Attack On Titan Crew Shares Their Thoughts on Each Of Season 4’s Episodes

Attack On Titan‘s crew revealed their own thoughts on Season 4 – specifically the first batch of episodes from what is now “Season 4A” of the anime series. The comments came back in November of last year during a special event for the show; now, thanks to the Attack On Fans site, we have the English translations of those comments! 

Keep scrolling below if you want to get the episode-by-episode breakdown by various crew members of the Attack On Titan anime: 

Episode 60: “The Other Side of the Ocean”

Director Yichiro Hayashi says Season 4 Episode 1 is significant because “I think this was the most enthusiastic episode because it was the first episode for MAPPA, and I was quite puzzled by the fact that it was Attack On Titan, but it was all military. Personally, I focused on the dusty atmosphere of the battlefield.” 

Episode 61: “Midnight Train”

Director Daisuke Tokudo says the interesting thing about Attack On Titan Season 4 Episode 2 was “The daily life of the warrior cadets (they are specially trained but only children). For example, how they behave and how they express their emotions? I had to record such small details, so I used a rotoscope to pick up their movements as carefully as possible. I’m sure it was a lot of work for the people who worked on this scene, but I’m glad that I was able to get a sense of each of them. The long shots of young Reiner were very difficult to do, but we had to do it this way to express a world that only he could see.” 

Episode 62: “The Door of Hope”

Director Daisuke Niinuma recalls how “…all the staff took a lot of care in the scene where Reiner is beaten up by Annie and the scene where he raises his gun. It’s a shame that we couldn’t get through some of the scenes due to the length of the episode, but I think it turned out to be an episode with a lot of highlights, such as the scene between Kenny and Annie in disguise or the time when they were training soldiers.” 

Episode 63: “From One Hand To Another”

Chief Animation Director Manabu Akita reflects on doing a Titan-less episode of the series, while also introducing a new character:

 “It was a quiet episode with no Titans in the story. We got to see Falco, Gabi and the others going about their daily lives, which made us feel attached to the characters, but also made us a little sad to think about what would happen next. I love how Gabi and the others are surprised by the festival, and how the four of them turn to Reiner and the others with indescribable expressions on their faces. In this episode, I started working as a chief animation director, and I had to draw Willy [Tybur] for the first time when I wasn’t used to drawing yet, so it was a struggle.” 

Episode 64: “Declaration of War”

Director Teruyuki Omine reflects on this turning-point episode of Attack On Titan Season 4: 

“Willy’s speech takes up a large part of the episode, and I think Kazuhiko Inoue did a great job of engaging the audience. The conversation in the basement was wonderfully acted by Kaji and Hosoya, but I struggled to reflect the tension. This episode and the other episodes I directed (episodes 70 and 75), there were many two-sided scenes with Lights and shadows, and I felt I could create impressive scenes that increased the tension. [Yuki] Kaji was scary during the recording session because he looked like he was possessed by Eren. Hosoya is a good voice actor, and I personally grew to love Reiner.” 

Episode 65: “The War Hammer Titan”

3DCG Supervisor Shuhei Yabuta remembers that “When I joined the team, I felt a lot of pressure because production had moved to MAPPA and it was the season of active use of 3DCG. However, I was encouraged by the enthusiasm of Okuno and Ikeda, the 3DCG supervisors, and the spirit of Niwa, Higashida and Kondo in the production department, who were working around day and night. It was the first time in a long time that I was able to concentrate on my work as an on-site staff member. Ymir’s memories taught me that all of us who participate in Attack On Titan are equally lucky. The enthusiasm of all the staff has resulted in a wonderful episode…”

Episode 66: “Assault”

Episode director Jun Shishido remembers taking on the massive POV switch of making Paradis Island the bad guys:

“In episode 66, I focused on how to portray Eren and Survey Corps, who had been the main characters until Season 3, as the devil of Paradis Island. The highlight of the episode is the scene of the Panzer group deaths. By the way, there’s a hidden photo among all the photos next to Carlo’s rifle stand.” 

