AOT S4 E-SP2 Reaction!! *THE FINAL EPISODE*🤬🤯😵‍💫☠️

Sobbed so much rewatch in this 😭 Eren and Mikasa’s love story breaks my heart and the way Eren sacrificed so much for his friends 😭😭

Rahma

Did Annie know that Armin ate Bertholtd? I would assume so since its the only logical conclusion to Berthold abscene and Armin colossal titan power

Victoria_Night

Oh no...

Justin Dinh

the Eldians of Paradis needed a Devil, and they used Eren with his extraordinary powers to obtain freedom, at the cost of Eren himself.

Matthew bustillos

I think Eren turned this way because he lacked a mentor when he was young. He lost his mother in a horrific way and didn't get a chance to heal from that. His father told him to avenge his mother instead of explaining things to him. He lost everything, but no one was there to help him with the grief; they saw him transform into a titan and began to use him as a weapon, filling up his hatred even more. None of the adults took a moment to help him through the difficult times. I love Hange, but I can't get over the fact that they were pushing him so hard during the hardening training, even when he was exhausted. They all pushed Eren to turn into the villain, as many times as he went through the same thing he wanted someone to stop him and understand him but no one did until he destroyed the world. This is how we are because we are human and we are not perfect, we are nice until someone pushes us to a dark place, some people find someone to help them through it but others don't have that luck and turn into villains. Genocide is not justifiable, but Eren needed guidance, and no one gave it to him. This is my opinion. P.S. I still hate Gabi; I don't care about her turnaround.

Dreamer

No, we all thought right... That’s part of WHY he did it, because he knew that her death was his biggest motivation

Nat

The ending scene before it cuts to black was my screensaver (manga colored version) for a year waiting for the final season bc it was so beautiful

Destini

Remember seeing the "scooby doo" titan, as you called it? Now... remember what happened in the very last scene after the credits? A boy and his dog walked under the tree.... In the Paths, everything that was, is, and ever will be, happens all at once. Past, present, AND future titans are all connected...

Taylor

My favorite show of all time

BIG TD

Hearing your thoughts at the end was beatiful and now you know what animes do to us all :) They elevate your perception and view on things and essentially can make you a better person, if you are open minded.

AlexBeatbox

This Journey was amazing! Im so glad I watched it with the two of you! Thank you guys!!

AlexBeatbox

I watched this 'without pausing once'. I don't believe in pausing. Unless gotta suddenly go somewhere or answer the phone or something.

VS

I know im a little bit late for this but if anyone is wondering what the German voice at the end says its „Die Welt die das Schwert des Jungen zerbrochen hat, wird die spitze des Wolkenkratzers erreichen. Und auf den Turmbau zu Babel lachend hinunterblicken. Hass und Zorn sind eine zweischneidige Klinge. Geschichte wiederholt sich.“ in English it would be „The world that broke the boys sword will reach the top of the skyscraper. And look down on the Tower of Babel with a laugh. Hatred and anger are a double-edged blade. History repeats itself.“

Sandro 374

Go back to reading class <3

somg

CAN YOU PLEASE WATCH "CLASSROOM OF THE ELITE" !!!!

Yo stxrmzy Games

!!!UNPOPULAR OPINION!!! The ending of Attack on Titan was mediocre and, in many ways, boring. I would say it was pretty bad. Since most people praise it, I would like to share my views to give a different perspective. Sorry if this is a super long message but I love diving deep. I will list my main issues with this ending. These aren't ranked by most to least problematic, by the way. #1 A big problem is Eren's plan. I can't seem to understand how his plan to be killed by his friends and make his friends heroes would have helped Paradise in any way.  I understand that with 80% of humanity gone, it would take a long time for the rest of the world to catch up to Paradise and attack back. It also makes sense that the rest of the world would forget what Paradise has done after some time. That way, Paradise could enjoy a little peace. Even though I still have some problems with this, it mostly makes sense.  But how would Eren's idea of making his friends heroes help give Paradise peace? No one even saw them kill Eren. Now, I don't literally mean no one, since around 40-ish Eldians from Liberio and around 20 Marleyan soldiers at Fort Salta saw Eren dying and the Rumbling evaporating. But how could the rest of the world be convinced that the Alliance killed Eren and saved the world?  I ask that because those 40 Eldians aren't trustworthy first-hand witnesses precisely because they are Eldians. The rest of the world, who, remember, hate Eldians more than Marleyans, and they just barely survived the worldwide genocide perpetrated by those ELDIANS. So, for the rest of the world, trusting Eldians will be impossible, except maybe after decades of proving that one isn't evil. Now, what about the Marleyan soldiers? Can the world trust them? Yes, they are trustworthy first-hand witnesses, but unfortunately, they will not convince the world because, towards the end, they pointed guns at the Eldians, and future blood tests weren't enough to prove that they weren't hostile. So if the Marleyens aren't convinced enough by seeing Eren killed by his friends and the Rumbling + Titan powers gone right in front of their eyes, then how would the world ever be convinced they are the heroes? Also, even if those 20 Marleyans would trust the Eldians and lovingly accept them, 20 people still aren't enough to convince 20% of humanity that Eldians aren't evil. But let's say the information about the Alliance killing Eren would effectively reach many of the remaining people. In that case, it would still be challenging to believe Eldians have peaceful intentions. Since on Paradise Island, where the Rumbling literally came from, the regime is becoming increasingly fascistic, as we saw. Also, the fact that the Jegerists are still in control means that many people on Paradise Island have been and still are sympathetic to the Rumbling.  Imagine how the rest of the world would feel knowing that Paradisians, who were viewed as evil monsters for centuries, have caused 80% of the world to be wiped out. First, their conceptions of Eldians being evil became true because they literally caused the apocalypse. But now that they survived, they should trust a small group of Eldians (the Alliance) who can't even prove they are the ones who killed Eren? Plus, on the Island, the Eldians are fascistic, still thinking that killing the rest of the world would have been better. So how can the rest of the world have any trust left for Eldians? If they want me to believe that Eren's friends will be viewed as heroes and that them being viewed as heroes is a significant contributor to Paradise building peace with the rest of the world, then they clearly messed up. They should have given more proof that the rest of the world can reasonably trust Eldians. Why didn't they build up the end in a way that when Eren's friends arrived to try and kill him, they would be in front of a big city? That way, there would be potential for more people to witness the Alliance kill Eren. That way, they would have some proof that Eldians can be trusted and made peace with. But with what we have, the "make Eren's friends heroes" plan is rendered entirely irrelevant to saving Paradise. #2 Now, this is not a plot hole or confusing logic but my personal reason why I find the ending uninteresting. I find it so dull that the epic fight scene against Eren barely has any impact since Eren wanted them to stop him anyway. I feel tricked because what I just watched didn't mean much. The alliance would have won no matter what if that was what Eren wanted. So why should I care what they did then? Thankfully, the Ancient Titans are controlled by Ymir, so that fight could have ended in any way, meaning its impact stays. But Eren vs Alliance isn't even a fight in my eyes if the big enemy, Eren, never actually wanted to win. Why was it necessary to make Eren want his friends to be heroes? It doesn't add much to the story except to make creating peace with the rest of the world easier (but I already disproved that idea since it wouldn't have helped them with peace). Why not just make Eren actually want to defeat the Alliance? He can still die at the Alliance's hands, but at least with that, he would become a proper opponent ready to kill them. This way, we get hooked on the fight, and when one side wins, we feel that this fight was impactful since it could have gone any other way. Also, if we really want to keep the hero plan. This way, the Alliance can still become the heroes without Eren having to lose intentionally. Also, for me, Eren's nature to never stop fighting for his goals and stay determined was a huge reason why it was interesting to follow his journey. I loved that he never gave up, always stood up, and kept going. He is the goddamn Attack Titan for a reason! I would have been so happy to get a proper confrontation between childhood friends who have opposing views, and both are ready to sacrifice everything for their cause. Also, using my idea of Eren fighting to finish the Rumbling, we could have gotten some deaths in the Alliance. If Eren had to die, why not create more tension and make the fight more emotional by letting 2 to 3 Alliance members die? I didn't expect "Attack on Titan," the show that had the scene where the Levi squad got wiped out, Mike, an extremely skilled soldier, was killed, Erwin's death, Hange's death, Sasha's death, and many other scenes of soldiers dying, to not keep this up. I loved the feeling that no one in this story was safe from death; it felt like any character we bonded with could die at any moment. The end actually went for it, and people like Gabi, Connie, and Jean turned into Titans. But this had no consequences and was just a cheap twist where they turned back to humans afterward. Imagine it would have been such a problem for Reiner and Annie to stop them that those two might have had to make the tough decision to finish them off in Titan form. Reiner had it in him to finish off Falco in Titan form before, so why not do it here? It would have been so tragic if they had to kill them, and it would have concluded the theme of sacrifice. Didn't Armin say, "Those who can't sacrifice anything can't change anything"? If Eren took a massive L by stomping millions of innocents and letting Hange die for his goal, then the Alliance should have needed more sacrifices/losses, too. If death had occurred on both sides, it would have truly given this the end-of-the-world vibes that the Rumbling was slowly building up to. Witnessing their comrade's death could have also pushed some characters to fight even harder, and the situation would have given them and the viewer a true feeling of hopelessness. After the fight, the characters could have looked back and treasured the memories of their fallen comrades. But most simply, because Eren is the most powerful being on the planet, it would have been fairer if the Alliance had had a more challenging time and taken significant losses, too. #3 Now, there is a significant logic issue I have in this episode… So, in this episode, it's shown that the Rumbling stopped after Levi chopped off Zeke's head. While I don't think that makes sense, let's assume it now. Later, when they blow off the Founder's head, a worm suddenly pops out and tries to reconnect to the head again. The Alliance fears that the Rumbling may resume if the worm reaches the head. But if we established that Zeke is necessary for the Rumbling, how would the worm's return resume the Rumbling? The worm was inside the Founder when Zeke died, so why did the Rumbling stop if the worm could allow its usage? What is actually required to use the Rumbling, the worm, or Zeke?  But it is not over yet. After Armin destroys the entire Founder, Eren transforms into a Colossal Titan. It's puzzling that he can turn into a Colossal but not use the Rumbling. Normal Titan shifters can only become the Titan they inherited, so only the power of the Founder can enable Eren to transformation into a Titan of his choosing. But if Eren can't activate the Rumbling because the worm is not inside him, then I assume he can't use the power of the Founder anymore. As a result, his ability to turn into a Colossal should be impossible. He should only be able to become his normal Titan form like all the other shifters in the battle. The only possible explanation is that Ymir or the worm decided to turn Eren into a Colossal. Eren shouldn't be able to determine that himself. But this explanation is also just speculation. Also, why does the worm evaporate when Ymir is freed? The worm survived without a host under the tree for millions of years since it is based on a Cambrian organism. So why would Ymir being freed (dying) also kill the worm? Maybe one could say that since Ymir has the power of the Founder, she decided that the worm should disappear. But Ymir shouldn't have control of the worm because the powers stem from the worm; the worm should be the one in total control. The biggest problem is that if the mechanics of the Titan powers aren't clear and understandable, the scenes they are used in will lose their impact on me. For example, there was little tension about the possibility that the worm would connect back to Eren since it didn't make sense for that to activate the Rumbling. Eren turning into the Colossal is badass, but if that breaks the logic of how the powers work, it just feels like there was no thought behind it. That scene seems to only be there for the coolness factor. Attack on Titan isn't a show that creates plot holes to make specific cool scenes/ideas work. Besides Reiner's consciousness transference ability, most things are well-connected and thought out and don't feel cheap. If I am missing something or my logic does not make sense, please let me know what's wrong.    #4 I also have some huge problems with the Eren and Armin conversation. I thought we would finally have Armin try to talk Eren out of doing the Rumbling and figure something else out. Armin wanted to speak with Eren anyway, so it would have been perfect. But instead of Armin being the person who always seeks peaceful resolutions and tries to talk it out no matter how hopeless, he doesn't talk enough about the Rumbling. Yes, I know that Eren, in that conversation, tells Armin how everything is set in stone, but Armin would try despite that. He wouldn't just accept it that easily; he would try to figure it out with Eren and try to convince him he should not Rumble. But sure, let's say Armin was convinced that Eren is right and nothing can be changed. Why is he still so chill about the Rumbling? Instead of punching Eren in the face about him killing 80% of the planet, he does it because Eren said, "Mmh Dunno" about whether Mikasa could forget about him and move on. I don't understand why Mikasa is so important now; we have more important things to worry about, like humanity, that Eren will wipe out. The punch for Eren hurting Mikasa's feelings and Eren then crying about his deep and clingy love for Mikasa pulls me out of the seriousness of the conversation. This is one of the most important conversations we have all wanted to see, and they should save time talking about what is most important. It is OK to have Armin talk about Mikasa briefly, but giving it such an impact by having Armin punch Eren for it is absurd. Other than the things I mentioned, this Eren and Armin scene is one of the better parts of this ending. I especially love it when Eren and Armin say they will meet each other in hell. It is such a cool concept, and it is honestly super sweet. Two friends calm each other down about their sins by saying that they will at least be able to meet each other in hell. Heartwarming! #5 I briefly mentioned EreMika in the previous section, so let's continue here… In my opinion, they could have made Eren and Mikasa's connection a bit deeper. Maybe they could have given them deep conversations, made it more straightforward that Eren is in love with Mikasa, and given Mikasa a bit deeper character development. That way, the discussion about Mikasa would be meaningful here. I don't understand how love slipped into the story and took up necessary screen time. Eren and Mikasa's romantic relationship is boring because it is built on only three romantic scenes, a couple of glimpses, and only Mikasa making moves on Eren(for example, holding hands). This love is one-sided because only Mikasa gives most of the signs. Eren saving Mikasa changed Mikasa's life for the better, but how did Mikasa impact Eren's life? I need mutual impact, moments of connection that aren't just eye contact and something they have in common and can build understanding from. Maybe they do, but it is barely shown, which is the problem. Also, with Eren barely giving signs compared to Mikasa, it seems absurd why he suddenly is desperate to be with Mikasa and is jealous of her finding another man. Also, Eren is not shy; he would have confessed long ago.   For example, they could have done scenes like this to indicate Erens love: When Eren is in deep shit, for example, when the Santa Titan eats him, he could have thought about Mikasa. Or the best scene to show Eren's love: In Season 4 Part 2 Episode 12 (17:56-18:58), Eren asks Zeke if Ackermans are bound to a host and about Mikasa's headaches. Zeke responds that he never heard of anything like that and says Mikasa's behavior might simply be because of her love for Eren. Then they zoom into Eren's eye(18:40), but he has the same stoic expression on his face.  They could have made Eren's eyes widen or given a glint to indicate that Mikasa loving him matters to Eren. They didn't, and instead, they switched to a scene about Historia asking what Eren would think about her having a child, lol. Switching back to Eren and then to his conversation with Historia indicates to me that Eren is thinking about that instead. Why do these scenes have to happen at the same time? Why don't they switch to an Eren and Mikasa moment after Zeke asks Eren, "What'll you say back to her?". To that question, Eren even answers that he only has four years left. Imagine his eyes widened, getting a glint, and then when Zeke asks the question, Eren thinks about a memory with Mikasa and then is shown emotional about the fact that he only has four years left to live and can't spend his life with her. This would have been an easy way to build up to the reveal that Eren is madly in love with Mikasa. I don't hate EreMika; I hate love that is weakly developed. This was a missed opportunity. These are my main issues with this ending, and I am disappointed since I was expecting something phenomenal. This is the ending, after all, and an ending to a show like AOT should hit. It didn't do that for me, and I found some parts way too boring for an end to this masterpiece of a show. I am glad you all loved it. We all see something completely different in this show and like different aspects of it. I liked something different about this show, and those aspects weren't satisfied in the end for me, simple as that. But 95% of this show is the best I have ever seen, so I can easily ignore a lousy ending. I am not going to shit on the entire show because of the ending, as other ending haters do, but I will stay disappointed in the finale. Please, if anyone doesn't agree with my opinions, feel free to share yours. If you find problems in my logic and explanations, let me know what I am missing. I might be criticizing parts that wouldn't have been as bad if I had looked more deeply into something. Just let me know. I appreciate most of this lovely journey with all of you! Take care!

