Attack on Titan Final Episode Features a Sneaky Ghibli Nod
Attack on Titan's final episode had one sneaky Studio Ghibli nod before the end.
Attack on Titan's final episode has come and gone. The Scout Regiment fought Eren Jaeger in one fo the biggest battles of the series to date, solidifying the franchise as an anime classic. With the last installment here, many anime fans have taken the opportunity to explore the entry with a fine tooth comb, searching for Easter Eggs and references in the world of Eldia and Marley. One anime fan spotted an ingenious Easter Egg that works as an homage to one of Studio Ghibli's biggest films.
The Easter Egg in question is a callback to Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away, which is considered by many fans to be one of the best animated films created by the studio. Spirited Away was also the Ghibli film that was able to win Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, as the magical story was able to resonate with fans and critics around the world. While Ghibli doesn't seem as though they'll be returning to this particular universe with any sequels in the near future, Spirited Away has been recently resurrected thanks to the live-action stage play that added a new twist to the supernatural story.
Attack on Spirited Away
One of MAPPA's animators is apparently a massive fan of all things Studio Ghibli and might just have referenced the beloved film in the series finale. During the fight against Eren Jaeger, one of the most useful soldiers for the Scout Regiment was Pieck, aka the Cart Titan. Thanks to Eren's plan of eradicating the world outside of Paradis, Pieck joined forces with the likes of Armin, Mikasa, and the Scouts and had a moment in her human form that paid homage to Chihiro.
sugimoto is a huge fan of studio ghibli, I believe this was his reference from Spritited Away. pic.twitter.com/FY9LttFlnm
— 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑡 (@15in7) November 7, 2023
Attack on Titan's final episode does give anime fans the set-up for a potential sequel, but those hoping for an Attack on Titan 2 might be out of look. In previous interviews with creator Hajime Isayama, the mangaka has stated that he has no plans in working on a sequel to the series, though luckily, the artist isn't entirely done with the series. Next year, Isayama will reveal a new story as a part of an Attack on Titan artbook, exploring the universe at least once more.
What do you think of this ingenious Easter Egg? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and the world of the Titans.