third season and it takes a step back with the fighting between Titans and humanity. Rather, we have humanity dealing with its own problems - internal issues and political conflicts along with deep secrets that runs in the veins of key characters.

For a long time, we’ve seen the political conflicts inside the walls and government. Coming into the third season had me wondering how much we take a dive into exploring that side. And to my pleasant surprise, this season made a clear point that Titans are not the only enemies in their world. In fact, humans are also part of the problem and our main characters have to find a way to deal with it. For instance, Levi’s Squad faces off against adversaries that challenges them to life-and-death scenarios. Levi also faces a dangerous individual from his past, a man named Kenny. You may have heard him screaming in the promotional video but that scream isn’t just a battle cry. It’s the realization that he has to deal with his own personal demon. It’s not just him either but the realization of actually having to kill humans will test the mental limits of our characters.

As in all of the Attack on Titan seasons so far, we take a look at background storytelling for some of the important characters. From this season, we take a look at Historia, Kenny, Keith, and even a bit of Eren’s mother, Carla. The key selling point is how these characters' stories connect with the overall plot. It’s imperative that viewers understand them as these stories reveal characters’ motivations and how their actions influences the present. To me, I think Attack on Titan always managed to capture a viewers’ attention through its characterization. The creator wants the audience to understand these characters by both telling and showing. It’s accomplished with important dialogues and actions motivated by a clear set of goals. I can’t really talk exactly the precise details as it would be spoilers but the big picture to realize here is why these characters are created. Attack on Titan Season 3 also made me understand why characters are motivated to do certain things and is an accomplishment not to be overlooked. The amount of psychology and emotions makes the story impactful too even for newer characters like Kenny. In terms of plot elements, the show continues to heighten the mystery. Attack on Titan has been known to create a feeling of suspense and there’s no doubt this season will surprise you.

In the present, main protagonist Eren finds himself in more trouble than just a death sentence. I would say this season made him feel less relevant at first until you realize what’s at stake. Eren’s connection to the past is one of the key mysteries in the show that probably had fans formulate theories all the way back in 2013. Here we are 5 years later and some of that mystery has answers. In the meantime, characters such as Erwin and Pyxis also play important roles with consequences. The plot evolves to become much more complicated than just a war against Titans. It becomes an internal war of complex ideologies. There’s also many revelations that shows how certain characters have connections with each other. And to add on to the cherry on top, we do still get fighting segments for you action junkies.

Season 3 takes a different approach this time but retains its ability to tell a memorable story. It managed to hook me in the beginning once realizing how important character roles are. Through its characterization, it showed me that the show doesn’t need fancy action and cinematics to make a well-polished anime. Sure, that part isn’t entirely absent but is limited compared to the previous seasons. Whether that’s an appeal will be for you to judge. Just do realize that Attack on Titan doesn’t always need people drawing out their blades and sticking it into Titans’ necks.

*Minimum Spoiler Review*
TL;DR: If every weird conspiracy theory you had for SnK suddenly started becoming true... Well that's this season of SnK for you. From Titans dying like Titanic to Internal Gov'ts crashing like US Stock exchange on day two, this first cour of SnK will leave you screaming... KENNEEYYYYYYY!
If you didn't watch S1 & S2, don't even bother reading or watching this anime.
[Story: 7/10 , Characters: 8/10, Art: 9/10, Sound: 8/10, Enjoyment: 8/10]

"You Levi. You grown any yet" - Kenny Ackerman

This season of Shingeki no Kyojin or Attack on Titan should really be called Attack on Internal Government. From military coups ... to Historia becoming a waifu boo and Eren slapping himself to stop being Eren, this season definitely stands out from all the previous seasons... good or bad? Let's find out. What originally was supposed to be a 2-cour anime by Wit Studio, they throw another curveball towards fans by making it 1-cour due to budget & work constraints. That's alright since the anime delivers through their concise story adaptation, developed secondary characters, great non-hype music and as always stellar art & animation style. However, after finishing watching it, it will always leave you feeling empty as this season was less substance but more action, overall.

"Who decides... Who will you trust?" Erwin Smith

From the story stand point, director Araki & Koizuka did a phenomenal job taking some of the most boring drawn out manga arcs and presenting them in a different order to retell the author's story. Though S3 seems like it starts out of nowhere as no continuation is felt from previous season, you are immediately thrown into the internal world of life inside the wall with high paced action of people fighting people using ODMG but instead of swords vs swords we now have swords vs GUNS. Great job hooking puzzled viewers in and over the course of this anime we get to learn the real truth behind how politics is actually governed inside the wall. From who's pulling the strings, history of royal blood and finally the truth behind the man Eren's father really was. The best takeaway would be wondering, who really is the hero or rather who is actually doing what's morally right as shown through juxtaposing the childish views characters once had of this world vs adult views now they have chosen to accept. Who really thinks for the people and who are just selfish power hungry trash. The manga arc was boring but the director paced the story well for viewers to bite through it as well as some flashback stories of two key characters in this anime really solidifies Erwin's purpose of proving his father's hypothesis.

"The person that I killed... I bet they were a nice person. Someone that was much more human than I am..." - Armin Arlert

The main reason this anime gets praise this season is because we learn a lot of the history behind characters who we were somewhat curious about. This anime is no longer about Eren but more about the people inside the wall vs the beings outside the wall. From focusing on Historia's growth to Levi's tragic past and shedding light on the Ackerman Family & Reiss Family line, we get a sense of how the chess pieces are moving or have been moving all throughout history for mankind to come to this sort of standpoint. The anime also explores the change in psyche soldiers like Armin, Sasha, & Jean go through as they now have to cope with killing humans not just titans, a huge taboo. The beatdown lecture Levi tells them about we kill those who will harm us as self-defence & to protect our close ones parallels with IRL military soldiers and how they are trained to kill "units" not people. Because if you humanize your enemy, you will have hesitation vs treating them like "beasts". That's one interesting take-way from this season. Also huge shoutout to characters like Kenny & Hange, keeping the anime fresh with their torture techniques. Not to mention, the seiyuus for this season who were able to tell the story more through the anguish in their voice. Huge kudos to them.

"I never said who was right or wrong. I don't even know myself." - Levi

Aside from the somewhat linear story arc & developed secondary characters, time after time, if there is one thing this studio does justice, it's their animation & art style. This season they nailed it as well. Every panel was hand-drawn really well. The action sequences flowed really well. We harp the studio for taking forever releasing the anime but atleast they never flake on us on quality. The background score was really hype throughout all the fight sequences and the drops right before key enigmatic moments definitely escalates the excitement each episode. What stood out most though, was the opening of the anime. We are so accustomed to hype opening songs such as Feuerroter Pfeil and Bogen & Die Flügel der Freiheit by REVO of Linked Horizon that when a slow melodious anti-hype casual song as Red Swan by X Japan came to be opening song fans were lost and confused. This wasn't the SnK they knew and came to love. However, it grows with time and you get why that opening song was used instead of hype songs as this season wasn't about humans vs titans but more humans vs humans. This was what the directors wanted to drive home and by using opening song as this he set the battlefield for just that. So great foresight from their part.

