truly one of the greatest media of all time, the storytelling, character arcs, world building, everything about this show is truly special to everyone that has followed it since the beginning and Hajime should be proud of what his first series has done for the world
I’m absolutely blown away to have found a retrospective that offers genuine critical analysis, rather than a surface-level retelling of the plot. This definitely changed how I view the series. Thank you Radman!
This is one of, if not _the_ , the most insightful retrospectives on SnK that I've come across yet. The ties back to the Trost arc, Eren and Armin's conversation before he lifted the boulder, Eren's visualization of freedom...awesome, thoughtful observations! I also remember you calling that Eren had never changed or grew up before the series had concluded! Masterful analysis, friend! I'm interested in hearing your own criticisms and *definitely* interested in a video where you dissect some of the more prevalent criticisms of the ending. Again, great work!
To bring forth something new to the discourse of online media, especially through such a competitively volatile medium, is extremely difficult and a rarity to achieve. Most content creators struggle to provide even a minute of worthwhile insight that hasnt already been parroted plentiful times beforehand. However, what you've managed to do is absolutely incredible, to provide an hour of genuine, fresh and unprecedented perspectives to an otherwise, thoroughly dissected piece of fiction. You are the first reviewer I've seen who looked at the entire story through the lense of the ending, and not the other way around. Most youtubers looked at the ending in terms of the series, as opposed to watching the finale and recontexualising everything that had come before it, as intended. Nearly everyone who's spoken about the ending did so on the basis that they already knew the meaning of the story, and then wondered why the ending wouldn't fit their idealised perspective. And yet, you managed to give me a new perspective to the ending, AS WELL as the entire series as a whole. What you've done is shown me why the story and finale should be appreciated in tandem, and my appreciation to Eren's final moments, as well as his journey towards freedom, has increased as a whole. As a long time fan of Attack On Titan, thank you for this incredibly wonderful insight.
i just finished watching AOT in full for the first time and i'm obsessed with its themes. this is a great video, thank you. also appreciate the use of the Garlemald theme in one of your sections :D well done. subbed!
Absolutely phenomenal video and you actually went into a lot of the aspects of the story that I don't usually put as much weight into myself yet it still feels like you captured the essence of it beautifully. I really think AoT is the most thematically rich and complete work I've ever seen, where there is a plethora of things it has to say about the human condition but no two people necessarily come out of it with the exact same imprint, something you also bring up in the video.
Isayama truly is a genius, he manages to evoke some emotions I never thought I would feel such as empathizing with mass murderers, and feeling catharsis over a group of adults beating the shit out of a child
So happy this video exists, you did a phenomenal job talking about the massive concepts and themes aot encompasses. It's not easy to be as comprehensive and cohesive when talking about this series in my experience but you pulled it off. I was also very disappointed by the lack of substantiative discussions and arguments about the series after the ending(in my experience), it's not what it deserves. I genuinely appreciate your efforts in pushing forward that sphere. Cheers!
I think the more time it passes, people's passions will calm down and later generations who will experience the whole story will engage in a more intellectual debate than just hating the way it ended
You’ve scratched the itch in my brain perfectly with this analysis. I just finished the series a few days ago and honestly I was devastated by the ending. It shattered my heart and I felt so deeply for the circumstances surrounding Eren’s death and all the events that led up to it. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and it really provoked some self reflection that led to me having an existential crisis. The conversation between Armin and Zeke particularly stuck with me, because when he said simply running up the hill with Mikasa and Eren was what he felt like he was born to do, it made me realise that the meaning of life is whatever we decide to give meaning to - you do not need to have a grand purpose but you can simply exist in happiness and peace 💕
My view is similar but a little different. One of the key themes of the story is the cyclical nature of "life, death and rebirth". I see the three leads as the physical embodiment of these three concepts. Armin embodies life. Eren embodies death as his drive is the freedom from death and suffering. Mikasa represents rebirth and change.
but all three of them undergo transformations/are reborn. eren almost every other fight, armin at least one time ... i would say mikasa is a good third place when it comes to representing reincarnation :D
Rewatching the series and seeing a series full of sympathetic characters Erens arcs and end is so sad! We legit went on the journey with him! A good person who grew to do evil things
Thank you for creating a beautiful video with excellent production, writing, and retrospection. Each chapter reframed from the ending's frame of mind each moment, each conversation that much more meaningful. This is one of the greatest videos on AOT's core themes and you represented this once-in-a-generation story masterfully.
This is probably the single greatest analysis of this absolute masterpiece as a whole to date. AoT might stand as my favourite piece of media of all time, for a long time. That said, I would freaking LOVE to see you make a video discussing every single criticism you have of it, including the most popular ones from the fandom. Great work once again, take care ^^
Im honestly not a big anime or manga person but I heard about AOT and had to watch it and its probably in my top 3 shows ever. The story is one I enjoy very much.
"our only hope, is to help each other to find a way out of this forest" one of the phrases that stuck with me after AOT finished. This phrase describes a "real"way for peace .... Actual peace , not the politically corrupt version that our world is cursed by today . 1) Admit your cruelty as much as your enemies. 2) Admit the humanity and the suffering that your enemy experienced as much as your own suffering. 3) work your way "together" to end the suffering. Maybe one day we would listen.
I never really thought about that relation between Ymir Fritz's desires and the behavior of the pure titans, very interesting. And while it is clear that Armin and Eren seek the outside world for different reasons, I didn't truly appreciate just how self-limiting Eren's perspective of it really is. Whether the obstacle is near (the walls) or far away across the sea, that's all Eren sees. The meaning of the name "Ackermann" and how it relates to Mikasa's character is so cool (not to mention that "acker" sounds similar to an "acre" of land). I should be looking into the names of characters in media more often, because more times than not, a character's name is intentional. Great video!
