{"id":1207817,"date":"2026-02-20T23:19:53","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T23:19:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/?p=601039"},"modified":"2026-02-20T23:19:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T23:19:53","slug":"attack-on-titans-global-impact-award-is-vindication-after-the-undeserved-backlash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/attack-on-titans-global-impact-award-is-vindication-after-the-undeserved-backlash\/","title":{"rendered":"Attack on Titan\u2019s Global Impact Award is vindication after the undeserved backlash"},"content":{"rendered":"
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On May 25, the 2025 Crunchyroll Anime Awards<\/a> will present Attack on Titan<\/em><\/a> with its inaugural Global Impact Award<\/a>, celebrating anime that redefines pop culture and makes a lasting mark worldwide<\/a>. After the negative reactions certain fans had toward the manga after its 2021 ending, and the way that response soured online conversation about the anime adaptation, it’s vindicating to see a formal recognition for the series, and the impact it left on the world.<\/p>\n

Attack on Titan<\/em>\u2019s evolution from a story about giant people eating normal-sized people to a profound reflection on humanity\u2019s endless cycle of destruction is truly remarkable. It\u2019s obvious that creator Hajime Isayama carefully planned the series\u2019 progression, from its intimate beginnings to its expanding scope: The manga and the anime adaptation were carefully planned and skillfully executed, with each arc seamlessly building on the last. It\u2019s also clear that Isayama understood the need to initially frame the story as a typical shonen adventure to draw audiences into a much deeper narrative about humanity’s cyclical nature.<\/p>\n

Following the release of each manga chapter had a profound impact on me. Attack on Titan<\/em>\u2019s lessons about human nature, its hope for a better tomorrow, and the message that everyone is the hero of their own story resonated with me, especially amid the COVID-19 outbreak and George Floyd protests. So it was disheartening to see newer fans who discovered it during lockdown distort the story<\/a> into their own male power fantasy.<\/p>\n

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[Ed. note:<\/strong> Broad spoilers ahead for a key arc in Attack on Titan<\/em>.]<\/p>\n

Many \u201cwe live in a society\u201d types<\/a> gravitated toward protagonist Eren Yeager as a symbol of anarchy, burning the world down because it\u2019s broken. Isayama aimed for a far more nuanced moral. While the series covers many themes, it ultimately centers on an idea voiced by Artur Braus<\/a>, father of Eren\u2019s murdered friend Sasha. Artur talks about getting the children, the next generation, out of the proverbial forest, lest society keep circling the same traumas: \u201cThat’s why it is the burden of us adults to shoulder the sins and hatred of the past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eren is a tragic product of his circumstances; by the end of the series, his genocidal actions<\/a> can\u2019t be justified, but they are understandable. Eren\u2019s desire for freedom is so consuming that he becomes enslaved by it. Having grown up under oppression, he imposes that same oppression on the world, blind to the irony of his actions until it\u2019s far too late.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, many fans missed this nuance and revolted<\/a> over the series\u2019 ending, glorifying Eren\u2019s destructive choices as justified or heroic. Many felt betrayed when he didn\u2019t become the avenging figure they envisioned, and when he died without getting a happy ending. Much like Joker: Folie \u00e0 Deux<\/em><\/a>, the narrative strips the character to his core, showing that no matter what he\u2019s done or endured, he\u2019s ultimately always been a victim with no freedom of his own.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Isayama reportedly received death threats from fans<\/a> who were upset with the series\u2019 ending. His editor was harassed<\/a> for supposedly forcing him to rewrite the final chapter<\/a>. A coordinated review-bombing campaign<\/a> was launched to tank the anime series\u2019 ratings. Petitions to have Isayama rewrite the ending grew so large that a Kickstarter-funded fan project<\/a> depicting a new ending came together.<\/p>\n

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