We imagine there are few anime fans who would disagree that Wit Studio’s work has helped elevate The attack of the Titans to new heights when it first appeared on the small screen, documenting the terrifying story of the Eldian people locked within the walls. Although fans of the series were left heartbroken when it was announced that Wit would not be returning for the final season after releasing the previous three seasons, the studio responsible for the likes of Jujutsu Kaisen et Yasuke, Studio MAPPA, came out of the park with the latest episode.
One of the main differences MAPPA employed over Wit Studio was the use of computer-generated models to represent the Titans, from the brainless wandering behemoths to the thirteen Titans who are currently soldiers from Marley and Eldia to Eren Jaeger, Zeke, Porco, Pieck, Falco, Reiner and more. While the changes were a little shocking when the first episode of the fourth season debuted, MAPPA managed to hit its stride and was able to capture the true threat of all Titans using this new method, especially with the Beast Titan letting out a terrifying scream and introducing the nation of Marley to dozens, if not hundreds, of Titans.
In addition to the Titans themselves, MAPPA was able to capture the emotional moments with the devastating events that took place in the series with this second half of the final season, handling the deaths of soldiers such as Porco and Colt in a way that left many manga readers happy with how these events played out on the small screen. The attack of the Titans is a series that has some of the toughest battles in anime history, but it’s also one that’s able to excel in quiet moments that show a range of emotions on the faces of the characters in the anime. series, which MAPPA managed to capture almost perfectly.
MAPPA as an animation studio has had its work cut out lately, with the production house recently working on the previous film for Jujutsu Kaisen, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, and this year seeing the arrival of Chainsaw Man, the long-awaited bizarre series created by Tatsuki Fujimoto. The last season of The attack of the Titans only has a handful of episodes left to be released in this second half, and if MAPPA decides to release the final battle in a feature film, the footage that has been shared online for the first Jujutsu Kaisen film should leave the fans at ease when it comes to the titanic finale.
The attack of the Titans was the “most requested TV series of 2021,” and it’s clear the combination of good storytelling with solid animation helped it achieve that status.
Do you prefer Studio MAPPA or Wit Studio when it comes to the art of The attack of the Titans? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of Titans.