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Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Chapters: Special 1 (2023)
A Perfect Adaptation
Where to begin with Attack on Titan?
This is a show about the cycle of violence, of devastation, and how perpetuating the sins of the past will only create further sins. And this special focuses on the characters, who've all been victims of this hateful cycle, all best seen through Eren himself.
In "Declaration of War", Eren comments that he's the same as Reiner, and we open the special on understanding why he feels that way. In Eren's eyes, Reiner was there to kill everyone on Paradis, yet he joined the Scout Regiment and saved many people's lives, including that of Eren himself. Why? Why bother saving people who you're going to kill anyways? And then, he sees a boy, an immigrant pickpocketing in the hopes of giving his family a better life having been caught and beaten in a back alley. He's seen the future. He knows that this boy will die in the Rumbling. And yet, he saves him anyways, breaking down after the fact.
This is why Attack on Titan is such a good show: no matter how many narrative elements it's juggling, its focus is on its characters, giving immense depth to their actions. As we approach the end, the writing is focused on giving these characters a thematically resonant ending, and its slower pace allows its character moments to breathe.
Speaking of writing, Hiroshi Seko, the scriptwriter for Attack on Titan, commented that with these specials, he wanted the series to feel like a movie. In that regard, this show passes with flying colors. It has a grand scale across the board both narratively and production-wise, and the direction helps enhance that feeling enormously.
MAPPA's animation has come a long, long way from "The Other Side of the Sea". From Hange's action-packed final stand to the emotional power of Eren's aforementioned breakdown to the utter horror that the Rumbling brings with it, the adaptation no longer feels like it's scrambling to keep up with the manga: rather, it's elevating it, taking its source material and doubling down on the emotions it evokes to stellar results. Kohta Yamamato's score goes a long way in furthering this, mixing callbacks to older music with newer pieces that are among his best work.
In conclusion, this is a phenomenal episode of television, packed with numerous powerful character moments alongside the grandiose action that this show is known for. Attack on Titan has become a modern classic, and this episode is a prime example of why that is.
Amphibia: The Hardest Thing (2022)
A Masterpiece of a Finale
Amphibia has always been a show about change, about its inevitability and about how, even though it hurts like nothing else, it's all for the better. That comes front and center in this finale, one where the characters we've grown to love finally accept that change. The ending time-skip is so powerful because of that focus on change: just because the girls will never come back to Amphibia doesn't mean that they haven't left their mark on the people of Amphibia. They remember them, and they move on in their name. Likewise, the girls can never come back to Amphibia, but the lessons they learned about themselves and each other will never be forgotten, lessons that they have grown from.
Change is the hardest thing for anyone to accept because no one wants it. No one wants to leave behind everything they care about. But it happens nonetheless, and we've just got to rest assured that, to quote Anne, the things that really matter will always find a way back to us.
Thank you, Amphibia.
Yakusoku no Neverland: 021145 (2019)
The Cards Are Revealed...
Without going into spoilers, this episode really throws the show onto its head by revealing how much Isabella knows. It's a hauntingly fantastic way for the show to remind its characters of the danger that they face.
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts: Sympathy for the Mandrill (2020)
Really Transforms The Villain
Prior to this episode, Scarlemagne was a pretty one-note, routine, cackling villain. After this episode, he becomes a far more nuanced one, a villain with a very reasonable motive and a personal connection to Kipo's family.
The side plot is decent enough, and the show knows that Kipo's friends are not the main focus here, which is to its own benefit.
In a nutshell, Sympathy for the Mandril makes the audience connect to Scarlemagne with a powerful connection to Kipo's family that simultaneously answers a lot of questions while raising more.
Voltron: Legendary Defender: Razor's Edge (2018)
Truly Hurts
This episode of Voltron's Season 6 really makes you feel for the characters. Keith's bonding with his mother, as well as his flashbacks into the history of his parents, is really strong. However, the most painful part of the entire episode lies in Lance's side of the story. Having seen Lotor and Allura coming closer together, he begins to wonder if his feelings for Allura are one-sided. It also doesn't help matters that Pidge and Hunk tease him about the issue. While Pidge and Hunk's teasing wasn't supposed to be fun and annoying (they are teenagers, after all), they wrap up Lance's fears fairly accurately. The scene in the lounge was the most emotional part of the entire episode because it shows that Lance's confident, swag-filled personality hides his more timid, softer side. This scene also serves as a preview of what's to come in the second half of the season. The episode also ends with a strong cliffhanger that makes the viewer very much surprised and intrigued. This is one of Voltron's best episodes due to its balancing of heartbreak and humor. This reminds me of the "planets-blowing-up" in the quantum abyss: this episode gives viewers a glimpse of what is yet to come in the season.