"Go on and torture me already. That's all I did with this blood-stained hands of mine" - Djel Sannes

Overall, SnK S3 wasn't that bad of an anime. Is it as hype & story packed as previous seasons? Not really but given the manga arc the directors were working with, they did a pretty good job. By following not the path the mangaka, Isayama, had originally planned out to this new pacing, it served justice to the anime viewers. Though the studio will take a break after 1-cour and continue part 2 from Spring (hopefully) it will be worth it to not read ahead and spoil ourselves in my opinion. Attack on Titan has come to terms to know what their recipe for success is and that's minimizing Eren's wailing and maximizing Erwin's madness. Without spoiling too much, the series ends with their purpose tied back to the beginning. Definitely looking forward to the next season or second part as that will be real jaw-dropping moment for most fans out there who has yet to spoil themselves. Nevertheless, there is no point not watching this season of AoT. You've already invested in the first and second season, might as well binge watch this season. That's always the best way to watch this anime. The anime is building up to their denouement so why hop off the train now. Anyways, check it out & let me know later how you like it as well as share with me your favourite quote from the anime! Ciao.

P.S. Thank you for reading. I hope you found this short and supaishi review helpful!

This anime was my first show (when I realized what exactly is anime) and I will be honest: (about season 3).

OP intro 8/10- I did not expect anything like this but... but you know? it touched my soul and it more looks like Attack on slice of life not TITAN :D.

Story 9/10- unexpectedly moments and it will be interesting what will happen next? I know and I/we saw that the author somehow removed some backstories like whats wrong with Eren's titan form? and other thinks but I am satisfied with everything atm.

Art 9/10- in the previous seasons was much better but it does not interfere ... watching.... I like it anyway.

Sound 9/10- at this moment no new soundtracks, but sounds from guns/swords/ambiance is cool I liked, and I hope Sawano Hiroyuki will bring us some new masterpiece osts/soundtracks in future episodes.

Character 10/10- almost all were behaving like IRL people there's no exaggeration, this is just as I see it.

Enjoyment 10/10- ten by ten means ADDICTION when episode comes out prepare yourself! (meals,drinks).

Overall 10/10- My masterpiece always will be outstanding I hope in the future it will not change to disappointment.

After a little bit more than a year of wait fan favorite Attack on Titan is back with it's 3rd season and as always we are eager to see what's in store for us this time.

Story 10/10

It continunes few days after where we left off last season and it focuses more on political drama and dilemmas inside the walls. This season gets straight to the point and introduces new villain named Kenny that turns out to be somehow related to Levi. There are many parties trying to get Eren and Historia. For what reason? It is yet to be reveald. Mystery we all feel in ... love with is still there and there are even more questions, but don't let that distract you from the fact that this season ,even tho is only few episodes in, already has some major reveals in it. Pacing is amazing and i wasn't bored for a moment while watching. Things are only getting more interesting when Erwin reveals how he's planning to ovethrow the governmant without using the force. This season has a very refreshing and different plot compared to previous ones as we can see from the lack of titans and focuse on the issues inside the walls rather than beyond. However it's still as, if not more interesting than before. There is world buidling,mystery,back stabbing and some major questions answered which there is hopfully more to come.

Art 9/10
Animation 10/10

As we can see characters in this season look a little bit different or older which some might not like but i do personally. It's a fresh change. They look closer to their manga designes. Some might notice that they removed those thick black lines around characters faces which made AOT art stand out even more. Don't get me wrong, it still does but that was something that was missing which kept me from giving it 10/10.
Animation is brilliant for this season (it's Attack on Titan after all :D) and like every season it only got better. It's almost flawless 6 episodes in. That levi ODM action sequence is some of the best animation i have seen in anime. Perfect combination between 3D background and 2D animation along with masterfull camera movement made this scene look like a movie. It was incredible! While i was watching levi maneuvering trough the city i felt like i was the part of the scene. Levi grappling on the bar and pulling himself towards it made me feel like i was pulled with him. There is even one frame where levi is facing the wall and you can see his reflection in the window. Just goes to show how much detail and time was put in to this scene. After i done some research i found out that it took the animator of this scene 1 whole month to complete it. Just that one scene alone. All props to Arifumi Imai. Great job. Hopfully it keeps this quality because this season is said to be 24 episodes long.

Sound 10/10

I mean, is there anything to say? AoT is notorious for it's amazing OST and sound quality. Voice actors are great as always and the sound that stand out to me the most was the sound of falling shell from kenny on the roof in ep.1. It was just so satisfying :D. And again mad props to Hiroyuki Sawano (the composer) for the epic and emotional music.

Characters 10/10

What i like about AoT characters is the fact that they interact so naturally and nothing from their conversation seems forced which is immediately showcased in the very first scene in ep. 1. That cabin scene where jean and eren argue,sasha tries to steal bread, mikasa still does work even tho she's injured and armin cares for her deeply. And of course Levi the clean freak comes in at the end :p They are such fun and lively characters.
This season already had some major development for our cast. We got to see Erwin's and Hisotira's backstories which also delved deeper in their characters motives. Both backstories were heartbreaking and made me care a lot more for them. Hisotira is slowly taking of her "Christa Lenz" facade (is that how you say it? lol) and Erwin is proving again and again why everyone loves him and would follow him to death. His childhood story is very similar to how our society and governmant wokrs today which is very scary. And we all need to remember that isayama is criticizing this type of government and society with these topics. Instead of just walking of Erwin comes back to Dimo Rivees's wife and comforts her saying he'll avange him. Erwin is charismatic,great leader, intellignet and someone that you just want to follow. Since the young age he was corious and as he call himself a "gambler". He is someone that would give everything for the humanity. Or is he? I think there is a lot more to his character. Hange got some development too. The way she gathered the information about nick's murder is amazing. After all she is one of the most intelligent characters in this show. She is someone that does what she promises, and she did. She tortured the guy that tortured her friend but after that she shows her other side. She shows human compassion. She repeats how she's starting to feel sorry for them and kicks the table which showcases her frustation and that she actually doesn't like what she has to do. Yeah i know it's hard to believe :D she was always crazy lol. Her weird love for titans makes her character all more interesting and multidimensional. Eren is maturing and seems a lot more chill this season but unfortunately he is kiddnaped again :( Poor guy he just can't catch a break. In ep.1 he helps historia to overcome here pain and shows again just how honest he is by telling her "I like you more this way, just a stupidly normal honest girl". Also hugeee development for armin. To think that he would be capable of killing a human.. this will deffinitely have a huge impact on his character in the future. The way he selfreflects and his philosohpical speach about morals is great, it really makes you think. He kinda has a point too. He shows one more time how mentally strong he is even tho he lacks physicial strength. This time is just on another level. Now lets talk about our new villain. KENYYYYYYYYYYY. I love this guy lol. The way he roasts and insults levi and the cowboy vibe he gives. I love it. He immediately showcases that he is not a joke by blowing nifa's head off just like that. He also seems very mysterious. The way he treats levi is almost as if he looks down upon him. Speaking of Levi here is what i think: That chase scene where he's running away from kenny is not just a great action sequence it also represents Levi running from his past. Kenny=His past. Running from kenny or his past. This arc is also big development and challange for him now that he has to act as a leader/commander because erwin is absent or busy. There was also some smaller developments for connie (motivating himself to take on the beast titan),jean (struggling to remain human which almost costs him life, also selfreflecting), sanes (showing how he didn't want to do the things that he has done and over the time he just got used to it, also he was kinda easy to symphatise with too and his devotion to king is may be morally wrong but aslo admirable, the way he feels destroyed after finding out that he was actually the one that betrayed the king is also worth mentioning), flegel (stepping up becoming a boss saying how he'll protect the people of his city), zachary (showcasing that he cares more about himself rather than humanity and how he always hated the governmant because they looked up on everyone).