BarnaBash

i honestly think ymir got her powers from the worm and its not really a wish granter. the power is related to flesh

Concepts94

Omggggg that finale was amazing, I for real thought those people were titans forever

taetaebear01 (Lindsey E.)

ymir ultimately got titan powers because the source of all living matter. ik people think its like a wish granter but ultimately i think the power is related to flesh and living organisms so it would prob be similar to titan powers. also the worm used the steam by itself to make titans

Concepts94

Hey I’m kinda new here, season 3 is when I came aboard. Just wanna say I truly appreciate your reactions! I don’t know if you’ll get to this or even see it but this is the best aot video in my opinion, captures all emotions through the entirety of the show, with an excellent song on top of it! If you get to it hopefully you enjoy! https://youtu.be/X5bY0skFp18?si=f36HdYC1Ke83_C5P

Dominic Trussoni

I completely forgot to add: the ending isn't a mirror of what happened to Ymir. I think there's hope for the future because when Ymir went in, she was chased by dogs, but when the boy was walking in the dog was accompanying him. Ymir gained titan powers because she didn't want to experience pain anymore. The boy looked more curious to me.

CrimsonRaven

omg. i forgot to ask if you guys could please give a comparion of breaking bad (your favorite show) to attack on titan in the final review. i wanna know if you guys still have that opinion or if not, why? what made attack on titan better than breaking bad?

gdnsx

🙄

Ryan Plaisance

To understand AOT to the fullest we need to focus more on Ymir and her motivations, everything starts with her and her desire to be free. The issue with Ymir is that she cannot do it by herself, her love for the 1st king is bigger than her will to emancipate herself. That is where Eren is important. Ymir saw in him something that she lacks, the will for freedom by any means necessary. If she is a slave by nature, Eren is her straight opposite. But how do u convince someone of something when she cannot relate to you? Well Mikasa becomes the key now, because she loves Eren to the level that she (Ymir) loves the 1st King. So the deal between Eren and Ymir took place. Eren had 2 goals in life, the 1st one was to eradicate the world of the titans (this goal kinda changed over time while remaining fairly the same it is no longer to kill them one by one but more like to kill the curse itself)... the 2nd goal was to protect the ones he truly cares about, and thats Mikasa and Armin and the people he grew up with. Part of that deal was for him to become the most evil version of himself to see if Mikasa, regardless of her love, could sacrifice that love for the greater good. Eren had to push forward to get to this point and it happened. Thats pretty much what AOT is about, A slave goddess with infinite power, using someone intrinsically evil to reach to the ultimate decision of an unconditional lover, all that to free herself.

Randy Flash

That was truly a wonderful experience to watch you guys react to AOT, I appreciated every second of it and it pains me now to think that it is over... unfortunately I could not watch the past couple episodes in time so I was not able to be part of the conversations that we usually have, but I am sure Jay, Kevin and many other AOT experts have delivered over and over again as usual. S/O to the Patreons. Thank you for your discretion and breakdowns. Avoiding to spoil sometimes is a tough task because we constantly have to think ahead and remind ourselves if the informations will be explained or not later on. Yall did not spoil for J&J and the first time watchers, the experience was 10 times better for me because of that. To the moderator, you are truly the greatest, thank you for such an amazing job. There is not much I have to say besides that, it was my first time being a Patreon ever, I was sold since that ep1 on youtube, I knew that was the type of reactions I wanted, multiple people reacting, discussions, the interaction with the subscribers, the predictions and theories. I just knew 1 or 2 episodes per week was just not enough. So once again thank you. There are just two things I would add to this in regard of the story of AOT.

Randy Flash

DO THE LIVESTREAM!!!!

Edison Agudo

The reaction to the sub just ruins everything. I'm never renewing my subscription ever again for people who would rather watch an objectively worse version of a show in all possible aspects just because of some loser sub elitists who have first time watched this in sub and now try to force everyone to watch the worse version they have also watched. Bye-bye forever.

Arian65

Its bittersweet ending this journey together! Looking forward to the discussion!

Revy

I absolutely love Eren's founding titan form He appears to have string connected to his arms, similar to a puppet However, there isn't anyone controlling the strings other than him, further showing that he is a slave to not only freedom, but himself

Niko

Listen… this was my second watch of AOT, and I can definitely say that the first time I was too shell- shocked about the end to really think about it in depth. It just made me feel a pit in my stomach. Today, I have a better grasp on the message as it relates to myself and my experiences; or better yet, to humanity itself in our current time. I have always felt Japanese anime storytelling (regardless of it being seinen, shounen or even shoujo) is thought-provoking, deep and meaningful. It is often tragic, wise and beautiful in a way that may be hard to explain, but is better experienced. That said, it particularly strikes me that Isayama gave us numerous glimpses since the beginning of the series, which have finally coalesced to reveal a concept of Determinism vs Free Will that we are struggling with in our current reality. These theses exist in philosophy and science, spanning fields as specific as psychology, quantum mechanics and religion. You could say they are part of the Theory of Everything, and will send you into rabbit holes in the pursuit of knowledge that eventually connect to every fiber of our existence. “Existential crisis” is an apt description on your part. (Another anime that did this to me is Neon Genesis Evangelion, but that’s for another time). Anyway, I am so looking forward to the final discussion video. Thank you for sharing your journey with us and for your wonderful engagement. It doesn’t feel lonely anymore. Love you twins! 💜

ARMY_Maenad

I STILL THINK ABOUT IT SOMETIMES

Dwob

Not sure if anyone's mentioned this but back in Season 3 when Levi was deciding whether to turn Armin or Erwin into a titan, Eren said 'The one who will save humanity is Armin' and that gives me goose bumps now after seeing this episode anytime I rewatch :( The credits of this episode made me have an existential crisis too xD When I first watched it I just kept thinking STOPPPPP as it kept timelapsing. This ep just tells us how much we don't know about the world and the stories of the past. All we know is our reality right now... To be honest this ending to me was very realistic... Lots of people didn't like the ending but it just made sense to end this way to me, even though it broke my heart. It was on my mind for agesssssss after the finale aired T.T Also, I understand your discussion about how this ep made you feel proactive and hopeless at the same time. I felt the same, I wanted to do SOMETHING proactive for ages after watching this ep but at the same time I had thoughts in my head like 'What's the point though???' History just repeats itself anyway.. This show makes you think of ALL sides of every reality so much. It works my brain in a complicated way and I love it for that. That's why this is literally my favourite show of ANY genre and that's why I just keep rewatching it over and over... :D What a freaking masterpiece of a show.... I've rewatched it so many times and I'll continue to rewatch it... Thank you so much for your reaction, it was a blast to watch with you guys :)))) p.s. - I dunno if anyone mentioned this, but the song at the end when Mikasa was under the tree, that's Mikasa and Eren's voice actor singing the slow bit ~ it's beautiful

Dwob

There are too many things I want to say so I’m just going to choose one, and that is to thank you for that Bro Levi song waaaaaay back after you watched the No Regrets OVA. So many incredible moments spent with you guys during this journey but that one will stick with me forever. Thank you for the laughs, tears, and memories.

Kel

I wish I never saw that kid going into that tree at the end- because I can’t sleep after seeing that💀I’d rather watch 6 horror movies in a row than to think about that again😭

Gatha Naranath

Can you imagine…spending 4 seasons watching this show. EVER SINCE THE FIRST EPISODE the whole reason for Eren’s determination was his mother’s death. He was already determined but his mothers dead drove him to do the things he has done. That’s what we all thought right? Well apparently not💀Because now we find out the one behind her death this entire time was Eren himself…

Gatha Naranath

literally perfectly written

Concepts94

You spoke some truth Tom!!

Peach

I personally think this is a beautiful ending. A lot of people call it bad because they don’t like that Eren died but I personally prefer endings like this. Realistic endings…and bittersweet in a way

Gatha Naranath

Can you explain why it's bad I mean like evertime I see these endings hate comments I get a little pissed inside but like at least explain how it is bad I want to hear your opinion your reasoning to prove your not just hopping on some hate train for clout "OH LOOK I WANT TO BE DIFFERENT" like honestly I just don't understand

BBQburger

No matter how many times I watch that scene, it always melts my soul when I do

Shoto IcyHot (Slussh)

The ending is so bad😅 I understand your confusion, nothing make sense and overall it’s straight up trash. At least every other episode is peak)

Lufttwafe

This call of silence remix by futago is a jam, you guys should check it out https://youtu.be/TyvAxnAsRaQ?si=ev3kqdNAdo7f6bGv

CamilleR

Falco's ability to fly was foreshadowed in S04E01. If you remember, the very first scene of season 4 is Falco on the ground looking at a bird. And later in the trenches, he says to Udo, Zofia and Gabi, "Wasn't I just flying around with swords in my hands, going all fwshhh up to Titans." In the outro for S04 Part 1, a lot of birds are flying in the backdrop with Falco in the front. Also, Falco=Falcon. Very fitting. There is a lot of foreshadowing in intros and outros to the point they actually showed us the map from where Warriors sailed with the ship to Paradis island in the first season, to capture the founding Titan.

CrimsonRaven

Throughout the show we see many different flowers popping up here and there. Every flower has its own meaning and adds to the scene. It's not essential to know them to understand the show, but they are there for a reason: Hanakotoba (花言葉) is the Japanese form of the language of flowers. The language was meant to convey emotion and communicate directly to the recipient or viewer without needing the use of words. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanakotoba

CrimsonRaven

This was an absolutely incredible comment by the way. I may of some slightly different interpretations in some areas, but overall agree, and massive respect for such a cohesive, logical, and deep dive into many of themes in the show that goes above and beyond the typical analysis.

