#SO DIE <- this is average brother banter please be nice to us both

[xxplastic-cubexx]

Fam and i were passing a sock shop and we saw a cyclops one and In Devious Union my brother and i said ‘cysocks’

[kyojuuros]

Thoughts on Eren after 106

Chapter 106 was a really amazing chapter to me and while I wouldn't mind gushing about my feelings about all of it, my views mainly parrot those of others; the lighthearted moments made me smile, EMA separation makes me depressed, Zevi banter is life and Yelena is bae.

However, Eren’s one of my main areas of focus and I just have a lot of thoughts and feelings about him... well, all the time, really. I’ve had a lot of interesting discussions about him since the chapter dropped, and I feel ready to air out my thoughts here now. Please keep in mind this is purely all interpretation and opinion.

I don’t want to be too quick to jump on how Eren is behaving and thinking during the time skip and slap that onto the Eren of the present time who’s gained a little more perspective since then. Only time will really tell, but I see Eren during the flashbacks as being more “buildup and backtrack” character development to give us more insight on how Eren got where he is today, and why. Until we see more from present-day Eren, I’m still going to cling stubbornly onto what he had to say to Falco in the basement (and my hope for his overall character arc): 

But regarding Eren during the time skip...

It is safe to say that Eren started to distance himself. It is apparent in the way he disagrees with his best friends, his withholding of information (no matter how justified), his very noticeable lack of presence in every scene that involved Yelena/Onyankopon/etc. teaching the Survey Corps about the world beyond the ocean and how he's constantly drawn at a distance from the other characters.

Eren saw some really horrifying things in his father’s memories. One of the last things we saw from him at 15 was telling Armin there is freedom beyond the walls, only to be haunted by the mangled corpse of his dead aunt - an innocent little girl who did nothing wrong. She died senselessly and violently because of her blood. He inherited memories of her murderer justifying what he did by saying she wasn’t human, that it was entertaining to watch Eldians eat each other alive. 

These things have only served to fuel Eren’s cynicism. This is why he asked Armin if he saw anything in Bertolt’s memories. Because surely if Armin actually saw the way Eldians were treated beyond the walls, he would understand that diplomacy is not an option for them, right? That making friends is a pointless endeavor? He reminds his friends that the Marleyans they are holding in prison cells are still glaring at them. He reminds them that there is no convincing them that they’re not scary. The world sees them as monsters that can turn into titans. There’s no misunderstanding in that, and people’s minds aren’t changed so easily. Armin and Mikasa state they need more time and Eren agrees with them... So let’s get Zeke here so we can use the Wall Titans to stall for more time. 

While he certainly is aware that using the titans to rumble the planet is an option, that doesn’t seem to be the route he wants to take, at least not the way I see it. Is it an option? Quite possibly. Is it what Eren wants? I don’t think so. The only thing I gathered from this chapter was that Eren hopes to be able to use them as a deterrent - an intimidation tool so the world will leave them alone.

The Wall Titans are their last line of defense - their only hope of maintaining any kind of security in a world that wants them erased. They have to have access to those titans if there is any hope of surviving what the world has in store for them. It’s just as Yelena told Hange and Levi: the titans were, ironically, the only thing protecting Paradis from outside attackers. 

Eren was able to figure out the key to activating the coordinate on his own. But he knew that bringing it up could pose a big risk to Historia, and it was a risk he was unwilling to make... until his theory was proven correct and there was a living alternative seemingly willing to hand himself over to take on the role. He informs his superiors that activating the coordinate is possible through these conditions through his own experience, and admits that it was a hasty decision for him to keep that information to himself for Historia’s sake. He seems willing enough to trust Zeke right from the get-go that he’s willing to divulge this information. He sees it as their last hope. 

Eren wants freedom for his people. Zeke claims that is also his ultimate goal. Zeke is willing to hand this power to Paradis, to help them make connections with other countries, to help them learn about the technology outside of the walls and provide them with weapons. It seems like a pretty good package deal, right? Zeke must obviously care about this a lot. So Eren is willing to trust his brother on this. At least, this is how it seems for now.

Ultimately, a big influence in how Eren’s story is going to end will depend on what Zeke does and whether we as the audience are seeing his true colors or not. And even more so how Eren responds to it. We have a few possible scenarios:

A) Zeke betrays Paradis and Eren doesn’t accept that and opposes him B) Zeke betrays Paradis and Eren goes along with him, believing in him more than the SC.  C) Zeke is genuine and his plan truly saves Eldia. There’s nothing for Eren to oppose. D) Zeke is genuine but wants to go forward with a plan that Eren disagrees with.

