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Since Attack on Titan: The Final Season began airing in December 2020, fans have had to show a lot of patience as Studio MAPPA has worked tirelessly to complete this highly anticipated season of the highly acclaimed series.
On Tuesday, MAPPA and Pony Canyon have released a new trailer for Attack on Titan: The Final Season Part 3, revealing their plans for the series finale.
アニメ「進撃の巨人」公式アカウント on Twitter: “TVアニメ「進撃の巨人」The Final Season完結編（前編）NHK総合にて3月3日（金）24時25分よりスペシャル放送！PV第1弾を公開しました！https://t.co/wZAuhitih4#shingeki pic.twitter.com/sc4oVQ022u / Twitter”
TVアニメ「進撃の巨人」The Final Season完結編（前編）NHK総合にて3月3日（金）24時25分よりスペシャル放送！PV第1弾を公開しました！https://t.co/wZAuhitih4#shingeki pic.twitter.com/sc4oVQ022u
The final segment will be split into two parts, with the first scheduled to air on March 3rd, while the second is planned for release later in the year. It is unclear what the length of each part will be. According to Anime News Network, broadcaster NHK lists the March 3 airing as a “special broadcast,” which suggests that each part might be an anime special instead of multiple episodes.
In a letter posted on Studio MAPPA’s Twitter account, they had originally planned to release all of Part 3 on March 3rd. However, MAPPA and the Attack on Titan production committee ultimately decided to release in two parts due to the amount of work to produce the episodes as they became larger than expected. Both of these aspects lend support to the suggestion that they are now extended length specials rather than weekly episodes as in past seasons.
MAPPA on Twitter: “【お知らせ】 このたび、TVアニメ「進撃の巨人」The Final Season完結編が、 前・後編の二部構成での放送となりますことをご報告させて頂きます。 ご理解を賜れますよう宜しくお願い申し上げます。 https://t.co/KgbwmwU4fS pic.twitter.com/lC1oEdIdrV / Twitter”
【お知らせ】 このたび、TVアニメ「進撃の巨人」The Final Season完結編が、 前・後編の二部構成での放送となりますことをご報告させて頂きます。 ご理解を賜れますよう宜しくお願い申し上げます。 https://t.co/KgbwmwU4fS pic.twitter.com/lC1oEdIdrV
Below is a translation of the tweet by @AoTWiki:
Attack on Titan Wiki on Twitter: “A Message From Studio Mappa pic.twitter.com/LXwRIQqCC6 / Twitter”
A Message From Studio Mappa pic.twitter.com/LXwRIQqCC6
The conclusion of Part 2 of The Final Season left viewers off at Chapter 87 of the manga, leaving only nine chapters left for MAPPA to adapt. However, those following the manga will tell you that those nine chapters are pretty action-packed, so there is justification to why MAPPA’s animators need extra time to complete the series.
On the other hand, Studio MAPPA has been well criticized by anime fans for its “factory” work culture with the studio producing as much as four anime concurrently in a season. Given the high demand and low pay of animators, it comes as no surprise that this has also contributed to the show’s production problems. Not surprisingly, the decision to make a third part, much less split that portion into two, has been scrutinized and the subject of internet memes.
Part 1 of The Final Season aired from December 7, 2020 – March 29, 2021, with Toonami airing the English dub a month later from January 10 – May 2, 2021. Part 2 later aired in Japan from January 10 – April 4, 2022, with Toonami airing the dub from February 13 – May 1, 2022.
Neither Toonami nor Crunchyroll (formerly Funimation) have revealed their plans regarding the English dub and U.S. broadcast of Attack on Titan’s final episodes at this time. If you wish to see Attack on Titan return to the block for its finale, continue watching the block every Saturday and send your show requests to Toonami’s Facebook page or by directly messaging Jason DeMarco on Twitter (@Clarknova1). We also recommend letting Crunchyroll know through their respective social media outlets.
Are you looking forward to the Attack on Titan series finale? Let us know by commenting below or directly on our social media.
