#eremika analysis

[sunflowersunite]

Hi, Sun (can I call you that?). You're a writer of Eremika, so you're experienced in writing Eren and Mikasa. What are your tips on writing Mikasa in particular? Her characterisation, manner of speaking, or body language, etc. And if you're very experienced in writing Armin, how would you imagine their relationship to be after Eren's death, as well as Mikasa's relationship with Annie as Armin's love interest?

Hey Star! Sure you can call me Sun, that's a really nice nickname 😃

I loved this question, thank you for asking! I do my best to make sure everyone is in character in my fics, it's very important to me (as it is for most fanfic writers), so that was a really interesting question to receive. This way I get to voice what goes through my head every time I open my documents lol. (If I may, are you planning to write Mikasa or is this out of curiosity?)

So here are some points I consider.

Writing Mikasa:

Characterisation

The short answer to what I keep in mind when writing her is:

love

strength

duty.

For the long answer, here it is (prepare for an essay)

So, starting off. I originally wanted to start with a different point in mind but let me begin with what is the most important part of Mikasa: her love. This is what she yearns for deep down, a peaceful life full of love.

🌾 Mikasa has strong emotional connections with those she cares about, most importantly Eren and Armin. She will not hesitate to do whatever it takes to ensure their safety. Venturing deeper into her mind, the future she imagines for herself specifically includes people, namely Eren.

Everyone has their own desires, Armin dreams of seeing the ocean and Eren dreams of being free. Surely both boys want the whole EMA friend group to be together while they live their dreams, but Mikasa has explicitly stated that all she ever wanted was to be by Eren's side. Everything else matters little, she can be inside the walls all her life for all she cares.

[! Of course this does not mean "all she cared about was Eren", a girl in love can care for others as well and we've seen what Armin, Sasha and others mean to her. Romantic feelings don't suck the meaning out of everything else, people seem to forget that for some reason.]

🌾 But here's the thing: saving humanity is also important. Mikasa initially joined the Scouts specifically to be by Eren's side and protect him. However as she grew, she developed a strong sense of duty much like Levi's. She had compassion inside her from before, caring for those in need and making sure they don't suffer the same trauma she went through. Eventually she chose to sacrifice her love and future to save the world, showing extreme selflessness and proving once and for all her benevolence.

(for me that character development was why neither Eren nor Mikasa were brimming with joy in the cabin, and why I don't find full comfort in cabin AUs. This life is what Mikasa wanted in the beginning, to be with her beloved and not care for all that death around her, but now, leaving her friends at the mercy of Marley doesn't sit right with her. Abandoning her duty doesn't feel right for either of them anymore).

-- second point: strength.

🌾Mikasa is well aware of how strong she is, her skills and limits, and she doesn't underestimate herself. She doesn't waste time being humble; if she knows she can accomplish something, she steps forth because she's confident in her skills.

Also, she's more action-oriented than thought-oriented. Others do the thinking and she does the fighting, same as Levi. That doesn't mean she can't think obviously, but her strength lies elsewhere. She leaves the thinking to the thinkers.

--Point number 3: Mikasa has a strong sense of duty.

🌾She's aware that out of almost everyone around her, she is the strongest and she has the biggest chances of success, so most of the work is up to her. Kind of like Levi, who always zipped across forests and towns in ODM gear to make sure everything went according to Erwin's orders (because who else could handle it better than him? He's the strongest).

Mikasa knows she is strong, so if an enemy ambushed them and kidnapped Eren, out of everyone she is more responsible. (To avoid misunderstandings, Mikasa isn't at fault for everything that happened to Eren in the story. What I wrote above is what I imagine goes through her head, not mine).

[fun fact: Eren's deepest desire, so deep that he himself didn't realise until it was too late, revolved around people as well. Eren's whole deal was that he never grew up, the angry kid inside him just shouted louder and louder, filling all his senses with anger, leaving no room for healing.

But in his very last moments, when regret had brought him down and he wished he hadn't listened to that voice, he admits "I don't want to die. I want to be with Mikasa, with all of you". Also in the post credit scene of the movie, we see him focusing on Armin and Mikasa's company more rather than anything else because he cares for people. So he and Mikasa are much more alike than what we see at first]

I will split this answer into two or three parts, so that's the end of the first. Again, thank you for asking me 😃 I had fun thinking about this. I kind of turned it into an Eremika analysis as well but Eremika is very important for Mikasa and also it's me we're talking about, so that was bound to happen. I don't know your opinion on Eremika but I hope you don't mind it. I hope you're satisfied so far!

[clfixationstation]

I think this may be an unpopular opinion, but Mikasa kissing Eren's severed head is actually probably my favorite aspect of eremika. Something about the simplicity of Mikasa's unfettered love contrasted against the visceral gore of Eren's corpse

Just perfectly encapsulates their relationship and the theme of cruelty and beauty that Mikasa embodies

Cruel world, and her beautiful love, inseparable

[clfixationstation]

all of this. yes.

my only thought is that because straight ships are seen as "normal", Isayama (and many other writers) assume that audiences require less convincing to get behind them and find them believable. Which isn't entirely untrue - there are many m/f ships out there that I've seen straight fans get behind with the bare minimum (from people I've talked to in-person, not just online speculation).