Enjoyment 10/10

I never enjoyed AoT more. It's great.This season has perfect balance between story telling, character development and action.

Overall 10/10

It's just getting better and better and hopfully there is more to come :) (P.S. my english is not perfect, hope you can understand :D)

I know what you're thinking. This will be another cliche anime. It's just about killing these weird titans. It's just another "edgy, shock value" show with no depth. I'm here to tell you...this show is deeper than what it seems. I discovered this anime a year ago. One boring night i decided to give it a try and I binged the first 9 episodes. But why was I so in to it?

The surprises. The complexity. The mysteries. The emotions. The music. The animation/art. The lore. The tone. The maturity. The execution. The struggles. It all caught me off guard. What ended up happening was me ... discovering my favorite series in any genre, and the first anime to ever make me pick up the manga (and my oh my will the end of Season 3 & 4 be amazing, and I guarantee it will shoot it up to one of the all time great animes).

It's rare that I discover a show that is unpredictable. It's rare that I discover a show that actually makes me feel. I see criticisms about the story only being about killing titans...that the characters are shallow...that there's no substance...and I truly have to question if we're watching the same show. There are mysteries established from the very first scene. Mysteries that are paid off WONDERFULLY later in the story. There are characters that appear to only be background characters, who end up having an ENORMOUS impact on the story. There are themes and life lessons sprinkled throughout these absurd situations. While the critics only see fighting titans, I see the character development & inner conflicts that arise during these situations. All of this is accomplished without forced humor, over-exaggerated artwork, and childish antics. Isayama successfully casts aside the usual tropes, even killing important characters (which actually makes me fear for the lives of other characters). He ignores the "friendship will win" tropes. The "I'm passionate to beat him" tropes. Actually, all these situations are presented just to give you the harsh reality that life doesn't always work out that way. This is an amazing experience, and as a manga reader, I promise y'all are in for a ride. Another special shoutout to the music, which is truly an amazing part of the show.

This show gets a lot of haters. Understandably, like anything else, not everyone will like it. But there's plenty of people who hate on it just cause of its popularity. Or label the writer insane things because they didn't actually read the context of the story. DONT FALL FOR THEM. Be your own judge, notice every small detail of the show. If you're looking for something deep, mature, and refreshing...this show is for you.

I'm so happy this turned out well. Season 3 is exactly what SnK should be.

I didn't think things would necessarily turn out this way, either. In my humble opinion, SnK season TWO was a mess. During the first 6 episodes, the plot, pacing, etc. was completely off and it completely killed the show for me. I wrote a long review about it before but I don't wanna spend too much time talking about SnK s2 when this is about season 3. As season 2 approached the ending, however, it seemed the writing was coming back and I began to enjoy it like I enjoyed ... season 1.

Now the writing is in full force, and everything seems to shine. Where should I begin?

Essentially, all of our characters are set up at this point so there's no time wasted with long backstories or explanations. Whenever a backstory does come up, it's quick and does NOT subtract from the plot at all. During season 2 they kinda threw in flashbacks at random, even during critical, suspenseful moments, and it killed the immersion. If that was something you were worrying about -- you won't see that here. The story flows great.

The characters are back and better than ever, too. During season 2 we really missed Levi in all his fighting greatness, but he really shares center stage this season. He's cool, collected, and intelligent -- even more than he was in season 1. He's back to fighting anything willing to stand in the way of his mission, and he's great at it. The show plays on the strengths and personalities of its characters and it really shows. Even though a lot of the season so far is centering around the side characters -- they don't disappoint at all. Not to mention everything is more impactful now that we've spent 2 seasons already with these people. I was looking forward to every moment their plans advanced or fell flat. Even the antagonists are cool. It's annoying to watch a show where the villains are dumb but the heroes always have everything figured out. You don't have to worry about that in SnK s3. There villains seem to be just as capable as the heroes, so you don't know what's going to happen.

I'd say the story itself, so far, is much better than season 1 and season 2. While I enjoyed season 1 a lot, quite a few people complained about the lack of plot progression but I don't think that would be a fair complaint for season 3. During this season we've learned much more about the world, and we have a lot more factions/actors furthering their goals. The pacing is not too fast, and it's not too slow either. The story kept me on edge, with twists and turns that all flow together. I looked forward to each new episode even though the story kept me completely satisfied. What I mean by that is -- I was comfortable stopping at any episode, because I had been thoroughly entertained and I had gotten a lot with each episode. Some shows bore you with a dull episode and then a cliffhanger at the end -- not this one.

There isn't too much that I can say because I'm only 5 episodes in but I'm just really enjoying myself and wanted to share. Lol.

As for the art, it's as good as ever. I'm looking forward to seeing the animation during big battles that will come up in the future.

The sound is good too, as it usually is. I feel like we haven't gotten too much of the OST yet so it's unfair to really judge it at this point. While I didn't care for the OP much at first, I have to admit it sounds much better using a quality headset in comparison to the bad speakers I played it on the first time. It isn't my favorite OP, but it's fine IMO.

Overall, my ratings would go like this:
Story: 9
Art: 8
Sound: 7
Character: 9
Enjoyment: 10
Overall: 9

The reason why I handed out so many 9's is because it's so early in the season so I can't be SURE of any perfection yet, but I can guarantee that I've been enjoying the HECK out of it so far. On the course it's going, I'm sure to at least keep those ratings -- or maybe I'll think it's worth something higher. Hard to say.

RIP I had to reupload this review cause I "didn't watch 6 episodes" before

As always this incredible anime has overcome any expectations that people have set for it. The first part of season 3 was amazing, well executed, the sped up pacing (compared to the manga), the visuals and the music were top notch.
Animation changed, since season 2 but it changed for the better, the action scenes look much more clear and crisper.
The overall tone of episode 12 to describe in one word was "HYPE'.
I think the second cour of season 3 will leave a HUGE impact on anime only fans, as for us manga readers it'll be a dream come true.

There are no spoilers in this review.

Season 3 truly shines in its ability to present us with some progress towards the answers we've waited for while fleshing out its cast and lore in an organic way. With its great handle on production quality, characterization and story development, I believe Season 3 elevates AoT from something that could be considered a decent popcorn-flick to something truly memorable in its execution.


