New Attack on Titan Stream: How the 8 Special Episodes Fit Into the Series

 Attack on Titan has released several OAD episodes over the years. Here's where they fit into the story and what they accomplish for the franchise.

Attack on Titan Final Season Part 2 is set to premiere on Jan. 9, 2021. Anime fans are eagerly awaiting the epic finale of this grand tale of monsters and men. However, Jan. 9 is still a long way away.

In order to satiate the fans' hunger, Funimation has come forth with a solution. On Dec. 19, they will be streaming all eight Attack on Titan OAD episodes at once. These special episodes will cover events from before and during the first three seasons. Here's a general overview of what fans can expect.

Ilse's Notebook: Memoirs Of A Scout Regiment Member

The first OAD takes place during the 49th Exterior Scouting Mission, back when Eren, Mikasa, and Armin are training to become soldiers. While out exploring, Hange and Levi come across the journal of Ilse Langar, a deceased member of the Scouting Legion. The journal outlines her encounter with an abnormal titan that doesn't immediately attack her. She goes into great detail about the titan, its actions, and her response. Most notably, it tries telling her something, but when she tries to question it, she is killed. Fans who are caught up on the anime will understand the meaning behind the titan's words, but, back when this OAD first came out, it blew people away.

The Sudden Visitor: The Torturous Curse Of Youth

This OAD also takes place during Eren, Mikasa, and Armin's training, but this time they appear a little more frequently (albeit as side characters). In this episode, Jean gets into an argument with Sasha, so Pyxis has them settle their difference in a cookoff. This episode is much more lighthearted than most installments of Attack on Titan, but it's still an entertaining watch. The dramatic tension and intense animation of the series proper are used to comedic effect here and it can come off as downright hysterical. It's also nice to look back at these simpler times in the lives of the main cast.

Distress

This special takes place during Eren, Mikasa, and Armin's training and finally features all three of them back in leading roles. During a training exercise, Jean and Eren get into one of their infamous arguments. However, bandits arrive and steal both their mobility gear and Christa, so they must put their differences aside in order to stop them. This OAD gives an ample amount of screen time to several members of the 104th Cadet Corps, including Marco and Thomas. As with the previous special, it's nice to see Eren and his friends in much simpler times prior to the hardships of the main series.

A Choice With No Regrets: Parts 1 & 2

This two-part special focuses on Captain Levi before he joined the Scouting Regiment. In those days, he and his friends were petty thieves living in an underground city. It's only when Erwin finds the boy and has him join the Scouts that he becomes humanity's greatest champion. With that said, seeing this side of Levi proves to be a fascinating experience. As the series presents him, he seems to have trouble connecting with others and generally comes off as aloof. Seeing Levi when he was younger, more emotional, and even friendlier is a refreshing experience with the character.

Lost Girls: Wall Sina, Goodbye: Parts 1 & 2

This is another two-part special that centers around Annie Leonhart during her time in the Military Police. The girl is tasked with finding another girl, Carly Stratman, whose father is a wealthy merchant in the Stohess District. The search takes her down a winding road that includes kidnapping, murder, and even drug abuse.

This is certainly a departure from the action that fans are used to with Attack on Titan, but it's a welcome one. Taking familiar characters and using them in a mystery setting is an interesting way to add some unique flavor to the world of the story. Of course, if fans still want action, there's plenty of that here, too.

Lost Girls: Lost In The Cruel World

The final OAD is technically not a part of the Attack on Titan continuity but is instead a what-if scenario featuring Mikasa. In this reality, Mikasa's parents are still alive, so while she gets to know Eren as she does in the main series, events play out slightly differently. Besides the interesting alternate take on the main series' story, it's nice to see the more bright and cheerful version of Mikasa who isn't emotionally dead from having her parents slain right in front of her. It's a new take on a classic story, and it's certainly worth giving a watch.