the next assumption writers could be making is that straight couples don't require a high level of understanding and companionship. From my observations, it's unfortunately the case that it's not always expected in straight relationships what do you mean your boyfriend doesn't think you should have rights?? doesn't see you as a full person?? and you still want to marry him???!? girl RUN. It's often (subconsciously) based on the bioessentialist idea that men and women are very different beings with different roles to fulfill, and therefore can never fully understand each other (ugh).

that's why "our worldviews directly conflict and we can't fully understand each other, but we're still drawn together by love and that in itself is an understanding" just isn't compelling to me personally. I've seen it with many canon straight ships in many stories over the years. (to be clear, I am not accusing people who enjoy such ships of being bioessentialist - I do not know the mind of every person)

and then there's yumihisu. Ymir was immediately drawn to Historia because she saw her past self in her, and was determined to empower Historia to live for herself with pride. After a lonely childhood, Historia welcomed Ymir's company and understood that Ymir's abrasive comments betrayed her good heart. Even with the secrets between them, Ymir and Historia had this deep understanding of each other and offered each other compassion and companionship.

and for some of the other ships mentioned in the tags:

1) I didn't pay much attention to reibert, but wdym reiner "having no interest in women" went nowhere?? like?? and Bertholdt liking Annie out of nowhere was kinda funny. 2) kenuri is kind of just. uncontested canon. 3) I never expected eremin to be canon, but the level of understanding and reverence they hold for each other is unparalleled. 4) I actually love aruani, and that's primarily because their relationship is based in understanding and appreciating each other's perspectives; seeing positive qualities in each other that others could not. It could've used more time to cook, but that's my only criticism

#like why did eremin parallel yumihisu and reibert. while eremika was CANONICALLY framed as a parallel to the most toxic horrific relationship

THIS TAG. This is the one that gets me. eremika paralleled Ymir and King Fritz; Mikasa's love bound her to Eren the same way Ymir's love bound her to Fritz. However, Mikasa was able to free herself from the bindings of her love and act for the greater good. By killing Eren, Mikasa freed herself and Ymir. Acting despite all the love she has for Eren, refusing to allow her love to keep her bound - that is what frees Ymir

now, obviously Eren did not treat Mikasa anywhere as badly as Fritz did Ymir. Eren being an ass is NOT equivalent to Fritz's abuse. It's just. That parallel does not indicate to me that eremika is, or could be, a positive relationship. Conversely, I think some people interpret it as eremika's pure and good love showing Ymir what love should be like, in contrast to her relationship to Fritz. While that's a sweet interpretation, I have a difficult time agreeing. Mikasa spent the entire series chasing after Eren, desperately trying to keep her last piece of family alive, living in a perpetual heartache. Eren, on the other hand, hid and stifled his feelings for Mikasa until the end. Where Mikasa always desires to return home, Eren will always run forward towards "freedom". To me, the point of eremika is that it's doomed. It represents the beauty and cruelty that exist simultaneously in the world. While they had love for each other, their relationship was layered in pain all the way through

uhhh I got off-track.

tldr: I hypothesize that m/f ships require less "evidence" to be convincing to audiences because they are the norm. As a result, many m/f ships are written more shallowly than f/f or m/m relationships, whether written as lovers or friends.

why did isayama put his whole pussy into yumihisu after saying he can’t write romance. and then fumble when it came to the straights.

[4everinyour-roaa]

eren IS the cycle of hatred, he carries not just his own hatred for his enemies, but he also carries that of grisha's, kruger's and all the previous shifters.

he even perpetuates it into his child self, by the act of turning dina to carla he grows that need for revenge in his young heart, fueling his own hatred for the warriors and marley.

which is why the rumbling was never going to free ymir, or break the cycle. you cannot break the cycle of hatred with even more hatred, and more violence.

so it makes sense for the character who symbolizes unconditional and selfless love to be the one who breaks said cycle with her choice.

even in the selfless act of killing her loved one for the sake of the greater good, that very same act was also done out of her love for him.

so as opposed to eren who fought out of hate, mikasa only ever fought out of love.

[marosina]

Eren + Forms of Love

EreMika: Like waking up from a nap, realizing you’ve been allowed to snooze half the day away. The wordless understanding and support of family. A love often taken for granted in the moment, but deeply appreciated in retrospect. A lack of urgency from the sureness of fate that intertwines souls beyond mortality. Comfort.

EreMin: Like being ripped awake from a nightmare so you no longer have to suffer. The confused, and desperate clinging to someone you trust for comfort and direction. A love necessary for survival. For growth. A repeated promise, firm and unwavering, that not even hellfire can cut through. Passion.

Both are needed.

[sweatreleaseofdeaths]

I never liked some aspects of SNK's ending since it came out back in 2021. Not because I thought it was bad or because I thought it wasn't well made, but because it felt forced. 

The sudden change of Eren's feelings about Mikasa was one thing that pissed me off, but also because Isayama's original ending wasn't even supposed to be the one that we got. It felt like he only wrote that specific ending for the fans and readers (and maybe because he was tired too; have you seen the bags?) and not because that was the ending that he wanted to write. 

Like you can clearly tell by the last arc that he took a drastic turn on where the story would go to make it "happier," for lack of better words.

 

The way I saw it from the beginning, there was no getting out of it. No happy ending whatsoever. And true to it, the ending with got was bittersweet. Everything Eren did was for nothing because the cycle started back again.

I did actually appreciate that, because it showed us something that was an actual reality. Even if it did help for a bit, nothing really changed because it's in humanity's nature to always start the cycle once again.

