#still believe he puts his marley issues all on zeke

[thena0315]

That's what he did

[feralaot]

attack on titan characters biggest character phobia?

this is gonna be a sad one but yes I will do it for you beloved

AOT characters + their biggest fears

warnings: phobias, obviously

eren

god/gods/deities: eren believes that he has made himself into a false god (re: rumbling) and believes that when he dies, he will face eternal judgement by the “true god(s)”

mikasa

intimacy: she’s come to realize that everyone she gets close to suffers in some kind of way and doesn’t want to build an intimate relationship with anyone out of fear that it might endanger them. this, and the fact that she was nearly trafficked as a child.

armin

heat/fire/steam: he’s never been able to explain it because he doesn’t have memory of the event that caused this fear. anything to do with heat, fire, and steam evokes a response in him that makes his whole body feel like it’s burning up and that he’s going to die.

jean

being trusted: jean fears being trusted by people because he still blames himself for marco's death. he believes marco trusted and believed in him, yet jean wasn't there to help him before he died.

sasha

change: from leaving her home, leaving the training corps, going to marley, everything feels like it’s happening too fast and without reason. she just wants things to stay the same; it’s all too overwhelming.

connie

flying: being on any airborne vehicle; planes, blimps, etc makes him incredibly nervous, especially if there’s a way for somebody to get in from the outside while in the air.

historia

needles: her biggest fear is needles because it reminds her of when rod reiss pressured her into becoming a titan and eating eren before inevitably becoming one himself.

ymir

unchecked power: having been formerly worshipped, the idea of having power that cannot be questioned by others is sickening. she always needs somebody to assure her that she’s making the right decisions. she doesn’t want to become corrupt with her own idea of power.

levi

forests: on several occasions horrible things have happened to him in forests. one being losing his entire original squad during the 57th expedition and the second being when zeke turned his comrades into titans, and he had to slaughter them all. he also doesn’t like how the trees block out the sky; it makes him feel like a bird in a cage.

hange

attachment: after being attached with sawney and beane to experiment with them, they tried to stop letting themselves get too attached to people hoping that this would make the goodbye process easier. this has caused them to seem distant towards those who deem them a friend. 

erwin

failure: he’s always been determined to achieve his dream and never let anything stop him. even in the face of death and as his comrades fall around him, he refuses to concede, as he could never live with himself if he had let it all have been for nothing. 

reiner

losing his identity: he’s already lost several of the people that made him who he is and his conscience suffers because of it. with a split personality he struggles to cling to who he really is and fears that one day he may finally go off the deep end and lose all sense of self.

bertholdt

lightning/explosions: he can't forgive himself for what he’s done. whenever he hears or sees lightning he feels deeply disgusted with himself and nauseous. if he hears anything reminiscent of an explosion, he can’t help but grab his own arms or face and make sure he’s still, well, himself. 

annie

being underground: after being trapped in a crystal of her own making for four years and having nothing to look at during that time other than dungeon walls, being under the earth or buried in any kind of way makes her feel like she’s going to suffocate.

porco

being taken advantage of: he’s always had trust issues but being used to break the warhammer’s crystal was the final push that made him isolate and never put himself into another situation where he could be used to somebody else’s advantage again.

pieck

guns: firearms of any kind make her feel sick. they remind her of when the crew in the cart’s gear was sniped out, one by one, and even as a titan she could hear the impact and the sound of shells clattering. when she handles a gun, she can never bring herself to pull the trigger.

zeke

abandonment: after being used by his father, having to eat the man he looked up to, and being betrayed by his brother, the thought of being abandoned once more makes him sick. he doesn’t let himself trust people anymore.

niccolo

lobsters: he refuses to cook, eat, or even look at lobsters anymore because they remind him of sasha, being the first meal that he ever cooked for her. just thinking about them is gut wrenching.

colt

rats: having been a soldier from a young age and fighting in a war for four years of his teenage life, rats in the trenches became a common sight. he saw firsthand how big they got and how they chewed on remains.

[thero0ks]

My Most Treasured Items

Reiner receives a letter from someone in his past.

No happy ending, just angst.