Before I get into the story and characters, I think right off the bat this anime has to be praised for its STELLAR animation and soundtrack. I think WIT's work here rivals that of Ufotable's in some ... areas, which is saying a lot. The action sequences are extremely well choreographed, and the animation is consistent, crisp and never really dips. The soundtrack also features some of Sawano's best. Don't get me wrong, as I'll discuss below the story and characters are definitely great, but the production value distinguishes Season 3 above most other shows in a fantastic way.


Now, the story of AoT has always been intriguing and interesting for the most part. The risk AoT took with Season 3, or the Uprising arc in general, was stepping back from the Titan killing to flesh out the questions we've all had for several arcs. Notice I say 'step back', not 'ignore'. Many people would try to convince you otherwise and say Season 3 only focuses on people, but the fact remains that Titans are still an integral part of this arc and actually have a more interesting purpose than just being killed on screen all the time. This arc perfectly balances three things: giving us answers to questions, fleshing out characters and keeping us engaged in an interesting story with a fantastic pace.

The first thing: giving us answers to questions. I will say some of the big questions we have about Titans are indeed answered in this arc, and (at least for me) they did not disappoint. I do admit there were times where really big reveals were just casually mentioned, which sometimes made it hard to recognize what is important and what isn't. But as you get deeper into the season (or if you decide to binge watch it in one sitting, which is what I did on my second rewatch with multiple people), you'll find the parts connect rather well. Of course, AoT is great at answering questions but also keeping us in suspense, so be warned: some questions will be answered, but other questions will rise up.


In Seasons 1 and 2, I thought the characters in the show were...alright. Some were more interesting than others, but overall no one really stuck out. In particular, the intriguing story and world of Aot overshadowed the characters, and I really just watched for the suspense of what happened next in the plot development. I didn't have any interest in the characters or their development. Even though Season 2 made an attempt to flesh out some of the cast, I still found the season too short to make me care fully.

Season 3 has changed all that. Not only did it manage to add nuance and depth to characters that I thought would stay rather one-note, but it did it in the same time frame as Season 2 and to a larger effect. Characters I didn't even care for in Seasons 1 and 2 are now some of my favorites not just in this show, but perhaps among most shows in general. And not just people in the known cast, but new additions come up that have such life and presence that you can't forget them. It's no exaggeration when I say Season 3 introduces some of the best characters in AoT to date while bringing out the best in the rest of its cast.


Now, the pacing of AoT has been something discussed quite alot. I actually found the pacing of AoT's first two seasons pretty well-done already, but Season 3 completely revitalized the formula. Bouts of amazing action are balanced with nice, well-done sections of story development and characterization. Whether you're watching an amazingly animated fight sequence or a backstory about certain characters, you'll never feel like the content is something out-of-place. Each episode manages to pack compelling developments in character and story in perfect capacity.

As for any flaws in this show, I'd say having watched the show weekly, the first few episodes were somewhat hard to follow because things are happening too fast; while there was stellar action in these episodes, the plot was somewhat loose and it felt like things were being rushed. However, as the show went on, that balance of fast-paced action with slower-paced story development kicked in, and everything started to flow nicely. Also, upon a binge rewatch everything fit quite nicely. And while some characters in this season get immense characterization and development, some (not a lot, but definitely some) still feel sort of dry and bland. However, this is just a small blemish on an otherwise perfect addition to the AoT anime.


Overall, Season 3 might be my favorite season of AoT because it manages to deliver on the set up of the first two seasons. The characters have way more depth and nuance to them, the animation is through the roof and the show has shown us its not all about action and suspense, but also about telling us a great story. Although it's sad that AoT won't be coming back til April, as long as WIT can keep up this same level of quality in AoT's production value, I'm not complaining. Season 3 is a game changer for AoT, and I believe it marks the transition of AoT from a decent shounen to a fantastically intricate show.

The third installment to the series excluding the OVAs and it continues getting better by the second. First let me state that AoT is what got me into the anime medium in the first place which may lead to my opinion being biased a little bit, but I probably won’t need to exaggerate on its quality for it already speaks for itself.

Second, this season was being criticized by many manga readers even before its release for it takes a different directive being mostly about the political situation within the walls and fights among humans themselves instead of against naked titans. This is honestly upsetting because ... of how presumptuous it is and from what I’ve seen so far I can assure you that the thrill remains the same as you’re used to if not better along with the intriguing action any fan of the series would be pleased with.

As for the titans, even if there isn’t much titan action, because most of what seemed confusing in previous seasons is explained here we will have enough titans in the flashbacks all through. So, if you’ve seen unjustified hate befall this anime, don’t let this bum you out. Watch the PV and feast your eyes upon the action then give the first four, no, first two episodes a try and you will know what I mean.

Lastly before I start actually reviewing anything, I just want to state how glad I am to review one of my first favorite series as it airs since it means a lot to me and my career as an anime fan.

Now to the juicy part

Story:
We continue from where we left off last season. If you took my advice and watched the PV you would know this season mostly follows Levi and his squad and it starts from there. The scouts have fallen drastically and the political situation just keeps pressuring them more and more that it borderlines abusing them. And so, this season begins with how the scouts face such abuse and try to survive this cruel reality. However, this time their fight is inside the walls and their enemies are fellow human beings.

Despite being so early in the season, so much has already happened and the pace is just what I would expect of this series. Almost certainly this season will be 24 episodes, but as of yet MAL hasn’t updated it for some reason. In either case, we can expect it to have two arcs so if I find anything noteworthy in the second arc or a change of quality I will update this review.

I have mentioned a lot of hate which this anime has received justified by drawbacks found in the manga. However, the creator of AoT has already announced and I quote “Hopefully, now that season 3 is being made, I’ll have the chance to wipe away that regret and replace it with something I’m proud of.” So in case you were critical of certain weaknesses you have found in the manga, you have something to look forward to this season.


Art:
Since starting AoT, I have always been astonished by its art ever since the first episode when I got those goosebumps. Art is certainly a major strength of this series and I was afraid it would have fallen out of touch before starting this season. You can imagine my joy when I found out the art is still as beautiful as ever and has actually been polished a step further. The animation is breathtaking and the atmosphere is as bloody as ever with a tiny gap that lets in rays of happiness reflecting in the cast’s tears.

Here is a small fact about me, I am a gore maniac. Thus, seeing the bloodshed, cut skin and ripped out intestines is of outmost importance to my gore-loving self. Luckily enough, AoT doesn’t fall behind in its beautiful display of the aforementioned and, as a matter of fact, this season might be the best so far if you oddly enough share my same interests. Since the titans evaporate after being killed we don’t get a fair display of carnage, but this season seems to shine best in that regard. After so few episodes we have witnessed various colors of torture up to the number of episodes so far, this review is as of episode 6, which should be enough to please you if you are in it for the dark plot.


Sound:
The most notable thing here is that so far we didn’t have as many screams from Eren as we’ve had in previous seasons. Of course, that is to be expected given this is a more serious arc about political conflicts and struggle for power. The OST is befits the show with the OP and ED being best described as fun while the music during the show goes well with the action providing an ecstasy for any action fan.