Kevin

I have 4 topics that I would like to explain to you Cabin between Eren and Mikasa First, let's talk about the vision between Eren and Mikasa in the cabin. Eren communicated with everyone then erased their memories so that they would only remember him when he died, including Armin. He talked with Mikasa but differently. Remember that you can't erase an Ackerman's memory, so Eren chatted with her in real time. This scene in the cabin is real, Eren and Mikasa communicated together, he created this world for Mikasa when she had her headaches very hard on Falco's back. In fact honestly, it's more complex than that, but to understand the basics this is what happened! As for a more complex explanation: Remember the OVA on Mikasa ? She couldn't accept Eren's death, so she created another reality for herself to escape this reality. Here, Mikasa did a bit of the same thing, she couldn't take it anymore and took refuge in a dream where she had the courage to confess her feelings when Eren asked her “what am I to you” (remember when she wondered if things would have changed if she had said something different). Except that in fact, this “dream” that she has, Eren penetrates it. They both wanted the same thing : To be together and to run away when they had the chance. Eren did exactly as with the others, he came to talk to her but in real time while penetrating her dream that they both make of an impossible reality. Eren and Mikasa say goodbye. You can notice that Mikasa doesn't really understand what's happening when she wakes up. And that's when she realizes that her dream of returning home is shared. It's not just a dream that she imagines, she realizes that it's a real reality that has just been created by Eren thanks to the path. She realizes that she is dreaming at the same time that he is communicating with her and that is creating this world, this dream that they both share. This dream of this reality where she would have confessed her feelings to him, a wish that he hoped to achieve as much as she did. I don't know if you noticed that the scene is identical to the very beginning of the anime. Eren wakes up and cries feeling like he had a dream => Mikasa wakes up crying feeling like he had a long dream. Thinking back to Eren under the tree where he dreamed of that moment with Mikasa just before his death, where he will make a tear run down his cheek with the impression of having had a long dream, Mikasa will copy his point of view and will have a flash of Eren in the cabin trying to communicate with her. The beginning and the end are linked. Because yes, (it's different in the anime, but in the manga Eren wakes up seeing Mikasa telling him (see you later Eren), Eren dreamed of the moment of his death with Mikasa and therefore of the cabin. It's It is because Ymir blossomed in front of the spectacle of life that she transmitted Eren's dream to Mikasa but also her own. It is thanks to this long dream that came true for both characters thanks to the power of. the original to communicate with Mikasa, that Eren wakes up with a tear on his cheek And Mikasa, thanks to this vision transmitted to the past under this tree thanks to her memory of Eren sleeping that she imitates by copying his point of view and this precious moment by switching roles. It is because Ymir judged the world to be as beautiful as it was cruel, that Mikasa and Eren will find themselves eternally as soulmates. At the beginning and at the end of this very long dream. The beginning and the end embrace each other so tenderly that it becomes impossible to separate them. The beginning is only possible thanks to the very end, and the author promised us this from the first chapter. The end is only possible thanks to the beginning and will influence it in order to create a dizzying determinism. If the manga story begins like this, it is only because it had to end like this. Seeing Mikasa crying from having the impression of having had a long dream, Eren wakes up after this vision "see you later Eren" and he copies her point of view without being able to understand it. And thinking of Eren under the tree who dreams of this moment (cabin), Mikasa copies Eren's point of view, a tear on her cheek, as if she had had a long dream. They are the beginning and end of this story, and Mikasa will wield the knife to cut off the head of the one she loves just as the praying mantis decapitates the male (remember the praying mantis in Mikasa's past). She agrees to kill her dreams, Eren agrees to die The bond between Mikasa and Ymir : She was in love, so in love that she was ready to die for him. 2000 years later, she was in love, so in love that she was ready to accept that he could die for her. Mikasa : They took her family and wanted to make them slaves. However, someone came to save her and wrapped a scarf around her neck, showing her that the world is both cruel but also beautiful despite the cruelty she witnessed from humans and him. Ymir : 2000 years ago, they took away her family and made her a slave without her having had the chance to witness an act of love and affection. All she saw was cruelty and a depiction of something beautiful, without understanding what it meant or why. In search of a definition and meaning to life and the world that gave birth to it, a world so paradoxical in human creation Eren gave meaning to her life after the loss of her home that she cherished more than anything and he made her want to fight. Despite the cruelty and pain, the warmth and kindness of the scarf gave her a representation of the beauty of this world. Unlike Ymir who has only seen cruelty and who has been a slave all her life in search of meaning in life in this world which she considers cruel and at the same time magnificent without understanding it. If Eren hadn't saved Mikasa, she would have ended up like Ymir, a slave. This also demonstrates the difference between Eren and King Fritz but also the two completely opposite relationships in the love they have for each other. Eren passed on to her the determination to fight, that in this world you have to fight => something that Mikasa has done all her life, he gave her affection. While King Fritz was loathsome to Ymir and gave her false freedom, unlike Eren who freed Mikasa without them realizing it, free to love Eren and fight, free to make her own decisions. Eren is Mikasa's strength, while King Fritz is Ymir's weakness. But the difference between Mikasa and Ymir is that Mikasa has always been free. Free to love Eren, to make her own decisions, because he means everything to her since he wrapped this scarf around her => the scarf that makes Mikasa the freest of all. The scarf representing freedom and Mikasa at the same time, something Eren will never be. Contrary to what history has tried to make us believe, the scarf and her love for Eren makes her someone free (in the end she puts on the scarf and kills Eren) Isayama had said something a while ago : “While Eren says very admirable things, he has a very effeminate character. This is why I always wanted to gradually reverse the roles. I wish they complained more about being the heroine of the manga, while Mikasa became the hero" Explaining the kiss scene where Mikasa is depicted as the man who kisses his princess and saves the world, but not only that. What makes a man is the ability to get up and find yourself on the ground, or vice versa. To be a man is to be someone who has experienced all the stages of dignity, and the order does not matter. This virility is then embodied from the start by Mikasa, who, prisoner of her feelings, will prove to Ymir that man is capable of freeing himself. She had been waiting for him for 2000 years. And Eren in his self-sacrifice has erased himself both from his story by embodying the evils of the world, and from our reader by granting the beautiful role to Mikasa : True metonymy of man. Love is the strongest feeling, but also the most deceptive. In a world where love has no place, we become dependent on it, captive, to the point that love has been defined as a slave. Paradoxically, the Ackermans are the freest beings of all, only attached to people, free in their decisions. By becoming a monster, Eren allows Mikasa to show Ymir an act of rebellion that freed him from 2000 years of suffering. Showing her that the world can be both cruel and beautiful, a phrase that Mikasa repeated throughout the manga she taught us. Mikasa is the antithesis of Ymir and therefore the freest character despite what people have tried to make us believe. Jean and Mikasa at the end ? One thing you definitely need to know and take into consideration is that this is completely open to interpretation, there is no confirmation or affirmation to this contrary to what many will say. It looks like Jean and Mikasa, but there is absolutely no context to the scene, and the man with her doesn't even have to be Jean, Isayama is playing a lot with his readers. The man with her has no identity. Know that Isayama never commented on this, and nor even Mappa who did not even say that it was about Jean or that they are together in the script which describes the scene. There are also many things that can prove that Mikasa never got into a relationship and even less with Jean. For example : She did not remove her bandage which hides her tattoo which she must pass on to her biological children (in the manga we explicitly see the bandage with the sleeve pulled up) She can't be with Jean since he is now ambassador, he can't stay permanently in Paradis because otherwise the Yeagerists would kill him, there is only Mikasa remaining there. Even their clothes contrast a lot, Jean is much more modern with his suit while Mikasa is still in country clothes. It's inconsistent if they're together The meaning of the roses she leaves: 4 roses: “nothing will come to us, even if we cannot be together” 1 rose: “Love at first sight” If delivered 4 years later “You are the one and only for me”. Mikasa left 4 roses every year and only left one before she died. Giving a rose also represents one's commitment and loyalty to a person, so Mikasa remained loyal to Eren for me. Would she have placed these roses with very specific meanings in front of her own husband ? Many will surely tell you about a ring she wears when she is shown dead, except that wedding rings in August do not exist. No married character is shown with a ring, so why Mikasa ? It's much more likely that it's a purity ring as a sign of commitment to Eren, she still wears the sash that is like their engagement ring. Purity rings mean “true love waits” and Mikasa waited to find Eren all her life and found him in the afterlife (we see it in the last ending) I add that the only character to have had. A ring in Aot is Annie's that has nothing to do with marriage, showing that Isayama gives a unique representation to things, so it's absolutely not impossible that Mikasa's ring is absolutely not related to her marriage. Someone close to Mikasa, who was close to her death, made sure she wore the ring and the scarf... and these flowers at her funeral. This means that the same unknown person understood the meaning of each of them. So unless they all point out her love for Eren, they would point to two different romantic partners, which is weird and especially for Mikasa who is not that type of person at all. Imagine the people at the funeral. The 6 roses therefore mean that Mikasa says "I want to be yours" which is addressed to the scarf aka Eren. To seal the deal we have the ring. It's much more likely that Mikasa adopted a baby just like Annie's father adopted Annie when she was just a baby. Historia owns an orphanage and she had teased him about her bandage which she strangely didn't remove. Mikasa was also taken in by the Jaeger so it's something much more symbolic, rather than marrying someone she doesn't really love. Even if she married Jean, she has much more importance and interest in Eren until his death while Jean will always be second rate even though he deserves better, rather than waiting for a woman during years who will never give him his heart. The man next to him has no identity, we do not see his face and neither Mappa nor Isayama have commented on it. So it's open to interpretation and not officially Jean with her, because there are also as I said things which can prove that she is not married and also inconsistencies Eren's psychology and feelings The quest for freedom inherent in man places him in an existence which touches a part of the infinite, pushes him to always want more. A will that the finite animal being cannot understand. Eren Jaeger, a little boy looking up at the sky, finally wondered what made a man. It is in the whole paradox of existence that the child obtains freedom under the sign of the animal. Eren is in fact present in all the birds since the beginning of the manga, contemplating the world while observing himself in a cage. Being a man means taking responsibility for your actions and facing the consequences. And above all, to be a slave to something and accept it. What makes a man like this is his ability to express both the opposite tendency to selfishness and the inclination of himself towards a person. This feeling of baseness and trap set for the individual to perpetuate the species. This weakness which makes him judge his life as inferior, the one which makes him cry, tremble and doubt : love. To be a man is to proudly surrender to love and to be strong enough to express weakness. Eren finds this strength at the very end of his story, by finally accepting to be a man, by finally accepting to be weak (when he admits his feelings for Mikasa). This reveals the reason for the “absence” of his love throughout the manga, which he nevertheless had within him. The proud, thoughtless and insensitive little boy disappears, and man in all his splendor is born, at the very end of his history and by letting his humanity be born like an animal, because it is by accepting to be man and be weak that he regains his freedom. By expressing his feelings, Eren has never been more of a man than in this moment and he gives us here a wonderful example of virility, to express courage and self-respect. It is this force that elevates man to the top of the world. And to understand this, Eren will have gone through all the stages of evolution, until finally understanding that it is neither 15 meters nor 100 meters in height that will bring him closer to freedom. No, being a man and seizing freedom means accepting being weak, accepting your feelings and having the courage to express them. Something that Eren never did throughout his story, until the very end. Because he was afraid of love, understanding and having in his subconscious that love makes you captive, because Ymir was. Love is also the abandonment of oneself for someone who will never give it back to us. A terrible fear that pushes the child to reject this weakness, to make fun of it and to delay his virility. Eren will therefore never have expressed his feelings, he only does so at the very end before his death when he finally finds the Eren that we know, an Eren that Isayama had the impression of having found. He is not pathetic, he is simply proof of what a man is by expressing all the feelings that he had repressed, in the same way that he expresses and accepts his sadness and his uneasiness having destroyed 80 % of humanity. A deep sadness but which was inevitable, and which pushed him to reject his loved ones to save them, but by sacrificing their happiness with them, by sacrificing his happiness with Mikasa. Eren never knew why he did all that, he said so in the episode where he goes through memories with Zeke. It's just ingrained in him since birth, as he has been seeking freedom since he was born from his attacking titan which he will have to inherit anyway. The only thing he did was keep moving forward and make sure everything went according to plan until the conclusion. Because a slave to his own destiny, he was destined for this course of events. Eren is a slave to his titan who pushed him to do all this. He is a contradictory character who wanted to rumble out of desire, but also to save his loved ones and also break the curse. It's very complex. “People can't call it love, and we won't be blessed” Mikasa says during an ending. These words are the true representation of their relationship. In a world where love has no place, he nevertheless tries to flourish but does not succeed. Two children in a cruel world who have grown from teenagers to young adults without being able to fully express their feelings which they both express in different ways, leaving readers to make their own interpretations, often incorrect, without seeing the love that unites them and is extremely subtle. And this sentence describes it perfectly, but above all it confirms that Eren and Mikasa is a love story that cannot be considered love. It is literally described as a love that does not possess the qualities of an obvious romantic relationship. Isayama broke the codes and went so far as to distance them in a brutal and hostile way, while the love is there but in a subtle way which is expressed by ambiguous scenes like “what am I to you » in a romantic way and sad atmosphere which in the end had an unanswered conclusion, or s2ep12 which is bitter romantically where love tries to express itself, only to end up bypassing it and expressing it in a different way "I'm going to 'wrap this scarf over and over again'. Eren and Mikasa are soul mates destined to meet but who will never be able to live out their love, trapped by their destiny already sealed from the beginning that Isayama planned from chapter 1, thus creating an inseparable bond but surrounded by a cruel world.

Léa Eyries

It was Eren who created that alternative reality vision in the paths to convey his true feelings for Mikasa through a hypothetical scenario. Eren pulled Mikasa into Paths as he did with Armin and all other scouts, but without telling her. Instead he let her believe the paths world he created was reality and allowed things to play out differently based on Mikasa’s answer in ep 4x28. She then experienced those whole 4 years with Eren in that alternative reality. I don't think Mikasa would be mentally able kill Eren had she not experienced those 4 peaceful years with him in the paths. It's also assumed that after their interaction in which Eren told Mikasa to throw the scarf away, Eren revealed the truth to Mikasa that them running away was not reality but a paths dream he created, because she anticipated the return of Armin's memories, which only Eren could have told her about. He then told her about his plan to end all titan powers, everything about Ymir and her role in this and where his body was located so she could kill him. The vision acts as an emotional catalyst for Mikasa, solidifying her resolve. She realizes that the peaceful life she desires with Eren is unattainable in the current reality. This painful realization empowers her to take the necessary step to end Eren’s life, both to stop his destructive path and to give him peace. At least Eren gave Mikasa the life she wanted in the end. Sadly it was not reality but her memories of her time there must have felt real and have had an everlasting impact on her which resulted in her being able to kill Eren.

pg.0314

Thank you for sharing your incredible AOT journey, J&J! Since BTS I have always loved the way you explore new territories — learning new things and gaining different perspectives. I hope this show was an exhilarating and somewhat life-changing (on a positive note) experience for you. Every time I rewatch it always brings something different out, especially as life goes on and my mindsets shift. Watching with you this time I actually gained more empathy and understanding towards Eren, Flock and the Yeagerists, likely because my home country happens to be facing an escalated “defend or be defeated” situation recently. Regardless, AOT ending always hits hard because of how real it is to humans across the board. I love the way you end every episodes, and wish us all to be able to “keep an open mind, be kind” at all times 💜

Ushi

It’s also fitting for what is going on here and in the chat 💬 😂

Cheryl Lambert

Second that. I love them, they are up there in the top three AoT reactors for me.

CrimsonRaven

The first thing I noticed about Eren’s titan were his, what I thought of as Elf ears. I then wondered why Zeke’s beast Titan had the same ears. I was happy from a first time watchers perspective that it made sense because they were half brothers. Thanks for pointing out that they represented pigs ears.

Cheryl Lambert

I was thinking the very same thing especially with only the use of the colour red. It’s an amazing, heartbreaking movie.

Cheryl Lambert

Haylo & Kiss just finished AoT also. They are a pair of sisters that watched it as their first anime. It’d be cool if you all did a collaboration discussion about AoT.

Skellyp

Thank you for the amazing reaction!! I don't know if you remember but you read a quote from mine which was quoting Erwin, along the lines of "humans will continue to fight until there is one or less left." This is totally reflective of what goes on in life and may have been a mild spoiler in retrospect. Attack on titan is truly life-changing. 🙌

CamilleR

I won't add any further to the analysis of the show, ending etc. as so many have commented the things I wanted to point out and echoed a lot of my sentiments. I just wanted to say thank you to the two of you, Jared & Jordan. I applaud your hard work and commitment to getting through this so swiftly and seamlessly. A massive shout-out to your moderator, too! I've basically seen zero spoilers or issues within your community. That says a lot about the community as well, so love to everyone here. I've watched this show, one of my favourite stories across media, numerous times. It's been a pleasure to digest it again with you. Reliving the various twist and turns vicariously has been fun. It's brightened up some dark days, so I thank you kindly. Love and blessings to everyone x

Romba_7

I pretty much came to comment this, but as usual, Rae got there first xD Good job, fam.

Romba_7

the scene where armin drops all his ODM gear to convince the Marleyans that the eldians have lost their titan powers is a direct parallel to the scene in season 1 episode 10 where armin convinces the garrison that eren is not a threat to humanity. also notice how grown up armin has been the narrator of AOT this whole time (as if the show has been a retelling from a history book of the events that occurred, which the alliance was planning to publish during the last part of the episode) mikasa gave ymir a resolution, by showing ymir that true love is fighting back against your loved one's actions if they are wrong (mikasa killing eren), instead of continuing to support them blindly (ymir kept being a slave to king fritz despite everything he did to her, because she believed that was true love). mikasa's constant headaches were brought about by ymir trying to "peek into mikasa's head" (probably because ymir wanted to understand mikasa better), not by her “true self trying to resist being forced to protect the host", as eren claimed (she was never trying to protect eren just because he's her "host", ackermans dont actually have that inclination) the scene of mikasa saying "ill see you later, eren" is the same scene eren was dreaming of in the very first scene of AOT. that's why eren woke up crying in season 1 episode 1 (he probably recalled the memories of everything that will happen in the future), and then asked mikasa when her hair got so long (because mikasa's hair was short during the cabin scene, but her hair was long when they were kids).

eliza

I mean...funerals and the burial are more for living loved ones to grieve and mourn, erens dead so he won't know the difference between of a peaceful burial or the opposite lol it was mikasa choice to bury him and that was for her sake You and your homies never had yo mama's tell you never disrespect the dead? That's just asking for bad karma

