Attack on Titan Season 4 / The Final Season Episode 1 — “The Other Side of the Sea” — reviewed in full Kagex format. Hub: Attack on Titan. Previous: Season 3 Episode 22 — The Other Side of the Wall.
Hook
People search attack on titan episode 1 review when they want a straight answer: worth watching, what changes, and how it scores — without a random spoiler dump. “The Other Side of the Sea” is overall TV slot 60 (Marley / Rumbling / The Final Chapters). “The Other Side of the Sea” keeps Attack on Titan’s pressure honest — no soft reset, just the next cost. It is the year 854, and Marley has been at war with the Mid-East Allied Forces for four years, and as a result, has been forced to put its m…
Spoiler-free top half; deep recap after the warning. Character links go to live guides where they exist.
Quick Information
- Anime: Attack on Titan
- Season / Episode: Season 4 / The Final Season, Episode 1 (overall #60)
- English title: The Other Side of the Sea
- Arc: Marley / Rumbling / The Final Chapters
- Runtime: ~24 minutes
- Studio: MAPPA
- Original air date: December 7, 2020
- Kagex score: 9.3 / 10
- Where to watch legally: Crunchyroll / Hulu / Netflix (region-dependent)
- Characters: Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, Levi Ackerman
Should You Watch It?
Worth it? Yes if you are on the Attack on Titan track in order. “The Other Side of the Sea” is load-bearing for Marley / Rumbling / The Final Chapters, not clip fodder. Score 9.3/10 reflects this hour’s craft, character pressure, and world stakes.
Beginner-friendly? Only after earlier episodes. Open Episode 1 first — Shiganshina is the whole point of the dread.
Who bounces? Viewers who want tidy power-ups, zero politics, or a soft reset every cour. AoT spends minutes on military hierarchy, betrayal logistics, and why a “necessary” plan still feels rotten.
Bottom line: keep going if the walls already hooked you. Skip only if you already quit dark political fantasy as a genre — this hour will not convert a hard no.
Spoiler Warning
Spoilers for Season 4 / The Final Season Episode 1 (“The Other Side of the Sea”) follow. Stop above for a clean first watch. No later-arc spoilers beyond this episode’s end.
Story Recap
Ordinary Life
It is the year 854, and Marley has been at war with the Mid-East Allied Forces for four years, and as a result, has been forced to put its mission to retrieve the Founding Titan from Paradis Island on hold. The Marley fighting force consists mostly of Eldians under the command of Marleyan officers. To finally win the war, Marley’s forces intend to capture Fort Slava, which will allow them to invade the port where the Mid-East Allied Forces’ fleet is currently residing, and destroy it. thumb|200px|left|Colt carrying Falco to the trenches A young soldier named Falco is injured on the battlefield and has to be carried to safety by his brother Colt.
Kagex beat note: “The Other Side of the Sea” uses ordinary life inside Marley / Rumbling / The Final Chapters. Eren’s will, Mikasa’s protection, and Armin’s caution keep colliding with military orders and Titan physics — this recap stays inside Season 4 / The Final Season Episode 1, no later-arc spoilers.
Unexpected Incident
Arriving in the safety of a nearby trench, Falco‘s comrades begin giving him first aid as Colt reports to his superior, Commander Magath. Colt reports that digging another trench will be impossible due to the artillery fire, but his superior is unwilling to listen to him. As the delirious Falco receives medical attention, one of his fellow soldiers, Gabi, reminds him of their mission to capture Fort Slava. Falco asks why they, as candidates, are fighting on the front lines, and Gabi explains that they are being tested to see who will become the next Warrior.
Kagex beat note: “The Other Side of the Sea” uses unexpected incident inside Marley / Rumbling / The Final Chapters. Eren’s will, Mikasa’s protection, and Armin’s caution keep colliding with military orders and Titan physics — this recap stays inside Season 4 / The Final Season Episode 1, no later-arc spoilers.
Escalation
The battle is being used to determine who will inherit Reiner Braun’s Armored Titan. Fellow candidates Udo and Zofia muse that Gabi will most likely be chosen, due to her high scores, but Gabi insists that her scores are not the reason why she will be chosen. She will be chosen because she is determined to exterminate the evil Eldians living on Paradis Island, and prove that the Eldians living in Marley are good ones, whom she desires to free from the Liberio internment zone. thumb|right|200px|Magath spots the armored train Colt informs Magath that the soldiers will not have the power to destroy the fort’s rail tracks, and that if they do not move soon, they will be wiped out by artillery fire.