However, what I wanted to see more was his original idea of everybody dying. Instead of that, Isayama went and tried to pull a Naruto (with Armin and Eren) so that they could talk it out, understand each other, and come to an understanding. (The understanding being: the reasons of his actions, Eren's need to die, and their promises) 

From an interview (if I'm not mistaken), the original ending was apparently inspired by "The Mist," which is basically about the protagonist being the cause of his loved ones downfall in an attempt to protect them. Sounds familiar, right? It feels like it was going in that direction, then Isayama just decided to make them all resolve their differences, for some reason. 

I personally don't hate the ending; like I said, I just think it was a tad forced on his end.

 

On the Mikasa/Eren thing, do NOT get me wrong. Mikasa is and has always been an important character to this story. Her as well as her relationship with Eren IS special. Now just because what they share is special doesn't necessarily mean that it's "love.".

On Mikasa's side, she literally lost her parents and met Eren a second later because he killed for her and came to her defense. She latched into him because of that. She was a traumatised child with a deeply unhealthy view of love, so while she did love Eren, the way she showed it could be interpreted as just obsession toward her rescuer.

But the thing with Mikasa's character is that the more the story goes, the more you see her become her own person without Eren. Either it be choosing between her desire to stay with him or her duties as a soldier, or even when she had to make a choice between killing him or not being willing to because of how much she loves him.

I honestly love Mikasa as a character so much. You can see her growth and see her trying to get past her trauma step by step. So, at the end, even though she never stopped loving Eren, she moved on and started a life for herself, because that's where her development was leading to.

Contrary to her, Eren had little to no self-restraint. He was hot-headed and only believed in what he believed, walking the path that he felt was right. He was obsessed with one thing and one thing only (that's literally everything he talked about), never straying from it no matter what happened.

I feel like he never tried to get past his trauma, only feeding into it the more time passed. From always getting into fights because of different perspectives he had with people (i.e., hitting one of the guys who was badmouthing the scouts with a stick) to ending 80% of humanity. Eren was selfish from the beginning; everything he did was for himself. Even the rumbling was partially for himself because his freedom couldn't be obtained if the people outside the walls were still around. 

Eren was and will always be a deeply selfish person, but there is also more to that. (So much more that I'm not even going to get into that here, because I love Eren too much and wouldn't be doing him any justice by resuming his character in just a few words.)

 

TLDR: Eren did not love her romantically (he did LOVE her; it just wasn't romantic), and even if Isayama wanted to say that they did love each other, what they shared ultimately was toxic. It could've turned into something better if Eren was less self-centred, but then again. My issue with all of this is that Isayama underexplored this aspect of their relationship so much that it just was out of the blue (and might I add ooc without getting shot) when Eren started wailing about not wanting her to end up with someone else.

You can't just make a story, build it, and put effort into it, then make a little throwaway line of "Oh, these two love each other, btw." That's just not how it works. You have to develop it for the readers to understand, and even if some people end up not liking it, it wouldn't matter because at least you made it make sense. 

 

Also! I'm not criticising SNK, nor am I criticising Isayama. I've loved this story for years, so really, at the end of the day, even if some things still felt off to me, I will keep loving it to death. (And you can ship whoever you want who gives a fuck!)

[sunflowersunite]

The Ackermans were always stronger than the brunettes. They were the protectors, the warriors at the front of the line, time and time again.

Yet in the end, it was Eren who saved Mikasa, and Hange who saved Levi. The brunettes stood their ground and when the times became dire, they saved their Ackermans for one last time.

But they did it, those determined bastards. They gave their Ackermans long lives, and lived on through their memories in the end. And if they were given the choice, they'd do it all over again.

Just a short clip of the Ackermans' brunettes protecting and carrying their Humanity's strongests.

I think Eren and Hange are the only ones who ever carried them in the whole story. Cant remember clearly, but there you go!

[nikakistos]

Did Mikasa (re)marry?

Exactly three years ago, i wrote a post with the title "Mikasa will kill Eren". I haven't written a lot about AoT since then. I still keep AoT in my heart and i read news and posts about it daily. Although i do not participate that much in discussions about it, i still read what other people have to say. This is about to change. Yes, i know that the anime ended 3 months ago and i know that AoT's time in the spotlight is probably gone for good, with very few events ahead of us. In time, people will move on to other works. That is the cycle of life for fans of stories of any medium. And yet, now, more than ever, i want to start writing about AoT and my favorite characters (Mikasa, Eren etc) again. I will begin by offering my view on whether or not Mikasa married or, more accurately in my opinion, remarried after Eren's unfortunate end.

Why remarry?

Why do i use the term remarry? After all, Mikasa and Eren were never officially married. There was no ceremony, no rings, no nothing. If anything, in the physical world, the last time Mikasa and Eren spoke was when Eren told her he hated her. That is indeed true. However, Mikasa and Eren spent quite some time in the paths together (be it months, years, or a few minutes). The realm of the paths is (was) not a dream place. It wasn't something fictional. It was reality, just like Armin described it in chapter 136. It is a different dimension where time goes by very differently compared to the physical world.

