In a way that’s an accurate portrayal of conflict, of war - the little people are caught between the machinations of their governments and their enemies, and they’re never told the truth. Such ambiguity can make for head-scratching viewing, as the characters themselves are often confused regarding who to trust, as motivations and intentions are deliberately obfuscated. Even now, what exactly is he? A war criminal? A sociopath? A sacrificial hero? All of the above? It’s pretty telling that in the recent Crunchyroll awards, nominal protagonist Eren Yeager was nominated in both best protagonist and best antagonist categories. Whatever that means for the story I don’t yet know, as I’ve studiously avoided manga spoilers. Each successive episode ratchets the tension yet further, and it’s only at this late stage do the true stakes become clear - we’re heading for global holocaust. Any initial worries about MAPPA’s ability to equal Wit Studio’s fantastic work on the first three seasons have all but sublimed away, like the bodies of defeated titans. So far, Attack on Titan’s final season has fired on all cylinders. If it were animated by, say, Studio Deen, I wouldn’t touch it with a sharpened, weaponised bargepole.Īttack on Titan always has the most incredible facial expressionsĪttack on Titan Final Season Part 2: Crunchyroll/Funimation: Episodes 1–6 of 12 (Sundays)

Well, I never said I was watching Demon Slayer for the quality of the writing. It’s very manipulative, but as it’s the third time this narrative technique has been abused by the show, it seems this is the only way the original creator can conceive to add depth to his antagonists. Here, it seems cynically calculated to provide an artificial emotional payoff. Yes, it is emotionally effective, or it would have been six episodes previously. Considering the way that anime production works these days, it wouldn’t surprise me.īy comparison, the final (extended) episode is something of an overly maudlin letdown, where Demon Slayer does its “let’s belatedly give the enemies some tragic backstory in a blatant yet pointlessly delayed attempt to wrangle some kind of sympathy for them”. I can’t imagine how Demon Slayer can ever top this without breaking its animators into pieces in the process. Never Give Up’s constant 24-minute barrage of extreme intensity outmatches even Mugen Train’s climactic battle. It doesn’t matter that the characters are as two dimensional as tissue paper, such concerns are crushed beneath sheer spectacle. Words can hardly express how incredible this episode looks, how fluid the action, how beautiful the explosions of colour. I don’t think I’ve ever sat so breathlessly, so completely captivated by a single episode of anime. This is no more evident than in the penultimate installment of this season, Episode 10: Never Give Up. However, the unbelievably stellar production by studio Ufotable elevates it far above its boilerplate source material. It’s such a basic shonen show, with cardboard cut-out characters and dumbed-down humour. Demon Slayer: Entertainment District Arc: Crunchyroll/Funimation: 11 EpisodesĪs ever, my feelings for Demon Slayer remain conflicted.

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