Character development:
I don’t know about you, but Levi is one of my favorites in the series right after Hange and luckily all of the scouts have been getting an adequate amount of character development from the very beginning. We get to see them all from a new perspective because of the new enemy they are facing and how each of them is constantly changing be it for the better or the worse. I have to say, I’m enjoying Levi being a lead for this part and can affirm that if you like Levi, then you are in for a treat.


Enjoyment:
This series certainly isn’t for everyone, but if you are among the lucky ones who enjoyed the first two seasons, then shut your ears to all the hate you’ve been hearing and take my word for you will definitely enjoy this season just as much if not more than the previous ones. If you happen to be skeptical of the theme of politics hindering your dose of tantalizing action, I can tell you that the action is more than enough and more amazing than words can describe. The style we are used to is here and is polished up sharper than we have ever seen. I have been having a blast so far this season and I am sure any fan of AoT would say the same.

As of the writing of this review, only the Uprising Arc has been shown. I have read the manga, and to be honest this arc was my least favorite, since it was very stretched out and kinda boring. But to my surprise, the anime is the exact opposite! WIT Studio has done an incredible job at translating this slow-paced arc into an amazing, interesting and incredible anime.

Story (8): Even though they sped up this arc, the beginning was still a bit slow. But many great anime suffer from the same problem, so you should never judge an entire anime just on the first few episodes. ... The quality of the story became better and better after each episode, and it probably won't stop going into the next arc this season.

Art (8): Beautiful art, just as in the previous seasons. The CGI used in this season is actually a lot better than in the previous one (that colossal problem was horrible). But in this season it's quite alright.

Sound (9): Man, it has been said a lot, but Hiroyuki Sawano is like the Hans Zimmer of anime. Every single anime he worked on has a soundtrack beyond amazing.
Although most people don't like the opening and say 'the ending and opening should be switched', I actually really like the opening. But yes, the ending is way better, but the opening is great too, don't be so butthurt.

Character (9): Levi and Mikasa are just as bad-ass as ever and still remain to be my favorite characters. Although now, we're introduced to Kenny the Ripper, someone who can compete with them on my favorite character list. I don't know why, but I'm just a sucker for bad-ass killing machines.
And I guess Eren and the rest are there too...

Enjoyment (10): Even though the beginning was a bit slow, this arc is definetaly one of my favorties. From such a slow and boring manga arc to this incredible anime arc. Just goes to show how well WIT Studio is handling this series.

Overall (10): There is not much to complain about this season. I enjoyed it all the way up until now and I will continue to enjoy it for the remaining episodes. I honestly can't wait to see the next arc animated!!

This is a preliminary review and I have no idea what I'm going to do with this review once the series ends (erase everything I wrote here and update it or just edit it?)

SnK has its pace sped up compared to the manga according to the author, and right well did they make this decision! Its pace is perfect - nothing is tedious; I couldn't tell that some parts of the manga for this current arc was written while its author was sick. Maybe one factor that did make it obvious the author was sick was the lack of filling plotholes once or twice.

What ... else is there to talk about season 3? If you're reading this, you've probably watched season 2 and 1, no? Well, Wit studios didn't do any worse than the previous seasons.

So far SnK is entertaining me because lots of secrets about humanity is becoming revealed, the Scouts are making a huge impact than ever before in impacting human history, and solving the mystery of Eren's key is getting closer.

I never liked SnK's lack of love for its characters! Please have some pity for the characters! They are all dying like bugs! They are human beings - stop killing people. SnK keeps making a depressing atmosphere where there seems to be no hope for the future of humanity unless a brilliant French Revolution is instigated! Nothing about the French Revolution is positive, and it's just dark, just like this anime is.

Another thing I love about SnK, though, is that I can connect to the characters in that I, too, am also trapped behind walls, and desire a French Revolution for the future of humanity. The adrenaline this show gives me is amazing and it kept me going when I was working out!

There are few anime these years that are as bloody and brutal as Attack on Titan is, yet don’t use gore in an overly immature way. Although the series itself has generated much hate and criticism, I still believe it has more depth than most people give credit for. From the very first season, we get to see gruesome events of shock and horror, as well as the point of views of numerous soldiers who had to make sacrifices. It sends a message that shows humanity’s determination and resilience even in hopeless situations. It shows that, even though humans have the capacity for selfishness and ... evil, we also have the ability to feel compassion and courage. AoT’s third season is not much different.

Plot (7/10): From the very start of the show, we can see a change in the plot’s direction. Rather than a war against the titans, it’s now a fight amongst humans themselves. There are now traitors, people who desire power, and even corruption, that, along with numerous betrayals, it’s hard to know who to trust. There are also major changes made to the structure of the plot. It’s less about mindless violence and killing titans and more about building a relatively complex and mature story. From the backstory about Levi and his relation to Kenny to plot reveals concerning the Reiss family, this season has been an exciting watch. However, there IS a lot less action in this sequel, so your enjoyment may differ depending on what you liked about the previous seasons. If you enjoyed AOT solely for its action and didn’t care much about the story line, you most likely not enjoy this season. For the rest of the fanbase, this season is a must-watch to gain further knowledge about the true details behind the walls (unless you are a manga reader ofc).

By this time you may be wondering, if I’m praising AoT’s plot so much, why did I only give this category a 7? Well, as much as I want to deny it, the show isn’t completely devoid of flaws. For one, the first few episodes were painfully slow and was just mostly people talking about some political crap. The actual plot behind it was actually very interesting but I felt the producers made the dialogue too redundant. Another issue is that many scenes often felt like they were purposely dragged out, sometimes to bring out emotions and suspense, and sometimes for no reason at all. A lot of the episodes can be pretty much described in 3 sentences or less so it felt kind of boring at times.

Animation (8/10): I do think season 1 featured much better animation but we got to see some cool animated fight scenes this season as well. A lot of the character movements do look awkward, so I can’t give this category a perfect score either. The Reiss Titan at the end was hilarious though.

Sound (9/10): Okay, I don’t care what people say, but I absolutely love the new op. It’s not intense like the others, but its got this beautiful and haunting and sort of sad melody to it. I also liked the amalee version of it a lot (I’ve listened to it like, 50 times), so I’m just gonna post it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCqV0wtUh1w . The voice acting is as awesome as always, though it’s pretty obvious with Hiroshi on the job.

Character (7/10): This season focused a lot on building Historia’s character as well as introducing a new character named Kenny, both of which it did a wonderful job at. Following episode 7, Historia becomes a much more believable character as she shows determination and confidence in her decisions. For someone who was known for being one of the weak and naive characters in the series, this is a nice change in her character. Kenny, a cold-hearted killer who is also (spoiler) Levi’s uncle, is another important character in the series. Through him, we get more information about both his and Levi’s past and the persecution of the Ackermans. Some may find him a boring and generic character at first but his characterization goes deeper than that! Due to his tough circumstances, he lived a dark past killing people and desiring power, thinking the only way to succeed is to be on top of someone. His character slowly changes for the better as he befriends Uri Reiss, and learned about compassion and forgiveness. He still to an extent, remained ruthless and cold but as the show progresses, is able to show genuine care for others. This adds to his personality, making him one of the more realistic and interesting characters of the show.

