This post will have spoilers, beware.
I am writing this post after the first portion of the Final season of Attack on Titan came completely into being. I feel like I still haven’t completely put my thoughts together on the season. It’s one of those confusing things where I have put some thoughts into generally liking it for what it says and does, but not the same kind of way as I did beforehand. Walking out of the completed Attack on Titan season 3, I was at my highest point in liking the show because of how flawless it felt with one thing or two being mistakes. The full reveal of the conspiracy revealing the true stakes of AOT was shocking in good and bad ways. Oh boy oh boy. More on that in a little bit.
For now, let’s talk about conspiracies in anime. Can you think of a lot of bigger series that don’t have at least a small conspiracy in them that keeps the anime in motion or at least needs to be defeated by the end? Especially the more political thriller of anime, right? Legend of the Galactic Heroes has a definitive one, right? What about anime series which feature old people who knows how old they are trying to lead the world of the young for their own good despite being so out of touch? Things like both Fullmetal Alchemist series with Dante and Father, Code Geass, Soul Eater, and so many other things. Similar to demons and humans living together but hidden in a few shows I could name easily. That’s why the idea of a conspiracy theory didn’t bother me with AOT at first.
That was until the reveal at some of the final episodes of season three appeared. The opening of the basement revealed that Attack on Titan actually took place in a situation like the late 1930’s to early 1940’s. That was actually pretty neat and could have so much potential there. The real thing that was bothersome? Why where the Eldians that can turn into titans wearing jewish style arm bands from World War 2 and living in a locked ghetto ready to be eliminated whenever? I was not sure what to think about this at first, but it’s become a continually “I can’t believe the mangaka made this decision” whenever it’s shown.
The jewish conspiracy theory, even if it’s unintentional, weighs over the whole show. This is something that I learned move heavily about in a class I took last year focused on learning about racism. In this case, it’s essentially where the jewish are blamed for every little problem through out of europe because they are considered invaders. (That has been a continual thing). It started when the Jewish were forced by the Catholic Church in the middle ages to take jobs centered on money collecting and such so they could be easily blamed for all the wrongs of the world. That sort of thinking is all over Attack on Titan. Especially since the Eldians are directly placed in a position to compared to the jewish people by the mangaka himself. I really wish that he could have done something else because there is a horrible air over the series as a result.
As a result, the wind has been taken out of my sails of enjoying Attack on Titan as much as I did before hand. It’s not only a conspiracy theory that shook the foundation of the show itself, but it’s strange to be bamboozled as a viewer. In some ways, being shocked is great because it means the show changed the context it was waiting to reveal to you ever since season two. At the same time, the conspiracy theory around it turned out to be a little disgusting as it turned out to be. Some same that the change of studios from WIT to Mappa is that shows this weird transition point and time skip and I can see that. That doesn’t mean that I can dismiss what Mappa is adapting because this truth behind the conspiracy was always there waiting to shock us. I don’t really like being blindsided in this horrible way honestly
In the end, I can’t help but feel that Attack on Titan is a problematic favorite for me. If it wasn’t, then I wouldn’t have continue to watch it from 2013 when it first aired onward. I can admit that flaws of Attack on Titan because they are impossible to deny. It is still a show centered on the cycle of hatred and how it will destroy all of us in the end at this moment. The show has our featured protagonists currently looked in prison as people who repeating their mistakes of hating happening all over again. It’s dived into the true horrors of war and death in the biggest way and worst ways. I’ve seen characters I like live, change, and die as a result of how the world around them functions. I will never deny the issues others have and openly admit that Attack on Titan having them can lead to the wrong groups using the show as propaganda. I just wish the mangaka made some different choices because the rest of the story is pretty solid stuff. At least from an anime perspective.
Mechanical Anime Reviews 
I’m not knee deep in the Attack on Titan lore besides the various reviews here or there. I think I remember you talking about that potential conspiracy theory in an older review of yours. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think this was around season 3 if I’m not mistaken.
It’s good that you acknowledge these flaws whether intentional or not. Trust me, I can get VERY annoyed by stans and sycophants of these extreme fandoms. The term “problematic fave” is an interesting neologism and I wonder if others have something that would constitute as such (or would admit to something being potentially problematic).
Sadly humanity has a case of having a perpetual scapegoat. The Jewish community was definitely one example during WWII Germany to repeat your point here. You have those of African descent still being scapegoated here in America and that’s not even counting the horrors in the past (The Devil’s Punchbowl, Tuskegee Experiment, Black Wall Street Massacre, and chattel slavery just to name a few). I’ve certainly noted different examples with what I’ve reviewed and things I ranted about. It’s good that you’re willing to learn about these things as well as being self-reflective as to what you’ve learned. I wish more viewers would have that kind of consciousness. After doing some reading and checking out some documentaries I will review in the future, I had this realization that there’s tragically a mindset of a dominant class in a society needing a scapegoat and/or an underclass to function. If that scapegoat/underclass isn’t there, then that society (potentially a nationality as well) wouldn’t know what to do. That could also be the case of people making a construct of society by needing foreigners around so they could feel more of a pride in their society which can be dangerous with potentially “nativist” or nationalist mindsets.
How would you feel about other AoT fans having that interpretation for better or worse? I certainly hope fans don’t read into anything in a propaganda sort of way. Trust me, I’ve had difficult conversations online and offline when it comes to other media having some problematic content there. I do with the creators would’ve had more cognizance about such unfortunate implications being there especially when you bring up the historical parallels.
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Yeah, it was at end of season 3 so you remember correctly. And I’ve been trying my best to be self aware of things recently. I’ve done that before hand, but as I said in this post I’ve taken a course discussing this information in a way that challenged me more then I expected to watch revolved reading more and more tests from people of color and it’s hard to not see the world fall apart more as a result.
I guess when it comes to fans that thing in that bad way, I don’t want to associate with them at all in anyway. I usually block them so I don’t have to see them in anyway.
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Good. My memory worked there despite not seeing the show. In all seriousness, I do think it’s good you took a course like that and are willing to learn. However, there were so many things I didn’t learn in school from elementary all the way up to my college years which was infuriating. It really felt like so many things I thought I knew were a lie and it’s affected how I view media and life itself. Don’t even get me started about certain people using the term “critical race theory” as a dog whistle against people who legitimately want to educate others about uncomfortable truths about race relations.
Very good. I certainly respect those with morals and I certainly wouldn’t want people to have those kind of negative thoughts if they like the same things as me. Luckily, I never had to deal with that, but I would have to block others if I do see it. That does seem weird to me given how vocal I can be about media having unfortunate implications, but I still want to make sure that doesn’t happen.
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Interesting discussion I wonder how talks on aot will be in 5 years.
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