Season Four spoilers

Trigger Warnings: Detailed description of death/corpses, brief discussion of childhood abuse

The detour had never been in the battle plan. Hanji and Levi would probably be pissed if they knew she’d taken an alternate route. She had studied the map for weeks to know the layout of the city, so that this detour would only add a couple seconds to her time. That’s why she took off a few moments earlier than everyone else. Her feet landed in the alleyway. Peeking her head out to check the Main Street she found it was empty. Rushing to the lone mailbox she pulled out the crisp white envelope. Having taken great care to avoid any wrinkles in the delicate paper she gave the envelope a soft kiss before placing it in the mailbox.

Four years later she would be able to speak her peace. Her shoulders relaxed. A weight lifting off her as she took off in the air once more to rendezvous with the rest of the squad.

* **

They sat around the table discussing Zeke’s betrayal. Reiner proposed an immediate counter attack. They left the meeting agreeing to think on the matter.

Entering his own barracks he found a letter placed on his bedside table. The flowing script pulled at something in his memory. Amber eyes flickered over to the name of the sender and his heart stopped. Y/N L/N.

His legs gave way as he sat on the edge of the bed tearing open the letter. Another Devil from his past had come back to haunt him.

To my beloved Reiner,

What would I do if I had 13 years to live? I’ve thought about the question for four years now, and I still don’t have an answer. By my calculations you only have a year, maybe two left?

I know your love for me was forced, and I truly apologize for the turmoil I caused you. A devil like me is hard to love for someone like you. The bitter truth that you were always enough for me, but I was only another sin that stained your hands is a hard thing to bear. I guess I have a knack for loving the wrong people. Perhaps that’s my punishment for the sins of my ancestors? Isn’t that what you Marleyans say?

You said a lot of things four years ago, but I didn’t get to say a word. I just watched you leave, and dealt with the aftermath of all my friends dying. For the record, I never wanted any of this. I think all this death is senseless, and I meant what I always said that this world could use more love.

I guess this world doesn’t have a place for dreamers.

I wanted to hate you for choosing them over us, but I realize that’s your home. It's easy to hate something you hold no attachment to. Loyalty is a strong trait, and it’s something I wanted to curse you for. I looked at you leaving me as a betrayal, but how can you betray something or someone you were never loyal to in the first place?

I guess that’s what I’m trying to say. I forgive you for not choosing me, but I also ask that you forgive me for not choosing you anymore either. There is not a decision either one of us could change that would have put us on a different path. For both of our sakes I wish to allow you a glimpse into my dreams.

I choose to believe in a world where we made all the right choices. One where we ended up together, happy, and surrounded by all our fallen comrades.

Maybe you have no desire to see me in that way. Perhaps every stolen moment we had was nothing more then something you did to pass the time. I want to believe the man you showed me exists, because everything I showed you was real.

Even after four years I cannot hate you. I hope your heart softens when you think of me too.

With love,

Y/N L/N

A tear splashed on the cream colored paper. Reiner’s hand moved to his cheek trying to recall the moment his eyes leaked water. His heart ached at her words.

Every time he recounted his time on Paradis to other Marleyans internally he always ended the statement with “except her.” Never had he said it aloud, but never had he lumped her in with the rest of them.

He remembered the night when she finally opened up about herself. Growing up in poverty, her abusive father, and the inner turmoil she felt about loving the man that abused her. He’d been so angry when she recounted the abuse to him, and the confusion he felt when she expressed empathy for the monster.

Gripping the letter he realized he had been a different monster to her. Wasn’t that his goal? Make the Devils of Paradis suffer? Then why did he want to beg for forgiveness at her feet for the sins he committed against her?

Running his hand through his hair he straightened the letter. Rereading it, hoping for poisoned words to jump out of the page. He deserved every verbal lashing she could bestow upon him, but he knew they would never come.

He wanted to write back to her. Tell her there wasn’t a moment he regretted leaving her on that island to rot. How her heartbroken look still haunted his dreams. Mostly he just wanted to assure her that he too wanted desperately to believe that in some alternative universe they would be together forever.

Here he was encouraging a full scale attack on the island. “Forgive me for not choosing you anymore either.” The hope of a relationship between the two had been crushed with that statement, but love still lingered in their hearts.

She was exactly what he needed. His bed felt cold without her. He still had issues going to bed alone, because she wasn’t there to coax into bed. Knowing her soft heart would melt if he told her he couldn’t sleep without her.

It was such a strange thing that someone so small was friends with the dark. She often told him she found peace when darkness coated the earth. Perhaps that’s what made it easy for him to fall asleep in her arms. He’d tried to tell her he was a monster, but she’d always kiss his forehead, and assure him that he was a good man, and that she would love him no matter what.