You have an Army, yeah We got a Jinx(Brandon)

you guys should definitely react to all the openings and endings with subtitles

asta_697

First-time commenter. After seeing how you have rewatched the episodes and dived deep into the tiniest details I can now say you are my all-time favorite AoT reactors! Thanks for everything! Now, about Eren, I’m gonna try to make a case why Eren did what Eren did and will add a part from Isayama’s interview at the end (the famous “Is it merely coincidence that I wasn’t born as a murderer?”). Eren has been this way since the beginning. There are a lot of hints throughout the show: In Seasons 1-2, a couple of times in his Titan form he says “I will destroy the world.” In Season 3, when they argue whether to inject Erwin or Armin, Eren says to Levi, “The only thoughts in my head are full of hate. But Armin is not like this.” In Season 4 Episode 5, when Reiner and Eren talk with Falco as a witness, Reiner thinks Eren is here for revenge (in season 2, when Reiner, Berthold, Ymir, and Eren talk in the forest, Eren says: “I’ll make sure you guys suffer the worst death imaginable.”). But Eren confesses he barely remembers what he said back then. That conversation in season 4 is super important to understand Eren. Eren thinks Reiner and him are the same. They are born in this way. There’s an urge inside them to do what they did, something terrible. If you remember, that episode starts with Berthold thinking about a man who hangs himself after abandoning his three children. Berthold says, “I can’t help but wonder why he tied the noose. I think that man has wanted someone to judge him.” In the last episode of the show, during the conversation with Armin, Eren confesses he didn’t do it for Paradis or for his friends. What he says next makes me believe that these (saving Paradis and his friends) were just excuses. He says, because of me Hange and Sasha got killed. You (Armin) are forced to fight a deadly battle against Floch. Then Eren confesses “No. I didn’t do it for your sake. I wanted to level everything. I wanted to see this sight (destruction, trampled world). I don’t know why. I just wanted to do it...so very badly.” Now, here is the part from the 2017 interview: Contrary to the wars of human history, the victorious and the defeated within a manga is decided by its author. Can you determine what is right in the end? "Ultimately, I don’t think the series passes judgment on what is “right” or “wrong.” For example, when I read Furuya Minoru’s “Himeanole,” I knew society would consider the serial killer in the story unforgivable under social norms. But when I took into account his life and background I still wondered, “If this was his nature, then who is to blame…?” I even thought, “Is it merely coincidence that I wasn’t born as a murderer?” We justify what we absolutely cannot accomplish as “a flaw due to lack of effort,” and there is bitterness within that. On the other hand, for a perpetrator, having the mindset of “It’s not because I lack effort that I became like this” is a form of solace. We cannot deny that under such circumstances, the victims’ feelings are very important. But considering the root of the issue, rather than evaluating “what is right”…to be influenced by various other works and their philosophies, and to truthfully illustrate my exact feelings during those moments - I think that’s what Shingeki no Kyojin’s ending will resemble. "

CrimsonRaven

What a crazy ride! I'm so glad to have been here for the final episodes with you guys. You motivated me to actually finish AOT, where I had only watched the first season before. I finished the series before watching along with you guys, just so I could see if you were right with any of your predictions along the way, and it made it so much better knowing what craziness was coming, and getting to watch you two put all the pieces of the puzzle together. Now we know what all the fuss was about! Hands down, one of my favorite scenes in the finale, and in the entire series, is Armin's conversation with Zeke in the Paths. I've been battling depression and chronic pain since I was 13 (I turned 27 on June 6th), and so few days go by where I don't wish I wasn't alive. I ask myself so many times what it is I'm living for, if I have to drag myself through so much pain just to be here. So to hear Armin reminisce about racing with his childhood friends, and how maybe he had been born just to race them up this hill, and how Zeke could have played catch with Ksaver forever, it touched something deeper in my soul. It made me think back to all my own moments of racing up my own hill, playing my own game of catch, with the people in my life that tether me to the Earth. Maybe it's worth it, to suffer through so much pain, if I get to have moments like that. To see all the beauty of the world hiding in plain sight because yes, the world is so very cruel, but it's also so achingly beautiful. Levi seeing all his fallen comrades hit me hard too. Aside from the handful of people who fought with him to stop the Rumbling, he's the sole survivor of the Scouts. He's lost everyone else he's ever been close to, and watched the deaths of countless soldiers, all in the name of freedom. And now that Eren has been stopped and the Power of the Titans is gone, Levi finally allows himself to grieve for all the deaths it took to get them here. I'm not gonna lie, the ending is a bit of a downer, with the real life realization that humanity will never be free from war, but that only strengthens my resolve to live for the beauty of connection with other people, and everything else the world has to offer. I'm grateful to AOT for all it's given me, and to you, J & J, for bringing it to me in the first place. I can't wait to join you on the next anime you watch! P.S. I would definitely sit here and rewatch the entire series with you. I rewatched the first two episodes right after watching the finale, and the entire experience was like a continuous slap to the face with foreshadowing, and I'd love to see you two react to all the scenes that are given new meaning now!

Sarah P.

Now that it's over. Erens dream in episode one contains spoilers. The Ackermans (from my understanding) have the powers of the Titans due to experimentation by the King, that's why they're stronger, faster and seem to heal faster and cannot turn into titans. Mikasa crying always makes me tear up. Every single time. Just like the real world, eventually people forget the lessons learned and the cycle continues. It's bitter because when Iook at the world today I sit and think "why can't we all just talk like adults"? I make the comment a lot that war only happens because adults in power don't know how to talk to eachother like adults so they'll send the younger generation to go die. Not listening or talking is a choice that's made all the time. Why? It really makes no sense.

Tom Bombadil

Love this ancillary content. It would be fun to binge watch AOT Jr. High together!

antionette7

Thank you Jared, Jordan, and moderator for your amazing work! I’m a manga reader and I really enjoyed my second AoT journey alongside you guys. Jordan said you can’t force it on someone, but twelve years ago my little sister actually forced me to read the manga (bless her!) Your videos have always made my day. Hope you guys visit Japan aka “Hi Izuru Kuni” someday!! Much love from Japan💕

Snowsnow

Beautiful! Thank you so much, hiro ame, for your insight. I loved reading your words.

antionette7

EMANUEL GOOD TO SEE YOU!

Peach

I LOVE LEVI so much! and you are so right he deserved a great ending!

Peach

Thank you for sharing, Slussh. I’m glad you are here and I appreciate your thoughtful words.💜

antionette7

HOW U KILL MOST OF HUMANITY AND GET A PEACEFUL BURIAL. ME AND ALL MY HOMIES HATE EREN YAEGAR

star

YOURE THE BEST, OUR MODERATOOOR! 💖💖💗

Peach

Well said Rheyia! You helped me understand that part perfectly! Thank you! 💜

Peach

MOD PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE AOT RAP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNlQCxVgWko

star

its true because we think we in the most advanced civilisation currently but historians are still at a loss with certain advancments like the pyramids and great wall of china etc so im sure there are many secrets from a more advanced past. great discussion

star

This is just my own understanding of why Eren was saying that Mikasa is the one who freed the Founder Ymir, here me out: King Fritz was a ruthless, selfish, cruel king that used Ymir and abused her powers. He never loved her; he only made her his concubine to create offsprings with and continue the royal and titan bloodline. However, despite this, Ymir still loved King Fritz so deeply that she never disobeyed him and maintained her loyalty until the end. Because of this and since she had the titan power, even if her physical body died, she was never really dead because she was in the "PATHS" for 2,000 years bound to her undying love and devotion to King Fritz and his royal bloodline. Now comes Mikasa, in a way Ymir saw herself in Mikasa in terms of her deep love and total devotion to Eren despite his multiple bad decisions. She was also always on Eren's side even when he was slaughtering humanity. Even when Eren pushed her away and wounded her feelings, breaking her heart; she still loved and tried to save him. The headaches she was experiencing was Ymir peeking into her head. When Mikasa had that "dream" of having an alternative life with Eren in the mountains, it was Eren's or maybe even Ymir's last attempt to make Mikasa fully fall into that fake reality causing her not to kill Eren. BUT, Mikasa woke up and ultimately decided to push through and KILL HER ONE AND ONLY LOVE: EREN. When Ymir saw that Mikasa was able to kill Eren despite her intense love for him, she finally saw that it can be done, it's like she wanted to see someone that has the same level of devotion as her, sacrifice her love for the greater good...the very thing that she wasn't able to do when King Fritz was being a tyrant yet she stood by due to her blind devotion. That's why you see a scene where King Fritz was shot by the arrow while Ymir was embracing her 3 daughters, that was what she should've done if she only had the guts to fight against her unrequited love. Mikasa truly and undeniably loved Eren, but she chose to kill him to save humanity. This act freed Ymir from the love that bounded her to King Fritz. I hope this made sense, it did in my head lol Yet again, I've cried and got my heart broken watching this final episode...it is truly tragic yet beautiful at the same time. And very very very realistic, this should be watched by global leader in our own society tbh. What a journey J&J, thank you for taking us with you on this ride. Hope you enjoyed it :)

Rheyia Pomar

The hatred of the people will never end

Mankichiro

AOT is One of the best anime I've ever seen. Thank you for the great reaction guys. A 10/10 masterpiece from the beginning to the end. What an amazing and beautiful journey Attack on Titan will forever live with me and for the last time ( Shinzou Sasageyo )

Badriya

If it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't have rewatched my favorite anime of all time again. And I'm so glad I did. It will always be my favorite because at its core, it's a MASTERFUL exploration of the human condition, encapsulating the complexities of conflict, morality, and the cyclical nature of hatred and violence in such an interesting, deep and entertaining way. Eren's journey is emblematic of the blurred lines between good and evil. His intentions, initially rooted in the pursuit of freedom for his people, evolve into actions that place him as both a liberator and a destroyer. Seeing this duality forced me to confront the uncomfortable truth that morality is not black and white but a spectrum of greys where context, perspective, and circumstance play crucial roles. I also love how it parallels real-world conflicts, illustrating how wars are often driven by fear, misunderstanding, and a desperate struggle for survival. The Marleyan and Eldian conflict mirrors countless historical and contemporary struggles, reminding us of the human cost of prejudice and the devastating impact of systemic oppression. In the end, Attack on Titan is not just a story of Titans and warfare but a poignant commentary on humanity's perpetual battle with itself. It asks us to examine our beliefs, our prejudices, and our actions in a world where the quest for peace is often marred by the very means we use to achieve it. It reminds us that understanding and empathy are essential in breaking the cycles of hate and building a world where freedom is not a dream, but a shared reality.

nizzy

oh and lots and lots of love and hearts for the wonderful moderator who protected our guys from being spoiled so they could be fully mind blown, confused, and questioning their entire existence by the end (XD) and to enjoy every bit of what this great show had to offer 💗💗

its_aliza

Thank u jared, thank u jordan, thank u moderator. it has been a pleasure

Roberto Rossodivita

Those people just never realised that they are actually creating a monster..

its_aliza

It was great to experience AoT again through your eyes, what a journey. It's the first time I sub to a Patreon for AoT reactions too. Thanks! Also, I'm not sure if anybody has suggested it already and I know in the reaction you said there are some music videos regarding AoT you will be checking out, but let me go ahead and recommend these: Hiroyuki Sawano / Project【emU】 “Attack on Titan” suite - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6Fl1Xl1ogg Ending the 10 Years Recording Attack on Titan Final - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxrTDrz21Jo REQUIEM FOR ATTACK ON TITAN // Grissini Project Orchestra - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i06vEDnLlQE

Manuel

Really guys I absolutely enjoyed every bit of this journey with you both and everyone else on this Patreon.. I'm really going to miss your notifications for AOT a lot. Thanks guys for giving AOT a chance.. I know the last episode can be really really confusing especially when you're not fully understanding of the whole paths, time travel, and memory erasure stuff in the show. I will read the comments and see if someone has fully explained everything to you guys without missing anything and if I can clear up any point

its_aliza

You guys are going to be reading through a ton of theories, perspectives, and understandings from all us viewers. I just want to let everyone here know that I love and respect all opinions of the show, and recognize that each and everyone of us can have a perspective this is equally correct. Isayama....ended all story arcs, so many different stories in this finale. I've read some explanations from other patrons explaining this and that arc in the end, but I'll go ahead and explain what I "think" a certain arc meant, at least to me and some others I know. This arc is that of Breaking the Cycle of Hate and Prejudice through the Perseverance of Life. When Armin was in the Paths talking to Zeke, Zeke felt defeated because Eren found a way to "see" the founder Ymir and her internal state instead of him. This internal state was because she wanted connection/love, and she loves King Fritz, no matter how twisted it was. All of us humans want and desire human connection and love. We are drawn to it no matter how defeated we feel. When Armin picks up the leaf, we see flashbacks of him running up the hill with Eren and Mikasa, the leaves rustling in the wind as they go. Zeke sees the baseball Dr Svaser had given him. If you recall each of these (or just pull them up and watch them), these characters felt both love and connection to humans despite how brutal and cruel the outside world is. The leaf and the baseball are pictures of beauty and memories of "connection". The scarf if an amazing example of such an item where Eren "connected" with Mikasa. He didn't give it to her during her awakening, it happened after, meaning the very act of this has NOTHING to do with him supposedly controlling her. It was a simple act of making her feel wanted and accepted. Loved. There are many other examples of connection hinted at between other characters, it's an arc I've noticed the last several rewatches of this magnificent show. After Zeke and Armin recognized their "connection" items, we see the past "users" of the nine titans in the paths. The Warriors and Comrades we used to know...still awake...in a long dream between life and death. I would like to think, and I could be wrong about this, that these users have been stuck here helplessly, mentally and emotionally in the paths, unable to move around and be at peace, forever trapped with the founder Ymir. No hope. No cause to even be alive. Just stranded "husks" without any light. Zeke was recalling the story of life beginning, how it can't help but want to proliferate, to multiply, to PERSIST. You gotta remember that Zeke wanted to euthanize the entire population because he was convinced despite multiplying and persevering, it was still hopeless. But our guy Zeke, with the help of Armin, was able to persuade the past users to fight for life one last time. Eren had every right and ability to control these users, but didn't, he didn't take free will from them, and Armin and Zeke only reminded them of this FREE WILL. They utilized the ability of the war hammer through the founder because they were CONNECTED TO THE PATHS as well. To GET BACK UP AND FIGHT. Fight forward. For life. For freedom. For humanity. One connection that has been evident since this series began, is one for the audience. The Scout Regiment. A group created to take down the titans, defend humanity and life. Never surrender. GIVE YOUR HEARTS. Oh gosh, it just fills our bones with such purpose!!! The symbol is that of wings and swords, clashing for freedom in the skies, knowing very well it could be our last breath, but so long as we have our cause to defend life, we can keep going. I have a tattoo of the scouts symbol on the back of my hand. This show saved me from suicidal thoughts. Whenever I feel hopeless, I look at my hand and remember everything the scouts did and why. What they sacrificed. For LIFE. Breaking the cycle of hate from Ymir (personal/cultural/toxic cycles from family), and utilizing the desire to multiply, to persevere. "The Scout Regiment is made up of a bunch of dreamers who don't know when to quit." As Jeff Goldblum says in Jurassic Park, "Life, uh...finds a way."

