MAPPA. DID. IT!
Episode 7 is probably the best one so far this season, and for good reason. The emotions and tension here surpassed that of the previous episode, bringing out the best scenes in Attack on Titan.
The fight with the Warrior unit is both spine-chilling and gripping as Paradis displayed the results of their training in the last four years. They are fast, deadly, and move as a cohesive unit. Levi’s rematch with Zeke proves one of the main highlights, and it is so satisfying to watch as the Beast finally and “apparently” falls to Levi’s swords. We have to remember that in their first encounter, Zeke was totally defeated by the Survey Corps’ strongest member; thus, this outcome is already expected.
But that didn’t mean that the Warrior unit is outmatched as Pieck in her Cart Titan form shows her panzer unit’s effectiveness against the omni-directional maneuver gear, forcing everyone on the defensive. There’s also Porco using the Jaw Titan’s powers to its fullest, especially against Eren.
What makes this episode so thrilling is the back-and-forth tide of the battle, making it dynamic and unpredictable. One moment and Paradis is winning; the next instant, you see the Marleyans rallying behind their Titans to fight back against the island demons.
However, that is not enough, and so we see just how well-executed the plan for this operation is when reinforcements arrive in the form of Armin in his Colossal Titan form and Hange aboard an airship. The shock factor is clear not just for those who has never read the manga, but especially for the characters on the Marleyan side. For the first time, we see the people of Paradis finally taking the fight to the enemy and causing real damage.
How the Marleyans could ever recover from this, we can’t truly say. This is evident when Eren finally beats Porco to a pulp and brutally kills Lara Tybur, owner of the Warhammer Titan. Not to mention Zeke’s “apparent” death and the total loss of Pieck’s panzer unit. Fortunately, there is still some hope as Reiner joins the fray at last, and it should be epic to see his rematch with Eren.
To sum it up, Episode 7 is the epitome of what Attack on Titan is all about: a war of two sides with no clear distinction of good and evil, and where everyone is both heroes and monsters. The action scenes are terrific and awesome, and there is enough tension to keep everyone at the edge of their seats.
A perfect 10/10.