A knock on the door pulled Reiner out of his thoughts. “What is it?”

Porco poked his head through the door, “we have all the Devils bodies. Magath wants you to take a look,” Porco said, gripping the door knob. “See if anybody essential to their military is among them.”

Reiner sighed, folding the letter up and tucking it away before following Porco down to the yard where the bodies were being kept. The gate guards gave them a nod of acknowledgment as they passed.

Several rows of bodies were laid out and Reiner inspected each. They were all new faces. The attack on Paradis they launched four years ago had wiped out the scout regiment.

Reaching the last row he caught sight of a female corpse. The (dark/light) hair looked familiar. His feet seemed to echo off the pavement. Stopping in front of the body he took her in. Her soft curves had grown cold and stiff. Several bullet holes littered her body, and her neck was twisted in an odd angle. Bile rose in Reiner’s throat as he took in the soft cheeks, and her eyes that once held so much warmth were nothing but an empty abyss devoid of life. The color now dull the light long gone out.

Tears streamed down his face as shaking hands reached out to her. Nothing felt like her as he touched her cold skin. He hadn’t felt the sting of pavement as he fell on his knees to grip her hand and brush the hair from her face.

Porco remained silent. Taking in Reiner’s actions. Porco couldn’t find it in his heart to judge the man for falling in love with a devil. Especially when he had watched the woman die.

“I should have taken you back to Marley.” Reiner babbled, amber eyes fixed in the past.

“Reiner, she chose to attack Marley,” Porco tried to reason.

The large man rounded on him. “You know nothing about her,” he seethed. “She never wanted any of this.” Running his fingers through his hair. “All she wanted was to find something more out there than hell she was living in.”

“You can’t blame her death on yourself.” Porco reasoned.

“She would never have come here if it was not for me,” Reiner stated, as he removed a leather pouch that was strapped to her thigh. A bitter laugh escaped his lips as he pulled a small stone out.

* ** “Hey L/N!” Reiner said tossing the small stone at her.

A squeak escaped her lips as she lifted her hands to block her face. The stone making an audible thud against her ribs. “You didn’t even try to catch it,” Reiner said, picking the stone back up.

“Well I’m sorry, I grew up with an older brother who would have just pelted me with the rock,” she huffed. “It was a natural reaction to go into defense mode.”

Reiner let out a laugh at the thought of an elder L/N terrorizing her. “It’s a lucky rock,” he said offering the rock to her. He held the perfectly round stone between his index finger and thumb and her fingers brushed against his to pluck it out of his grasp.

“What makes it lucky?” she inquired. Curious eyes flickered up to catch his gaze.

He simply shrugged, “it’s perfectly round. That’s gotta be lucky.”

His answer seemed to satisfy her. “If I make it through our next mission without dying I’ll believe it’s lucky,” she said tucking the stone away in her leather pouch she kept secured to her thigh.

“What’s in your pouch?” Reiner asked, his head tilted as his gaze focused on her legs.

“My most treasured items,” she said with a shrug. “Tell you what Braun if I die before you, you can have my pouch and whatever is in it.”

Reiner ruffled her hair. “You’re not going to die as long as I’m by your side.”

* **

“The only time she wasn’t suffering was when I was lying to her,” Reiner murmured, the guilt washing over him at the sin he most regretted. The luck in the stone had finally faded Reiner thought numbly, or maybe it was the belief in the luck that died.

Perhaps he should be honored that a piece of him was counted among her most treasured possessions. A black and white photograph was the next thing he pulled out. It was a portrait, and Y/N was dressed in Marley’s finest. Joy seemed to be radiating from her face. Reiner’s guilt seemed to lessen. It was possible she had found a way to move on in her daily life.

The next thing he pulled out was a love letter. Reading through it he was surprised to find a small hand drawn portrait enclosed. The letter and portrait signed by Jean Kirstein. By the letter it was a different kind of love. It was the kind of love made for slow mornings, and gentle hearts. It was built for smooth sailing, but was never meant to survive the storms that life threw. Perhaps she knew that, and cherished the safety Jean had brought her for the period of their relationship.

The fact was that Reiner’s relationship with her had been built to weather storms, but he had set sail without her, so she was left to weather the waves without a life preserver. Somehow she’d clawed her way to the shore to try and rebuild what he had taken.

The last thing he pulled out was a small leather journal. Flipping through the pages he found some entries dated to cadet training, and her last entry was the night she died.