Shoto IcyHot (Slussh)

Hi, thank you for your amazing reaction!!!! You finally got here!!!! When I started re-reading AOT after the conclusion, I truly thought "This was the show about how the ""world's villain"" were created" all along. I'm sure most of you are going to clarify stuff, so I'm going to write about what I see from a Japanese perspective. Sorry for my poor English. About Levi killing Zeke: As a Japanese, the first thing I thought looking to this scene was "This is a KAISHYAKU from Levi to Zeke". To explain this "Kaishyaku", I need to start from explaining the culture of "Seppuku". I don't know how many of you know about the Japanese culture "Seppuku" that samurais had in the past, but samurais in old days, chose death at so many situations they were in to order to protect their own prides. And the way to kill themselves was to cut open their own stomach with their katanas. But most of the time, that cutting open their stomach didn't do enough for them to be dead cleanly. So they got a person who they can trust, and let them cut off their heads after the seppuku to end them completely. And this action to finish off the person who did seppuku, was called "kaishaku". So what I saw in this scene is not just Levi killing his old enemy, but giving Zeke the respect and "kaishyaku", because of Zeke's determination to let Levi kill Zeke himself in order to stop Eren. Zeke knew he had to die at that point to stop the rumbling. About how Iasayama wanted to paint Eren(It's just my analysis!): Long time ago, Isayama wrote a article on his blog. It was about reading some article of a mass murderer in the past, and Isayama wrote that he got the impression that "those people" just "happened" to be them. Non of them chose themselves to be that way and they couldn't do anything about whom they were or what to do with the desires they had. They were just born that way.(I know some becomes a mass murderer from their upbringing, but some are just born that way.) From that, I thought Isayama wanted to paint Eren as one of "those people", no reason, just wanted to see the flat land no matter what. In this conclusion, Eren called himself an idiot, and I think that is because he didn't even know why he wanted that, only he knew was how badly he wanted that. (Just for incase, I'm not saying that "those people" are innocent or anything! They are mass murderers for sure, and as Eren got his judgment, the others also needed that for their own actions.) About Okapi(this is just for fun fact. lol): Okapi is an animal, I think it lives in Africa? Anyway, there aren't okapis in Japan either, but when I was in my teens(so does Isayama was), the educational channel on TV had a children's song including the word "okapi". lol From that time, okapi was used as kind of a meme in Japan in time to time. lol I think this is where Isayama got the idea of okapi. (I thought I'd put the link for the song, but I manage to keep my sanity. lol) I don't know how many of you read my comment I posted before about how AOT was published. But I want to write it again to thank not only Isayama, but Kawakubo too, for this great story Isayama gave us. Isayama took his first idea to the most popular publisher in Japan which was arrogance in the company's methods.(They made lots of authors to change their stories "so that" they can sell.) But the editor there send Isayama away, they thought the idea of AOT was "not good". But after that, Isayama took his idea to another publisher, and that was the place Isayama met this new recruit editor Kawakubo. Kawakubo thought that Isayama was "the man who has to become a legend", so even Kawakubo was just a new recruit, he did everything to protect the idea of AOT as Isayama wanted to write and the best way it could of delivered. So all thanks to Isayama of course, but I don't want you to forget about Kawakubo either! :) (I believe he was the editor who asked Isayama "Does Sasha really have to die here?" in S2.) And also, I have to thank Mappa too.(Of course, WIT studio in the first place, but) if Mappa didn't decide to pick up this high pressure series, we have never got to watch the animated conclusion. Thank you Mappa. AOT is so well done storytelling, so sometime I see people criticizing about how it concluded. When I see that, I think they have forgotten this is just a "manga" that a single man wrote, not a history textbook that supervised by several professors. The conclusion Isayama wrote is "the conclusion" and I love it so much. I think the ending of this letting it look like it's starting all over is a message from Isayama "If we can't change, this will keep happening". I know this is not a textbook, but I have a confidence that I can say, the people who have the opportunity to read(or see), should read(watch) this story. And no one can forget to thank you two, Jared and Jordan. For this wonderful opportunity to watch this series with a wonderful person like you two, and also this wonderful community you have here. It was my daily joy to watch it here, and I'll always support you!! I hope you have your joyful life of anime to come, I'm looking forward for your new reactions. Thank you again for the greatest journey I ever had with a first time watcher of AOT, have fun and take care ;) With love, Ame hiro.

hiro ame

Ur killua pfp has brightened my days just by looking at it, so that in itself had been an added lil nugget of fun in this journey with j&j ✨️

silly goose

this is epic haha

Shoto IcyHot (Slussh)

"Entertaining frustration" omg i felt that!!! Mostly when the boys would make an accurate guess of what was happening on screen only to double back, doubt themselves, and proceed to accidentally confuse themselves more! So many times i was like NO WAIT U WERE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME DONT SECOND GUESS YOURSELVES. I KNOW YOU KNOW THIS !!!! hahaha

silly goose

Here is something that i only recently found out about that in season 1 there was a scene that showed Mikasa looking at a Praying Mantis and if you didnt know a Female Praying Mantis is known for BEHEADING THEIR PARTNER

Jordy_EMS

I absolutely love your analysis on this. What a good read.

silly goose

HUGE AGREE. I love love love Eren. He is unmatched in his character complexity. I loved how you described him as both caring and callous, selfless and selfish. One of the greats

silly goose

Welcome fully to the full watchers club!! Yours and the other first time watchers comments throughout added so much and were so entertaining to read! Thanks for taking the time to type them all out, know they were much appreciated by us all.

Kevin

Beautifully said. 👌

Kevin

We made it to the end this was a great rewatch with everyone !!!

Mikeyy

*first time watcher - for the very last time 🥲* The End. Over. Owari desu~ Wow. Where do I begin.. Its hard to gather all my thoughts, SO much happened.. As I mentioned in my previous, I watched this on my own first, so alot of what I wrote below were before re-watching with J&J.. I still had to cut it as short as I could 😅 The Battle of Heaven and Earth. Past generation of the Nine Titans. What an epic way of showing these forms [reminds me of a scene in Naruto S. but I know its different lol]. What seemed like a losing battle, they just “dont know when to quit”. Epic scene again when the Jaw flew just in the nick of time to save them. We kept seeing small birds throughout, dang now we see the biggest one. Pieck’s endurance was crazy..such an amazing character and portrayal of her abilities. Im not exactly sure how the past generation Titan wielders appeared, but I think its open for interpretation. How I took it was, Zeke, who kinda looked like he lost all hope there sitting and building sandcastles like a child, lighten up and remembered his own, when Armin spoke about his precious memories. If those memories or little hope, was what brought the others and them together and they helped..🤷‍♀️ I know Armin said Ymir was seeking connection too. But brilliant way of bringing back past characters, albeit briefly, in the Paths/ in death. Levi finally, FINALLY, got closure. Fulfilling the last promise. I teared up for that awesome man. Also, RIP Zeke. First and last appearance of that topless dude. I think all the characters were portrayed beautifully and fit very well together, puzzle pieces of an amazing masterpiece. Without even one, it wont be complete. Ugh 🥲, tearful reunions. It was beautiful. All of it. But it wasnt over just yet. Those last scenes of battle, the ending fight between Armin and Eren, their entire conversation, seeing all the scouts speak about Eren and finally Mikasa looking peaceful holding Eren’s head, speaks for itself. Not to mention Mikasa’s headaches, Ymir seeing what she couldnt do, but found possible peace in what Mikasa did. All of it. The connection to why Carla had to die. I… no words.. And that end credit scenes 👏 Bravo.. Overall, this was one hell of a journey. Words cannot fully express how much this show has made an impact on me, and Im sure it has for everyone who watched as well. Isayama. You’re definitely a genius. Credit to every single person involved in making this show. Looking forward to the final wrap up discussions. Thank you J&J, moderator and the community for such a exhilarating experience watching A.O.T. 💣💜🙏🏻 ~ kkeut TIME TO FINALLY READ COMMENTS AND CHAT! 🎉

Lynn #7

J&J’s discussion at the end getting all existential gave me an entirely new fan theory! The AOT story is true, but was just lost to time. The boy with his dog in the very last scene who finds the tree is actually Hajime Isayama, who gained the memories of the titans. But rather than use Titan powers for a force of destruction, he learned from Eren Yaeger’s mistakes, and instead simply chose to tell the world his story in the form of a manga. New fan theory complete! 😂

Kevin

First time watcher. AOT, what a show it is. What a journey. I’m thinking back when I start with you guys and how excited I was. In a sense this show drains you lol but in the best way possible. It’s so insightful and timeless. I truly feel like it’s timeless. It could relate a thousand years in the past, it relates now, and it would probably relate to yearss in the future because it does such a beautiful job at showing the complexity of life. The cruel beauty, the never ending hate and war, but also the love and fight. Life. That what AOT is, a depiction and portrayal of life. I’ve never seen such a perfect show. Isayama is an out of this world story teller and that’s not at all doing him justice. That’s like the biggest understatement. I feel for Eren. It’s not like he chose this life. He had no say or choice in it at all. Now just thinking of him in the ground under that tree, the outcome of such a hard life. He’s free, like genuinely and truly free. That bird was symbolic of that. He really didn’t deserve this life. He’s been going insane trying to navigate all the memories he’s seen since 11 years old. Knowing he’s the cause of a terrible and unforgivable disaster. He was just a kid. But I’m happy he’s free now, no more suffering and turmoil. Mikasa, my girl. She loves Eren so much but she was able to kill him without hesitation because she knew it was what was needed to save humanity. She’s such a strong, resilient character. I just hate she had to go through all she did. She was hurting so much but she laid Eren to rest and ended his suffering. I hope she lived a happy life and found love again. I think the ending was showing her life, right? I really couldn’t see it. Was those people surrounding the tree at one point, her, her kids, and her husband? Idk who she ended up with I couldn’t tell but if it was Jean, I’m here for it. And also, did they lay her to rest beside Eren? When they showed her arms crossed in front of her with flowers in her hands, I can’t tell if she was being buried or if she was just laying beside him. Either way, it was still beautiful. Was the little boy we saw at the end a descendant of Mikasa? He had a red scarf around his neck or maybe I’m tripping. I’ll have to go back and see. Armin. How much he’s grown. Ik i just talked about it last episode, but he’s grown so much but he’s also just always been who he’s always been. His hopefulness, his optimism, his belief in the world. He never once lost that. It may have wavered but he’s never lost it. My all time favorite character. I love him. I remember i used to be sooo scared that something was gonna happen to him. That’s how uk he’s my favorite character. I was dreading it but I felt like something was gonna happen to him throughout the series. I’m so glad I was wrong, a character like Armin should be at the end. He’s been a vital part of the survival of humanity. When he saw Eren’s head and screamed, I instantly started crying with him. I feel like I was more hurt for all Eren’s friends than I was for Eren. I had accepted that his death was necessary and so it wasn’t gut wrenching until after the fact when I thought about his life in general. And even then I was just glad he was free from all his suffering. But the impact it had on the others, Armin and Mikasa especially, is what broke my heart. That scene was so raw, Armin’s voice actor portrayed so much pain in those screams. There’s some extremely talented people behind AOT. I’m so glad I started this journey with you guys 2J. I hate to see this AOT ride end but it was a good one. And I most definitely will be watching again. No time soon, it’s too engrained for me to watch again just yet. I’d love to put one of my siblings or somebody onto AOT and watch it with them sometime down the line. It’s hard to think it’s actually finished. I’ve enjoyed it so much. I’m gonna be thinking and talking about this show for a long time and I don’t think anything could top it. One last thing, I hateeee that the cycle is just repeating😭 but it’s so true to life. History just repeats itself. But while it makes me feel helpless like Jordan mentioned, I also think a better life is worth fighting for in the moment. All that the characters of AOT did to guarantee a better life for themselves and future generations paid off. Yes, it’ll repeat itself always and it’ll never be perfect, but at least they got to experience a BETTER world in their lifetime. That’s all they wanted. The cycle will never end but people willing to fight for change will never be nonexistent either. It’s just life. War and hate vs love and the desire for better.

Kia

Eren is arguably the most tragic and complex character in the entire series. The word "complex" has been overused ad nauseam but that's exactly what he is. By definition, a complex character is a character that's layered, nuanced, and has beliefs, desires, motivations that are contradictory and conflicting. Eren is both selfless and selfish, caring and callous, and had internal as well as external factors that were involved in his decision to do the Rumbling. We’ve seen throughout the story how he’s capable of loving and caring very deeply for other people especially those closest to him. Yet we’ve also seen a side to him that’s extreme and at times disturbing even in earlier seasons. Levi called him a monster and not because of his Titan powers. Mikasa said that his Titan was the embodiment of humanity’s rage without even knowing it was him. And during the Rumbling he confessed to Ramzi that he wanted this to happen after seeing that the outside world wasn’t what he imagined from Armin’s book. He said in Season 1 that the person who saw those sights from the book would be the freest person in the world and this was then brilliantly called back in the first special. I think he did it for his friends to give them long lives and to make them look like heroes but also there’s a selfish part of him that wanted to do it. Both reasons contradict each other but they make sense because of what's already been established. While I don’t support Eren’s actions, I understand why he did what he did. There’s a fine line between writing a character that’s complex and writing someone who’s out of character and I think Isayama was successful in doing the former. I’m so glad y'all got to experience this incredible story. It's been amazing watching y'alls journey and I can't wait for future reactions. Thank you to you and the moderator for all your hard work ❤️

Rae

when this finale dropped, i had to stay off the internet all day cause i was at work. i got off, went home, facetimed my best friend at the time, and he and i watched it together on facetime. he and i SOBBED through almost the entire thing, but we didn't pause once. thank you both for all of your hard work. glad you now have seen this masterpiece in full 💖

hin0kamikagura

ENDING EXPLANATION: The dialogue in the “past memory” scenes reveals everything. I won’t quote it too much to make this not as long, but a lot of this is supported by those memory scenes. Many people think that Eren became a villain for the greater good, or think he was just a foolish boy who became obsessed with power, but these notions are not primarily the case. Eren and Mikasa were merely tools for the greater force at hand, which was Ymir. This whole show is kind of like a bible story, not necessarily because of religious aspects, but because it tells a story of “early” humans, some with metaphysical abilities, dealing with a godlike figure (Ymir). I believe this whole show at its core, is a tale about Ymir and her 2000-year struggle for freedom. Eren and Mikasa happen to be perfect candidates for Ymir to finally break free. Eren was a slave to freedom and Mikasa was a slave to love, just like how Ymir was a slave of King Fritz while also being in love with him for millennia. Eren was also always on the extreme side of things, as represented by the many flashbacks of young Eren brutally killing Mikasa’s kidnappers (not normal for a child to do), and Mikasa wondering if Eren was always this way. This was another point in why Ymir chose Eren, so that he may be able to commit the extreme actions of the rumbling in the future. These conditions were perfect for Ymir to “manipulate” Eren and OBSERVE Mikasa, as their actions are a reflection of Ymir’s potential. Simply put, it could be said that Ymir needed proof from Eren and especially Mikasa, that she too could kill and let go of their enslavers and be free. Mikasa said herself that Ymir peeked into her head (which caused the headaches) whenever MIkasa tried to protect Eren with "awakened powers". Ymir was watching Mikasa for her interactions with Eren. This is why it was so important for everyone to have their free will in the end. Eren said to the crew in the paths, “you are free”, but he was especially talking to Mikasa. Importantly, he knew from what Ymir told him, that whatever Mikasa was going to do in the future was the most desirable outcome that he should move to (as revealed in the Armin&Eren memory scene). However, this was also a convenient cover for Ymir to guide Eren, because she knew that Mikasa killing Eren was the ultimate proof that she needed to be free. There was a reason why they showed Ymir smiling behind Eren and Mikasa when she killed him. That was the moment Ymir had been yearning for. Eren was enslaved by Ymir and did everything he could to finally get her to see if Mikasa could kill him. As Eren said himself, he was always a slave to freedom since the very beginning, from leading his mom away from Bertholdt to activating the rumbling. This was why Kenny’s arc was so important. He was the first one to set the tone that “everyone is a slave to something”, and that everyone needed to be a slave to keep going. This turned out to be literally true. Eren and Mikasa were slaves so that the rest of humanity could keep going. If you connect Eren, Mikasa, and Ymir as reflections of each other, It makes sense that it took a staggering 80% of the world’s population to end a staggering 2000 years of love. After finally being set free, Ymir can die in peace, along with her titan creations and the paths. Eren becoming a villain so that enemies can come together and be heroes of the world was NOT the primary goal, but more of a side-effect. Ymir couldn’t care less about how the world ended up or unifying people together against a common enemy when she was helping with world genocide-level deaths, which is way worse than whatever benefits there may be for the world. Ethics was not the focus for her, but it was for the crew which she took advantage of to achieve her goal. I just wanted to offer some additional perspectives for anyone to consider, but I know the ending is incredibly deep and complex. Of course, there are so many concepts, details, and other commentaries the show makes while telling this story such as anti-war and anti-racism that someone can write for days about, which is what makes this show so great. In my opinion, AOT may or may not be the best show, but it’s definitely the most important show I have ever watched. Thanks for your reactions and for letting me learn so much more from my rewatch!