Super glad someone actually had a constructive and insightful commentary with their intellect on display. Thank you for your analysis! I will be recommending this video to friends who hate the show to see if they actually can have their minds changed
Amazing video! I absolutely love how you pointed out that the last look Eren saved for Mikasa, when his head was already cut off, was an experience that his all-knowing power could never rob him of. I have been wondering why Eren couldn't know the action of Mikasa that would bring about the end of the Titan Curse, and your explanation of this detail that i missed finally made everything make sense. Thanks you for the interesting insights. I would also love to hear your critique about the ending too, as I too have my own despite how much I love this ending and the story as a whole.
12:35 i had to rewind that part because i got so distracted by the fact you used a theme from ff14 that i missed a whole minute wondering if i'm going crazy from playing too much 😆 Love your analysis, it's short and precise and you point out all the essential reasons for why the story of AoT is so beloved and successful. Great job!
I've watched every AoT video I can find and this one is one of the very best. I wish I had more to add, but you encapsulated all the major themes, motifs etc perfectly. Thank you I am definitely subscribing and looking forward to more wonderful content! Actually here is one point: I love AoT's motif of ostensibly superficial contradictions masking deeper truths via the resolution of those apparent paradoxes to deeper dualities and more profound truths. To that end I don't think AoT is a "compatabilst" form of determinism. Instead the irony is that Eren's power saps his ability to perceive any free will thus becomes a literal slave to not only freedom, but to casual time itself. I think it's supposed to be a contradiction/ironic seeming-parodox hiding a greater truth in the duality. (Edit: on rewatch perhaps what I just described IS the definition of "compatabilism," or at least as posited in the show. It is even simple logic: Take two things that at first seem to be a "paradox," or contradiction. If both disparate facts are demonstrated to be proven true, Then by definition the paradox itself must be the issue. That's why I initially said it is not "compatabilism." But actually that i I think that Isayama takes this a step further and suggests that reframing the apparant "paradox" in a deeper context actually (in fact ironically!) often opens up some of the most profound truths of them all. I suppose that is Compatabilism (at least from a Dualist perspective.)) There are many such examples (in fact you point out most of the most poignant ones!)
It’s been almost a year since I first watched this video, and I couldn’t help myself but rewatch it. In my opinion, this will probably be one of the best videos talking about attack on titan, ever. Thank you Radman, once again, for making this video that so acutely captures how I feel about this show that has gripped me from my first watch and has never truly left me since. I never needed attack on titan to be perfect, but DAMN did it do a phenomenal job of going as close as it could.
Truly an amazing in-depth analysis for such a multilayered story! Thank you for your hard work! I'd be very interested to hear your criticisms too, the ones that you said you have at the end of the video so if you ever make a video on them, that'd be highly appreciated, yes!
This has probably already been said, but the terror that this story strikes in me has always been because I understand it. I know how a world like this could come about and the character's decisions make perfect sense. The fact that I could see this happening in real life if this were real is the most terrifying part of the story. I was rewatching the first episode before I watched this and needed a second opinion on the beauty of this narrative. Thank you for this comprehensive look at everything.
What a great video! Also excellent choice in the background tracks! I almost recognized all of them (Always great to hear Penkins work. And the Runescape track was a nice unexpected addition!). Still, I have one final issue with this show that was never resolved. What the heck did Eren saw in the Warhammer Titans memories that made him pause for a minute? No really, in the Anime it seemed like it was something important, but we never got to know what.
I think a lot of people are so focused on the idea of the tragedy of humanity but if we were to just focus on Eren - this really was the only possible happy ending for him and his friends. If were to think of alternate endings and the aftermath we would probably end up with Eren being like Ymir: stuck in the Path. He would be a slave to his ideology of freedom. It is only after Eren's life ends could he consider himself truly free.
Probably my favourite video essay I've ever watched. Curious about the reading you must have done to inform the philosophical points you draw from aot!
Thank you for your insight on this masterpiece. Especially the part where you appreciate Isyama's art work from the manga. Not talked about enough and is arguably the source of why we have this beautiful story in the first place. 👏👏👏 Liked and subbed
Attack on titan I think is mainly saying that we have to fight even though it may "do nothing" in the longterm. But it does do something, slowly opening the onion, throwing away the layers of suffering, hatred and destruction. The fact that we don't just kill each other, can talk things out, democracies existing and stuff like that prove that our ancestors fights were meaningful. Altough probably they thought it was meaningless to fight as it was tough to see that tiny progress But the snowball keeps rolling
Exactly. The boy at the end enters the tree, but he does so out of curiosity and because he wants to, unlike Ymir. He also has a dog by his side as a pet, whereas Ymir was being chased by dogs. The cycle continues, but each reiteration is different and a little less terrible.
Attack on Titan holds a special place in my heart. My friend wanted me to watch it when it came out but like everyone else was not telling anyone anything because spoilers. So I proceed to blow his mind by predicting the entire series from just the title.
I loved this video and I really hope you do a video on breaking down some critiques of the ending. I also do not think it’s perfect in the slightest but much of the hate it receives are blinded. Notably saying that Eren’s character was assassinated while the entirety of season 4 has been screaming on how Eren is and has always been the same. Eren didn’t regress bc there wasn’t any progress really. You can’t say his character went backwards when it never moved forward to begin with. He is the most static character and the ending says just that.