Kagex beat note: “The Other Side of the Sea” uses escalation inside Marley / Rumbling / The Final Chapters. Eren’s will, Mikasa’s protection, and Armin’s caution keep colliding with military orders and Titan physics — this recap stays inside Season 4 / The Final Season Episode 1, no later-arc spoilers.
First Discovery
Magath asks Colt if he has any ideas, to which he suggests releasing their two Warriors Galliard and Pieck, the Jaw Titan and Cart Titan respectively. Magath rejects the idea, not willing to risk using two Warriors yet. As the two are discussing, Koslow informs them that the fort is bringing out the Mid-East Allied Forces’ new weapon mounted on an armored train: the anti-Titan artillery, a 150mm-shell cannon that can kill any Titan, including one of the nine original Titans, with a single shot. Colt argues that Galliard and Pieck’s Titans are fast enough to evade any shots, but Magath, unwilling to risk losing more Titans after the loss of the Colossal and the Female Titans, orders the 800-man Eldian unit to prepare to fight.
Kagex beat note: “The Other Side of the Sea” uses first discovery inside Marley / Rumbling / The Final Chapters. Eren’s will, Mikasa’s protection, and Armin’s caution keep colliding with military orders and Titan physics — this recap stays inside Season 4 / The Final Season Episode 1, no later-arc spoilers.
Important Encounter
Colt tries to protest, but Magath stops him, reminding him that he will need to change his attitude if he hopes to inherit the Beast Titan.
Kagex beat note: “The Other Side of the Sea” uses important encounter inside Marley / Rumbling / The Final Chapters. Eren’s will, Mikasa’s protection, and Armin’s caution keep colliding with military orders and Titan physics — this recap stays inside Season 4 / The Final Season Episode 1, no later-arc spoilers.
Story Analysis
MAPPA’s Season 4 / The Final Season Episode 1 board prioritizes readable dread when Titans and politics stack cuts. “The Other Side of the Sea” (Marley / Rumbling / The Final Chapters) assumes you already care why Eren’s rage is not a power fantasy and why Mikasa’s protectiveness costs her — that friction is the series engine, not a mid-season lecture.
Kagex story score 9.5 for this hour only: It is the year 854, and Marley has been at war with the Mid-East Allied Forces for four years, and as a result, has been forced to put its mission to retrieve the Founding Titan from Paradis Island on… Compare binge pace vs weekly 2013–2023 drops — the episode was designed as a chapter, not a highlight clip.
Animation 9.1: ODM wire geometry, Titan flesh texture, and faces held long enough to read panic. When the episode goes quiet (barracks talk, memory fragments, war-room maps), composition still carries threat — walls, steam, and who is lying.
Characters score 9.4: Attack on Titan never wins because one ace gets a speech buff. Wins (and losses) come from who plans, who freezes, and who pays the bill. Armin’s brain, Levi’s precision, Erwin’s gambles, Hange’s curiosity — role clarity is the craft.
“The Other Side of the Sea” works when the cost is allowed to stick. Attack on Titan rarely softens a massacre for vibes — it uses the loss to force a strategy change, a loyalty crack, or a truth nobody wanted. That honesty is why later “wins” feel expensive instead of gifted.
Pacing inside Episode 1 is chapter pacing: setup → pressure → revelation → residue. If a Titan fight lands, it is because the episode already told you who is panicking and who is using the chaos. Kagex does not invent secrets that air later; the analysis stays local to this hour.
Character Analysis
Eren still leads with will-as-violence — even when the camera widens to politics, the episode tests whether his freedom talk survives contact with other people’s lives. Mikasa remains the protectiveness problem: skill that can save a friend and cage a choice. Armin is the conscience and the calculator — when he speaks, listen for what the military will not say out loud.
Corps energy from Levi, Erwin, and Hange only matters when their jobs are visible — blades, gambits, curiosity. Supporting faces (Jean, Connie, Sasha, Historia, Reiner, Annie, Bertholdt) should feel like people with incentives, not crowd noise. Kagex does not invent manga-only scenes to pad word count.
Later-era hours may spotlight Zeke, Gabi, or Falco — when they appear, watch how the show’s moral language changes. The best character writing here is competitive empathy for enemies who still believe they are right.
World Building
Paradis walls, military branches, Titan biology, and (eventually) the world beyond — advances in Season 4 / The Final Season. “The Other Side of the Sea” adds Marley / Rumbling / The Final Chapters rules: how fear becomes policy, what a Scout expedition costs, and why “humanity” is a slogan that keeps getting rewritten.
