Ten years after the initial release of the mainstream anime “Attack On Titan”, the series finally draws to a close. Fans have kept up with eclectic characters, meticulously detailed animation and fast-paced battle scenes since 2013, and waited since 2020 for the finale of the show. But why do people keep coming back? What draws people to patiently wait years for seasons of their beloved show to air?
“Back [in] elementary, middle school, my friend told me to watch ‘Attack on Titan’ and [I gave it] a shot,” Dylan Do (12) said.
“Attack on Titan” originally started out as a Japanese manga written by Hajime Isayama. Two years after the release of the manga, the series was adapted into an anime by Wit Studio. The fourth and final season was animated by MAPPA Studio. The series follows the teenage main character Eren Jaeger and his journey in a fantastical world filled with colossal, human-formed beasts. Originally starting on Eren’s quest to fight the titans that plague his world, the show takes many twists and turns that leads the viewer into the life of Eren, his friends and his enemies.
“After Season Two started, I couldn’t get enough of it, and it still would have been a long time until Season Three dropped, so I started reading it.” University of Memphis student Elias Clements said. Clements has been keeping up with the show since the age of 11, after his father introduced him to anime around three years before.
The final season of “Attack on Titan” was divided into three parts, spanning a single season across three years. The fourth season brings the viewer into a new voyage of characters and stories, keeping viewers keen on the fate of Eren and those around him. Despite fans having to wait on the edge of their seats to watch the finale of the season, the characters and story are nonetheless loved by many.
“I like long TV shows because I feel like you can really get to know a character and almost…get attached to their storylines, Jwana Al Aloqili (12) said. “It’s nostalgic…I do get attached to characters.”
Aloqili also enjoys long television shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, which first premiered in 2005. The show is infamous for being 20 seasons long, making it the longest medical drama ever aired, with viewers having to wait months to keep up with the plot and characters. The end of “Attack on Titan” is bittersweet for many. With viewers growing up with the characters, the end of the series is relevant to many anime lovers.
“I just finished the last episode…it took a long time for them to finish it, but it was good,” Do said. “I’ll give them credit…people say it gets boring at first but as you watch it just gets better and better.”