The rest of the characters are basically your typical AoT cast. Levi has more screen time in this season, showcasing his indifferent attitude and badassery. Eren I was sort of disappointed with since his character felt a bit recessive in this season. I liked his personality in the first season but now he’s more of an angsty teenager who is constantly whiny and complaining about who-knows-what. Erwin is as awesome as before, displaying true leadership characteristics and a very calm attitude. The rest of the cast, though, don’t really matter now as they did before. They are still there but now they feel more like plot devices since they do absolutely nothing the whole time. This isn’t a bad thing as the anime is now putting its focus on different characters, and it can’t do that and develop the rest of the cast at the same time, but I wish that Mikasa and Armin could have had more screen time.

Enjoyment (8/10): Overall, this season of Attack on Titan is pretty lit and if you are a fan you should definitely watch it. Although the execution is not always top-notch this show is still amazing and will definitely hit you in the feels and make your heart race with excitement.

(This is a spoiler-free review.)

Season 1 of Attack on Titan didn't really impress me. The story seemed lacking, and the little story that it did tell did not make me optimistic. (I am not a reader of the manga.)

Season 2 was actually really good and, wow, season 3 is amazing. The story is fast paced, and the anime clearly has the budget and effort to back up its storytelling. It's thrilling around every corner. Every episode is solid, having either brilliantly animated action or interesting plot reveal. (Sometimes an episode has both.)

I'd say the dialogue is a little cringe-inducing and sometimes it relies on cheaper ... techniques to move the plot along, but I find that these hardly detracted from enjoyment. (Eren's crying after being unchained was not a quality scene at all, but I don't mind it too much.)

The first part of the third season of Attack on Titan capitalizes on themes and character motivations setup in season two while also setting up new themes and character motivations to lay the groundwork for events in the second part of the third season. Unlike the second part, not everything you see in these episodes will be extraordinary, but it is productive with its storytelling and still one of the most captivating seasons of anime I've seen. And, the show doesn’t even have much action this season.

Quick reminder: def my opinion, not an objective statement.
Also, quick note: If the opening didn't clue you in on ... this, I am reviewing this part of the series with a reflective view following the second part of the third season. I will not be giving direct spoilers for either part, but I will hint at the moments I love at the very least. If you don’t want hints, don’t read.

Four of the characters get lots of attention in this season: Eren, Commander Erwin, Historia, and a new character Kenny. Eren and Historia change dramatically as they learn certain details and reflect upon their past experiences. Eren is redeemed and no longer that annoying protagonist that you seem to see in a lot of anime, and Historia is now her own person. Her connection with Ymir, which is established in season two, is used to great effect in driving her character progression and keeps well with the ongoing theme of living for yourself. For Commander Erwin and Kenny, we see their backstories, their motivations, and how they came to have those motivations. These two characters mean so much me in part because of the moment they inspire in the second part of the third season, which I will not explain because you need to see it for yourself.

This first part of the season is where we finally get lots of concrete details on the lore. A few small questions that you may have had about the government from the first and second season are answered while lots of new questions arise in their place. Many of those new questions remain unanswered in the third season about the timeline of the government during the events of the story in the first season, which can make you wonder "Is there an answer?" I personally do not find it a problem that there are unanswered questions and actually have fun thinking about what the potential answers could be. Those answers could also still come in the final season. Don't be too quick to assume that there's a plot hole ... because the writer is definitely trying to cover his bases with the world. Try to imagine what the answer could be. For me, that is one of the core appeals to Attack on Titan. Admittedly, it is a niche appeal, but the show is all the better for it in my eyes. As for the questions we did get answers for... my god. It completely fulfilled my expectations for the fantastical nature of the world and then some with mythological elements (I ain't spoiling stuff, so ask me directly if you want to know something that you might have missed in the show). And as always, there’s still more to know.

The soundtrack is phenomenal. It is so much better than the seasons that came before it (not counting the OP which does not at all match the tone of the show). Here are a couple examples that I liked.
1. At the end of the second episode the audience learns something about Historia's family that is definitely important, yet it isn't entirely clear how important it is and why. Then the symphony music cues in with slowly increasing volume to egg on our anticipation of the answer. You won't be able to resist watching the next episode lol.
2. That low volume and yet intense sound you hear once you see the cave for the first time (yes, there's a cave), it's one of those "oh s***" moments that gets you hyped for what's to come and the OST in that moment enhances and keeps the feeling alive inside you. It is so much more subtle than the in-your-face music from the first season, and it draws your attention to what's happening while keeping the hype!
There are plenty more instances to mention, especially with the symphony music. It fits really well with the grand scale and mysterious elements of the show.

From the perspective of animation, the art is not outstanding a majority of the time. Excluding one sequence with Levi that is balls-to-the-wall with animation, you can tell the studio took some liberties with CG, far out shots, and moments when your attention is on the dialogue. But, that does not matter to me considering that there isn’t much action in this part of the series. There are other things to consider about the art. Facial expressions are killer, and I am still a fan of WIT studios’ shading technique when they want to emphasize the expressions. Backgrounds look good and a lot of emphasis is put on the making the environment look as natural as possible. And the eyes man, I love the detail they put into the eyes. Best irises in anime lol.

To close, I want to focus on Kenny's backstory, which is my main highlight of the first part for multiple reasons. One, I got a glimpse into the world prior to the events of the story and the underground of the capital city. Two, I got to see Kenny's character progression and how he established his motivation. Three, I got a glimpse into the royal family’s motivation and -- in the process -- discovered a new theme that resonated with me immensely and is called back on in the end of the third season. Four, it serves to set up one of the best moments in the series thus far with another theme that I resonate with immensely! That one backstory makes Kenny one of my favorite characters in the series. It is also one of my favorite episodes in the series even with all the amazing episodes in the second part. Be careful when you watch it for yourself though. Don't get too caught up in his relatives! That isn’t the most important part, I swear!

Thank you for reading! I put a lot more into this review than I tend to for others and hope you got something out of it. The third season of Attack on Titan cemented the show as my favorite without even reaching the conclusion lol. I really hope the final season is as good as it’s hyped up to be.

And for you AoT haters … don’t ask me about the maneuver gear or explosives in that last action sequence. Or Levi and Mikasa dodging bullets. I know it probably wouldn’t work that way, but does it even matter considering what is accomplished with the story? If you think something else is wrong that I missed I challenge you to run it by me. I am willing to bet it is not as much a problem as you may think.

From the mysteries of the second season, now the third season takes the reins with political upheaval along with all those mysteries uncovered and still withstanding in the first and second seasons...with varying degrees of success.

Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3 is a good continuation from the second season and how this season takes it's direction less from the Titans and more so in the government and the people inside the walls with a political upheaval in the mix of it all.