This episode only: geography stays local to the districts, barracks, and battlefields on screen. No future-arc spoilers, no movie-only detours. The world is steam, maps, and the next lie sold as survival.
Animation
MAPPA on TV: ODM choreography that stays readable, Titan silhouettes that sell scale, and faces held long enough to read doubt. Animation score 9.1 for this episode’s peak action vs dialogue coverage. Wire timing and steam frames do more storytelling than any glowing aura ever could.
Music & Voice Acting
Score 9.0. The Final Season (MAPPA) opens Marley with “My War” / “Shock” era dissonance — military parade pop against child-soldier horror. Different studio, same moral nausea. Japanese track is reference (Yuki Kajiura / Hiroyuki Sawano eras depending on cour, plus the core cast). Silence and crowd panic beds are half the emotion — mute them and the horror flattens.
Hidden Details
- Watch who gives orders vs who repeats them — AoT hides power in echo chains.
- Eye-lines after a Titan kill often telegraph guilt better than dialogue.
- Episode title “The Other Side of the Sea” usually names the emotional receipt, not just the setpiece.
- Background soldiers are plot: who freezes, who runs, who takes notes.
- No manga chapter homework required for this page.
Best Moments
- It is the year 854, and Marley has been at war with the Mid-East Allied Forces for four years, and as a result, has been forced to put its mission to retrieve the Founding Titan from Paradis Island on hold.
- The Marley fighting force consists mostly of Eldians under the command of Marleyan officers.
- To finally win the war, Marley’s forces intend to capture Fort Slava, which will allow them to invade the port where the Mid-East Allied Forces’ fleet is currently residing, and destroy it.
- thumb|200px|left|Colt carrying Falco to the trenches A young soldier named Falco is injured on the battlefield and has to be carried to safety by his brother Colt.
- Arriving in the safety of a nearby trench, Falco‘s comrades begin giving him first aid as Colt reports to his superior, Commander Magath.
- Any beat where a “necessary” plan is spoken out loud — that is the franchise’s real weapon.
Pros & Cons
Pros: Specific to “The Other Side of the Sea”; MAPPA craft; character pressure through-line for Eren/Mikasa/Armin and the Corps.
Cons: Requires sequential viewing; politics / logistics hours can feel dense if you only want Titan fights.
Final Verdict
Kagex overall: 9.3 / 10
- Story: 9.5
- Characters: 9.4
- Animation: 9.1
- Music: 9.0
- Enjoyment: 9.0
“The Other Side of the Sea” keeps Attack on Titan’s pressure honest — no soft reset, just the next cost. It is the year 854, and Marley has been at war with the Mid-East Allied Forces for four years, and as a result, has been forced to put its m…
What to Expect Next
Next: Season 4 / The Final Season Episode 2 (“Midnight Train”). Sequential viewers should continue — Attack on Titan pays off patience with revelation pressure, not random filler resets.
FAQ
Do I need Season 4 / The Final Season Episode 1?
Yes in order. Skipping “The Other Side of the Sea” leaves gaps Marley / Rumbling / The Final Chapters assumes filled.
English title?
“The Other Side of the Sea” (Fandom / streaming listings).
When did it air?
December 7, 2020 · MAPPA · ~24 min.
Is this filler?
No. Attack on Titan’s slower hours are politics, memory, or logistics with payoffs — not padded clip shows.
Overall episode number?
60 of 94 TV episodes across four seasons (Final Chapters as episodic 88–94).
Where to watch?
Crunchyroll / Hulu / Netflix (region-dependent).
Character guides?
Facts & spoilers hub?
Keep exploring
- Attack on Titan hub
- Season 4 / The Final Season review
- Overall review
- Previous: Season 3 Episode 22 — The Other Side of the Wall
- Next: Season 4 / The Final Season Episode 2 — Midnight Train
- Browse
Your turn
Did “The Other Side of the Sea” earn your continue button? Favorite line, kill, or quiet dread beat?
Which voice felt loudest this hour — Eren, Mikasa, Armin, or the Corps brass?
Sources: Attack on Titan Wiki (Fandom) Summary sections; © Hajime Isayama / Kodansha / Production I.G / WIT Studio / MAPPA.
MAPPA’s Season 4 / The Final Season Episode 1 board prioritizes readable dread when Titans and politics stack cuts. “The Other Side of the Sea” (Marley / Rumbling / The Final Chapters) assumes you already care why Eren’s rage is not a power fantasy and why Mikasa’s protectiveness costs her — that friction is the series engine, not a mid-season lecture.