And so on... At this point, any of these could happen depending on where Eren’s mindset is at and what Isayama wants the theme for his story to be in the end. Personally, my bets are on options 1 and 3, depending on Zeke and based on what I know and understand about the core of Eren’s character so far. And good things to remember about Eren are:

He cares fiercely for his friends and has gone to extreme measures to protect them and save them - Jumping into the mouth of a titan, desperately punching a titan in the hand, withholding critical information, disobeying orders and pushing back against his superior officer... 

He’s learned through experience that the only person he can rely on is himself - When he believed in Levi’s Squad they were killed, when he trusted Armin not to get himself killed he would have died if not for the titan serum, when he trusted Levi to give him said serum, Levi hesitated. But the one time Eren believed in himself was the one time a plan went right for once and everyone was saved.

He is self-focused and at times can be self-righteous - He believed his cause to kill the titans and free humanity was the only cause worthwhile, that people who sought out comfort instead of being willing to fight were cowards, he even believed himself to be humanity’s salvation for a time. He was humbled and realized he’s just an average person given too big of a power and he stopped believing he was worth anything. He finally reconciled and accepted his role as an average person with a great power that only he possesses, and he carries on with that burden. He believes his choice to back Armin was the correct one despite the majority of people disagreeing with him. He believes that the way he views his world is the most realistic. He is ready to take on the burdens he chose becuase he believes these are the steps necessary to achieve the goal of freeing Eldia from their oppression.

He has a strong determination to bring about change and save his people - Fight titans and kill them to pave a path toward humanity’s freedom, a willingness to be nothing more than a military weapon, a willingness to sacrifice himself if that’s what it took to change things, taking matters into his own hands when he feels like the others are taking too long, being willing to play the part of the bad guy to get results. 

All of these things can be seen as flaws or good traits, depending on the situation. But these are the things that make up the core of Eren’s character. Things that have been true throughout the entirety of the story. 

“If we win, we live. If we lose, we die. If you don't fight, you can't win!” 

This isn't a quote about aggression or showing how much bigger and stronger you are than the other guy. It's a quote about survival. It's about holding your ground and standing strong in a world that wants to eat you alive. It's about pushing back against those who want to weaken your presence or eliminate you completely. It's about taking control of your life when others want to rip it away from you. This is what Eren lives by. It is what he has lived by since he was a little boy. It is what he will live by until the day he dies.

He doesn't just fight others for the thrill or the bloodshed. He does it because that's the only way he can guarantee he has a shot at living. And he teaches this to others so they can do the same thing. He believes deeply in this and wants his people to fend for themselves and survive. They're at risk of being wiped out for no reason other than their blood. Over crimes their ancestors committed that they have nothing to do with. It's wrong and Eren won't have it. They must survive, and they can only do that if they fight.

My hunch is that Eren was reciting his motto to himself in the mirror to remind himself of everything that’s gotten him to this point. Of why he attacked Liberio to retrieve Zeke and steal the power of the War Hammer Titan. He lost the trust and faith of his friends and comrades. One of them even got killed. He betrayed a young boy who’d only ever showed him kindness and respected him a great deal. The world sees him as public enemy #1. He chose to take on the role of the bad guy and he openly declared as much. 

To Eren, Zeke is the key to Eldia’s salvation. They are both ticking time bombs, and he could no longer sit around and wait to make nice with the rest of the world. He needed to take action and he needed to do it before Zeke’s thirteen years claim his life. Without Zeke, for Eren, all hope is lost. All of the above were things he was willing to risk because he felt that it was the only way. 

With the knowledge we currently have, we can safely conclude that the attack on Liberio was set up and orchestrated solely by Zeke. Eren is no strategist. He simply went along with it, playing the role of the villain, in order to successfully get Zeke to Paradis while also crippling Marley and giving them more time. The plan was deliberate and with purpose. It wasn't revenge, it wasn't warmongering, it wasn't senseless bloodshed. Eren saw it as a necessary evil, a means to an end. 

But that doesn’t mean his time in Marley couldn’t have changed the way he perceived the world beyond the ocean. He opened up to Falco, trusted and respected him, genuinely liked him and wished him to live a long life. He learned to understand Reiner’s position. He reconciled and felt pity for him rather than anger. He no longer wants to kill him, but instead wants to understand him. He realizes that they are two sides of the same coin and accepts it. After spending some weeks in Marley, Eren wants Falco to listen to him and hear him out. They are all the same. Behind the walls, beyond the ocean, everywhere is filled with good and bad people. To me, it feels like Eren wants the next generation to understand this fact so that the cycle of history and violence doesn’t have to continue on like this forever. Paradis aren’t devils, Eldians aren’t evil. People are just people.

Whether he expected Falco and Reiner to die in that basement is still up for debate, but I’m hopeful that Eren simply trusted Reiner to step in and protect Falco from the blast. He knows that Reiner, like him, will go to great lengths to protect the people he cares about. He saw it firsthand with Bertolt when he was kidnapped by them.

