(Attack on Titan anime spoiler warning...)
I've been binge-watching Attack on Titan.
I'm not far from the Season 4 finale. Currently past the midpoint of Season 3.
It's an anime that came out in 2013, yet it remains popular 12 years later.
I can understand why—I haven't been bored for a single episode. (This is, of course, a personal impression.)
This anime drama delivers more lessons than you'd expect.
Before watching, I thought it was just a straightforward battle between evil titans and good humans—but it wasn't.
On a broad level, it doesn't stray far from that framework, but the story is filled with detailed, rock-solid plotlines.
What I feel while watching is ultimately the coexistence of human selfishness, humanity's drive to protect, and the force of destruction. It captivates you with fantasy while delivering profoundly realistic lessons.
(Attack on Titan Season 1, Episode 21, Armin's dialogue)
It's easy to point out what should have been done after everything is over. But nobody knows the outcome beforehand. Still, the moment of choice comes, and you have to choose. The lives of a hundred comrades versus the lives of all humanity within the walls. The Commander chose—he chose to sacrifice a hundred comrades' lives. I haven't lived very long, but there's one thing I'm certain of. If there's a person who can change something, it's someone who can abandon what's precious to them. Someone who, when the need arises to surpass a monster, can even abandon their humanity. Those who cannot abandon anything cannot change anything.
I feel exactly like that dialogue. Whatever decision someone makes, that person must have agonized over it deeply. Of course, there are people who don't, but I respect and support their choices. Even when things don't go the direction I wanted, I believe there are reasons behind most people's choices, and I think that working to create synergy within the given situation is a process that leads to better outcomes.
Constraints always exist in every moment. I believe—and want to believe—that if I can consider ways to make the best choice within those circumstances, give up what's precious to me, and help the majority move in a better direction, then that is the right choice.