Anime,  Television

Review – Attack on Titan season 3 Part 1

This is a review of the first half of season 3. If you’d like to catch up, or remind yourself of what happened previously, check out my review of season 1 HERE, and my review of season 2 HERE.

Season 3 starts with Eren Jaeger and his friends joining commander Levi Ackerman’s squad against the giant human-eating titans. Everything looks to be as usual until the group gets targeted by a mysterious individual who wants to obtain Eren and Christa.

With every zombie story, a conflict between human fractions is unavoidable. The way the anime adapts the original creator Hajime Isayama‘s version of this type of conflict is excellent.  It is a script that has no filler at all. Every scene is necessary, no matter if its a small conversation or a big action scene. It ends up giving most of the cast a challenge, showing the viewer on how they react and changes because of it. The evolution of the characters flows very naturally, and you can understand where every motivation, and every reaction comes from

Within the mystery, the viewer gets answers to the origins of Eren Jaegers mysterious powers that originated back in season 1.  When it comes to stories involving superpowers, a big part of the story, and if it makes sense is how the person got the powers. Here with Eren Jaeger, not only does it fit within the universe, but it also helps move the story forward. It is a terrifying reveal but also makes sense with the narrative that is the mystery behind the titans.

However, the season did not stop there. They also tackle the backstory of Levi Ackerman, the stern but determined commander who won over many viewers when he was first introduced. Unlike his subordinates, his arc in this season is about him facing his previous life and personal demons that haunt him. While you could argue that his origin is a bit cliche, it still fits with how the character is written and presented.

Even if the animation started off clunky and unfinished, it became better each episode. The only exception to this is a fight against a titan that occurs close to the midseason finale. With this particular fight, they decided to blend CGI with 2D hand-drawn animation which sticks out like a sore thumb. Fortunately, the rest of the fight scenes are excellent in its choreography and animation. You believe every movement, and you can feel every impact.  

The biggest disappointment with this season so far is the opening song. Don’t get me wrong, its a good song, and the animation for it is gorgeous.  The problem lies in that it comes off as an ending instead of an opening. An opening should get the viewer pumped and excited, not the other way around.

If the rest of the season is as good as this, then Attack on Titan will be three for three when it comes to well crafted seasons. Granted, I have some problems with it, like the opening and certain parts of the animation. But compared to the things this season has done right, you could almost call it a nitpick. The cast I grew to love back in season 1 is still there and is stronger than ever. If you are a fan of the previous seasons, then season 3 is a no brainer for you to watch. It kept me on my toes from beginning to end despite the issues. You can find it on Hulu and Chrunchyroll.

It gets 4/5 stars from me. Let us know what you think on social media, @WOBAMEnt, or in the comments below.

Latest posts by Isak Wolff (see all)

Co-host of the Amateur Otaku Podcast. A writer of many things. Loves everything nerdy from anime/manga to comics and video games. Fire Emblem is the greatest of all time.