Attack on Titan feels like a series that’s not afraid of killing important characters.
It’s actually much more forgiving to its character than it looks.
Fans can’t help but feel unsatisfied with the lack of stakes in the finale.
Attack on Titan spoilers ahead!
The question whether the Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) finale might be considered a happy ending has been discussed for ages. Attack on Titan has always had a reputation as a series that’s not afraid to kill off important characters. Straight from the beginning we knew that no one was safe. Okay, maybe Eren, Armin and Mikasa were, but the rest of them could go any second. That’s exactly what added a new level of anxiety and excitement to the series. When stakes are high, viewers are forced to feel more invested.
Attack on Titan is kinder to its characters than it looks
That’s one of the reasons why the finale of Attack on Titan was criticized. Everyone except for Eren (whose death was obvious for a long time) came out of the most heated battle in the entire series alive. How is that possible?
All series have various types of characters: some are the ones that the entire story revolves around, some are less important but also take up a significant amount of screen time, and some are introduced only for the mere purpose of getting killed off later. The latter group doesn’t usually count when we’re speaking about major deaths in a series, but the first two groups are those who actually matter.
Despite not being afraid of killing a lot of character, Attack on Titan has been pretty forgiving of its faves. And Season 4 of the series feels like the epitome of that, since the show has only two major deaths among the main cast: Sasha and Hange. And fans are disappointed.
We’re happy they survived, but…
This feeling didn’t originate from mere bloodthirst. Fans suggest that the final battle between Eren and the Alliance didn’t have any real danger. It’s like you could feel that everyone was going to survive. The only moment that was shocking for the viewers was when Connie and Jean were turned into titans, but a minute goes by, and boom! They’re back safe and sound.
Besides being unsatisfactory, this also feels quite unrealistic. Such an intense fight, and no one is eliminated? This would be weird even if we weren’t speaking about Attack on Titan. And since we ARE speaking about it, it’s only more puzzling.
After all, stories are their characters, and we’re here for them. So if all the characters are alive and well, then how can we not think about this as a happy ending? It’s good to know that our faves survived, but fans can’t help but feel a little bit unsatisfied with that conclusion.
Not enough drama, we think.
Summary:
Attack on Titan feels like a series that’s not afraid of killing important characters.
It’s actually much more forgiving to its character than it looks.
Fans can’t help but feel unsatisfied with the lack of stakes in the finale.
Attack on Titan spoilers ahead!
The question whether the Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin) finale might be considered a happy ending has been discussed for ages. Attack on Titan has always had a reputation as a series that’s not afraid to kill off important characters. Straight from the beginning we knew that no one was safe. Okay, maybe Eren, Armin and Mikasa were, but the rest of them could go any second. That’s exactly what added a new level of anxiety and excitement to the series. When stakes are high, viewers are forced to feel more invested.
Attack on Titan is kinder to its characters than it looks
That’s one of the reasons why the finale of Attack on Titan was criticized. Everyone except for Eren (whose death was obvious for a long time) came out of the most heated battle in the entire series alive. How is that possible?
All series have various types of characters: some are the ones that the entire story revolves around, some are less important but also take up a significant amount of screen time, and some are introduced only for the mere purpose of getting killed off later. The latter group doesn’t usually count when we’re speaking about major deaths in a series, but the first two groups are those who actually matter.
Despite not being afraid of killing a lot of character, Attack on Titan has been pretty forgiving of its faves. And Season 4 of the series feels like the epitome of that, since the show has only two major deaths among the main cast: Sasha and Hange. And fans are disappointed.
We’re happy they survived, but…
This feeling didn’t originate from mere bloodthirst. Fans suggest that the final battle between Eren and the Alliance didn’t have any real danger. It’s like you could feel that everyone was going to survive. The only moment that was shocking for the viewers was when Connie and Jean were turned into titans, but a minute goes by, and boom! They’re back safe and sound.
Besides being unsatisfactory, this also feels quite unrealistic. Such an intense fight, and no one is eliminated? This would be weird even if we weren’t speaking about Attack on Titan. And since we ARE speaking about it, it’s only more puzzling.
After all, stories are their characters, and we’re here for them. So if all the characters are alive and well, then how can we not think about this as a happy ending? It’s good to know that our faves survived, but fans can’t help but feel a little bit unsatisfied with that conclusion.