Nate

I think it's beautiful the way all of the character's stories ended. I loved that Mikasa married and had children (implied to be with Jean), but I especially love Levi's ending. He can just live the rest of his days handing out candy to children and being accompanied by Falco, Gabby, and Onyankapon (I'm sure Yelena needs a little warming up lol). All of the characters have been through hell, but Levi specifically deserves his rest more than anyone. He's been through crazy shit since the day he was born. Speaking of, Isayama just recently released a side story called "Bad Boy" which explains more of Levi's back story. In No Regrets, we see why he ended up in the survey corps and was so devoted to Erwin, but in Bad Boy, Isayama shows us how and why his powers got triggered in the first place. It adds incredible depth to his character so please check it out if you can, it's short (only 18 pages I believe), but it tells a lot. Much love

Muh-la-lay

when the rewatch does eventually happen (i assume with a third person), it would be nice if there was a segment at the end of each episode with just the two of you so you guys can discuss the things you notice without spoiling your friend.

Muh-la-lay

oh man this scene with the baby always reminds me of "Schindler's List". One of the best movies ever made and it's no secret that Isayama used many aspects of Germany's sad past. If you haven't seen the movie yet, now might be the perfect time to do so and post the first movie reaction. :P

Maka

Loved your thoughts and perspective throughout, Cheryl. Hope you are well now.

antionette7

Very nice Myth of Sisyphus quotes! I love absurdism, and am thinking about getting a Sysiphus tattoo on my upper arm haha. I wonder if people who generally subscribe to absurdism find greater joy watching AoT since they share many similar themes.

Kevin

Thanks for your thoughts. I’ve enjoyed your perspective throughout this series, Sidarth.

antionette7

Shit got real.

Snix

YOOOO. i have been gone for a while, i have been so busy, but i got a handful of episodes to binge now and the ENDING??? less gooo

Emanuel 2

Kane Pixels on YouTube does an amazing job helping visualize just how scary Titans are by creating animation/edits that truly encapsulate the terror of witnessing the violence in the show-- adds a whole lot of perspective. Hope you guys can check it out! https://youtu.be/nZr1C9KG7hY?si=7nQbjTkIGpSELeDj

Muh-la-lay

This was an amazing journey to go on with the both of you. This is my first time commenting but I wanted to thank you for your amazing reactions. There is so much to grasp in this show and you guys honestly killed it. This was my 12th rewatch and I feel honored to have watched it with you guys. I want to share one of the scenes I find the most powerful, which is the scene of the people falling off the cliff carrying the baby towards the rumbling. This scene encapsulates the show as a whole so well in my opinion. In the face of absolutely certain death, people who are strangers to one another all band together to try to keep that baby alive for as long as possible in the hopes that they can save it. I have cried at that scene every single time, and it shows the humanity within everyone despite the hate-filled reality the characters, and we ourselves, live in. I also want to clarify for you guys that the time travel is less time travel but rather memories and in Eren's case, or rather the founder's case, all the memories are happening at once and the founder alone can affect different points in time regardless of where they are in their own journey. Unfortunately Eren sending the titan toward his mother was the truth and this is one of the few times Eren truly has an impact on the past, and though it is never made clear or obvious, I believe it is because he does not want to mess with the free will of those he could theoretically change the fates of by steering them or the titan that kills them on a different path. I also want to touch on the scenes with Armin and Mikasa talking to Eren. Eren molded the paths to portray things to the both of them. For Armin he showed him their dream of the outside world and for Mikasa he showed her what might have been if she had given him a different answer on the night they all got drunk with the refugees. He then erased those memories of the time in the paths with him and gave them back as he opened his eyes to watch Mikasa swing her blade at his neck, knowing that he had finally reached his final moments. This is an absolutely beautiful show and I highly recommend giving it a rewatch to any first time viewers due to the sheer profound nature of the shows story beats. Every single scenes hits differently after knowing how everything turns out. Thank you once again for your amazing reactions to this series J&J.

WhyTeddy

Isayama has given us a lot of content of the characters outside of the 'AoT universe'. For example, there is Attack on Titan: Junior High, which is essentially just a fun couple of episodes with all of the characters in a junior high setting, and its super fun if you guys want to check it out. There is also this whole other 'high school alternate universe' Isayama created where he puts our characters in a normal high school setting. It hasn't been animated but there are drawings and dabbles he's released throughout the years. We see Mikasa in goth, Levi as a school janitor, Ewrin as a history teacher, Hange as a science teacher, and much more (fun fact, when eren's head touched zeke, right before we end up in the paths, we get a montage of seemingly random scenes, and Isayama snuck in goth mikasa and armin for a split second, which you can see if you slow it down. so technically according to AoT, in some alternate universe, the AoT cast is enjoying their high school years lol).

Muh-la-lay

Thanks, Val, for a great summary. I’ll also add Mikasa realizes throughout the series there is no alternative path. Eren’s death is imminent in every universe/scenario. I believe this realization (she cannot save Eren) aides her in her final act of love: killing Eren.

antionette7

I love the complicated picture of love that AOT paints. Mikasa chose to live life, love another, raise a family, but it doesn’t have to negate the time and space she holds in her heart for Eren. Love is not simple, nor is it confineable. I agree, it’s weird to ask anyone to pine away for a lifetime. Thanks for all your intelligent posts throughout this series, Kevin. I have throughly enjoyed your perspective.

antionette7

Very beautiful, Peach. Glad you are here and I have throughly enjoyed your $0.02 on this journey!

antionette7

WOW..just wow. That's all I can say to this amazing journey I embarked on. So many lessons this masterpiece of a show taught me. But the biggest one is what one of my favorite rappers have said. RM (aka Namjoon of BTS) said, “cause true beauty is a true sadness, now you can feel my madness.” I truly feel like this sums up AOT. Life is unpredictable and you will never know what will happen. You don't know what tomorrow will bring nor what the next day after will bring. You don't know anything. However, there's beauty in the sadness because it made you who you are. Some, it brought out madness (Eren). Some, it brought out growth (rest of the main characters). Some, it brought out self-reflection (many characters, especially the adults). Some, it brought out love for others no matter who they are (Gabi, Falco, some on Marley). So, the sadness made you grow and learn. It's true beauty to growth and many of the characters in AOT grown beautifully. They have grown by suffering and by the joy. ‘If you choose not to grow, you will never see the true beauty of life.’ Overall, first, I want to thank Isayama for creating a masterpiece that has given me hope for true shows that have loved being involved in it. It also revealed my niche, which is storytelling editing and brought back my love for that. AOT was made with love and cultivated with love so now I want to make the same type of editings. I wish I could meet you, Isayama, since I have so much to say and ask; but thank you to now my favorite anime writer! Second I want to thank both studios. They both did a fantastic job with the animation. The animation drew me in and was the best I have seen in a long time. As most already know, I have a huge love for editing (obviously lol) and cinematography. The camera work was insaaaane all series. The fight scenes was shot to perfection and it felt like you were alongside them with the ODM gear. My favorite in this season (s4) was the rotoscoping in the show. Oh my! It felt so lively and made the characters more humane. The touches they gave one another, the facial expressions, and the bodily expressions were also absolutely spectacular! Thank you to both studios. Such a job well done! I feel like the Townperson B’s should never be ignored. Last but not least I would like to thank you J&J and the community. I feel like this community should be called the Scouts or the Gladiators (or Warriors lol)! Thank you all for essentially being a joy in my life for all the pain I have been going through currently this year! I was always excited to see what would happen next and the fact that you guys (J&J) showed care and effort into this series (and all the animes) made it all worthwhile. THANK YOU ALL! BORAHAE! 💜 P.S.: THANK YOU MODERATOR FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE TO MAKE THE EXPERIENCE ENJOYABLE AND FRESH! 💖💜

Peach

My overall philosophical takeaways from AOT (other than “war waits and endures”) can be best expressed by the following quotes: “To be a human being among people and to remain one forever, no matter in what circumstances, not to grow despondent and not to lose heart - that's what life is all about, that's its task.” from Letters by Fyodor Dostoevsky ^^^ I lead with love, empathy, and perseverance. “If I admit that my freedom has no meaning except in relation to its limited fate, then I must say that what counts is not the best living but the most living.” from The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus ^^^ To stave off despondency, it’s a focus on the present and finding joy in the little things (e.g., running through a drive-thru for a good tea and takeout with my daughter in time to catch the next AoT drop together). “This world in itself is not reasonable, that is all that can be said.” from The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus “The Myth of Sisyphus” has an overarching theme which encompasses embracing the present moment and finding joy in the process, regardless of the outcome. The book’s sentiment is similar to Zeke’s realization in the paths with the baseball. Humans have a fundamental appetite for understanding. We long for absolute truth and have an un-quietable desire to explain the world. Whether it be through religion, spirituality, nature, science, war, power, money, etc., we relentlessly apply frameworks to create our own version of truth and understanding. For many, the unreasonableness of this world is simply “too much” to bear otherwise. ^^^ I accept this world’s absurdity and despite it, I work to leave it better than I found it. (And a disclaimer, I definitely write from a privileged perspective. I have never known war or imprisonment. I am white, an educated professional, and middle class…this all contributes to my perspective). Love and appreciate all of you in the discussions and chat rooms, too.💜 Hope to see you all on J&J’s next anime adventures!

antionette7

There’s a weird corner of the internet that takes great offense to the idea that Mikasa may have married and had a kid with Jean (or anyone not-Eren). The more I get older the more I think that’s hilarious. I’m 30 now, and if someone told me I should never get married or have kids because of a girl I loved when I was a teenager, I’d laugh in their face 😂

Kevin

it would be awesome if you guys viewed some incredible fan art that's been made over the years with this show. Here are just a couple of beautiful works that I've seen, hope you guys enjoy them as much as I did: - https://www.instagram.com/p/C3HIgl_rsta/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== - https://www.instagram.com/enviep1?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== (I would check out all of the AoT art on their Instagram, it almost feels biblical the way they draw) - https://pin.it/76Y5cDrfL (I linked the art from Pinterest but the original artist is @takumitoxin on Twitter) Overall, Aot fans are very creative and artistic. I love the way the drawings almost feel Renaissance-esque because it feels most appropriate when it comes to the themes and vibes of the show. Can't wait for y'all's discussion and breakdown! Esp would love to hear who your favorite characters/ moments were

Muh-la-lay

couldn't agree more. When Eren said his head was a mess, it broke my heart. At that moment I understood that the titan powers were truly messing with Eren's head since the very beginning. ofc he does say that he is who he is since the moment he was born, but that would apply to fundamental aspects of yourself, for eren it was freedom and his love for his friends. When you give someone like that emmence power and then millions of enemies, well the only outcome would be the rumbling. However, when Eren confides in Armin at the end, it felt like the weight on his shoulders genuinely led him into deep mental illness. A lot of people say that he seemed out of character in his final moments, but to me I felt like we finally 'reuninted' with him after being gone since season 3.

Muh-la-lay

Many humble thanks, J&J! It has been such a great ride re-watching this epic story with you. Thanks for adding ✨sparkles✨ of anticipation, elation, genuine emotion, and even doses of entertaining frustration (lol) to our rewatch! Much love and appreciation sent to you both! Kudos on work well done!

antionette7

I'm so glad to be with you both at the end of your journey, Jared & Jordan. The big thing I really take away from the ending is that, like you guys said, history repeats itself and life is like a loop. Through every character, you can see this in the show. Eren was able to see the images of his future, all the way back in Episode 1, even before he had the Attack Titan, because he rested his head in the same place where he would eventually be laid to rest. At the end of the show, Armin had to convince the Marleyans that Eldians were no longer a threat to humanity. This is just like Season 1 Episode 9, where Armin tried to convince the other soldiers not to fire the cannon on himself/Mikasa/Eren because they were on the side of humanity. Mikasa and Founder Ymir are kind of like mirrors to one another. They both were in love with people who placed other priorities/people before them (even though Eren did actually love Mikasa back). The main difference being that Mikasa was able to find peace naturally in the end, and I think this is part of what Ymir wanted to see through Mikasa, because she hadn't experienced it herself. In Season 4 Episode 19, when Eren's mind is being transferred into the Paths, you can see images of the future as well, including Falco flying off into the sunset. But there are too many points like this to name them all.

Big T

What a beautiful journey that was 😭 this anime is truly a masterpiece. My heart hurts for Mikasa and all of them. My heart hurts for Eren as well ❤️‍🩹😭 I will always support Eren!!! The main reason many people and myself included love "villains" is bc they would burn the world to protect their loved ones. And it helps that they are a bit crazy in the head lol. Btw idk if anyone has brought it up but it is believed that the Attack titan always have "devil ears" and the reason for that is because they represent the pigs that Ymir let free. Which is also why they always seek freedom. Pigs have those "devil ears " too. Also please rewatch episode one!!! Another fun fact! Armin is the narrator of the show! It ended with the goal of traveling to talk about their story and Episode 1 starts with Armin telling the story. 😭😭😭❤️‍🩹

Kenken

Make sure to put on subtitles for Akuma no Ko, it greatly shows Erens motivations for the Rumbling and what he feels about himself.

Luke Jacks

You also need to check out the first chapter of the Manga online, it will blow your mind.

Luke Jacks

Now you got to check out the the anime special versions for "The Rumbling" https://youtu.be/DSMuhzSgOGE?si=poTQE7imPJdLmbO_ , "Akuma no Ko" https://youtu.be/WPl10ZrhCtk?si=-l_0GA9qWJfrfSOm ,and "Under the Tree" https://youtu.be/IPX-L2F78fU?si=rNFZ0ecwssjeLnHi They are offical AMV's (anime music videos) done by some of the musics studios who did some of the songs for AOT. You should also check out the last opening and ending which wasn't put in the episode by the studio for some reason.

Luke Jacks

Great reaction fellas! It's been a journey. I'm going to try and help out with the whole "dream" like sequences and Mikasa/Ymir parallel. So, when Armin and Eren were having that conversation in the end while exploring the world, Eren created that world with the Founders power. That conversation really happened, but Eren erased Armin's memories immediately after which is why those memories only came back AFTER Eren died. Remember last episode when Armin is on the boat we get a quick flash of him in paths looking at kid Eren? Safe to assume that's when Eren had the convo with him then immediately erased his memories, which is why Armin felt a lil lost for a sec before talking to Annie. Eren did that with all of his friends which is why they all remember their convos after Eren dies. Now, on to the bread and butter. Mikasa is an Ackerman, meaning her memories can't be erased. So, the moment she's on Falco and gets that headache, that's the exact moment Eren created that alternate universe for her. He created a world where they live together peacefully for Eren's last 4 years. Eren's last words to her were "please, forget about me and be free." Mikasa did the exact opposite. She did what she had to do to stop Eren, yet she never got rid of the scarf nor forgot about him. Mikasa is the most "free" individual in aot because despite her love for Eren, she made the decision to kill him. THAT is what Ymir was waiting for. To see a person with undying love for another, yet make the right decision. Ymir failed to do so, which is why we get that scene of King Fritz dead and her hugging her children. That is the choice she should've made but couldn't. Seeing Mikasa make the choice set her "free."