Eren brought all of his friends in there to speak to them and reveal his true intentions. With Armin, he also went on a journey, visiting all the places they wanted to see. With Mikasa, after talking to her about his plan, they decided to forget it all and spend their time together. They replayed the "What am i to you" scene from chapter 123 and Mikasa chose to express her true feelings to him, while also telling him to run away together. Eren then grabbed her arm and they escaped to the mountain cabin. From the way they act towards each other, it is easy to tell that they viewed themselves as husband and wife. This is also showcased by what Mikasa wrote in Eren's tombstone. The last word is "あなた", which typically means "you" in japanese, but, when used by a spouse to her husband, it means "sweetheart, dear etc". So, it is obvious that for Mikasa, Eren was her husband and the same holds true for Eren. This means that if Mikasa were to marry, it would be her second marriage, or, at the very least, this is how it would seem to her. For all intents and purposes, Eren and Mikasa were husband and wife in the Paths and after his death, Mikasa is presented as a widow.

The extra pages and the songs

Anyone who was reading the manga during its run knows that the original ending, the one shown in the Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, had Mikasa thanking Eren for wrapping the scarf around her while the bird was flying away. The bonus pages expanded the original ending and showed Mikasa visiting Eren's grave again and again, once with a man and a newborn child, still young, and once accompanied by two couples and their young children, while old. The difference between the two is also reflected in the episodic format of the anime ending, where the bonus pages do not appear and the closing song is different. Instead of "二千年… 若しくは… 二万年後の君へ・・・", which played in the special version, the episodic format uses "いってらっしゃい".

The episodic format provides an emotional closure for the relationship between Eren and Mikasa. The lyrics of the song reveal that Mikasa wants to and believes that she will meet Eren again. The original animation of the ED song implies that Eren and Mikasa do meet again in the afterlife after Mikasa's death. They are now free to be with each other for eternity.

The special format represents the theme of "life goes on". Wars never end permanently. They are just interrupted by long periods of peace. The same applies to Mikasas' life. In the anime, Eren's grave is visited by all of his friends, exactly 3 years after his death. Exactly 11 years after his death (7 winters and 8 springs after his friends visit his grave, slow it down as much as possible and count the season changes), Mikasa visits his grave with a man and a child. This scene has 2 very popular interpretations. One is that Mikasa married someone (Jean) and had a child with him and the other one says that Mikasa remained single and virgin forever and that the kid is adopted and that the man is Armin.

Let's start with the second option. The major arguments are that (in the manga) Mikasa still covers her Hizuru tattoo with the bandages and that she she offers roses to Eren's grave and that the number of the roses signify that she never found someone else. Some people also argue that Mikasa loving someone else romantically goes against her character.

I do not agree with this interpretation. Covering her tattoo does not mean that she didn't pass it down to her children and even if she didn't pass it down, it doesn't mean she didn't have kids. Also, in the anime, the flowers she offers are not roses. I would agree that it would be out of character for Mikasa to find someone else, but only as long as Eren was alive. It would probably take her a very long time, but if the right man appeared, maybe she could fall in love again.

During Eren's crying tantrum about Mikasa to Armin, he mentioned that if she were to find someone else it should take her 10 years at least. The anime went out of its way to show Mikasa appearing with her new family, a man and a newborn kid exactly 11 years after his death. This points towards Mikasa remarrying. The anime also added a ring to her left ring finger during her funeral scene. The lyrics that play during Mikasa's visits to Eren's grave with her new family are these "時が運��だ 穏やかな日々 手向けた花のように秘めた言葉は 誰にも告げず逝く". This means that the time brought gentle days to Mikasa and she kept her feelings for Eren to her heart, with the flowers and the words on the tombstone revealing their true extent. In my opinion this showcases that Mikasa spent peaceful days with her new family, but she kept her feelings to Eren deep in her heart, as shown by her constant offering of flowers to his grave and the words she wrote in the gravestone.

For me the biggest indication that Mikasa did remarry is the fact that these scenes exist in the first place, both in the manga and in the anime. Isayama felt the need to show these images, when the Magazine ending was very open to interpretation. There would be no point to adding these scenes, only to make the ending more ambiguous. The bonus pages are there to clarify what happens to Mikasa's life and the island in the long years after Eren's death, not to muddy the waters. If Isayama wanted the ending to be completely open to interpretation, then there would be no reason for the new pages.

Why Jean?

Shipping wars are part of most fandoms and the AoT fandom is no exception. During its run, the biggest rivalry was the one between the EM and EH supporters. Now it is between EM and JK fans. EH was never a thing in the story, but the relationship between Eren and Mikasa was the most important in the story. The entirety of Attack on Titan is built based on the relationship between its male and female leads. They are the backbone of the story and without them there would be no AoT. Of course, a tragic conclusion for them hurts people. Especially when Mikasa eventually gets married to someone that, during the duration of the plot, she didn't show any interest. But, this is not really relevant. The moment Eren died, the plot pretty much ended. The plot does not follow Mikasa's healing process and family life, because it doesn't affect anything. Also, it is so far into the future that the characters involved are practically different people. Maybe in the future Isayama will show this development in a short story, like he will do with Levi in vol. 35, but, for now, this is just an additional detail that is only 3 panels long.

Even without mentioning the physical aspects of the man shown next to Mikasa, Jean, throughout the story has been presented as the "Eren-lite". He is second best to Eren and he compares himself to his "rival". He is jealous of how much Mikasa cares about Eren, he places directly under him in training, he views him as more courageous, strong and cool than him. On the other hand, Jean is presented as a mentally stable person, while Eren is not. Jean of course can never be as passionate as Eren and he can't match Eren's kindness when Eren is kind, but he could also never be as cruel as Eren. He disguises as Eren throughout the story and he is presents himself as the best successor for Eren's titan. Most importantly, Jean shares a special connection with Eren, he understands him and he loves him.