Same thing though I think the ending is great on what it covers, maybe just the execution of a few points and the vagueness or unresolvedness(if that's even a word) of others could be unsatisfactory (which might just be intentional). And regarding the development part, I don't think his character didn't evolve, but it definitely wasn't to the extent people expected, or at least not to the type of person people perceived he had become
hmmm... so the growth we saw throughout the entire series, the uprising arc, the memories post-RTS, hobo eren in marley, the ramzi scene, and all those were just lies? hmmm... I love a series where all the development turns out to be a facade!! I love when a show develops a character to be natural, believable, and reasonable in his own way, just to throw all that out the window and revert him into a childish idiot!
I saw eren carying the boulder as a reference to sysiphus. The whole message of Keep moving forward and also the cyclical nature of aot not only thematically but literally if we presume it is a time loop is much like Sysiphus pushing the boulder. Furthermore Armin's conversation with Zeke reveals a very absurdist and Camus take. Even if it is all pointless and the boulder comes tumbling down the mundane moments and brief windows in time that bring peace are worth repeating the cycles. Eldia fell and humanity is doomed to repeat their mistakes but it also means armin gets to run in the wind forever, and zeke gets to throw that ball forever, and Eren gets to wrap that scarf around mikasa forever.
the endless cycle you could argue about in attack on titan is personally my favorite part of the show. the rest of the world called eldians devils and shoved them onto an island and into camps because they did not feel free under them, then even after eren(and/or ymir) serves them the consequences of their actions through the rumbling and the eldians still save them despite the oppression, they STILL refuse to look at them and see human beings. only eren believed(kind of) the rest of humanity deserved death in exchange for stealing eldia’s freedom, yet after he was killed and stopped by ELDIANS- they barely accept them. you are so right in saying eren was blinded by his rage and ignorance, unable to sense the meaning of actual freedom.
Please make that followup video about the conclusion, I would love to see it. Finding this video has been a breath of fresh air after trying to wade the online fandom to find actual discussion about the themes of the show. Thank you!
This was such an amazing video omg. It made me fall in love with aot all over again. Honestly the story is far from perfect bc there's a lot of conditioning factors outside of the creative process, such as edition, format etc. And I think that also acts in detriment of the storytelling process. But over all, omg I really need to rewatch now. Personally, after seeing the last chapter animated I felt much better about the ending, those little changes (especially on Eren and Armin's last conversation) made me feel so much for Eren, which is also incredible since I've never been on his side and never liked him as a person (always admitted it was a great character but never "liked" him) After seeing this video essay now I want to rewatch and focus more on Eren and Mikasa's journey too bc I've always been ignoring them and I think what you said was so ON POINT in hindsight. AHHHH this just revived my hype to a 3000 level!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥 THANK YOU 🙏🏽
I think this interpretation is one of the best ones ever people need to realize Love isnt retconned or an aspect just added to drive eremika its been around since the very first episode it was one of erens driving motives to eliminate the titans his love for his mother turned into regret for not realizing it so soon how much she cared which then turned into anger/revenge. This is also the reason why eren was never destined to free ymir it was always mikasa picture this you are born into a world full of injustice one day your life flips upside down and in the midst you are blessed with unholy power powerful enough to change the entire world. What would you do with it? well most people would be like oh ima be a superhero or like im gonna change the world(eren) however this is not the mindset mikasa nor ymir had. You see both mikasa and ymir are quite simple people all they want is love whether to love someone(mikasa) or to be loved by someone(ymir) they just crave for it however this was where ymir fumbled she wanted to be loved but in order to be loved you have to love them first something ymir couldnt do cause of her situation during her life. she wasnt able to love anything as her only meaning in life was to be a slave to her master but then youd think oh well she could change that with the power she now possessed. wrong In ymirs backstory we see how through her eyes king fritz was what love was like(shown in the panel where he kissed that random women) it wasnt actual love but it was the only glimpse of love she knew. So she wanted it. Which is why she came back to king fritz she wanted to be loved so bad she failed to even realize that she cant be loved by someone she herself doesnt love but she was so blinded by her slave origins she countined to work for him in order to belive he would love her. Obviously she was wrong but she didnt know that which is why even in death she cannot escape that slave mentality cause she wanted to be connected she wanted to be loved by someone. Yet even with all the passing lives she never once felt that she was loved by someone or she loved anybody(she did but she just didnt realize it until mikasa). Now we have mikasa who since the very beginning loved eren and it didnt matter to her if he loved her back she just wanted to be by his side cause she loved him and throughout the series we see how this then evolves to eren finally falling in love with her(he started falling in love after s2 but we dont needa know this). So then the question is why did ymir need mikasa what did she need mikasa to show her? Well unlike a popular belief i belive ymir needed mikasa to show her that you cant force a connection onto someone you cant force someone to love you nor can you force yourself so at the end of the day you have to let them go Mikasa cant force eren to stop now she couldve but it wouldnt have gone with her own morals but that doesnt mean she has stay alongside him she cant force herself to love eren she cant force herself to support whatever hes doing just because she loves him shes going to stop him because she wants to(note that stopping eren and killing are 2 different things so she did not want to kill eren) she killed eren because she knew it was the best choice but that doesnt mean she loved him anyless. this alongside the small chat she had with ymir clicked something inside ymirs brain maybe she did love someone and thats why we got that thought in ymirs brain of what would of happened if she didnt save carl she would have her kids who loved her and she loved she just didnt know it cause she was so fixated on forcing carl to love her. which is why ymir was finally able to be put to rest she finally let go of finding love cause she always had it. While you can make an arguement for eren being the one to free her I think mikasa makes much more sense since shes so much more down to earth then eren probably alongside levi and jean the most down to earth characters in aot.
