MAPPA Studio has proven themselves with this latest episode of Attack on Titan: The Final Season, Assault. It surpassed all expectations and then some. In fact, it showed one simple truth: MAPPA Studio is better than Wit when it comes to Attack on Titan. I know it’s only seven episodes into MAPPA’s Attack on Titan, but the character models are better/more faithful to the manga, the animation is just as fluid if not more so, and there aren’t any jarring moments that take you out of the moment, like what we saw in the third season and even before in Wit’s Attack on Titan. Wit didn’t continue Attack on Titan because they didn’t want to; they didn’t continue it because they didn’t have the resources to because the animation was so complex. MAPPA was the only studio that could pick it up.
There isn’t a lot of action in the early episodes of The Final Season, and that’s okay; MAPPA starts things out slow, as does the manga for this Marley arc. The art style and animation is on-point though. Once you delve into the later episodes, such as episodes five, six, and seven, Declaration of War, The Warhammer Titan, and Assault, things speed up dramatically. The assault on Marley is on. And it has the best animation in the series. Some complain about the CGI titans, but to be honest, I can barely notice the blend of 2D and 3D; it all looks fantastic. These complaints come from toxic fans who will find fault with anything. The Attack Titan looks much better, and even more demonic than before. MAPPA Studio has done a masterful job, and in episode seven, surpassed Wit in every way possible in regards to animation.
Some forget that Wit had some jarring moments of their own when it came to animation. Some of it was just bad. This is just one example; look at Eren here. It takes you right out of a pivotal moment, which is Armin’s transformation from a Titan back into a human. There are no moments thus far in MAPPA Studio’s Attack on Titan that take you out of the moment so decisively like in Wit’s Attack on Titan. Again, this is just one example; there are more. This is actually some of the worst animation I’ve ever seen, and I don’t dislike Wit’s Attack on Titan. They started out strong with season one, but, as time went on they just couldn’t keep the quality up. MAPPA is proving that they have the legs to carry the series to the end.
Some complain about the character models, but this is exactly how they look in the manga, save Floch, who has suddenly gotten fat (hopefully that can be fixed.) Four years have also elapsed. People have to keep that in mind. The character models in the original series were fantastic, but so are the models in the new season, it’s just that the characters have gotten older. I was unsure how good Armin would look, but he looks great both as a human and as a Titan.
The 3D maneuver gear and Titan fights look better in episode seven, Assault, than anything Wit has done. MAPPA Studio has surpassed Wit in a mere seven episodes on a severe deadline, with some reports saying they are doing two years’ worth of work in just eight months. The assault on Marley is some of the most beautifully animated material in anime, period. The fight between the Survey Corps and the Cart, Beast, and Jaw Titans is masterful. While Wit studio is very good, they simply couldn’t handle Attack on Titan when all was said and done. MAPPA Studio has taken up the mantle and has lived up to expectations, and then some.