“Magath is going to want to read that journal,” Porco stated. Breaking the silence that he had given Reiner to go through her belongings.

Reiner tucked the items back into the satchel. “Can you give me the night to read through it?” Reiner’s downcast eyes took her corpse in one last time.

Porco nodded, “yeah just give it to Magath tomorrow.” Porco gave Reiner’s shoulder an awkward squeeze before leaving him.

Reiner tried to figure out how to say goodbye to the last thing in the past he cared about. The soldier was officially gone, and the only thing that remained was the warrior. All he wanted was more time. His thirteen years were almost up, his best friend and the love of his life didn’t have as much time. Perhaps they would be waiting for him. All he wanted was to see their smiles at the end of all of this. He was tired of fighting, and he was tired of being alone. “We’ll be together again soon,” he vowed, closing the door on death one more time.

[ryuichirou]

Can you make your top 10 aot characters that have a good development? Like Eren and Reiner are considered to be the best characters as 'characters' themselves

Anon… dear Anon, you’ve been waiting for like a month I think, I’m so sorry. I took this ask waaay too seriously lol, but yeah, I can’t postpone it for any longer…

I know you asked for top 10, and this is a numbered list, but I wouldn’t call it a proper ranking, so the place doesn’t really matter all that much. Otherwise this list would’ve taken even longer, I’m very serious about lists, it seems lol

Before I start I want to mention (just in case): I feel like “character development” isn’t always about becoming better at something. Sometimes you can become “worse”; sometimes you can get “better” and then fall back to your old ways. It’s just how the character changes, and the trajectory of that change can be very different for different characters.

1. Eren. I can talk about Eren for hours and hours, and I have talked about him a lot, so I’ll try to be quick this time.

Eren’s journey is very interesting and enjoyable to read. He’s such an unusual main character. So aggressive at first, unlikable to some (not to us lol we adored him since day one), loud and stubborn. But it’s super cool to watch this hurricane of a person, especially as he gets calmer, starts controlling his emotions little by little, learns more stuff and understands the situation around him better.

I think I’ll talk about how perspective and knowing a bigger picture change the way character acts a lot in this post, but Eren is an ultimate example of this. He got every single thing: past, present, future, drilled in his head at one fucking moment. He didn’t get a bigger picture, he got the biggest 5d picture with special effects. And he had no one to share that with: he had to deal with it himself, knowing that he himself is the reason for everything that’s happening. It makes my head hurt to even think about that lol It’s cool and unnerving to watch Eren, who’s used to be such a fireball of a character, to just get… quiet and apathetic. We don’t know what he’s thinking about, we don’t know what’s going on anymore, even though his emotions were always the most obvious thing about him. It’s almost scary.

And the interesting thing about it is that nothing really changed about his feelings, at least I think so. Ultimately, the only thing he wanted is for his friends to be happy and live long lives, and who knows, maybe he saw that the “freedom” he was initially seeking for himself doesn’t really exist. This is up to debate and definitely not for this post though lol

2. Reiner. Ohh Reiner. He was one of the characters who wasn’t all that interesting to me personally at first, but as he got more and more complex and emotional, I fell in love with him more and more. This isn’t a numbered list, but he is definitely one of the best written characters. And what’s cool about him is that we see the reason for him being the way he is throughout the story: why he wanted to become a hero, why his mental state got so bad, why he was conflicted, why he got so depressed and why he was able to take responsibility for his actions. I love it when the story breaks its characters, and Reiner is certainly one of the most broken ones. His lower point (when he almost killed himself + cried and asked Eren to kill him) was very beautiful and painful to read, because we know why he feels that way and we know how smug and brave he was at the very beginning of the show/manga. And we know that it was all a lie, which makes everything even tastier.

And as much as I love broken characters, I’m kind of glad Reiner found strength to continue fighting and to take responsibility for his actions (to some degree, at least). Not only he saw a bigger picture, he actually learned how to live with it. I’m so happy they discussed the Marco incident with Jean, and that after Annie told that it was her who took his gear, Reiner stood up and said that Annie was following his orders. He also apologized to Annie for everything he did to her and Bert.