So, it is no suprise that Isayama would have him end up with Mikasa after Eren's death. There really is no one better for Mikasa. Jean is the best option if she can't be with Eren. He cared for her throughout the series, protected her once and he even tried to paint Eren in a better light after the latter offended Mikasa. He is also the only one who can understand her love for Eren and still be with her without getting jealous over the fact that she would never be able to love him as much as she loved Eren. This is something that even Jean's voice actor expressed in the recent Attack on Titan festival that celebrated the 10 years since the beginning of the anime. He felt that Jean got to be with Mikasa and he was comforting her, but he knew that he could never replace Eren in her heart. Yui Ishikawa, Mikasa's voice actress, also said that for Mikasa, no matter how many years pass and how many things she experiences throughout her long lifespan, Eren will always be the number 1 in her heart.

Does that diminish her love for Jean? Does that mean that she never truly loved Eren? No. It simply means that Mikasa fell in love again, 10 years after Eren's death, with a man who is as close to Eren as possible. Jean most likely won her over. She didn't marry him out of some desparate need to be with a man, but because she found the strength in her heart to love someone again, even if it wasn't to the same extent as before. That doesn't make her dirty or impure, like some fans want to believe. This obsession with virginity is frankly stupid. First of all, Mikasa, by the time the she remarries, is, probably not a virgin. Unless she only spent a few minutes with Eren in the world of the paths, the two of them probably did more things than just talking and fishing. Even if she were, virginity is nothing special. Mikasa marrying someone else and having kids with him does not mean Eren got cucked. It doesn't mean that Jean won against Eren Mikasa still loving Eren does not mean that Jean got cucked by a dead man, nor does it mean that he got damaged goods. These points of view are ridiculous and are only expressed by very immature individuals and/or incels. Jean is probably somewhat sad that Mikasa and Eren didn't get to live the life they wanted together and he is probably thankful to Eren for giving him the chance to live his dream life. Jean is not the type to gloat or ridicule his dead comrade, nor the type of guy to be bitter, because Mikasa loved Eren so much.

Mikasa moved forward with her life (not moved on, widows hate this term, because it is closer to forgetting your previous spouse), without ever forgetting her big love or changing her feelings for him. And in the end, after spending many decades with her new family, she passed away peacefully and reunited with her most beloved person in the world in the afterlife. For some, Mikasa reuniting with Eren in the afterlife means that she didn't remarry, because her husband should be her soulmate and if she is with Eren she didn't have a second husband. I disagree here as well. There is no information about how the afterlife works and making assumptions about it based on real world theology is dumb. People can love more than once. If your last spouse is your soulmate, then what happens to people like Grisha? The only thing we can do is go by what is shown and what is shown is that Mikasa both remarried and met Eren in the afterlife.

The same goes for those who believe that Mikasa should not meet Eren in the afterlife, because Eren is a criminal. Attack on Titan does not pass judgement to the actions of its characters that much. Of course, Eren's actions are horrific, but the entirety of the cast and the narrative tries to shift the blame to many more people than just Eren. Eren is not the only one responsible for how things turned out. All the characters sinned. Not to mention, Mikasa expressed her certainty that she would meet Eren again in the end in the final ED song and this is what is shown. Furthermore, after Mikasa's death, the lyrics that play are these "レクイエムレクイエム檜には君た花を 罪を散すなら 暁よ照らせ". This means that if sins are to be forgiven, then dawn will illuminate the flowers under the cypress. Eren's sins by the time Mikasa died have, probably, been forgiven. In any case, repeating my previous words, we can only go by what is shown and what is shown is that the two of them do reunite in the end.

What is the point of the debate?

The debate is probably meaningless. Whether or not Mikasa married does not affect the story in any way. It simply concludes Mikasa's story. Of course, this means that i wrote close to 3 thousand words for nothing, LOL. Nonetheless, i find it ridiculous that large amounts people still debate about the frankly obvious context of 1 panel. This toxic debate should have stopped long ago. What matters is that Mikasa got to live a long and happy life with a person who loved and respected her, just like Eren ultimately wanted and she then reunited with her most beloved. Sure, it hurts that we couldn't see more of Eren and Mikasa as a couple, after being introduced to them from the very first page of the story, but this is no reason to slander other parts of the fandom or the voice actors who did their best to portray these characters for over a decade. Mikasa was lucky enough to be loved so much by two men. She got to spend her time on Earth with one of them and infnity with the other. Despite all of her shortcomings and the bad luck she faced in her life, Mikasa rose stronger from each challenge and earned her happily ever after. This is what's important. In the future, we might get to see more of her family life with Jean and the time she spent with Eren in the paths and her next meeting with him.

[the-last-thread-of-my-sanity]

Losing my mind a little bit rewatching the final episode in dub…

I don’t think anyone talks enough about Annie and Mikasa right after Falco rescues the group.

Firstly, I absolutely love that Annie yells out to Mikasa as they swoop in- like things couldn’t be more dire, Mikasa is giving this badass speech and then Annie is just yells at her that she’s in the way with the same tone you would call out to someone who was blocking you on the sidewalk. Annie is honestly so funny sometimes and we don’t talk about it enough. And the okapi scene with them? Most levity in the entire finale arc in my opinion.