LA will say like LA said about the second season but Krista or Historia has ALOT of screentime in this season and all the more ... for it with how much plot significance and how much of focal point Historia has at the anime at large with Eren tagging along, which oddly enough they have a small but impactful link with one another and this in turn makes them targets for the King, Eren for his Titan powers and Historia for other reasons with Kenny Ackerman on their tail. On talking about character development, the development for most of the characters are spread around sparsely to say the least with little interactions from the main cast to gauge us how or what the characters are feeling or change in personalities, small ones like Jean and his quandary of having to kill people not titans to Erwin's dilemma of the social structure and injustice of the people inside the walls and heck some characters LA wasn't expecting to get character development no matter how small. Historia and Eren getting the spotlight is a given but those little interactions help to say the least especially with such a huge ensemble cast.

So with the political upheaval, comes into Historia significance of the plot and how this pertains to Eren and to be honest as daft as the plot sounds, it DOES makes sense how they are linked, no thanks to both Historia and Eren's past family failures and ambitions. Though the political upheaval is taken as expected in these kind of plotlines you know "corrupted" as per usual, it's more or less HOW they are overthrown with the main cast with their backs to the wall in how they turn everything around which is one of the more better executed moments in this season as anti-climactic and predictable as it was.

With Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3, there are plot twists as per usual but more so there are SOME form of answers given, like the King and how the government works in a better or should LA say corrupted light, Historia's backstory and how this links with Eren and gives the barking, shouting main protagonist some new light to his character in the process especially with his hatred of Titans and how Historia utterly takes the spotlight once again with her involvement, not to mention how she later pertains to the plot and the changing social structure as a result of the overthrown government.

In terms of animation once again done by Wit Studio, the animation was consistent and very well detailed right down the awesome fight scenes as sparse as that was in this season with the lesser Titan killing and more human villains of this third season but nonetheless the choregraphy to the planning of the battles as well as the more insane things that occurs in this third season was beautifully and viscerally animated with the consistency to boot, Wit Studio did it again in this front at the very least.

The voice acting was great and expected with the returning and new characters in the mix with Kazuhiro Yamaji as Kenny as the gruff suave badass Kenny to once again Shiori Mikami flexing her range as Historia even more than ever in this season as well. Yui Ishikawa, Marina Inoue and Yuki Kaji gets decent coverage as their respective roles, though LA felt that Yui Ishikawa as Mikasa got lesser screentime, no thanks in part to Historia getting more focus but nonetheless. Overall voice work was expectedly good for a continuation.

Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3 Part 1 was in LA's eyes the more human side of corruption in comparison to looking at the more Titan corruption of the second season, looking more into the societal injustice than the mysteries of the Titans, sure the third season part 1 does have it's mysteries it digs up and answering some, but even then the characters more than anything shows much more of a precedent to this time around and with that, the third season part 1 was a success in LA's eyes, Shingeki no Kyojin took it to another new direction, but was still focused and it executed itself quite well in this regard.

Now there is a second season...of this third season announced (you know much like how Shokugeki no Souma's San no Sara did with theirs), LA saying "third season part 1" being quite obvious to this fact, leaving the first part of the third season where the main cast are on their way to the elusive basement..and as much LA hates the entire "splitting cours", LA is more than graceful in saying that if Wit Studio need to the time to refine their work, or you know..rest then that's fine by LA, but LA expects the same standards or maybe even surpassing that for this Part 2.

Just as a heads up, I haven't read the manga, so I'm writing this review while only knowing what we've seen in the anime. So, I'm not the biggest fan of Attack on Titan. I can't deny that it's storytelling and visuals are remarkable, but it's never really been my thing.

This season, that changed. Why it changed, I couldn't tell you, but something about this season really got me excited for the future of the story. This season is very much a Levi season. While the story still focused a bit on Eren and his backstory, really, season three of Attack on Titan was ... centered around Levi. You'll get an episode on Levi's origins, and you'll also get to meet Kenny, someone that's tied deeply to Levi's past. I think this slight shift away from Eren helped rejuvenate my interest in the series.

However, this season will also give some long awaited answers to Eren's family, namely his father. Not only will you get backstory on how he met Eren's mother and what life was like for the two of them inside the walls, you'll learn who Eren's father was before he entered the walls. Not to mention, this season finally sets up what exactly is in the basement of the Jaeger house. Or this half of the season, I should say.

Both Levi and Eren's history are very, very excited new pieces to the story as well as Historia's history. The overall pacing of this half of the season was done very well as the proper sections of story dropped when they should've while still having the proper down moments.

Of course, I have to brag on the visuals because they get better every season. A new Titan is introduced in this season, and the look of it is insanely cool. There are also brilliantly done environments that I love.

Attack on Titan still isn't entirely in my wheelhouse, but if it is for you, I think this season will impress you more than any others. The teaser for next year's content was very intriguing as well, so at the very least, my interest is still very much peaked for 2019. Here's to more!

 Given the nature of today's media consumption, rarely does anything 'stick' unless constant updates are provided to keep out attention.  Wit Studio's faltering in releasing the second season of AoT has resulted in the series's current lack of attention, which is a shame because it's only gotten better since its first season.  

Story:

Our story continues in humanity's fight against the titans, bringing us back within the walls of Shingeki no Kyojin (or Attack on Titan, I just prefer the Japanese titles) where instead of a mass slaughter/operation to fight the brainless naked people, we're given character moments, backstories, lore dumps, a lot of exposition, more lore ... dumps, dear god how many lore dumps are there?!

Harking back to the kind of tone that was established in Season 2, a lot of what Season 3 has to offer comes to expanding the cramped world of SNK outward by giving us an astronomical amount of lore and related content that gives a few answers and many, many questions which lead to said answers.  A lot of the focus this time is centered around Historia, who got a major upgrade from her role as the background 'cute girl' that she was established in way back in Season 1, expanding her role as a character and the significance she holds after the events in Season 2.  This, combined with a lot of retrospective moments that make the struggle of sustaining a population with limited space really helps set the alarming and desperate situation that the characters are in and gives a lot of motive as to why the Scouts give a damn to 'take back Wall Maria', as they've been saying for basically three seasons by this point.

While a nice (and beneficial) change of tone is good and all, the problem with the way this is presented is simply by how much of it there is.  Factors like explaining the royal family, who Historia is, facts about Eren's dad, the origin story of Eren's dad, introducing an entirely new character who serves as an extension of Levi, bringing back an old face that appeared for like three episodes in Season 1, the list can goes on and on.  This overload of information makes it extremely difficult to pace out correctly and ended up making the series disjointed and clunky in its presentation because all kinds of different information was being presented, especially in the latter half of the series where we get several episodes which were one-off episode backstories.  The information is good and helpful, but the place for them was certainly less than ideal.

There's also the issue of Wit Studio saying they're 'taking a break' and split the originally 2-cour season into season part one and two.  (J.C. Staff, don't you laugh, you're guilty of this too.  You too Diomedia.)  It's one of those emerging practices that I'm not a fan of.  Yes, studios need a break and a bigger time window so the animators can breathe a little bit, but the place that they ended on was such a big hype moment with a massive cliffhanger that it's infuriating as the audience to have to wait several seasons before it can be released.  Especially when the last few episodes of the 'season' just sort of meander without any real point to it since they can't go farther risking an unsatisfactory stopping point.  That's one of the major reasons you lost a lot of viewership and attention here in the west after all, Wit.

