WARNING: Major spoilers ahead! Spoilers! Spoilers! Proceed with caution if you mind spoilers.

The overall feeling after watching this series was moving. Initially, because the Titans looked too terrifying, I never had any desire to understand this anime, but after watching the first episode, I wanted to continue with the second, and keep watching.

From the sudden bloody beginning to the ruthless story constraints of the protruding wall shapes when the walls were built, followed by successfully killing Titans to protect the people inside the walls... These scenes were so bloody that my heart was racing while watching.

Although the story's plot would keep me awake at night, or even if I fell asleep, I would constantly wake up startled. It might be because it was too bloody and violent, or the soundtrack was too intense. I had no clue about this sleep situation.

As I watched further, I finally understood that even without the bloody Titan scenes at the beginning of the story, all the plots were quite consistent with the real world we live in, or things that had happened in the past.

--v 5

There are two opening songs that left a very deep impression on me, and these two are also songs that most people on the internet love to cover.

The first one is "Guren no Yumiya" (紅蓮の弓矢) by the Japanese band Linked Horizon, with its passionate rhythm and lyrics that fully describe the story of the first season.

The second one is "My War" (僕の戦争) by the band Shinsei Kamattechan. In the video, except for war weapons and explosions which have color, all other scenes are in black and white. "It's as if it's saying that nothing else matters except war. The brainwashing lyrics combined with military style are like the perfect portrayal of World War II (KAZBOM)."

As the story developed, my mood while watching the third season wasn't as fluctuating anymore. Perhaps it was because the story's plot became increasingly close to the real world. There were occasional scenes of killing Titans, but what replaced them was human vs. human conflict, war scenes, and the story setting of the Honorary Marleyan Warriors, military development and militarism, which quickly pulled the story from fictional plot to reality.

From beginning to end, the story never said what was right or what was wrong. There was nothing that had to be done, and no one was forced to do anything, because "All of us have been free from the very beginning." The worldview constructed by this entire anime is very three-dimensional. The upper, lower, and background story structures are all very complete, full of hope while also full of helplessness.

Among the 88 episodes of AOT anime and 8 episodes of OAD anime, what I found most unforgettable was AOT's "Perfect Game" (パーフェクトゲーム完全試合) and OAD's "No Regrets" (悔いなき選択). The Captain Levi and Commander Erwin in these episodes are the two characters that moved me most in Attack on Titan, perhaps because one is a follower and the other is the one being followed. Their relationship is a very touching representation of human relationships that deeply moved me.

Paired with the first half of the soundtrack "Counter.attack-mankind" composed by Hiroyuki Sawano, the light rhythm of jazz drums, string ensemble plus French horn, seemed to give people a feeling of infinite hope and looking forward to the future. Who would have thought the ending would be so poignant.

--v 5

Levi, born in the shadow of the prosperous royal capital, dreamed of one day living on the surface where he could bask in the sun freely, and lived tirelessly for this goal. In order for him and his two companions to have surface residence rights, and to get treatment for his companion who developed leg disease due to not being able to get enough sun exposure, he made a deal with a royal capital councilor to kill Erwin, who held evidence of the councilor's corruption and posed a serious threat to the councilor's survival.

Erwin, who discovered Levi's group's abilities, turned the tables. On one hand, he secretly presented the corruption evidence to the president. On the other hand, besides wanting to add "new wings" to the Survey Corps to enhance their power and fulfill his own dream, he also wanted to save Levi, Farlan, and Isabel who were trapped in the dark world.

Levi also turned the tables. After being captured by Erwin's Survey Corps members through their abilities, he went along with joining the Survey Corps, waiting for a future opportunity to complete the councilor's assigned mission and obtain the coveted surface residence rights.

--v 5

On the eve of the first expedition outside the walls, Levi originally didn't want his two companions to join the expedition, but was persuaded by them to change his original decision. During the expedition outside the walls, the group encountered real Titans. The three of them faced the Titan attacks without showing any signs of retreat, instead focusing on completing the councilor's assigned mission.

Erwin, who knew everything from the beginning, cryptically said to Levi: "Is there something troubling your heart? If there is, it will definitely kill you."

As expected, they encountered Titans again next. However, this time they weren't as lucky as before. Although their abilities against Titans were good, they ultimately lacked experience. This time, only Levi survived. The first thing Erwin said when he saw Levi was "Only you survived? How miserable!"

Losing two lives plus Erwin's provocation finally made Levi unable to hold back, revealing the true purpose of joining the Survey Corps. Erwin finally told Levi the truth, making Levi deeply regretful.

Deep in regret, Levi's mind filled with memories of the past with his two companions. Erwin just watched Levi kneeling in the rain in regret, when suddenly, Erwin said to Levi: "Stop, don't regret. Regretful memories will make you hesitate when making decisions next time, and make you hand over the decision-making power to others. Once that happens, death awaits you. No one knows what the result will be. Every decision a person makes only has meaning when it becomes the basis for the next judgment."

Levi quickly emerged from his regretful emotions. He wasn't indifferent to his companions' sacrifice, but chose to live on for his companions in his own way. When Eren first participated in the expedition outside the walls and was returning, Levi used a break to cut off the "Wings of Freedom" badges of his dead companions one by one, because he knew the return journey was full of variables, and no one would ever know what the result would be.

"I've never been able to understand why, no matter how wise and reasonable a choice we make, no one can know whether it's right or wrong until the result comes out. In the end, all we're allowed to do is believe in that choice and try not to leave regrets."

"In the Survey Corps, lives have different weights. The fools who know this and still walk together are us."

Levi, who joined the Survey Corps after meeting Erwin, had always believed in Erwin's decisions and executed them to the end. However, when they faced the worst moment in the "Perfect Game" episode, when Erwin was reluctant to make a decision because he didn't want to give up his dream, Levi made the decision for Erwin. He said to Erwin: "Give up your dream and die!" And Erwin's response to him was a relieved and moving expression.

When Levi defeated the Beast Titan and was about to save Erwin with a spinal injection, Erwin suddenly raised his remaining hand, like a student raising their hand to a teacher in class, and knocked away Levi's hand that wanted to inject him, muttering: "Teacher, how do you know there really are no humans outside the walls?"

Levi, holding the syringe that was knocked away, then realized that this fool, even after giving up his dream and choosing to die, still wouldn't give up his dream.

"If there's anyone who can change things, that person must be someone who can abandon precious things. When forced to rise above monsters, they can even abandon their humanity. Those who can't abandon anything are absolutely powerless to change anything."

"Dedicate your heart! (心臓を捧げよ!)"

Throughout the entire series, Erwin was recognized by the Survey Corps members as the person most capable of abandoning precious things. Whether facing death or having his hand bitten and dragged by a Titan, Erwin showed no fear or retreat. Instead, he would shout loudly: "Keep advancing! Advance!"

"Only the living can give meaning to the dead. Give up your dream and die! Warriors, roar!"

For Erwin, the meaning of life is not to give up on your dreams, and to give up your dreams according to circumstances, and when forced by necessity to give up your dreams and face death, still not to give up on your dreams.

"I suppose humans can't live without finding something to be intoxicated by. Everyone is a slave to something."

"You have been very active, and from now on, you will continue to be active, because the will you left behind will give me strength."

For Levi, there is no such thing as the right choice. There is only choosing the choice that minimizes regret, that's all.