Most importantly to me though, when Levi makes the call that they need to split up and kill Eren and everyone is making their case as to why it hurts but they have to do it (Jean is the only one who apologizes to her, identifying that this is going to hurt her more than anyone else- but that’s a post in of itself) and Annie is the one who is able to prevent Mikasa from spiraling and get her back on track.

How?

Not by reasoning with her, or telling her to toughen up, or any of those heartless or logical things that we might be tempted to associate with Annie. Instead she tells her to focus on rescuing Armin and let the others worry about Eren.

This is interesting coming from Annie for a couple of reasons. Obviously it’s in her best interest to remind the group that Armin still needs rescuing since she cares for him and wants to focus on that herself. But I also think it matters that Annie is able to understand how to reach her. Mikasa wants more than anything to protect the people she loves- she can’t imagine ever harming them. By giving her something else to focus on, Annie is saving her from the hurt of thinking about Eren.

But not only that- Annie has been in her position.

Knowing she could die, that it would cost her the mission, that it was a betrayal of her other comrades (including Marcel who had already died)- knowing all of this, she was unable to kill Armin. On multiple occasions! Even without the bond of growing up with him such as in Mikasa’s case with Eren, the feelings she had for Armin wouldn’t allow her to hurt him.

Annie knows that she can’t possibly ask Mikasa to do something she wasn’t able to do. So she encourages her with a purpose that Annie herself can relate to. Fighting for the family she has left.

And there’s just something so touching and human about Annie’s ability to realize that in such a tense moment, and I don’t think we talk about it enough.

[sonofthesaiyans]

Another bone to pick with Eremika.....

You know when you really think about it, Eremika fans may be some of the most selfish people in the Attack on Titan fandom.

Oh I still hold Gabi Braun's fans to be the absolute worst, who seem to legitimately think it's wrong to hate on her in any capacity.......But the fans who even now are still so desperately needy for Mikasa and Eren to have their "happy" ending really never stop to understand how much such an ending simply would NOT have been earned.

As I've said in the past, Eremika is unquestionably abusive on Eren's side. Mikasa was nothing but loyal to him, to a very unhealthy degree in fact, and he never treated her with any affection reflective of either the love of a partner or of the adoptive stepbrother he was supposed to have been. Even if Eren was putting on a show with that "I've always hated you" speech, it's baffling why anyone would want them to still be together after such a cruel renouncement of their bond.

But what's REALLY selfish? Think of all the other characters who deserved a happy ending but DIDN'T get theirs:

Sasha Braus, anyone? Marco Bott?

Hange and Levi? Hell, Levi and Petra?

Seriously folks, how can ANYONE think Levi's was a fitting end for someone who had lost everyone he held close, and was left broken and alone with no clear path forward? It's a pitiful sight seeing what humanity's strongest soldier was reduced to.

Jean? What's his story? Connie, what's his story? Armin?

Historia and Ymir? Ymir lost her shot at a new life, and let's be real, Historia didn't marry that farmer asshole out of genuine love, if he is in fact her husband.

Marlowe and Hitch? Miche Zacharius? Hannah and Franz? Nile and his daughters? Keith Shadis? DAMN NEAR EVERYONE?

The list goes ON and ON.

So many characters who deserved a happy ending. And the fandom mourns for the mass murderer who didn't get laid with the girl he continually pushed away and forced into an impossible situation?

Eren died a virgin. You think I'm fucking mourning?

Come to think of it with that in mind, Gabi fans are really selfish since they actively rubbed it in our faces that she lived, having been literally carried through the story by egregious plot armor. But I digress.

Eremika fans got their priorities backwards. Not just for trying to preserve an intensely toxic unbalanced attraction, but because apparently that's a greater loss than all who died unnecessarily because of Eren's vast manipulations.

I know this is not an attitude that applies to all Eremika fans. But to the ones who are still mourning over this......

Eren Yeager can go get fucked right up the ass straight into ETERNAL DAMNATION like the cunt he is. I ain't mourning for that hobo haired bitch, people, why are you?

This story ended with the ocean.

[sunflowersunite]

Mikasa is strong. Her kindness and love is that strength. Eren taught her that life is cruel but also beautiful, he shaped her worldview and for that they'll forever be linked together.

Eren chose his path because he loved Mikasa. Mikasa killed Eren but never stopped loving him, because she knew. Long live Mikasa Ackerman (and long she did live).

Mikasa Ackerman’s upstanding moral code is something that I’ve always adored seeing in Attack on Titan. Recently, many fans have gone out of their way to criticise her, stating that she’s ‘boring’ or ‘basic’, but I think that claim is rather ignorant. It doesn’t see past the exterior she puts out, which is a vital point to her character. Spoilers ahead btw.

Mikasa is drenched in tragedy, much like most other characters in aot. She’s lost family after family, and now all she has left are her friends. But time, much like the rumbling, marches on endlessly, and it doesn’t wait for anyone. Mikasa knows that nothing in her life will remain the same, she is intrinsically aware that things will change. “The world is cruel, and beautiful” she thinks, and she finds happiness wherever she can, knowing that it will leave no matter what she does. She has this underlying steeliness to her that most simply attribute to her soldier exterior, but I think this is what makes her so beautiful. She CARES about people, about children and women and soldiers and her quickly growing group of friends. She knows the world is cruel, but she sees its beauty and she’s always trying to expand upon that.

