A lot of emotions come to the surface for all of Attack on Titan’s characters, but it’s also been an incredibly cathartic experience for the voice actors that have brought the anime’s icons to life for nearly a decade. Every episode in this final season feels like a new apex for the series’ storytelling, but there are some earlier moments from the anime’s run that continue to stick with its voice actors and remain raw sequences. Eren and Mikasa have experienced an insurmountable level of loss since the start of Attack on Titan. However, a pivotal confession and moment of reckoning between the characters back in season two’s finale, “Scream,” feels like a true catalyst for the performers. “At the end of season two, Mikasa and Eren are in the worst possible position,” Bryce Papenbrook, Eren’s English voice actor, says as he sets the scene. “People are dying, the world is kind of in slow motion as these things are closing in on them, and Eren has just watched someone very close to them get eaten. He starts to break down and he has this weird emotion where he’s crying, laughing, and just breaking.” Eren’s moment of helplessness is a turning point for not only the characters, but also his mental state. “Being able to go through that with him was really difficult, but I’m proud of what we were able to capture in that moment,” elaborates Papenbrook. “It definitely stands out as a moment in the series that’s just really special. I always think of that particular moment in the show as being one of the most intense and interesting.” Eren’s pain becomes palpable in “Scream.” However, the sequence is so successful because of the counterbalance that Trina Nishimura’s Mikasa provides. Nishimura’s performance and how she “pulls Eren back” is just as important. “In real life, Trina actually did pull me back,” Papenbrook says. “I left the recording still hurting and Trina called me and was just so complimentary and excited about what we were able to capture there. It made me so happy.” Mike McFarland, Attack on Titan’s ADR director, argues that the moment fails if Mikasa doesn’t remind Eren of his humanity. “I want to thank you both for going where you did,” McFarland says. “It was exceptional. You two both did so, so well there. I cry when I watch it.” McFarland isn’t the only one who gets emotional over the characters’ honest breakdown. Nishimura adds, “Just you mentioning it makes me want to cry! It was so good, Bryce.” It’s this level of fearless plotting and committed performances that have kept the audience for Attack on Titan’s dub passionately invested for so many years. “It’s just so gratifying that the storytelling is willing to go to such depths of despair,” McFarland adds. “I think Attack on Titan goes much further than other shows do and I’m quite fortunate to have a very talented cast that will go there, too.” “As an actor, it’s some of the work that I’m the most proud of,” Bryce says. Attack on Titan is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Funimation.
