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A review by nathanrester
Attack on Titan: Colossal Edition 5 by Hajime Isayama
5.0
Hot damn. I'm inclined to say that this is the series at its apex, if only because I can't imagine anything really topping this run. The "Marley" arc should feel like wheel-spinning and late-in-the-day backstory exposition, but everything from the bold direction to the excellent execution to the compelling characters all coalesce to make this an essential detour through a hitherto-unseen corner of this fictional space.
Earlier in the series, I had a bit of trepidation about the bend of the story's larger thematic arc and how it relates to the series broader uses of real-world symbols to communicate the sociopolitical layout of the Attack on Titan universe. People will inevitably feel how they feel about the use of certain symbols and imagery, but this run has convinced me that the often-uncomfortable real-world parallels are ultimately being used to disseminate big-ticket themes like empathy, relativism, and whether or not generational cycles of violence can actually be broken. It's all great stuff, and this chapter alone cements the series as a benchmark for dark fantasy.
Earlier in the series, I had a bit of trepidation about the bend of the story's larger thematic arc and how it relates to the series broader uses of real-world symbols to communicate the sociopolitical layout of the Attack on Titan universe. People will inevitably feel how they feel about the use of certain symbols and imagery, but this run has convinced me that the often-uncomfortable real-world parallels are ultimately being used to disseminate big-ticket themes like empathy, relativism, and whether or not generational cycles of violence can actually be broken. It's all great stuff, and this chapter alone cements the series as a benchmark for dark fantasy.