Utsukushiki Zankoku na Sekai (美しき残酷な世界 Utsukushiki Zankoku na Sekai?, lit. "This Beautiful Cruel World") is the 1st ending theme of the Attack on Titan anime, and is sung by Yōko Hikasa.
It was replaced by Great Escape in Episode 14.
Lyrics
<poem>
Sono yume wa kokoro no ibasho Inochi yori kowareyasuki mono Nando demo sutete wa mitsuke Yasuraka ni sā nemure
Myaku utsu shōdō ni negai wa okasare Wasurete shimau hodo mata omoidasu yo
Kono utsukushiki zankoku na sekai de wa Mada ikiteiru koto "naze" to tou bakari de Ā boku-tachi wa kono tsuyosa yowasa de Nani o mamoru no darō mō risei nado Nai naraba
Ano sora wa setsunai no darō Maiagaru hai to shinkirou Atatakai kotoba ni kogoe Hitoshirezu sā nemure Nebatsuku gensō ni nageki wa kakusare Chigitte shimau hodo mata karamitsuku yo
Kono utsukushiki zankoku na sekai de wa Tada shinde yuku koto "mate" to kou bakari de Ā boku-tachi wa kazamidori tobezu ni Shinjitsu wa uso yori kirei ka dōka Wakaranai
Moshimo bokura uta naraba Ano kaze ni ho o age Mayowazu ni tada dareka no moto e Kibō o todoke ni yuku no ni
Kono utsukushiki zankoku na sekai de wa Mada ikite iru koto "naze" to tou bakari de Ā boku-tachi wa kono tsuyosa yowasa de Nani o mamoru no darō mō risei nado
Nai naraba<poem>
その夢は こころの居場所 生命より 壊れやすきもの 何度でも 捨てては見つけ 安らかに さぁ眠れ
脈打つ衝動に 願いは犯され 忘れてしまうほど また想い出すよ
この 美しき残酷な世界では まだ生きていること「何故」と問うばかりで… ボクたちは この強さ 弱さで 何を護るのだろう もう理性など 無いならば
あの空は 切ないのだろう 舞い上がる 灰と蜃気楼 温かい 言葉に凍え 人知れず さぁ眠れ
ねばつく幻想に 嘆きは隠され 千切ってしまうほど また絡みつくよ
この 美しき残酷な世界では ただ死んでゆくこと「待て」と乞うばかりで… ボクたちは 風見鶏 飛べずに 真実は嘘より 綺麗かどうか 分からない
もしもボクら歌ならば あの風に 帆を上げ 迷わずにただ 誰かの元へ 希望 届けに行くのに
この 美しき残酷な世界では まだ生きていること「何故」と問うばかりで… ボクたちは この強さ 弱さで 何を護るのだろう もう理性など
無いならば<poem>
Your dream is where your heart is It’s something more fragile than life itself No matter how many times you throw it away, you still find it So rest in peace now
Your wish is violated by your pulsing urge and as much as you forget about it, you recall it again
In this beautiful and cruel world We only ask “why” we’re still alive… Ah, what are we going to protect with our strength and weakness? If reason no longer exists
That sky looks sad Ashes and mirages rise up You freeze in warm words So rest in secret now
Your grief is hidden by fantasies sticking to you and as much as it tears apart, it joins back together again
In this beautiful and cruel world We only beg for death to “wait”… Ah, we’re flightless weathercocks We don’t know if the truth is more beautiful than lies or not
If we are songs Then we’ll raise the flags to that wind and just send hope to someone without hesitation, if only…
In this beautiful and cruel world We only ask “why” we’re still alive… Ah, what are we going to protect with our strength and weakness? If reason
no longer existsEnding Animation
Stars, planets, and comets pass by until a small knife is seen soaring through the air, falling to the ground where a young Mikasa Ackermann runs through a forest. She comes to a clearing, where dozens of bloodied knives lay in the ground. Droplets of blood rise from the earth as the wind blows against Mikasa's dress while she clutches a small blade in her hand. The wind blows her scarf against her face until it falls away, Mikasa's face now matured and filled with determination.
In the streets of Trost, Mikasa in a Cadet Corps uniform watches as two birds fly through the skies. She turns to the gate of Wall Rose where she sees a young Eren Jaeger who soon turns into his older self in the Cadet Corps uniform. Mikasa approaches Eren as the two birds fly over the Walls, the stars hanging overhead.
Video Clips
Characters in Order of Appearance