Val

been here from the start of the journey and therefore I cant thank you enough J&J, for the amazing reactions. i appreciate being here as well, and i appreciate the community putting me on the edge of my seat with each episode. this community has been such a great experience and i've enjoyed interacting w everyone and expressing my thoughts on each episode. rewatching this w you guys made it feel like i was seeing it for the first time and so much of this feels like the conclusion of a trip and i will miss everything. every time this anime ends, i get this gutted sensation. ill still remain here since im eager to see what you guys will react next!

bort

What a journey, watching with you guys was a blast, im glad to say that right now i can tell the difference between you two🤣

manar alshatti

This is the way I see Eren’s perspective of this beautiful show (Sorry if this sounds weird or doesn’t make sense. I used a translation app because English is not my first language): Eren knew all of his friends would die young from war and the curse of Ymir, so he came up with a perfect plan only for all of his friends to live long and happy lives. Ymir’s love for King Fritz is what caused the curse of Ymir, which is the 13 year rule for titan holders, and Ymir needed someone to set her free from her love that was bound for 2,000 years. She would then choose Mikasa to be the one to set her free because Mikasa loved Eren the same way Ymir loved King Fritz. Mikasa would have to kill Eren to release Ymir, the curse of Ymir that was bound by her love, and the power of titans in general. I feel that this was apart of Eren’s plan. Eren made sure that Mikasa would be the one to kill him so that Ymir’s curse would end and the power of titans would disappear from the world. Mikasa’s headache issue is also because of Ymir. Ymir would look through Mikasa’s eyes to view her life and see her relationship with Eren. Every time Ymir did that Mikasa would get a headache. In this episode, Mikasa realizes this and tells Ymir “You were the one peeking into my head all this time.” after releasing Ymir by killing Eren. Eren also knew that the wars would never end, so he made sure that war would only happen again after his friends had all died from their long and happy lives, as seen in the end credits, by making them heros who saved 20 percent of humanity, which also goes to show how he came up with the perfect plan for only his friends, no one else. During this whole show, all the main characters are only kids and teenagers throughout seasons 1-3, and the last season would show them in their early 20s, so the whole time period with titans and war would only be like a 1/3 of their long and happy lives Eren set for them. His perfect plan also consisted of making Dina eat his mom instead of Bertholdt because he knew that Armin would have to eat Bertholdt later on, and lying about hating Mikasa so he could come in contact with Zeke and trick him as well. He also spoke with all his friends through the paths before he died, reassuring them that he never hated them and only did the rumbling for them to stop him and become hero’s so they could live long, telling them they would remember their talk once everything was done and he had been killed. We only got to see Armin’s talk with him, though I think that the scene with Eren and Mikasa in the cabin was ‘his talk’ with Mikasa that he spent with her for the remaining 4 years of his life. In the end, Eren knew what he was doing was terribly wrong, but he truly wanted his friends to live long and happy lives, but the world wouldn’t let that happen, so he used the founder’s power to trample 80 percent of humanity, and forced his friends stop and kill him to make it come true.

Dumbo

Loved your reaction J&J, to answer your question I watched both special episodes back to back without pausing once, and then after a couple of days I watched them again, no pauses. AoT is an incredible mind bending experience and I think I will keep rewatching it over an over throughout my life even when I'm old and wringkled. The show is a mirror to humanity and our nature, conflict will always come from differences in beliefs, greed, power, survival, advancement and many other characteristics that are inherently human, so as long as there are humans there will be conflict, it's inevitable. It's incredible how Isayama grasped humanity's perspective on life and survival and crated this peerless and timeless masterpiece. We can only hope our personal contributions to the world veer toward resolution instead of conflict, with the aim of lessening the violence and meaningless loss of life that occurs every single day around the world, even when we don't feel or witness it first hand. Love from Colombia ! Keep watching anime, so many lessons to learn and stories to find. ❤️

Angélica Hernández

Hot take, but I don't hate Eren, the part where he said my heads a mess really sums up my thought process when I feel that way. He's a child who has been carrying around two titans that are basically inception since he was 11 after his dad force fed him *I know he told Griesha to but also I tell my child no all the time so I don't think that's the soundest argument because Griesha did not have to do that* I do not agree with what Eren did in any way shape or form but I can recognize that his mind was probably a nightmare to be stuck in with everything he had going on. Even though she was severely abused I really put a lot of my anger with the Founder Ymir. Making Mikasa have to make that choice because she couldn't after 2000 years hurts my heart because that is the last thing Mikasa should have had to do. At the end of the day I chalk it up to Isayama is a fantastic author because I still don't hate Eren, just like I don't hate Reiner or Bertholt or Annie or Zeke. This story is so well thought out and so profound and will be one of my go tos for probably the rest of my life.

Lauren Crawford

What about what Mikasa deserves? She ain't never show any interest in that man 😂

Val

Everyone else is giving great explanations and discussions so I just wanna say I hope you guys check out the "THE MENACE OF ELDIA, FaZe GABI, AND THE BLACK AIR FORCE RUMBLING" video by the youtuber Cj Dachamp, he has a couple comedy videos recounting some great moments from season 4, similar to the AOT in 9 minutes video, so if you need some AOT comedy relief, that's the place to go!

serenity

Yeah, you just said a bunch of nothing 😂

Val

so I might come off as the party pooper here, but I find this ending to be mediocre under every possible writing metric. hey J&J! I've been lurking on your Patreon ever since you first started your AoT journey. (congratulations on finishing the whole show - as well as Death Note - by the way!). I find you guys to have a pretty interesting dynamic together, and I appreciate you both for taking notes and paying attention to the media you consume. NEVER get rid of your post-watch discussions, they set you apart from the competition big time. plus, it's always just plain fun to vicariously relive my favorite show through the eyes of newcomers. ...you read that right. Attack on Titan is my favorite show of all times. I find its handling of mystery, themes, long-running animation production, music, and characters to be some of the best. ever. so why my mean comment on disliking the ending, then? well, one could argue that sometimes, it takes a devoted fan to point out their beloved story's flaws... simply put, AoT is damn near perfect. I'm sure you'd agree as much. or, up until the activation of the Rumbling, anyway. because as soon as those cracks first creep up Wall Maria, so do those on the writing. "Objection!" I already hear you say. fine, fine. the burden of proof and everything. Perfectly valid. allow me, then, to elaborate. and I will do so by pointing out a (hefty) list of unresolved questions/plot points (the very antithesis of what AoT was all about for the thick of its runtime): -how can Levi be so vehement on killing Zeke, yet be perfectly cooperative at the idea of fighting alongside *Annie*, who murdered the entirety of Levi Squad (and even yoyo'd a dude to death!!) -how can it make any sense for Zeke to be shown the meaning of life... only to kill himself? -where has the worm gone off to? what even is it? it's shown to disintegrate just the same as the Titans in the manga, but why would that be the case,? was it not living perfectly fine on its own before entering in contact with Ymir? -what point is there in Mikasa's arc of letting go of Eren/the scarf if it is put right back around her neck 10 minutes later? -how can Eren call himself an idiot when he knew exactly why he started the Rumbling? how would he otherwise respond so strongly to rejecting Zeke's plan? to quote Eren's own words, back during his Paths speech to all Eldians "I will not leave Paradis' future up to chance." was he lying? Even inside his own monologue during the scenes with Ramzi?? And what's with the last-minute contrived determinism aspect of the show? Is the Attack Titan's entire point not to reject the chains imposed on it? -what were the point of the Historia pregnancy or Azumabito subplots? not to mention that Historia getting a child with for sole intent to save herself from Titanization goes against her arc of living a life she wishes to be proud of (especially as an ex-mistreated child herself) - and even that was stupid! Eren could have just told her about the Military Police drinking the spiked wine. -what's the deal with Ymir showing up at different points of the show to watch people die with a smile on her mug? -how can Eren Kruger help the Alliance in stopping Eren when he HIMSELF entrusted the Attack Titan to Grisha, all so Eldians and Paradis could be saved ("a king who does not fight for his people is no king")? -how come the final battle faces no casualties on the side of the Alliance, when this is the battle with the most Titans we have ever seen? back in previous seasons, even a regular Titan was dangerous enough to cause the death of main characters. nevermind the infinite supply of gas and blades, which used to be so scarce... These are some of the highlights of what I think is a terribly inconsistent and lackluster ending. Now, I can already a few peeps getting their forks and their torches. and I get it. the infamous "ending haters" can have a pretty distasteful reputation online. but I am not one of those. Nor am I attempting to "change your mind" or "correct your opinion". Rather, my intent is to point out some observations I've made, hear out the both of you as well as your community in return, and have a neat lil' discussion together! I think this final AoT send-off video you guys have planned is the perfect opportunity for it (please pick me or I wrote this all for nothing and that would just be sad). And who knows, maybe I'm the one that's wrong? Not to mention, the moto around here *is* "be kind, and keep an open-mind", haha! This thus ends my *titanic* ramble. Thank you both for the content throughout the months, it's been an interesting ride. I'm still glad you enjoyed AoT as much as you did. Here's to many more animes in the future! Personally, I recommend something that is not quite anime, but still animation - the TV show "Arcane"! Wishing you all the best with the reactions in the future! Cheers,

BigDavid

Remember guys when i told you once on your first video of AOT that this show will change your life ? well

selma bougzir

As bleak as the ending is, my personal takeaway is that even though conflict is cyclical, we should always strive to do our best to not perpetuate it and even if we can’t we have to keep trying regardless of what the outcome may be. I’ve seen some theories about how the titan powers are back. This is just my opinion but the tree being there at the end doesn't necessarily mean that they’re back. As Zeke said in this episode, the reason Ymir created the power of the titans was because she wanted a bigger, stronger body to protect herself from the people attacking her. And she created the Paths because she wanted a world without death where she could be connected to everybody. So all the titan powers we know of came from Ymir's subconscious desires. If the kid walked into the tree there’s a possibility that he could wish for something entirely different. Because unlike Ymir, who was fleeing for her life and being hunted down by dogs, the kid is going into the tree willingly. He’s not being chased, afraid, or hurt and the dog is his companion. In the episodic format, the final title card reads: “A world without Titans: Even if Titans disappear, the fear will not. Even if the number of people decreases, conflicts will not. Someone must wish for it someday. There should be a world where we can join hands, respect and talk to each other. The future is just around the corner” I’d like to think that “someone” is the boy with the dog.

Rae

Guys, thank you so much for your hard work I’m more of a silent watcher, but I’ve been here since you started doing aot every 6days Wanted to say thank you A LOT, it’s been a fun ride and I’m sure lots of people will agree even though you struggled with some things, it was still endearing to me as reminiscing of my first watch This series is special for sure and the most important thing you were moved, touched, you were angry, excited and you cared for this story which what makes this masterpiece and community precious for our memory If yall still take suggestions I support the idea of watching the openings and endings with translation and paying attention to the animation

Алта

Thank you J&J for this amazing journey. This was special because you guys are the first content creators who I’ve paid through Patreon to watch these AOT reactions. Truly did not disappoint. Thank you for sharing this memorable journey and our love for this show with all of us.

MangoJuice

Congratulations on completing the journey JJ!! There are a few things I'd like to elaborate on that you might consider worthwhile... #1: Eren and Mikasa interaction at the cabin in the woods was a parallel timeline or just a fake reality created by Eren via the founding titans powers, where Mikasa gave Eren a different answer when asked "What am I to you?". Instead of saying "family" Mikasa confesses her love for him, resulting in a completely different outcome where the rumbling never happened and so on. Emphasizing the butterfly effect which yall have mentioned before. #2: Eren and Armin interaction in the sea of blood where Eren explains that he will slaughter 80% of humanity but can't do anything about it, that fate was set in stone. At first glance this may seem false as he previously said that it was him who sent the titan (Dina) towards his mother in order to bring a different future, meaning that Eren CAN change what is set in stone, the past, in order to change the future, OR?... What I'm getting to is that Eren influencing the past to change the future may have ALSO been set in stone and in that case his power only gives him a fake sense of control of the outcome, deluding him into thinking that it was his decision to send the Dina towards his mother. I believe that as his powers evolved (and as his smile faded :(( ) his free will was slowly slipping out of his hand and soon enough it was his powers dictating his actions by showing Eren the never changing future. Making him hopeless, making him a slave to it, thus "a slave to freedom" which is beautifully ironic in a poetic way, for a slave has no freedom. Look I don't know how to explain it otherwise, maybe watch a time paradox video or ask Erwin's dad for clarification, either way I hope yall can wrap your heads around this theory of mine. Also I feel like Eren was visiting his old comrades via paths so he could achieve a short peace of mind in his depressed state, but also to make them understand the reasoning of his actions. Eren must have felt sick and lonely carrying such a heavy burden and shutting out his only joy in life, his friends that he loves, and of course Mikasa. To trample 80% av humanity by himself is evidently a burden nobody with a conscience can carry and that is why I thought it was so amazing of Armin to take some of that burden away from Eren. He did this by explaining that it was him who put the image of a free and unoccupied outside world in Eren's head which lead to the end result and that they were going to hell together, that Eren wasn't going to be alone anymore. Afterwards they embrace (and I cry). Armin shoulders the sin with Eren regardless of how heinous he thinks the deed is, just because he loves and supports Eren that much and wants him to feel better. What a G Armin is man, we all need a friend like him in life!! MAJOR character moment for him in my opinion. #3: I believe that the end credits scene, the time-lapse of the tree, was partly to make us recall to the interaction between Pyxis and Erwin (in season 2 I believe) where Erwin said "Humanity will continue to fight each other until there is only one left". He wasn't wrong and he never was. Erwin the goat, Armin also the goat tho... GG boys on to the next one

Ya Boy

during the scene with Jean and Connie standing there, accepting their fate, i was like 'oh hell nah' and i got up and took a walk lol. i cried watching it again today even though i knew it happens and what happens after 😂😂 it's absolutely Jean and Mikasa at the end because Jean deserves that 💯

fox

No, sorry, you can't say that it's Jean and Mikasa without any confirmation when even Mappa doesn't mention Jean in the script that describes the scene. Neither Isayama nor Mappa have spoken about this to confirm that it is Jean and that they are together, it is open to interpretation and there are many inconsistencies in the fact that they end up together. Everyone has the right to think what they want, there is just no confirmation or affirmation that can be made

Léa Eyries

Not sure if you guys caught this during your dub re watch but at the end there's a quick scene of an old woman's body in a coffin or grave with a red scarf clearly visible around the neck so this tells us mikasa lived a long life which eren wanted. I'm not sure if this was ever confirmed or verified by isayama but the popular theory is that Mikasa and Jean did end up getting together and having at least one child, another part of the theory is the boy shown walking into the tree with his dog at the very end might be a descendant of mikasa and jean bloodline far into the future

You have an Army, yeah We got a Jinx(Brandon)

Thank you guys so much for this incredible journey 🙏also fun little tidbit for you amidst all of these big feelings, the baby crying is Yuki Kaji's (Eren's VA) child in real life

Lauren Crawford

The scene where Armin says to Eren, “We did this” had me so relieved the first time I watched the finale. Up until that point in the show, I had *one* issue with it that I was afraid wouldn’t be resolved, and that was the way Armin had pushed Eren down this path of destruction very early on. (Jean mentions in Sp-1 that they pushed him to do this, but I had been wanting more admission from Armin). It becomes very apparent on rewatches that while there is a big part of “nature” that made Eren become what he was (his whole, I was born this way, speech), there was also “nurture” pushing him toward it as well. At the end of Season 1, Eren actually doesn’t want to fight Annie. He’s holding on to his humanity and intuition that Annie isn’t evil, and violence isn’t the correct path. But it’s Armin who tells him he has to let go of his humanity in order to be successful. Armin, who knew full well that Eren had killed people with no remorse at age 10, was pushing him to let go more of his humanity. Jean has responsibility too. Several times he tells Eren he *has* to make up for the lives previously lost and that he *has* to prove his worth. This is especially apparent at the end of Season 2, when speaking of the dead Scouts that tried to rescue him. Knowing that Eren experiences past/present/future all at the same time, that means these words, “throw away your humanity”, “You owe it to us to prove you’re worth their sacrifice” are *always* ringing in his head, and I personally believe likely had an impact on Eren becoming the devil who killed 80% of humanity. Of course I still love Armin and Jean, they do their best to do good, and Eren’s actions are his own, but Armin recognizing in the end that he played a part in this destruction was so, so amazing to me. Resolved the one complaint I had about the series, and placed it firmly as my favorite show of all time.

