That’s right, Attack on Titan (AOT) has come to an end. With the latest chapter, Chapter 139: Facing That Tree On The Hill, the 11-year journey concludes with an emotional stab at the heart for all fans of the series.

Without releasing any of the spoilers, this article will discuss the emotional impacts of AOT, how it has changed the lives of many, the mixed reviews on the ending, and my own personal review on the last chapter. Not to mention how empty everyone is currently feeling. 

With a franchise starting in 2009, Attack On Titan is a national treasure in Japan. With thousands of copies sold of the manga, a worldwide audience, and even its own statues in Universal Studios Japan, AOT is a huge part of the overall representation in animation for Japan. Because the franchise is so big, there were very high expectations for the ending of the manga. Not only this, but the author of the story, Hajime Isayama, has made it very clear in several interviews that he wishes to make his readers feel the utmost pain while reading the ending. He said in a recent interview, “I want to open a sauna with all of the readers’ tears.” And that is exactly what he got.

There are many mixed reviews talking about how the ending went, but a good majority ended with the promised tears. Some may say that the ending was underwhelming since the hype was so large, while others will say that it was completely satisfying in its own way.

As someone who had been following the manga the past few months, and the show many years longer, I can personally admit that it was a satisfying ending. In my opinion, I felt that the ending was very heartfelt and to the point. There could have been an extra chapter or so to make the finale play out a lot smoother, but I am not too picky about that. I definitely cried a lot more than I expected, but I, and many, others, thank Isayama for all of the years he spent creating something we always looked forward to.

It isn’t all sad though. On several platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, fans have all shared their thoughts on the apps. With the starting hashtag #thankyouisayama and #shinzouwosasageyo, fans thank the author for all of his hard work over the years and congratulate him on finishing the story strong.

Also, to quickly explain the meaning of “shinzou wo sasageyo,” it pretty much means to dedicate your hearts. Which is a big part of the AOT franchise. To continue, that line was trending to say thank you to Isayama and thank him that he dedicated his heart to the end. But of course, shortly after thanking the author and expressing their feelings, it wasn’t long before the memes came rolling in. In order to not spoil anything, I won’t share the many jokes. Just know it is worth reading the story, and you will just have to read it yourself to understand them and laugh along with everyone.

The ending of Attack on Titan did not only impact fans, though. Major authors in Japan also expressed honor to Isayama. For example, popular mangaka Sui Ishida, author of the hit series “Tokyo Ghoul,”  drew their own version of Eren Yeager from AOT as a congrats gift to Isayama.

Another mangaka to celebrate Isayama’s ending journey was the author of the series, “Rent-a-Girlfriend,” Reiji Miyajima. He draws his main heroine, Chizuru Mizuhara, in the Survey Corps uniform.

In a nutshell, Attack on Titan has had a huge impact on the lives of everyone who has watched it. To finally see the conclusion of a story no one thought would end, truly it is a satisfying feeling. To the boy who sought Freedom and to the man who dedicated his heart, thank you Isayama!