She’s almost like a flower in that regard. She is beautiful and upright, blossoming shyly under the instructions she was given to fight, withstanding the weight of expectation and the harsh rays of sun that threaten to burn her for coming out of her shell in the first place. She does not relent, however. Life seeks to punish her for coming out of that cocoon, but she weathers it with grace and love and devotion so huge that it saves the world.

That devotion, that obsession you see with Eren, is partly because she’s actually just that devoted to him, but also because he challenged that worldview she had when her parents were killed. He was the one who opened her eyes to the possibility of happiness existing within those moments of cruelty. Mikasa was perfectly content to stay inside the bud of her flower, indifferently observing the world, but Eren changed that. He made her a part of the world, instead of letting her watch it pass her by.

She’s lived by that ever since. There is something so lovely about that devotion to Eren, and with that, the ideals she formed after that initial encounter (even if he was entirely unaware of the changes he had on her). He helped form that moral code, the one that eventually ends in her killing him for the sake of the world.

Mikasa is the champion of attack on titan, hero of the world, saviour of the people, and it’s all because she was a girl who was deeply in love with a boy. There is strength in her devotion. Buried beneath that cold exterior is a love so intrinsic that it overcame mere affection and hurtled straight towards eternity. Her choice to kill the man who she loved, to fight like he told her, and to save the world and create beauty when he destroyed it, speaks of strength like no other. 

So sure, go ahead and say she’s boring all you want. But, perhaps you just aren’t looking close enough.

[clfixationstation]

I like this parallel drawn by this twt user

[frostfires-blog]

SNK FINAL ED: ITTERASSHAI

HANAKOTOBA ANALYSIS

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-> White Cherry Blossom

White cherry blossoms are the first flower featured in the final ending theme song credits. The cherry blossom (Prunus serrulata) is also known as the Japanese cherry and is the unofficial national flower of Japan. Its Japanese name Sakura (桜) has been derived from the word “saku” which means “to bloom”.  Its meanings in hanakotoba are “beauty of spirit”, grace, chastity, excellent beauty, gentleness, good education and the “transience of life”. In Japan, cherry blossoms are also a symbol of the “beauty of impermanence”—a Shinto concept better known as “mono no aware” (物の哀れ) as their falling petals are a reminder that although life is short, it is beautiful and should be savoured. The Japanese concept of “natsukashi” (懐かしい) likewise emphasizes the fleeting nature of cherry blossoms. This concept refers to the happy-yet-wistful nostalgia for times and things that we will never be able to go back to. We will never get to experience those moments again, just like the ephemeral cherry blossoms, which makes them even more significant. Cherry blossoms bloom from March to April which is the start of the new fiscal year in Japan. As a result of this cherry blossoms have also come to symbolise new beginnings and springtime. Given that feudal Japanese soldiers associated cherry blossoms with honour, discipline, and dignity—falling flowers were thought to be symbolic of a Samurai's death. In Western floriography, cherry blossoms herald the changing of the seasons and symbolise renewal and rebirth. They also symbolise the fleeting nature of life, tenderness, forgiveness, strength, beauty, love, confidence, peace, friendship and gratitude. White cherry blossoms, in particular, represent purity, innocence, and simplicity, as well as hope and rebirth. White cherry blossom blossoms convey joy in the celebration of new beginnings. “Utsukushiki Zankoku na Sekai” (AOT ED1) depicts a young Mikasa rushing about looking for Eren in a dark, gloomy landscape before shifting into her older self. “Akuma no Ko” (AOT ED7) depicts a young Eren wandering around on his own in a dark cage until he breaks free into a colourful meadow before morphing into his older self. Meanwhile, the final ending, “Itterasshai”, depicts both a young Mikasa and Eren as well as an adult Mikasa and Eren uniting in a field of flowers beneath a picturesque sunset. Given that white cherry blossoms symbolise new beginnings, hope, and rebirth, their inclusion in this montage enhances its depiction of the pair reuniting in the afterlife—effectively tying the first and seventh ending sequences together. Various concepts embodied by the cherry blossom, particularly the transiency of life, mono no aware (the beauty of impermanence), and natsukashi (nostalgia for times and things we can't return to), are also significant themes in Attack on Titan's final arcs, making the flower's placement here appropriate.

-> Red Rose

The next set of flower featured in the final ending sequence are red roses. In Japan, red roses are called benibara (紅薔薇). In hanakotoba roses symbolise love and beauty while red roses in particular symbolize affection and passionate love; while rose thorns represent “happiness in misfortune”.  In Western floriography, roses symbolize love, passion, beauty, romance and secrecy. Red roses symbolize enduring passion, desire, affection and romance. In the visuals for “Itterasshai” four red roses are seen growing alongside a white picket fence. A white bird is later seen flying with a single red rose in its beak. Four red roses are said to symbolise that “nothing will ever come between us”. While a single red rose symbolises love at first sight. This suggests that nothing, not even death, is capable of impacting the pair's feelings for each other and that they have been in love since their first meeting as children. While red roses are an international symbol of romance, passion, devotion and long-lasting love, in some cultures they symbolise sacrifice, martyrdom, bravery, and strength.  These qualities embody Eren’s character pretty well.