I just finished watching AoT for the first time and it was nothing short of phenomenal. Love your analysis. By the way, hearing FFXIV Garlemald music in the background made me smile. My favorite game!
I love this analysis. I think that when you talk about Erens God like status it is reminiscent of the golden compass for me. In the book, Lyra’s father opens up the multiverse because he believes in free will and is in rebellion of God aka Destiny. Mikasa’s love, her ties to the boy she knew, eventually gives Eren his freedom when she kills him. In a way, love is the antithesis to destiny/God. Future and past and pain and nature and nurture and destiny are meaningless in the face of the present moment and the love we feel for those moments. It gives life its meaning. In the golden compass, the father says “Human beings can't see anything without wanting to destroy it. That's original sin. And I'm going to destroy it. Death is going to die.” Bravo my man
Not a single piece of fiction is perfect, but imo AoT is the one closest to it. It might not be my personal favorite piece of fiction, but looking at AoT as objectively as possible, I would say it's the best one out there. Great video and immaculate OST choices btw. Girei, Samidare, Avid, Made in Abyss, Gintama, etc. Forgot some of them, but I knew the majority of them.
Excellent video, for me you've expressed all the ideas wonderfully and I'm glad to see a perspective with which I agree pretty much on everything. Also, your exposition widened my own perspectives, so lots of thanks for that!!! To leave at leas a small attempt of a contribution I'd like to add a tiny piece about the child finding the tree at the very end of the story. Not only they weren't being chased and running away from the insanity of hate like Ymir was, but it seemed to me like their vibe is much more the one of an explorer. They're a child in the forest without adults to guide, but his attitude reminds me of everything you mentioned about Armin's curiosity and his persue to experience the world for himself. So, maybe this final child is some mixture between Mikasa and Armin, symbolically speaking. And maybe this new character with their own new story to tell suggests some type of representation for two thirds of our main trio, which finally reunites with the last third awaiting for them in a whole new context. Happy 2024, everybody!!!! 😁
Sorry for another comment but I just got to the end of your video (finally) and I you stole my words: while the conclusion suggests another cycle, but while Ymir was being hunted for death, this kid looks to be coming in as peaceful/relaxed way as possible, just exploring with his dog. Perhaps it isn't doomed to be a continuation of a "cycle of hate/violence"
Honestly it lowkey wouldn’t make sense if ppl truly believed that it would The first ep was Eren witnessing his mom getting eaten alive, i knew it was gonna get way worse 😂
He did mention it, and I think it's resolved simply by making the fathers realize their mistakes and not burden their problems onto their offspring, rather inform them of their mistakes so that they never repeat them
@@user-qx1id1dt8xIf only it were that simple the rumbling wouldn’t happen. You're ignoring the key part, the people who want to punish the kid for the sins of his father. They were the key reason why the rumbling happened
I've been very flip floppy with the ending to this show. I go from not liking it to liking it to not liking it again. I like a lot of things about it but at the same time I don't. I can't place my finger on why though.
Small correction, in the Golem of Prague story it didn't randomly go on a rampage, on its head was written by the Rabbi the word "protect" and someone or somehow, one of the characters of the word "protect" got erased, leaving the word "destroy" on its stead
I feel like Attack on Titan is a show that will be analyzed for decades
I hope so. This is one story that definitely deserves that. For 10 years at least.
@@CrimsonCharan it should at least be as long as we waited
I see this exact comment in every single AoT video
Decades? How about centuries?
@nishanshrestha3646 anything less than 2000 years won't do.
truly one of the greatest media of all time, the storytelling, character arcs, world building, everything about this show is truly special to everyone that has followed it since the beginning and Hajime should be proud of what his first series has done for the world
Pieck fiction
PEAK FICTION 🐐
@@namelessmonster-fr124 I see what you did there
Was good untill they changed studio then it started to suck .
@@yaasinmbro that’s not how it works especially since they were just following the manga 🤯
I’m absolutely blown away to have found a retrospective that offers genuine critical analysis, rather than a surface-level retelling of the plot. This definitely changed how I view the series. Thank you Radman!
This is one of, if not _the_ , the most insightful retrospectives on SnK that I've come across yet. The ties back to the Trost arc, Eren and Armin's conversation before he lifted the boulder, Eren's visualization of freedom...awesome, thoughtful observations! I also remember you calling that Eren had never changed or grew up before the series had concluded! Masterful analysis, friend!
I'm interested in hearing your own criticisms and *definitely* interested in a video where you dissect some of the more prevalent criticisms of the ending.
Again, great work!
4:11
you truly have been going crazy this year man. love the hard work and dedication you’ve put in. 2024 your year
Aye! Thank you for the support it truly means the world. I need to go crazier next year!
To bring forth something new to the discourse of online media, especially through such a competitively volatile medium, is extremely difficult and a rarity to achieve. Most content creators struggle to provide even a minute of worthwhile insight that hasnt already been parroted plentiful times beforehand. However, what you've managed to do is absolutely incredible, to provide an hour of genuine, fresh and unprecedented perspectives to an otherwise, thoroughly dissected piece of fiction. You are the first reviewer I've seen who looked at the entire story through the lense of the ending, and not the other way around. Most youtubers looked at the ending in terms of the series, as opposed to watching the finale and recontexualising everything that had come before it, as intended. Nearly everyone who's spoken about the ending did so on the basis that they already knew the meaning of the story, and then wondered why the ending wouldn't fit their idealised perspective. And yet, you managed to give me a new perspective to the ending, AS WELL as the entire series as a whole. What you've done is shown me why the story and finale should be appreciated in tandem, and my appreciation to Eren's final moments, as well as his journey towards freedom, has increased as a whole. As a long time fan of Attack On Titan, thank you for this incredibly wonderful insight.
i just finished watching AOT in full for the first time and i'm obsessed with its themes. this is a great video, thank you. also appreciate the use of the Garlemald theme in one of your sections :D well done. subbed!