But the understanding he gives to Reiner and the commentary he gives to Falco are different than his unwavering position when he talks with Armin and Mikasa two years prior. Back then he was certain that Marleyans can’t be befriended, the entire world sees them as monsters, there’s no way out of this without the coordinate. But Eren in the present time? He sees that everyone is the same. It doesn’t matter where you are. The damage he’s about to inflict on Liberio will be the same as what was inflicted on him and he understands that. And he shows remorse at his actions in the way he softens his expression to Mikasa when she sorrowfully tells him he’ll never be able to take it back. He shows it in the way he has a complete mental breakdown when he learns of Sasha’s death.

Seeing Eren in the flashbacks and what pushed him to leave and attack Liberio is certainly interesting and adds to his overall character development. But it’s good to remember to look forward and see how Eren reconciles with what he did in Liberio and what his actions will be moving forward. Is he spiraling down the hole of dark morality? Do his actions truly require redemption? If so, will he redeem himself? Will he really become the bad guy by the end? Will all of this be worth it in the end or will his efforts be completely fruitless? 

Eren has become a very complex character and what he brings to the narrative has become far more interesting than that of your average shonen protagonist. He’s become controversial, morally questionable, unpredictable. But rather than condemn him without fully knowing all of the context, I’ve found him to become such a fascinating character to read and I’m all the more curious about what road he’s going to take. I’m very eager to see what Isayama’s plans are for him!

[atamascolily]

I wanted to write about things I enjoy about Adventures of Sinbad, since I'm not sure that always comes through in my episode reviews.

1) The setting

Even though the time period of the show is ill-defined (we could be anywhere between 800 - 1400 AD, or perhaps you could make a case for even earlier), one thing is clear: it's ostensibly set in the Middle East and Mediterranean during height of the Islamic Golden Age, which is a fascinating era I know very little about. What I do know, however, sounds tremendously exciting! Calligraphy! Music! Art! Poetry! Culture! Science! People reading Aristotle and Apollonius! Lots of trade and cultural mixing and melding and fusion!

Anyway, this is not a setting you see everyday in most media, and I really wish there were more because there are so many interesting elements to play with - especially when you combine them with magic and monsters to create a fantasy setting. There are so many European/medieval historical or inspired dramas or fantasies and while there's nothing wrong with that - the Matter of Britain's got a lot going for it, after all - it's just really nice to see something OUTSIDE of that particular genre.

(If anyone does know of fantasy or historical fiction from this time period, please let me know, because I'd like to know about it.)

Also, the show is filmed in South Africa, which I love, because it looks so much like California or the Mediterranean, but different. I love the white sand deserts, boulder-strewn beaches and rocky fynbos full of interesting plants. It's a varied, strange, and beautiful landscape and one I highly enjoy spending time vicariously in through the series.

2) The magic and monsters

Yeah, okay, so the CGI has not held up well, but I still love the harpies, the sea serpents, the rock monsters, the giant animals, the animated skeletons, all the same. I love that Firouz and Maeve each have their own contradictory but complementary skill sets, and everyone's realistic and pragmatic enough to use whatever solution works best in the moment.

3) The fight scenes

Yeah, okay, so these are not necessarily realistic fights AT ALL but they do look awesome, and so I'm totally on board. The bad guys usually don't seem to be very hurt, they just get knocked around a lot, and fall over or unconscious most of the time, or run away.

I normally don't enjoy watching violence, but at least in the first season, very few people actually die, and most of that is relatively ungraphic. There's more violence in your average crime/murder/police procedurals/gritty urban series than there is here. "Family-friendly" pops up a lot on the Internet in reference to the show; I guess that means there's no obvious sex and violence that won't traumatize kids.

I'll confess: I watched this series as a kid, and spent a lot of time outdoors, pretending to be Maeve, hacking and slashing at invisible opponents with a sword. It was awesome.

4) The main characters

One thing I think this show does really well is the characters - they're all relatively well-rounded (although Rongar definitely needs some more backstory!!). One of the joys of watching the show is seeing how they come to work well together, to understand each other, and just because a really competent fighting crew... and family. And I love watching them banter - typically witty and fun, without meanness.

Some of my favorite moments in the show are when the crew is just hanging out, bantering... usually something interrupts and starts a new adventures, but I enjoy those moments while they last. I'd probably watch entire episodes where nothing but bantering and routine sea-faring happens.

5) The hawk

Okay, yes, so Dermott was a BIG DRAW for me watching the show as a kid; I got super-into the idea of falconry and learned so much about birds of prey in hope of having a hawk just like Dermott. Didn't work out so far, but I learned a lot, and I think he's a great aspect of the show. Watching Sinbad come to appreciate Dermott as a person, rather than a mere pet, is another joy as the season develops.