-> Dandelion

In the above panel, Mikasa holds two dandelion flowers in her hands. Dandelions (Taraxacum) are known as Tanpopo (たんぽぽ) in Japanese. Its meanings in hanakotoba are sincere love, separation and a prophecy of love. Additionally, in English floriography, dandelions represent faithfulness, hope, healing, light and happiness. They also symbolise joy, youthful thoughts, endurance, prosperity and healing. Given that the dandelion is a symbolic representation of faithfulness, happiness, healing, light, hope and prophecies of love—their use in this ending sequence further reinforces the concept of Mikasa reuniting with Eren in the afterlife.

-> White Daisy

Daisies (Bellis) are known as hinagiku (デイジー) in Japanese, and they hold the hanakotoba meanings of patience, purity, “secret love”, hope, innocence, beauty, peace, and faith. In English floriography, yellow daisies symbolise joy, and growth as well as a turning point or new beginning. Considering the daisy's symbolic connotations, its usage ending sequence once more accentuates the depiction of the pair finally getting a new start following the events of the series' conclusion. Its meanings of patience, hope, faith and secret love in particular highlight Mikasa going through the rest of her life hoping to be reunited after death.

───●◎●─── P.S. ───●◎●───

-> White Carnation

The flowers Mikasa places by Eren’s grave are the same flowers we see her holding after her passing. These flowers are known as carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus) and are called Kānēshon (カーネーション) in Japanese. Its meanings in hanakotoba are innocent and deep love.  White carnations in particular hold the meaning “my love is love” and pure love in Japanese culture. In Western floriography, they symbolise love, fascination and distinction. Carnations are the most popular flower used at weddings in China, while in Korea they express admiration, love and gratitude. Carnations are frequently given as gifts in Japan to convey affection for loved ones or to honour those who have passed away. White carnations, in particular, represent purity and are therefore commonly utilised in ceremonies and rituals. The meaning of these flowers makes them an excellent choice for this scene and ties well into Mikasa and Eren’s dynamic. The flower’s meaning “my love is alive” perfectly encapsulates Mikasa’s feelings in the aftermath of the series and is a fitting offering for Eren’s gravestone.

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╰┈➤ Attack on Titan ED7 Hanakotoba Analysis

╰┈➤ Anime Hanakotoba Posts Directory

[I wanted to contribute something towards the fandom considering that aot/snk has finally ended but I knew that doing a full-scale review of the episode would be a bad idea. In short, I want to say a lot of things but at the same time, there's nothing I want to say... When I saw the flowers featured in the final ed I knew I had to cover them. If you guys want me to do a Q&A for the show, I'd be willing to... So, feel free to send me questions to answer...

As a side note, I didn't go into a lot of detail here and stuck to focusing on eremika since I've already done a hanakotoba post for snk/aot--where I went into greater depth on the show's general themes.]

[eueuphoriaz]

When you are the coolest fighters of humanity, and have the cutest bedhead.

Not forgetting their brunette too. Got this inspiration from Hange praising Eren's hairstyle in Season 4.

[ackerverse13]

Mikasa Ackerman & Greif

I've been thinking about this quote from "To All The Boys I've Loved Before" and the themes surrounding it, so this post is my attempt at some well needed catharsis.

for context, she (Lara Jean) is explaining why she has never been in a relationships even though she loves romance and has been approached before. The quote she says here also relates to how she feels about her mothers passing when she was younger.

This subject matter is further explained in the books (not sure about the movies) where the male lead, Peter, says he'd rather have a mother who loved him and passed then a neglectful father whose alive, and that becomes a notable point of contention.

When thinking more about grief of losing a loved one and if its better to not have that love in the first place, i think Mikasa's character is great point of observation.

as i previously said, this is Mikasa's realization that, in order for beauty to exist, cruelty must also be there.

Lara Jean shares a more "pessimistic" perspective, that the good people that come into your life will only exist for a set amount of time before eventually leaving and tainting their memory.

Here's where Mikasa's character comes in:

During season 1, when she is about to accept her death, she comes to the realization that Eren's death does not have to taint his memory and as long as she remembers him, the memory is basically hers to keep, and a reminder of the beauty in a cruel world.

I've concluded that Mikasa's realization is that death, while presumably expelling cruelty in the AOT verse would also expel the beautiful memories that she cherished when living.

I think this scene is super underrated and one of the most influential perspectives in attack on titan (although, most of the positive messages go unnoticed, probably because of our tendency to gravitate to the negative 😭)

(sorry if this was unorganized, it was kinda just a bunch of thoughts i threw together)

[4everinyour-roaa]

mikasa and eren are both contrasting characters,

eren deals with a lot of insecurities, mikasa carries a lot of pride.

eren is constantly thinking about the future (quite literally living in it considering titan memories due to the founding and attack), while mikasa constantly thinks about the past.

eren is angry and impulsive, mikasa is calm and collected with a clear idea of what she wants to do.

eren allowed people to enter his heart including reiner and annie which explains his sadness finding out about their betrayal, while mikasa only concerns herself with the people that she loves and has no room in her heart to care about more after her trauma.

even in the way they love each other, all mikasa wants is to be by eren's side even if it means risking her life, while all eren wants is for her to be safe even if it means their separation.

and interestingly enough, their character development is basically becoming who the other used to be, in s4 mikasa starts to be more like eren from s1, and s4 eren is more like mikasa in s1