Imagine publishing your first manga in your 20s and it becomes the GOAT. This is genius on the level of Shakespeare, Newton, and Mozart.
Most definitely so!
GOAT? Still far
Absolutely phenomenal video and you actually went into a lot of the aspects of the story that I don't usually put as much weight into myself yet it still feels like you captured the essence of it beautifully. I really think AoT is the most thematically rich and complete work I've ever seen, where there is a plethora of things it has to say about the human condition but no two people necessarily come out of it with the exact same imprint, something you also bring up in the video.
Thank you so much bro! Glad you enjoyed frrrr
Isayama truly is a genius, he manages to evoke some emotions I never thought I would feel such as empathizing with mass murderers, and feeling catharsis over a group of adults beating the shit out of a child
Legit bro, Isayama has a lot of insight into human nature. I wish I could ever write something half as great as AoT
@@LuisSierra42you can do it bro 😊
So happy this video exists, you did a phenomenal job talking about the massive concepts and themes aot encompasses. It's not easy to be as comprehensive and cohesive when talking about this series in my experience but you pulled it off.
I was also very disappointed by the lack of substantiative discussions and arguments about the series after the ending(in my experience), it's not what it deserves. I genuinely appreciate your efforts in pushing forward that sphere. Cheers!
I think the more time it passes, people's passions will calm down and later generations who will experience the whole story will engage in a more intellectual debate than just hating the way it ended
You’ve scratched the itch in my brain perfectly with this analysis. I just finished the series a few days ago and honestly I was devastated by the ending. It shattered my heart and I felt so deeply for the circumstances surrounding Eren’s death and all the events that led up to it. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and it really provoked some self reflection that led to me having an existential crisis.
The conversation between Armin and Zeke particularly stuck with me, because when he said simply running up the hill with Mikasa and Eren was what he felt like he was born to do, it made me realise that the meaning of life is whatever we decide to give meaning to - you do not need to have a grand purpose but you can simply exist in happiness and peace 💕
My view is similar but a little different. One of the key themes of the story is the cyclical nature of "life, death and rebirth". I see the three leads as the physical embodiment of these three concepts. Armin embodies life. Eren embodies death as his drive is the freedom from death and suffering. Mikasa represents rebirth and change.
but all three of them undergo transformations/are reborn. eren almost every other fight, armin at least one time ... i would say mikasa is a good third place when it comes to representing reincarnation :D
Attack on Titan is one of my favorite stories ever
Rewatching the series and seeing a series full of sympathetic characters Erens arcs and end is so sad! We legit went on the journey with him! A good person who grew to do evil things
Good and evil are subjective
Awesome analysis man! Loved the ending, its been great watching this show with yall!
Absolutely amazing video man. You're killing it this year.
Thank you for creating a beautiful video with excellent production, writing, and retrospection. Each chapter reframed from the ending's frame of mind each moment, each conversation that much more meaningful. This is one of the greatest videos on AOT's core themes and you represented this once-in-a-generation story masterfully.
This is probably the single greatest analysis of this absolute masterpiece as a whole to date. AoT might stand as my favourite piece of media of all time, for a long time. That said, I would freaking LOVE to see you make a video discussing every single criticism you have of it, including the most popular ones from the fandom.
Great work once again, take care ^^
Im honestly not a big anime or manga person but I heard about AOT and had to watch it and its probably in my top 3 shows ever. The story is one I enjoy very much.
"our only hope, is to help each other to find a way out of this forest" one of the phrases that stuck with me after AOT finished.
This phrase describes a "real"way for peace .... Actual peace , not the politically corrupt version that our world is cursed by today .
1) Admit your cruelty as much as your enemies.
2) Admit the humanity and the suffering that your enemy experienced as much as your own suffering.
3) work your way "together" to end the suffering.
Maybe one day we would listen.
It's been a 10 years hell of a ride
You've saved me brother, I will give it a reread
I never really thought about that relation between Ymir Fritz's desires and the behavior of the pure titans, very interesting. And while it is clear that Armin and Eren seek the outside world for different reasons, I didn't truly appreciate just how self-limiting Eren's perspective of it really is. Whether the obstacle is near (the walls) or far away across the sea, that's all Eren sees. The meaning of the name "Ackermann" and how it relates to Mikasa's character is so cool (not to mention that "acker" sounds similar to an "acre" of land). I should be looking into the names of characters in media more often, because more times than not, a character's name is intentional. Great video!
Super glad someone actually had a constructive and insightful commentary with their intellect on display. Thank you for your analysis! I will be recommending this video to friends who hate the show to see if they actually can have their minds changed
Amazing video! I absolutely love how you pointed out that the last look Eren saved for Mikasa, when his head was already cut off, was an experience that his all-knowing power could never rob him of. I have been wondering why Eren couldn't know the action of Mikasa that would bring about the end of the Titan Curse, and your explanation of this detail that i missed finally made everything make sense. Thanks you for the interesting insights. I would also love to hear your critique about the ending too, as I too have my own despite how much I love this ending and the story as a whole.