Episode 67: “Assassin’s Bullet”

The episode depicting Sasha’s surprise death was naturally one of the most critical ones to get right. Director Yuichiro Hayashi reflects on it: 

“Sashas’s death is one of the most important events in The Final Season. Sasha’s death will affect the lives of many characters. I think Kanai’s storyboarding, with his intonation and inflection, made for a tragic and heart-wrenching moment. 

Episode 68: “Brave Volunteers”

Director Daisuke Niinuma reflects on getting to do a throwback-style episode looking back at happier times on Paradis Island: 

“The Scenes from the past on Paradis Island, the cheerful expressions on the faces of everyone, including Sasha before she died, reminded me of the previous seasons and made me nostalgic. There are quite a lot of heavy content stories this season, so it’s great to be involved in such scenes. The Eren we see in episodes 68 and 69, before the fall of darkness (?), is handsome. Personally, I paid attention to Floch’s hairstyle, although he only appears for a moment.”

Episode 69: “A Sound Argument”

Director Kaori Makita reflects on doing an episode that had to deal with the emotional aftermath of a big battle rather than the battle itself: 

“Episode 69 didn’t have any spectacular battles, but it was an episode with a lot of information related to the basis of the story. The conversation scene of 104th cadet corps in the sunset was very impressive. In the conversation between Connie and Sasha, which treads a delicate line between gag and seriousness, we were able to reproduce the exquisite expressions and questions from the original story in the anime. The actors’ performances were excellent.” 

Episode 70: “Deceiver”

Animation Director Michelle Sugimoto remembers how “In episode 70, I thought the world view would be less convincing if small things were not drawn correctly, not to mention the characters. The stew served at the Blouse house has also been revised. It was interesting to hear the line ‘This is delicious!’ from Falco, the first character I drew in Attack On Titan. So I was able to follow Gabi’s various expressions and actions, and it was a lot of fun.”

Episode 71: “Guides”

Director Yuichiro Hayashi calls this one “the most understated episode of The Final Season. Or perhaps I should say it’s austere. It’s mostly a political drama about a corps of soldiers who get caught in the middle of Jaegerists uprising, so the visuals are a bit weak even with all the old guys. I like the way Zackly dies. 

Episode 72: “Children of the Forest”

Director Yuichiro Hayashi calls this episode “probably my favorite of the Final Season. When I read this moment in the manga, I was impressed by Kaya’s emotions and direct development. The scene where Kaya cries when she is being held in their arms, I drew her in a way that she cries and criest with all her emotions, like a little child.” 

Episode 73: “Savagery”

Animation Director Hiroko Komatsu says that “In episode 73, the scene where Eren tells Mikasa ‘he hates her’ is very impressive. I tried to draw it as carefully and heartfelt as possible since it’s a very important scene in the story. When I drew this scene, I remembered the three of them in their childhood. And the words they exchanged in front of me looked like a lie, and naturally I felt tears welling up in my eyes. Since I was in charge of drawing this heartbreaking scene, I made a point of drawing a smiling face for the illustration after it was broadcast (laughs). 

Episode 74: “Sole Salvation”

Director Mitsue Yamazaki claims that “When Grisha pushes Zeke and he screams hysterically, the actors’ interpretation were very strong and powerful. I also paid a lot of attention to their facial expressions. What have he learned so far? I think he has a very good face. The final scene where Zeke is blown up by a thunder spear was directed by Takahiko Abiru, and I was very excited to work on it because it was as good as the tragedy of this story. Personally, I’m a little sad that Zeke, who was such a good and cute kid in his childhood, became such a tough guy after reaching adulthood…”

Episode 75: “Above and Below”

When it comes to the end of Season 4A, director Yuichiro Hayashi says that “Armin’s fake tears in the dungeon are the best. The more serious the scene, the more cynical the laughter, which is the essence of Attack On Titan. In the end, Reiner appears as a hero. So look forward to Part 2….!” 

Attack on Titan Season 4B is currently streaming on Funimation and Hulu. Hopefully, the show’s crew will be back to critique the second half of the season, as well.