6) The way Maeve and Rumina are treated in the show

This is a post in and of itself, but even as a kid, I appreciated the female antagonist, who was more than just a flat character. Rumina's a jerk and not a nice person at all, she's selfish and cruel and manipulative, but she's also confident and powerful and expects Sinbad to fall for her, and is genuinely pissed off when he rejects her. She also has a vulnerable side we see for a few minutes in "Trickster" - fear of aging and being alone. She's genuinely upset about her father's death, and conflicted in her feelings for Sinbad as a result.

Then there's Maeve, who is occasionally teased, especially in the beginning, but earns the respect of the (entirely male) crew and is treated like an equal. Sinbad never talks down to her on account of her gender, and Doubar apologizes for his skepticism in "The Beast Within" when he realizes she was right all along. She fights well, doesn't take shit from people, flips a man to the ground one-handed while holding a hawk on the other fist, can do magic and talk to animals. When she gets kidnapped by Vikings, she fights, she resists, and she never stops trying to escape or appealing to her captors' humanity. She never stops talking about her choice, and why it matters.

Also, while she does have feelings for Sinbad, she's never presented as Rumina's romantic rival, and she and Rumina are not fighting each other because of their feelings for him. Their feud, although only hinted at in the series, is based on a larger conversation about power and agency. Rumina hurt Maeve's family and Maeve's village because she could and dared Maeve to do something about it. Maeve is taking action to do just that, at great cost to herself, traveling halfway around the world to do so. Even though Dermott is technically her brother, transformed into a hawk, I don't see Maeve doing this expressly because of a man - she would do the same thing if Dermott was her sister, for example. Even if Dermott hadn't been transformed, I could still see Maeve taking on this quest because Rumina committed great injustice and Maeve wants to pay her back for it.

I saw all this at a very young age, and I loved it, and I still haven't seen very many shows or series with a similar dynamic. It's not a coincidence that my favorite episodes, then and now - "The Ties that Bind," "Double Trouble" and "The Beast Within" -  are the ones that deal with these unconventional power and gender dynamics.

Does this show have problems with women? Yes. Besides Maeve and Rumina, there are barely any other female characters who aren't victims (Princess Adeenah, Gaia, Queen Nadia, and Sudrah, who wasn't even real to begin with) or evil/ambiguously moraled (Talia, Sariya, Alanna) and both groups are poorly developed. And unfortunately, we don't get to spend a lot of time with the people who are more interesting - like Jiyal, who spends most of her episode tied up and screaming in a victim role, and the barkeeper in Episode 3 who Doubar is so fond of. Caipra and Serendib are the only female characters I can think of at the moment who seem like fully-rounded people, and it's probably not a coincidence that they're both magic-users. Magic is a code for power, agency and indepenence here, and I think that really helps.

The end result is that most episodes don't pass the Bechdel test because there aren't any women in major roles besides Maeve and Rumina, and when there are, the women don't always talk to each other. Furthermore, sometimes Maeve is talking to them about Sinbad or being aggressively jealous about her relationship with him. The few episodes that do pass the Bechdel test - again, the ones with Serendib and Cairpra in them - are again, the ones that deal with magic, agency and power.

As I've said, I'm not sure I would consider the show to be "feminist," and there are some gender elements that irritate me, but Maeve is a badass and a big role model for me growing up and I will never forget that.

7) Nostalgia

Yeah, nostalgia is definitely a big factor here. Were I to watch this show in 2017 for the first time, would I be so into it? Hard to say. But childhood loyalties are strong.

I was nervous the Suck Fairy would come to visit, but the most delightful part of the rewatch has been to discover that all the episodes I loved most as a kid are still actually pretty enjoyable for my adult self as well. So there's that.

Also, I have a thing for low-budget '80s and '90s fantasy and aesthetic, so this is all right up my ally, anyway. They literally do not make them like they used to, and I didn't know that I liked the old way more than the new way until the new way became the most common way.

8) The fandom

Okay, so the fandom is very small, and most of what I find on the internet hasn't been updated since 2000. Adventures of Sinbad had its big run just as the Internet was getting going, so most of the fansites look their age at this point. But still. I can find Tripod fansites with interviews and scripts. There's a whole site devoted to high-quality screencaps. One group of fans wrote three seasons of fanfic shows and 2 movies; I just found another alternate fan version of Season 2 on a different site. There are even a few things posted to FF.net or AO3 and tumblr, but for the most part, the fandom is very old-school. Still, it makes me really happy to see what's there for something that's 20 years old and relatively little-known.

I think a lot of people have good feelings about this show, they just don't necessarily remember or post about it. I usually missed out on cultural phenomena as a kid, and while this wasn't a big one, it's one I'm happy to be a part of.