Great video! You really helped me understand Mikasa's character.
I’m so happy people are coming to these same conclusions! Great video!
12:35 i had to rewind that part because i got so distracted by the fact you used a theme from ff14 that i missed a whole minute wondering if i'm going crazy from playing too much 😆 Love your analysis, it's short and precise and you point out all the essential reasons for why the story of AoT is so beloved and successful. Great job!
I've watched every AoT video I can find and this one is one of the very best. I wish I had more to add, but you encapsulated all the major themes, motifs etc perfectly. Thank you I am definitely subscribing and looking forward to more wonderful content!
Actually here is one point: I love AoT's motif of ostensibly superficial contradictions masking deeper truths via the resolution of those apparent paradoxes to deeper dualities and more profound truths.
To that end I don't think AoT is a "compatabilst" form of determinism. Instead the irony is that Eren's power saps his ability to perceive any free will thus becomes a literal slave to not only freedom, but to casual time itself. I think it's supposed to be a contradiction/ironic seeming-parodox hiding a greater truth in the duality.
(Edit: on rewatch perhaps what I just described IS the definition of "compatabilism," or at least as posited in the show. It is even simple logic: Take two things that at first seem to be a "paradox," or contradiction. If both disparate facts are demonstrated to be proven true, Then by definition the paradox itself must be the issue. That's why I initially said it is not "compatabilism." But actually that i I think that Isayama takes this a step further and suggests that reframing the apparant "paradox" in a deeper context actually (in fact ironically!) often opens up some of the most profound truths of them all. I suppose that is Compatabilism (at least from a Dualist perspective.))
There are many such examples (in fact you point out most of the most poignant ones!)
Damn.. Another banger analysis after the Jjk one. It was really great to see such earnest love for Aot throughout the video
This has to be one of the best analyses of AoT, thank you!
It’s been almost a year since I first watched this video, and I couldn’t help myself but rewatch it. In my opinion, this will probably be one of the best videos talking about attack on titan, ever. Thank you Radman, once again, for making this video that so acutely captures how I feel about this show that has gripped me from my first watch and has never truly left me since.
I never needed attack on titan to be perfect, but DAMN did it do a phenomenal job of going as close as it could.
Truly an amazing in-depth analysis for such a multilayered story! Thank you for your hard work! I'd be very interested to hear your criticisms too, the ones that you said you have at the end of the video so if you ever make a video on them, that'd be highly appreciated, yes!
This has probably already been said, but the terror that this story strikes in me has always been because I understand it. I know how a world like this could come about and the character's decisions make perfect sense. The fact that I could see this happening in real life if this were real is the most terrifying part of the story.
I was rewatching the first episode before I watched this and needed a second opinion on the beauty of this narrative. Thank you for this comprehensive look at everything.
What a great video! Also excellent choice in the background tracks! I almost recognized all of them (Always great to hear Penkins work. And the Runescape track was a nice unexpected addition!).
Still, I have one final issue with this show that was never resolved.
What the heck did Eren saw in the Warhammer Titans memories that made him pause for a minute?
No really, in the Anime it seemed like it was something important, but we never got to know what.
Love to see someone recognise the RuneScape music 😅
@@R7dman They are some banger after all.
You never get to see memories so suddenly and early on, so I'd assume it's just a dramatic montage of eren receiving a new power
I think a lot of people are so focused on the idea of the tragedy of humanity but if we were to just focus on Eren - this really was the only possible happy ending for him and his friends. If were to think of alternate endings and the aftermath we would probably end up with Eren being like Ymir: stuck in the Path. He would be a slave to his ideology of freedom. It is only after Eren's life ends could he consider himself truly free.
i love this analysis great work!
What an incredible analysis . I pray that is not killed by the algorithm 😅
This video deserves more views. Job well done❤
What a great and interesting video! Thank you so much for this massive analysis. This video and AOT have me so much to think about and learn from. 🙏🏻❤
Great video I hope it gets the love it deserves
This is probably the best video i've ever seen on Attack on Titan.
Probably my favourite video essay I've ever watched. Curious about the reading you must have done to inform the philosophical points you draw from aot!
Great video! Id love the video of the response to the backlash of the ending!
Thank you for your insight on this masterpiece. Especially the part where you appreciate Isyama's art work from the manga. Not talked about enough and is arguably the source of why we have this beautiful story in the first place. 👏👏👏 Liked and subbed
Attack on titan I think is mainly saying that we have to fight even though it may "do nothing" in the longterm. But it does do something, slowly opening the onion, throwing away the layers of suffering, hatred and destruction. The fact that we don't just kill each other, can talk things out, democracies existing and stuff like that prove that our ancestors fights were meaningful. Altough probably they thought it was meaningless to fight as it was tough to see that tiny progress
But the snowball keeps rolling
Exactly. The boy at the end enters the tree, but he does so out of curiosity and because he wants to, unlike Ymir. He also has a dog by his side as a pet, whereas Ymir was being chased by dogs. The cycle continues, but each reiteration is different and a little less terrible.
Attack on Titan holds a special place in my heart. My friend wanted me to watch it when it came out but like everyone else was not telling anyone anything because spoilers. So I proceed to blow his mind by predicting the entire series from just the title.
Magnificent analysis. Thank you from Japan.
"Eren IS Attack on Titan", I mean, literally, since the Japanese title can also be translated into "the attack titan" which is Eren
Top tier watch incoming
Love bro
i heard somewhere that titans eat people because they are looking for a shifter, so they can turn back into a human by eating them
I like this theory
Absolutely incredible work here ❤ thank you
Amazing analysis!! I especially loved the addition of wonderful OSTs from other anime like Made in Abyss and FMA
What a beautiful and dense analysis. Thank you.
