So...After settling my own down and rereading the chapter, I would like to give my full feedback on it.
Overall, I would give the chapter itself 8.5/10. Personally, it wasn't the best chapter of the entire manga, because I would like to have a bit more answers to some questions, but it will definitely stay in my heart as one of the most emotional chapters.
As for the manga itself, I can give my full 10/10, because even though I couldn't enjoy the story from the very beginning, it greatly influenced on my views on life, wars and people. Attack on Titan gave me a rollercoaster of emotions from ugly crying and praying for every character to hysterically laughing at some occasional jokes and situations.
I think this ending wasn't't perfect or ideal, because the variation of people's wants in our fandom is astonishing and if one ending would be satisfying for some, it also would be unsatisfying for others. So I like the neutrality and ambiguity of this ending, because in my opinion, it gives freedom for readers' imagination, and doesn't necessarily dictates whose views were correct and whose not.
Other than that, people needs to understand that what characters were fighting for was a change. As soldiers, they wanted to liberate the humanity from walls and titans and many sacrificed their lives for that goal. As the alliance, they wanted to stop Eren from going further and, again, they wanted a change. They wanted this situation to change and stop.
So now let me move on to the separate parts of this chapter.
This part of the chapter was truly beautiful. I loved how we could get a chance to see the talk between Armin and Eren for the last time (even as bitter it sounds like). It truly showed that at the end of the day...they are still 19 y/o boys who once shared a common dream of seeing the world together. The fate was cruel on them too and their ways got separated, but even like this...they still remained close to each other. Armin was one of few people who understood Eren and has never really turned his back on him. He knew that everything Eren said to them back in time were nothing but plain lies. He knew that Eren is trying to protect them and he is on their side. Armin, too, was beside Eren and believed that he is still a human being even if he was against rumbling.
I saw some people being...confused about Armin thanking Eren for becoming a mass murderer for their sake, but the thing is...was Armin happy about Eren becoming a mass murderer? No, he sincerely wanted to stop him. But as a person, Armin searches for the meaning and reason behind people's actions. He knew that Eren is somehow on their side, but he couldn't comprehend why Eren is doing this.
The main point is that...Eren himself can't quite point out why he is doing this. His personal goal to achieve "freedom" was mixed with his urges to protect his friends, the burden of the future he saw and circumstances that he couldn't escape. Eren always chased his idealized concept of freedom that practically can't exist. His "freedom" was absolute, boundless and childish. It was simply something that Eren himself hasn't experienced, but yet wanted so bad.
But the tragedy of Eren's character isn't his death, but simply that he neglected his own happiness and gave his goal more value than anything he could have in life. He wanted to be alive, live among his friends and love the person he loves as if there's no tomorrow, but he simply couldn't get both. Eren couldn't win in any case. He wouldn't be happy knowing that his and other shifters' lives will end within several years. He wouldn't be happy living in this world, because the society would treat him either as a hero or villain, and his life would again be full of regrets and burden. He wouldn't be happy living with Mikasa, because he wants to spend as much time with her as possible and he would be unhappy knowing that she will be left behind.
What Eren actually needed wasn't his "freedom", but simply a realization that he could be happy if he lived in the moment, but, again, Eren's destiny was always death that he both chose and was destined to face.
Armin thanked Eren not because he thought that his decisions were right, but because of the attempt he made to free his people. The attempt wasn't good or morally right, but at the end, Eren's personal sacrifices and the sacrifices of other people led them to the moment when Eldians became normal people.
Eren always portrayed negative concepts such as revenge and recklessness unlike Armin and Mikasa who were symbols of hope and pride. He wasn't the hero of his own story and his actions were never meant to be viewed as right and morally correct ones. On the contrary, Eren was so wrong, but despite of what kind of person he was, Eren beautifully loved and was loved back no matter what the destiny has prepared for him.
Mikasa's destiny was tragic as the life of the person she loved. She couldn't win either, because she also couldn't escape Eren decision and fate. Eren was destined to die and even how hard she tried to brush up those thoughts off, from time to time, from situation to situation...Eren was on the verge of death and even if she tried to save him again and again...At the very end, Eren died from her own hands. But...nevertheless, it made Ymir, who was "living" in the agony of "love" for 2000 years, smile and feel free.
She also wished they could have more time and that the circumstances were softer on them. Mikasa has never demanded Eren to love her back nor she herself didn't try to prove him something. What she ever wished for was to stay by his side and nothing more or less.
But that doesn't mean that she was okay with what he did. No, she opposed him and simply accepted that Eren is also a cruel and reckless person. She knew that, but still continued to love him with all his flaws and shortcomings.
Their love wasn't perfect, but it made both of them more human. Love showed that even how stoic and cold Mikasa might appear, deep inside...she was always a caring and soft person. Love became Mikasa's motivation and the main source of her strength. Just because she continued to love and fight, Mikasa could save the humanity from the dark future awaited.
She already has lost Eren once back in Trost. Yes, she was heartbroken, but she continued to stand for herself and fight. As long as she is alive, the memory of Eren that was her most beloved and dear won't die and will continue to exist even if the rest of the world will view him as a hero and villain.
She had to give up on the person she loved, but that doesn't mean that Mikasa gave up on herself. She will continue to live, because no matter how cruel the world was on her, there always was the beauty and reason to live with or without Eren.
The situation with Paradis.
This one is very debatable and interesting, because it's very ambiguous. There are two sides to this stance.
From one side, it showed how much influence Eren had over people on the island and I find it realistic that it didn't disappear. Yeagerists, no matter how ridiculous and wrong they were, they could take over the military and the island.
But from the other side, I can't say they were totally wrong by supporting Yeager bothers, because in the end...both Zeke and Eren's sacrifices brought something new to this world.
I don't think that the debate over who was wrong or right will end, because Isayama himself left it open as possible and I think that it was the right decision, because the political issues can continue for decades and centuries, and as Armin said just because titans perished doesn't necessarily secure them a war-free life for the rest of their lives. Of course, it gave them a lot of opportunities to grow and develop, but if they continue to move forward and fight, maybe...someday Paradis will actually reach the peace everyone dreamed about.
I think we all can agree that even if the ending wasn't what everyone desired, Attack on Titan is the story that introduced so many amazing openings, endings and OSTs. I have met a lot of great people and I am very grateful for that.
Attack on Titan taught us that living in cruel and beautiful world, where people need to fight to survive and save their loved ones, means that they constantly need to make choices and sacrifices to change the world for better, but they also need to bear the responsibilities for their actions no matter what kind of consequences the actions can bring. No matter what choice they make, they need to choose the one that they will regret the least.
Thank you, Hajime Isayama.
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