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A huge part ofAttack on Titan’s popularity is how Hajime Isayama shifted tones and moods between different stages and seasons in the series. The thrilling twists kept fans hooked to the narrative while building up the excitement for future events.
The fourth season ofAttack on Titanshowcased Eren’s descent to evil and moral ambiguity, thus marking an important point in his journey. When the anime switched studios, fans were unhappy with studio MAPPA’s art style. It looked more grim and intense, and every emotion on the characters’ faces was much more pronounced.
Gradually fans warmed up to the new art style and realized that MAPPA was one of the best studios to handle the final seasons of the series. Whatever lingering doubts fans had were resolved with one episode titled ‘Declaration of War’, and here’s how that happened.
MAPPA Did Justice to Attack on Titan’s Most Thrilling Plot Twist
Eren Yeager’s journey inAttack on Titanwas interesting to follow. He was initially a young and loud kid, his strength and personality paled in comparison to the cool and strong characters he was surrounded with. However, his character changed completely in season 4 of the series, as he became a morally ambiguous and downright evil character.
InAttack on Titanseason 4 episode 5, we saw the first properly drawn-out picture of Eren’s true powers. Even though there were all the hints that Eren would eventually snap in this way, it was hard to imagine his wimpy self turning into someone so menacing.
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Moreover, manga fans were eagerly waiting for the moment when Eren’s true motivation and plans get revealed in the anime. From the striking visuals to the intense music, MAPPA ensured that every frame communicates that the world was doomed. Eren was not going to stop. All the expectations fans had with this episode were fulfilled. The animation studio truly brought out the best of this episode.
The Genius ofDeclaration of War
Throughout the episode, there were two crucial events that were happening: Eren’s conversation with Reiner and Willy Tybur addressing Marley. Tybur starts by repeating the same story of the Eldians’ atrocities, but his speech takes a refreshing turn as he makes Eren Yeager the villain. He shifts the entire blame on Eren, while Eren dictates the key events of his life to Reiner.
While he was portrayed as the villain in front of thousands of people by Tybur, we are reminded of the moments when he was the victim. There was a stark contrast between the two events. But throughout that conversation, the viewers find themselves in the same predicament as Falco. This new side of Eren was bone-chilling, but initially, there was hope that it was just a friendly conversation between friends.
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However, the music complemented the flow of the events as Tybur’s narration was followed by intense beats whereas Eren’s conversation was almost peaceful in a way. The two events converged in the moment when Eren admitted he was the same as Reiner. And the scene where Tybur and Eren declare war in their own different ways, was pure cinema.
Another striking aspect of the episode was Reiner’s position. The weight of his actions was weighing him down with every word that Eren spoke. Seeing everyone except Eren feeling unsure of themselves was a refreshing twist that was new forAttack on Titanfans, and it wouldn’t have been possible if MAPPA hadn’t put their best foot forward.
Attack on Titanis available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Laveena Joshi
Anime Writer
Articles Published :926
Laveena is an anime content writer at FandomWire. Having written more than 800 articles, she’s an expert in mainstream shonen series, ranging from the bizarre world of JoJo’s to the expansive worldbuilding of One Piece.With her formal education in Journalism and Mass Communication, she explores entertainment journalism through the lens of anime and manga, from mainstream and classic titles to niche and obscure ones.