Your videos always inspire me to write my own stories
incredible video man. great analysis
I loved this video and I really hope you do a video on breaking down some critiques of the ending. I also do not think it’s perfect in the slightest but much of the hate it receives are blinded. Notably saying that Eren’s character was assassinated while the entirety of season 4 has been screaming on how Eren is and has always been the same. Eren didn’t regress bc there wasn’t any progress really.
You can’t say his character went backwards when it never moved forward to begin with. He is the most static character and the ending says just that.
Same thing though I think the ending is great on what it covers, maybe just the execution of a few points and the vagueness or unresolvedness(if that's even a word) of others could be unsatisfactory (which might just be intentional).
And regarding the development part, I don't think his character didn't evolve, but it definitely wasn't to the extent people expected, or at least not to the type of person people perceived he had become
hmmm... so the growth we saw throughout the entire series, the uprising arc, the memories post-RTS, hobo eren in marley, the ramzi scene, and all those were just lies? hmmm... I love a series where all the development turns out to be a facade!! I love when a show develops a character to be natural, believable, and reasonable in his own way, just to throw all that out the window and revert him into a childish idiot!
I saw eren carying the boulder as a reference to sysiphus. The whole message of Keep moving forward and also the cyclical nature of aot not only thematically but literally if we presume it is a time loop is much like Sysiphus pushing the boulder. Furthermore Armin's conversation with Zeke reveals a very absurdist and Camus take. Even if it is all pointless and the boulder comes tumbling down the mundane moments and brief windows in time that bring peace are worth repeating the cycles. Eldia fell and humanity is doomed to repeat their mistakes but it also means armin gets to run in the wind forever, and zeke gets to throw that ball forever, and Eren gets to wrap that scarf around mikasa forever.
the endless cycle you could argue about in attack on titan is personally my favorite part of the show. the rest of the world called eldians devils and shoved them onto an island and into camps because they did not feel free under them, then even after eren(and/or ymir) serves them the consequences of their actions through the rumbling and the eldians still save them despite the oppression, they STILL refuse to look at them and see human beings. only eren believed(kind of) the rest of humanity deserved death in exchange for stealing eldia’s freedom, yet after he was killed and stopped by ELDIANS- they barely accept them. you are so right in saying eren was blinded by his rage and ignorance, unable to sense the meaning of actual freedom.
Great video !! Loved the deep analysis
You have some excellent insight into this series, thank you for making this!
Incredible analysis!
Thank you!
Please make that followup video about the conclusion, I would love to see it.
Finding this video has been a breath of fresh air after trying to wade the online fandom to find actual discussion about the themes of the show. Thank you!
This was such an amazing video omg. It made me fall in love with aot all over again. Honestly the story is far from perfect bc there's a lot of conditioning factors outside of the creative process, such as edition, format etc. And I think that also acts in detriment of the storytelling process. But over all, omg I really need to rewatch now.
Personally, after seeing the last chapter animated I felt much better about the ending, those little changes (especially on Eren and Armin's last conversation) made me feel so much for Eren, which is also incredible since I've never been on his side and never liked him as a person (always admitted it was a great character but never "liked" him)
After seeing this video essay now I want to rewatch and focus more on Eren and Mikasa's journey too bc I've always been ignoring them and I think what you said was so ON POINT in hindsight. AHHHH this just revived my hype to a 3000 level!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥 THANK YOU 🙏🏽
yessss i really would like to see the video where you discuss ppl’s criticisms about the ending
Fascinating, this the most distinct AOT analysis, Perfect, just perfect
I'm about halfway through and I'm really enjoying this. Thank you for the hard work.
Thank You.
I’m so proud of you man
This is beautiful. Thank you.
Beautiful job
been waiting on this one 🔥🔥
Aye my guy
I think this interpretation is one of the best ones ever people need to realize
Love isnt retconned or an aspect just added to drive eremika its been around since the very first episode it was one of erens driving motives to eliminate the titans his love for his mother turned into regret for not realizing it so soon how much she cared which then turned into anger/revenge.
This is also the reason why eren was never destined to free ymir it was always mikasa
picture this you are born into a world full of injustice one day your life flips upside down and in the midst you are blessed with unholy power powerful enough to change the entire world. What would you do with it? well most people would be like oh ima be a superhero or like im gonna change the world(eren) however this is not the mindset mikasa nor ymir had. You see both mikasa and ymir are quite simple people all they want is love whether to love someone(mikasa) or to be loved by someone(ymir) they just crave for it however this was where ymir fumbled she wanted to be loved but in order to be loved you have to love them first something ymir couldnt do cause of her situation during her life. she wasnt able to love anything as her only meaning in life was to be a slave to her master but then youd think oh well she could change that with the power she now possessed. wrong
In ymirs backstory we see how through her eyes king fritz was what love was like(shown in the panel where he kissed that random women) it wasnt actual love but it was the only glimpse of love she knew. So she wanted it. Which is why she came back to king fritz she wanted to be loved so bad she failed to even realize that she cant be loved by someone she herself doesnt love but she was so blinded by her slave origins she countined to work for him in order to belive he would love her. Obviously she was wrong but she didnt know that which is why even in death she cannot escape that slave mentality cause she wanted to be connected she wanted to be loved by someone.