Overview:
+ Good tonal shift
+ Lots of worldbuilding and character moments
-  Too much of it was jam packed together
-  Ended right when things were getting fucking good.  (You're blueballin' us here.  And not in the good way.)

Characters:

On the note of characters, the theme with SNK seems to be "Do everyone but the main characters".  While Eren certainly didn't get the spotlight in Season 2 which was a nice breath of fresh air from his teenage vengeance boner, him being a more important part of Season 3 yet not really getting anything to himself aside from moments of reflection add, but don't do his character any favor.  He broods around so much that he does indeed seem he's growing, but does it so much that it kinda gets annoying.  A shame too considering a lot of his reflection does his character a lot of good.  I just wish it was done more subtly and wasn't so frequent.

Historia on the other hand gets so much attention that she might as well be the main character this time around.  The entire season is centered around her character and her family history, which ties into the overall lore of the series.  What we see is a dramatic growth in character that builds her from the meek and shy girl she was before to one worthy to pay heed to.  It's good growth that catalyzes a lot of organic action and motive, and was definitely one of the highlight moments of the season.

Unfortunately, much can't be said for the rest of the cast.  Levi gets his own mini area to himself, but it's not nearly as developed as Historia and feels sloppily made cause it's not HIS backstory; he's just part of it.  (That and the setting for it comes outta nowhere.  We were literally never told that there's an 'underground' before.)  Armin and Mikasa are even worse off.  They don't really do anything aside from move where the plot demands them be.  Even if they're pushed to the side, they're still protagonists, and should facilitate the plot in some way, but they don't.  The same could be said for any of the remaining scouts, where Jean just serves as a character foil to Eren and having a split relationship with Marco, and miscellaneous characters/cannon fodder who by this point you really shouldn't care about cause their impact quite literally lasts for 10 minutes at most.

Overview:
+ Historia's growth
+/- Eren's self reflection
-  Everyone else kinda meanders
Art:

It's been 5 years since the release of the first season, and Wit has drastically reduced the thickness of the black outline of the characters.  The art is essentially the same, but higher quality, with some very nice choice animation sequences that stand out amazingly.  The introduction of new areas also aid to make the world a lot prettier as their involvement expand the world and provide the animators something new to draw instead of fields and buildings.  

The usage of CGI is also pretty prevalent this time but doesn't stand out due to the series using it sparingly and only during wide or distance shots, which look amazing when they happen.  It's rare that I see CGI usage not bog down the show, so this is a case where I have to give Wit congratulations on a job well done.

Sound:

Like the tonal shift, the music we get is a lot more somber and isn't so high energy and firing at all cylinders like previous seasons.  "Red Swan" by X JAPAN and HYDE is more focused on the vocals and has a smoother sound to it.  Using a lot of piano and a lot less repetition like its OP predecessors, this song sticks out to me not only for that fact, but just how much it ties into the season with its themes of self reflection and perspective. 

Similarly, "Akatsuki no Requiem" by Linked Horizon is kinda like a less intense version of Season 2's 'Sasageyo', being more focused on having a smoother sound and sounding more like something you'd hear sung by a choir than a battle cry.  Again, it's one of those changes that I'm a fan of, expanding the potential of the series and the apparently complicated lore that it has.

Personal Enjoyment:

The 'Shonen' genre has had three ages up till this point.  The first age was the Big 3: Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece dominating the space with HunterxHunter lagging behind with a somewhat smaller but strong base behind it.  The second age expanded with an explosion of popularity in the west: SAO and SNK being the forefront of that movement, both of which sitting mostly in memoriam but still have an existing following behind them.  Currently we sit in the third age with Black Clover and especially Boku no Hero Academia, but we're focusing mostly on the second age here.

Having followed the adaptation since the birth of the 'second age', I found Season 3 to be not as strong as Season 2 in terms of execution, and sort of as an equivalent to Season 1 if Season 1 focused more on trying to build the world instead of insane violence against both humans and titans alike.  It's still a positive change however, and gives the show a stronger footing in the overall story it's trying to present, even if the lore delivery was pretty messy getting towards the end.  Had the season not been split into two, I feel like it could've done a lot better overall since easy lead-ins would benefit the story more instead of NEEDING to end on a massive cliffhanger in order to keep people interested (which for the most part only angers your audience) and I would have more time to catch up instead of marathoning a fourth of the series in one sitting.  

If you want more SNK, watch it.  Honestly I'd vouch for this series to be seen by more people because it's good, but hardly anyone cares about it because the landscape of anime is extremely unforgiving due to the seasonal schedules and the consumer's need to consume things and quickly forget them once the season's over.  It's a shame that Wit only found their footing to easily release more episodes of the series three years after the hype had truly died down, but for what it's worth, it's much easier to get into the series without fanatics memeing the fuck out of it so you can actually sit down and enjoy the goddamn thing without interruptions.  It's nice, if not a bit tragic.

By the time this season premiered, I had read and been keeping up with the Attack on Titan manga, so I knew already what to expect while going into this season. Season 3 covers the "Uprising Arc," which is an extremely different turn from what we have normally been seeing in Attack on Titan so far--humans vs. titans. This arc takes on a more political stance and looks at the relationships between humans living in the walls.

This was one of the weakest arcs in the manga, and Isayama himself admitted he was not proud of it, which is why the anime changed up some things ... and moved events around. I had no problem with these changes, and while a lot of people like to throw down on this arc, I have always enjoyed it, and I was glad to see a lot of people enjoy this arc as well.

As I said before, this arc takes a drastically different turn as the plot becomes highly political with a planned coup and royal family drama. While there is less titan activity in this arc, there are still elements of mystery to be explored, well-animated fight scenes between humans, and a strong character arc for Historia.

The animation continues to be excellent, the characters become more complex as their backstories are explored, and Sawano continues to put forward an excellent soundtrack. I know there was a lot of backlash over the opening to this season, as it was not done by Linked Horizon, but the opening tugs at the heartstrings and showcases the innocence our characters have lost all too quickly over these past few seasons. For these reasons, I think "Red Swan" is still a wonderful opening and is necessary for a season that focuses a little less on titans.

The Uprising Arc is by no means my favorite arc, but it is still an enjoyable and necessary arc that lays the groundwork for the upcoming arc. The first half of season 3 is obviously weaker compared to Season 3 Part 2, but it is still an enjoyable watch and continues to build on and improve this franchise.

HYPE! HYPE! HYPE! DEAR LORD THIS SHOW IS DELIVERING IN SPADES. Ok, caps lock off, the season starts of with some of the most fluid and beautiful one take action choreography I think I have ever seen in anime. We finally see Eren take a damn chill pill and reflect on his actions and the pain he has caused and strive to do better. I swear every season this show switches genre cause S1 was a straight action shounen, S2 was a psychological thriller, and this was very much a political thriller and it delivered really, really well. We finally understand certain characters that have ... been around since the beginning and the story is finally starting to show its hand in a way that doesn't feel contrived and is able to subvert expectations with certain things. I am firmly on this train and am excited to see where it takes me.