Attack on Titan finale handles Eren and Mikasa’s romance poorly.
If the series wanted Eren’s breakdown to be more believable, Eren’s feelings should have been developed more.
This, however, wouldn’t have worked for the canon finale, either.
That’s why having no romance at all and adjusting the ending would’ve been better.
It’s probably weird to talk about romance when we’re speaking about Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) because this series never presented itself as the one about romantic relationships. However, the finale changed things a bit and made a big deal out of Mikasa’s feelings for Eren.
Eren reciprocating itself is not the issue
Contrary to the common belief that the finale outrage happened mostly because of a hint that Eren reciprocated Mikasa’s feelings, this is not entirely true.
Eren and Mikasa were always very close, and the girl (along with Armin, of course) was Eren’s best friend and the closest thing he had to family. No one would doubt the fact that Eren cared for Mikasa deeply; it was right there, on the surface.
But him having romantic feelings for her and not wanting her “to find another man” puzzled many in the finale of Attack on Titan.
It’s not that this fact is so difficult to believe in. It’s because their relationship wasn’t properly developed. When you think about Eremika, the first thing that comes to your mind is Mikasa’s feelings. She was obsessed with Eren and was ready to do anything for him. And you can’t say the same about him, though.
That’s why their relationship needed more development throughout the entire series. We understand that, as we’ve said, Attack on Titan is not about romance, but it took time to show how deep Mikasa’s feelings were, so why not do the same with Eren’s?
That wouldn’t work for the finale
There’s another side to this, though. If Eren’s feelings had been developed more, it would have made his breakdown more believable. But a major part of the finale was built on the fact that Mikasa’s obsession was stronger than Eren’s, that’s why Ymir saw herself in Mikasa, leading to the Titan Curse being broken. So 100% romance wouldn’t have worked for this finale either.
This means that we can’t have a reciprocal relationship, and we can’t have a one-sided one along with Eren’s breakdown, either. Both of these narratives lead to plot holes in the finale.
That’s why the best option would be if the romance never existed in the first place, fans think. It only created a lot of frustration and ruined Mikasa’s character development, stripping her of any personality and turning her into a girl who could never forget Eren until the very day she died.
But what if the focus of the finale were something else, and not romantic feelings? That would have been a more satisfying conclusion for sure.
Just a little more time to develop, maybe?
Summary:
Attack on Titan finale handles Eren and Mikasa’s romance poorly.
If the series wanted Eren’s breakdown to be more believable, Eren’s feelings should have been developed more.
This, however, wouldn’t have worked for the canon finale, either.
That’s why having no romance at all and adjusting the ending would’ve been better.
It’s probably weird to talk about romance when we’re speaking about Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) because this series never presented itself as the one about romantic relationships. However, the finale changed things a bit and made a big deal out of Mikasa’s feelings for Eren.
Eren reciprocating itself is not the issue
Contrary to the common belief that the finale outrage happened mostly because of a hint that Eren reciprocated Mikasa’s feelings, this is not entirely true.
Eren and Mikasa were always very close, and the girl (along with Armin, of course) was Eren’s best friend and the closest thing he had to family. No one would doubt the fact that Eren cared for Mikasa deeply; it was right there, on the surface.
But him having romantic feelings for her and not wanting her “to find another man” puzzled many in the finale of Attack on Titan.
It’s not that this fact is so difficult to believe in. It’s because their relationship wasn’t properly developed. When you think about Eremika, the first thing that comes to your mind is Mikasa’s feelings. She was obsessed with Eren and was ready to do anything for him. And you can’t say the same about him, though.
That’s why their relationship needed more development throughout the entire series. We understand that, as we’ve said, Attack on Titan is not about romance, but it took time to show how deep Mikasa’s feelings were, so why not do the same with Eren’s?
That wouldn’t work for the finale
There’s another side to this, though. If Eren’s feelings had been developed more, it would have made his breakdown more believable. But a major part of the finale was built on the fact that Mikasa’s obsession was stronger than Eren’s, that’s why Ymir saw herself in Mikasa, leading to the Titan Curse being broken. So 100% romance wouldn’t have worked for this finale either.
This means that we can’t have a reciprocal relationship, and we can’t have a one-sided one along with Eren’s breakdown, either. Both of these narratives lead to plot holes in the finale.
That’s why the best option would be if the romance never existed in the first place, fans think. It only created a lot of frustration and ruined Mikasa’s character development, stripping her of any personality and turning her into a girl who could never forget Eren until the very day she died.
But what if the focus of the finale were something else, and not romantic feelings? That would have been a more satisfying conclusion for sure.