Kevin

You guys missed the “The End” at the end after all the “To Be Continued” cards we’ve endured, it really feels like we’ve reached a bittersweet ending.

MangoJuice

My interpretation of the ending scenes is that Armin and the others wildly succeeded as peace ambassadors. The reason why civilization on Paradis Island became so advanced was because of decades, maybe even centuries of peace. It reminds of me of what Eren said in season 3, "The one to save humanity isn't going to be me or the commander (Erwin). It will be Armin!" In the end, Eren kept the Eldians on Paradis alive, but it was Armin who kept them in peace. Yes, Paradis Island was eventually destroyed, but at least Armin, Connie, Reiner, Annie, Pieck, Mikasa, Jean, and their descendants were able to live long, peaceful, and meaningful lives. At the end of the day, human nature doesn't change. As long as humans hold different, unyielding convictions conflict is inevitable. But at the same time, there can always be hope for a better tomorrow. And as long as there is hope, we have to keep trying. Thank you Jared and Jordan for all these reactions. I've been here since season 1 and you guys never disappointed with your insightful analysis of each episode.

Sidarth

The cliff scene is very interesting to me. Not sure how many people here noticed this but it has a clear correlation to “Schindler's List”. That’s at least my personal theory but considering the fact that Isayama was inspired by Germany in many aspects it’s quite probable. So… In the cliff scene you can see people trying to “save” a child by getting it away from the cliff. You can see that the scene becomes black and white and the only color is seen on the child (red). Now, if any of you had seen “Schindler’s list” you might know that it’s about war, oppression and violence of natzi germany. The main character is a businessman who seems to not care about the horrors of Jewish life but everything changed when he saw a little girl on the street. The whole movie is in black and white but this little girl’s coat was bright red. (just like that child in aot). In “Schindler’s list” the girl with the red coat is not even a proper character. We don’t know her name or story. But she made the main character realize something. (I will not spoil anything. I really recommend you to watch it yourself.) The girl in the red coat is a symbol of individuality and innocence of the slaughtered Jews. She is representing the needlessness of war.

BILLIE (Hairy Harry)

also, yes! that was totally mikasa and jean who ended up together and would visit eren's grave. i once saw someone describe jean as mikasa's second chance at love, which i adore. they both deserved a sense of normalcy and loving companionship.

silly goose

These moments: -Eren being vulnerable and showing his true feelings and emotions for Mikasa while talking to Armin. -Eren last thing he saw was Mikasa face (see her reflection on his eyes). -Mikasa trying to smile through the pain right before cutting his head cause this is the face she wants him to see before he die. These moments hitting me every time it’s so sad they couldn’t be together they couldn’t even have a chance to have normal kiss💔💔💔 can’t get over this

Shelly

The world doesn’t make sense so you can’t make AOT make sense because it’s too real therefore too good. The writing is exceptional bringing the past (experience of war) to the reality of our present times and that’s frightening. War is hell and always will be. My man Levi shedding tears….. I binge watched ahead and then watched episodes again around your reactions through tears, sick with Covid, and a whole lot of other things going on. Thank you for this amazing journey. You guys are the very best at what you do. 🫰🏻💜🫰🏻💜🙏

Cheryl Lambert

Damn... it's really over isn't it... Cheers J&J for giving me the same joy and excitement I had watching AoT for the first again with you guys. I genuinely needed this interactive journey in my life, and I'm excited to see what's next!

Jay

rip to one of the goats

silly goose

Eren wanted too many things at the same time He wanted to save his friends and protect paradis , he wanted to be free he did all this for his friend’s sake but also for his own desires (some argue childish desires) He was disappointed in the nature of humanity and couldn’t see the beauty of the world😞 he just wanted multiple things which obviously can contradict with each other, that’s just normal and human rip eren

fatou ੈ✩‧₊˚

i appreciate the in depth approach you both took to all of these episodes, these were such great reactions and i think we're all going to miss the aot reactions! and the reveal that eren sent dina to eat his mom is still crazy everytime! thank you both for the great reactions and i do hope the live streams go ahead

Aidan

thank you for this crazy ride it was a pleasure to watch. I cant get over it that J&J never cried in this anime. Maybe they will after watching the full ending song that is sung by Eren and Mikasa VA that makes it so mutch more emotional if you understand the lyrics.

RaffixD 96

"let us know if you watched this episode without pausing once" SIRS??????? I HAD TO PAUSE TO WIPE THE TEARS FROM MY EYES CONSTANTLY. MY EYES WERE LIKE FLOWING RIVERS THE ENTIRE TIME. IT WAS TOO MUCH FOR MY EMO ASS SOUL. IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!

silly goose

If no one mentioned it already, its ironic that Eren has been obsessed with freedom considering he isn't really free and is trapped in a way since he knows the future and theres nothing he can do. His founder form is a giant rib "cage" and eren looks like a puppet on those strings. It's like a manifestation of where hes at mentally imo

Joshua Martinez

I 100% love the way Levi killed Zeke. Zeke murdered Levi's mentor and friend Erwin. Levi also made a promise to Erwin before the entire scout regiment was wiped out by flying boulders that he would kill the beast titan. The whole reason Erwin sacrificed himself and asked the scouts to do the same that final charge was for the purpose of distracting Zeke so Levi could get to him but Levi as we saw failed on his part of the plan, someone like Levi would hate himself if he never completed his mission after all his friends and comrades died to give him an opening to kill Zeke. Levi deserved that kill and as for Zeke, too little too late, he made his bed you know? And yes, you're eyes and ears did not deceive you, Dina was suppose to eat Bertholt after he broke the wall in s1 ep1, but because Eren needed Armin to become the Colossal he used the founders power and had Dina eat his own mother instead...."what would mom think of all this?" hits different after knowing Carla is dead because Eren willed it so

You have an Army, yeah We got a Jinx(Brandon)

U should watch this video : https://youtu.be/8slK_5EMWiI?si=PEVMqlKZk_1fnwVs . It’s a parody of the first part of s4 ( a bit if comic relief)

RamS

The first chapter of the manga opens the same as the first episode of the first special. Mikasa reaching for erens head saying see you later, then black screen then eren wakes up talking about his dream and crying under the tree. One interpretation of this is that his memories are sent back to this moment when he’s napping under the tree. So in a way, eren could be in an inescapable time loop.

Skellyp

Also... Here is an Edit about AOT's biggest victim. Caution... It is very emotional. CHECK IT OUT J&J: https://youtu.be/UxnupMTgu70?si=2yONbDC_gIzzd5v2

BarnaBash

This here is one of the most epic but yet most tragic AOT Edits I have ever seen! It gives such great glimpse into Eren's psychy. CHECK IT OUT J&J: https://youtu.be/HVnvKLRgIsw?si=GlLwF5x0IQyzFqRf

BarnaBash

Eren is who Ymir thought she wanted, as he’s someone who desperately desires freedom and will keep moving forward to achieve it, but it was Mikasa is who Ymir needed, as she’s one of the only characters who is truly free. The shot of Falco's wings behind her symbolizes that. It also makes narrative sense for her to be the one to kill Eren. She's Ymir's antithesis and was able to do what Ymir couldn't. Ymir had a twisted perception of "love" and developed a trauma bond to Fritz due to her trauma and abuse. She wanted love, hence the flashback of her looking at the couple kissing, and the only person who gave her that in her mind was him, as messed up as that is. He made her feel important and useful and gave her attention and a life as royalty. It explains why even though she had the titan powers to kill him and his army, she willingly choose to come back to him after obtaining her powers. The fact that Mikasa is the one who truly frees her is so poetic to me. Another thing that was poetic was the “See you later, Eren” callback. From the very beginning of the manga, we see Mikasa say these exact words to Eren and 137 chapters later, Isayama finally closes this narrative loop after 12 long years. Absolutely brilliant.

Rae

You are correct about the two specials being one movie. They were intended to be released as one full length film but due to multiple delays and an understandably high amount of demand, Mappa decided to release what they had completed and split the movie into two parts.

Eugene Conner

Great job Ashley. Thank you. This couldn’t have been easy. 💜💪🏻🙏

Cheryl Lambert

oh my god im geeking. this is so hyped bruh. u guys already made it to the final episode. matter of fact u guys already finished AOT. ITS SO UNBELIEVABLE HOW QUICK THE JOURNEY WAS MAN. anyway, you guys are my favorite AOT reactors in terms of understanding and breaking down the anime/ what you know and dont know. you guys made several of my weeks (or months) so fun just by posting your reactions. thats how good you guys are. thank you guys fr

gdnsx

Ty moderator for making their aot journey good by keeping out spoilers

BBQburger

Link is up folks! Enjoy!!! We had to go with our Patron Angela's password suggestion- CRUELBUTBEAUTIFUL We love and appreciate each and every one of you, and hope you will stick around for a bit longer (at least until we determine what we are going to BINGE next!!) ❤️ Also.. please please show lots of love to our one of a kind moderator!! We would not have been able to do it without them!

Jared & Jordan

its coming! just takes a bit

silly goose

this is so awesome. we all wish you the best in your journey, keep healing and keep moving forward. <3

silly goose

RiseAndFalloftheGreatest!

jnkedgod

Drop the link already your not slick 😭😭

husso

Where is the link ?

Sarah

J&J, don't be cruel with us please 🛐😂

Maevizion ~ Maëva

Humanity!

Luis Galarza

EasonEason Chen

i was thinking the same

fatou ੈ✩‧₊˚

Where’s the link?

Ibrahim

Yes, seeing how J&J think and feel im sure they would love it specially S2

Costosou

Fr Isayama is a true genius

Potatogirl

I know this is cheesy asf but I genuinely want to thank you guys for your reactions. It may seems so small and insignificant, but I would watch you guys pretty much every time I ate. A lot of last year I was not in a good place with food and my body, and it was extremely hard for me to eat. I sort of started rewarding myself for eating with your reactions, it helped me through the guilt of it and give my body at least some of what it needed. Even when I didn’t want to eat, I set a rule that I could only watch your reactions if I did and it worked a lot of the time. Your insight into not just the show but just real life shit, your personalities, and the openness about the experiences you chose to share was beautiful and helped me a lot. Ik yall don’t know me and I don’t know you, but I just truly wanted to thank you. I haven’t yet finished your reactions through season 3 lol bc I’m in residential treatment for anorexia, but I can’t wait to reward myself by catching up when I get out lol! Again, just thank you so incredibly much. Ik im not the only person this has impacted lol

Potatogirl

It's crazy how the show started under that tree and ended under that tree masterpiece 🥲

BBQburger

THKUSHINGEKINOKYOJIN!!!!

hiro ame

I joined Patreon just for your reactions and it’s been soooo worth it!! I hope one day we can all do a rewatch together!

Kelli

Password Suggestion: AllAboutSacrifice!

Angélica Hernández

TheEndOrANewBeginning?

Nistley

We finally arrived at the end lets enjoy this masterpiece!

RaffixD 96

HAJIMEGOAT

CrimsonRaven

The journey is over! Thank you for all the amazing reactions, this is my 6th rewatch and my most enjoyable one, shoutout to the community as well for contributing with their knowledge!

Ya Boy

Guys please vote for Vinland saga as the next show to replace aot 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

Wsgyan

Loved the arcs Return to Shiganshina and Marley (especially in the manga). Ending for me was up in the air but I appreciate what Isayama created. Some magnificent storytelling that kept you engaged throughout.

EdTheAlchemist

same

AdiletBol

it seems like just yesterday when J&J first saw the walls of Shiganshina fall 😭 what a journey and reaction

bubbaburto

Is it just me, but I don't have the link or password on my end? I see they said it is posted in the description but nothing.

Mrs. C

Asher Mair

Password: WarNeverChanges

Blank

We need that character tier list. I don’t care how long it takes, I’m here for it

Sean Carroll

TEAMWORK!

Sidarth

HAJIME-SAMA

Maevizion ~ Maëva

Thank you for your service Billie, the witch is witch-ing ❤️‍🔥

Maevizion ~ Maëva

MikasaForPeace!

Cheryl Lambert

LoveWins

Aya

UNDERTHETREE

silly goose

Once again, my reaction video summoning ritual has been proven absolutely successful. Thank you Maevizion for being our sacrificial lamb today❤️

BILLIE (Hairy Harry)

Congratulations J&J. I’m proud of yall in reaching the end of this journey with all of us. Would you two be down to make a Tier List of all the important characters in AOT based on writing and enjoyability after rewatching? We would like to hear your thoughts.

MangoJuice

I'm sure all of us are down for an aot livestream. Make it happen

Nandy_AS

ITTERASSHAIEREN! ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Jamil Salem Isip

i can’t believe it’s already over:,). and also, an aot livestream would be awesome!!

ash

IttarashaiEren

Sanha Mariyam

LoveWins

Aya

Hi guys! So excited to watch the final showdown, can't believe we're finally here. For discussion points, I would really love to hear your overall thoughts to the main characters we've seen throughout the show.

Les

Thisworldiscruelbutbeatiful

Angela

FALCOTHEFALCON!!

Shivo

ENDOFTHELINE!

Nandy_AS

Password - “seeyoulatereren”

GB3

Let's go!!!

Nandy_AS

WOW. WOW. WOW. Someone please give us a good password so we can finish this journey off with a BANG. 🤯🤯

Jared & Jordan

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Maevizion ~ Maëva