The vibe shift in the 'Attack on Titan' finale talk online

In my experience, the conversation around the 'Attack on Titan' ending changed a lot from the manga release in 2021 to the anime finale last fall. At first, the forums were full of really strong, angry takes, but after the anime came out, I saw way more people in threads saying they understood the themes better with the voice acting and music. It felt like the visuals and sound from MAPPA's team helped calm things down. Has anyone else noticed their own local anime club or friend group soften their view after watching it?

3 comments

3 Comments

skyler_white3mo ago

Honestly, the extra anime scenes with Armin and the boat made the "thank you" line way less weird for me.

sethanderson3mo ago

Yeah, the boat scenes were basically a ten minute apology for that line. They knew they had to soften the blow after the manga dropped. Still feels a little wild to thank someone for genocide, but I guess a boat ride with your best friend helps.

rosew372mo ago

I've noticed something similar in real life too, how a nice gesture later can almost erase the memory of something bad someone did. Like when a coworker snaps at you in a meeting, then brings you coffee the next day and suddenly you feel like you should forgive them. Or when a neighbor lets their dog bark all night but then helps you shovel your driveway after a snowstorm and you forget to be mad. The anime did that same trick with Armin and the boat, dressing up a really uncomfortable moment in a warm memory so people would stop asking hard questions.