Yet even with all the passing lives she never once felt that she was loved by someone or she loved anybody(she did but she just didnt realize it until mikasa). Now we have mikasa who since the very beginning loved eren and it didnt matter to her if he loved her back she just wanted to be by his side cause she loved him and throughout the series we see how this then evolves to eren finally falling in love with her(he started falling in love after s2 but we dont needa know this).
So then the question is why did ymir need mikasa what did she need mikasa to show her? Well unlike a popular belief i belive ymir needed mikasa to show her that you cant force a connection onto someone you cant force someone to love you nor can you force yourself so at the end of the day you have to let them go
Mikasa cant force eren to stop now she couldve but it wouldnt have gone with her own morals but that doesnt mean she has stay alongside him she cant force herself to love eren she cant force herself to support whatever hes doing just because she loves him
shes going to stop him because she wants to(note that stopping eren and killing are 2 different things so she did not want to kill eren) she killed eren because she knew it was the best choice but that doesnt mean she loved him anyless.
this alongside the small chat she had with ymir clicked something inside ymirs brain maybe she did love someone and thats why we got that thought in ymirs brain of what would of happened if she didnt save carl she would have her kids who loved her and she loved she just didnt know it cause she was so fixated on forcing carl to love her. which is why ymir was finally able to be put to rest she finally let go of finding love cause she always had it.
While you can make an arguement for eren being the one to free her I think mikasa makes much more sense since shes so much more down to earth then eren probably alongside levi and jean the most down to earth characters in aot.
I just finished watching AoT for the first time and it was nothing short of phenomenal. Love your analysis. By the way, hearing FFXIV Garlemald music in the background made me smile. My favorite game!
42:24 Yup, I was wondering what the hell was going on inside his head.
This is a great vid, i also love your pronouncing of these characters names.
35:45 I feel like a lot of people don’t get that imo
I love this analysis. I think that when you talk about Erens God like status it is reminiscent of the golden compass for me. In the book, Lyra’s father opens up the multiverse because he believes in free will and is in rebellion of God aka Destiny. Mikasa’s love, her ties to the boy she knew, eventually gives Eren his freedom when she kills him. In a way, love is the antithesis to destiny/God. Future and past and pain and nature and nurture and destiny are meaningless in the face of the present moment and the love we feel for those moments. It gives life its meaning. In the golden compass, the father says “Human beings can't see anything without wanting to destroy it. That's original sin. And I'm going to destroy it. Death is going to die.” Bravo my man
10000/10 video. Especially for using made in abyss ost
I love the aspect that Eren doesn’t have new experiences anymore
Not a single piece of fiction is perfect, but imo AoT is the one closest to it.
It might not be my personal favorite piece of fiction, but looking at AoT as objectively as possible, I would say it's the best one out there.
Great video and immaculate OST choices btw. Girei, Samidare, Avid, Made in Abyss, Gintama, etc. Forgot some of them, but I knew the majority of them.
AOT was so good we just had to make a game.
Excellent video, for me you've expressed all the ideas wonderfully and I'm glad to see a perspective with which I agree pretty much on everything. Also, your exposition widened my own perspectives, so lots of thanks for that!!! To leave at leas a small attempt of a contribution I'd like to add a tiny piece about the child finding the tree at the very end of the story. Not only they weren't being chased and running away from the insanity of hate like Ymir was, but it seemed to me like their vibe is much more the one of an explorer. They're a child in the forest without adults to guide, but his attitude reminds me of everything you mentioned about Armin's curiosity and his persue to experience the world for himself. So, maybe this final child is some mixture between Mikasa and Armin, symbolically speaking. And maybe this new character with their own new story to tell suggests some type of representation for two thirds of our main trio, which finally reunites with the last third awaiting for them in a whole new context.
Happy 2024, everybody!!!! 😁
Sorry for another comment but I just got to the end of your video (finally) and I you stole my words: while the conclusion suggests another cycle, but while Ymir was being hunted for death, this kid looks to be coming in as peaceful/relaxed way as possible, just exploring with his dog. Perhaps it isn't doomed to be a continuation of a "cycle of hate/violence"
Incredible watch
Thank you, glad you enjoyed
Great video!
Good video
I never thought aot would have a happy ending
Honestly it lowkey wouldn’t make sense if ppl truly believed that it would
The first ep was Eren witnessing his mom getting eaten alive, i knew it was gonna get way worse 😂
Regarding the ending, for every fan you please, you'll disappoint another. And usually when you try to please everybody, you please nobody
Wow nice video. I think I should be taking notes
Phenomenal video
What about the theme of "Sins of the Father"? Hajime Isayama said that it's one of the most important themes in AOT
He did mention it, and I think it's resolved simply by making the fathers realize their mistakes and not burden their problems onto their offspring, rather inform them of their mistakes so that they never repeat them
@@user-qx1id1dt8xIf only it were that simple the rumbling wouldn’t happen.
You're ignoring the key part, the people who want to punish the kid for the sins of his father. They were the key reason why the rumbling happened
great analysis
The highest quality piece of entertainment ever created 🔥
I've been very flip floppy with the ending to this show.
I go from not liking it to liking it to not liking it again.
I like a lot of things about it but at the same time I don't. I can't place my finger on why though.
Small correction, in the Golem of Prague story it didn't randomly go on a rampage, on its head was written by the Rabbi the word "protect" and someone or somehow, one of the characters of the word "protect" got erased, leaving the word "destroy" on its stead
I caught the "Pain" theme from Naruto Shippuden at 24:00. Nice.
nice FFXIV music on here was a good fit.
I unfortunately never got into it but I'm curious to see what happened with the story
do you want to get spoiled?