Let’s Talk About AoT no Requiem Part 1 – Fanfiction Review

“It is a rewrite of the last three chapters of Attack on Titan (137, 138, 139) and combined into ONE long chapter updated into parts.” 

Read the fan made comic for yourself over on their website. 

Wow, what a great experience that was to read! 

I actually feel a bit lighter after reading that. No joke. 

First off, hats off to the writers, artists, revisionists, and editors over on the AoT no Requiem team!  

You took time out of your busy daily lives to create something for this fandom, and if nobody else tells you – I am extremely grateful!  

Thank you for combining your talents into this wonderful work of fanfiction that (a large majority of) the fandom can now enjoy at their leisure! ☺  

So, where do I begin? 

I think Zeke Yeager was captured absolutely perfectly. 

Throughout the later chapters in the AoT series as we neared the end, Zeke had this whole “woe is me” vibe going on. Zeke was internally conflicted, and a double agent his entire life since childhood.  

Hell, we could even consider Zeke a triple agent since he didn’t even really tell Eren his entire plan until trust was fully gained.  

Then as time went on in the OG manga series…that tension and internal conflict kind of just tapered off. 

We hadn’t seen Zeke for dozens of chapters, which translated to months of real-world time. 

“What was he thinking?” or “Is he even alive?” was collectively echoed throughout the fandom forums online. 

We didn’t know. And when we did, it all felt so anticlimactic. 

Zeke basically talks about the (vague) origins of hallucigenia, Armin picks up a leaf, it morphs into a baseball and Zeke suddenly decides he’s ready to go die.  

Then, he comically waves Levi down, and is cut on the spot.  

And… that’s it. 

I’m not trying to speak badly about the original manga series, but I just need to express how disappointing it was to see such a polarizing character (in my opinion) go out like that. 

So to have an alternative route, a “what if” – if you will – which showcases Zeke’s actual logical thought process and ties in Ymir and Eren’s stories in a concise neat bundle? That was amazing to see. 

It truly felt cathartic to read. 

And I say this as someone who admittedly, did not like Zeke. 

Not because the character was written badly, but because of his morals.  

Because of his upbringings. 

When I was reading Shingeki no Kyojin each month I kept thinking:  

“What if Zeke was born on the other side of the sea?” 

“What if Grisha was nicer to him?”  

“Would all of this still have happened?” 

By the final chapter of the main series, all of that inquisitive speculation went away.  

As a staunch Yeagerist from the very beginning (or well, after King Floch’s untimely death) I found myself rooting for the Euthanasia plan post mortem.  

Something I never supported based on my own real-world morals and beliefs. 

But I figured…if none of the characters cared about Paradis, why should I? 

Those were my thoughts. After reviewing the manga series since the end of 2019. After watching the anime series (and OVAs) since they premiered in 2013.  

After spending hours upon hours (sometimes all night) on forums and other fan sites thinking about and discussing theories just for the fun of it. 

Those were my feelings…and I was very sad about that. 

I’m glad that with this fanfiction – at least for me, Zeke’s death finally had meaning. 

Zeke still felt unsure of the reason for all of this. He mirrored the woes I felt reading his story.  

And that’s some damn good writing on this team’s part – so again, thank you. 

I also enjoyed that Ymir’s story was interwoven, and the brothers were seemingly having a conversation between themselves despite talking to other people.  

Isayama was always great at creating panels like that, which could be interpreted in multiple ways. 

The essence of the Attack on Titan story was truly captured in AoT no Requiem – and it was done with respect, and love. 

I am so excited to read more when the team updates again!  

From the bottom of my heart, I’d just like to say again – thank you. 

And keep going, please. 

I know you’ve already made a lot of people happy with just this alone. And I’m really glad you ignored all of the unjust harassment your team received, and still decided to post what seems to be the start of a wonderful fan fiction! 

Has anybody else out there decided to read this wonderful work of art yet?  

Let me know in the comment section below! I’d love to hear from you! 

Also be sure to leave the AoT no Requiem team some love on their social media if you enjoyed their work! 

Until next time ~ 

☆ In Asian Spaces  

Read our AoTR Part 2 Review here!

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