Basically, Reiner went from wanting to be a hero to acting like a hero, then to being an actual hero to Marley and feeling like shit anyways, then to just being a human being, something like that. And that scene with his mom hugging him and being happy for him being alive is actually a very sweet and satisfying moment. Especially considering how much Reiner wanted to die lol

3. Zeke. I’ve talked about it in one of the replies about ch137, but I love how Zeke went from “I shouldn’t have been born” to “maybe small moments of happiness make everything worth it” at the very end of his life (what a cruel irony to realise that just before you die). Not only the character develops and changes, our view of him changes as well: I think Zeke was universally hated when he first appeared, but then he became more fun (dude’s too charismatic), and then he became sympathetic and vulnerable. All of this was always inside Zeke, but it was hidden since Zeke is a lying snake. See, Zeke is smart, but he’s super sure that his views are the only valid ones and that his idea of freeing Eldians is the only solution. His views are surprisingly black and white: I suffered, Eren suffered and our dad is bad. And no one challenged his beliefs until they walk through Grisha’s memories with Eren in ch120-121, and then he realized that Eren didn’t suffer at all and their dad is actually just a person who really regretted being a horrible father to his first son. I love that he got some closure with Grisha because he held that grudge for his entire life.

4. Grisha. He has a rollercoaster ride of a development lol: at first he was an innocent boy, then he became an angry boy, and then he kind of calmed his anger down for some time? But after learning what actually happened to Faye, his emotional wounds got open and all that rage blinded him again. And then, after being outed by Zeke, he lost everything, but had a harsh realization that by being driven by his anger only, he completely forgot not to be a shitty dad. He basically had a second chance in life, with a much better perspective about what’s going on, but now he has his younger son’s ghost haunting him and telling him to do thing he never thought he’d do. At different points of the story Grisha feels both like a mastermind behind things and like a pawn who doesn’t have a choice even if he just wants to live a peaceful and happy life with his wife and kids. The irony of him killing a bunch innocent kids when this whole story started because he got his little sister killed? Delicious. Oh, and I really love the fact that he realised that he screwed up as dad and apologized to Zeke. He loved his kids a lot: Zeke, Eren and Mikasa too (he called her his daughter after all).

5. Erwin. Way more interesting than people give him credit for. He’s mostly adored for being a badass, but he also has his own flaws that he had to deal with. He’s like a moth that’s drawn to the light, but right after burning himself and dying he kind of did “the right thing” that he had to do as a commander. Now, for me it isn’t really about Erwin ending up doing “the right thing” to be honest: we would probably adored him is he ditched everyone and ran to the basement because his selfish desires ended up being more important to him. But that scene where he confessed to Levi that he really wanted to find that basement and just told him everything about his capricious and selfish childish desires, talked about how he lied to everyone including Levi basically just to prove his dad’s point… it was beautiful, because it was basically “I have to do it, haven’t I? But I really don’t want to”. His character development is interesting in a sense that at first he was getting gradually more and more psychotic about his dream, doing crazy things even when he knows it might not be the best choice possible (like him risking his life instead of staying behind), but at the very end he stopped to think and… well we know the rest lol

6.  Armin. I remember people saying that Armin is just a narrator-like character who is here to explain thing (I probably thought so too at first), but this is so unfair. It’s easy to make someone like Armin into this trope, and to leave him being a very one-dimensional dreamer who’s smart but naive. And Armin is so much more than that. Throughout the story he has a lot of “I should have been the one who died” moments, and I love that this is such a prominent issue for him, but he still got over it somehow. Armin was kind of lost at the beginning, but found his role. And wow, he had to go through it again after he was chosen instead of Erwin, because the burden on his shoulders just got 100 kg heavier lol He also got less naïve and more cunning with time and got much better at emotional manipulation, I think. While preferring a dialogue over violence, Armin still isn’t pure, and he acknowledges that constantly, especially after his first kill, and things got even worse since that point, which definitely changed him. But his violence-loathing (kind of…) core is still there.

Armin ended up playing a much bigger role in the story than I thought he would be, I really love it. He has his moments of weakness, but he still pushes forward and takes responsibility and does his best. Oh and let’s pretend that the Annie thing never happened, it doesn’t contribute anything to his character anyway.

7.  Jean. I think Jean is the first character who starts showing character growth, and I believe his development is the reason he was Isayama’s favourite for some time. Tbh, I don’t find Jean annoying even at the very beginning: yeah he’s selfish, but he’s self-aware about it, he’s a realist. And he’s still a realist, but his conscience wouldn’t let him just have an easy life while everyone else’s suffering. I always feel like Jean is a spoiled mamaboy, so it’s great to see him showing that he can put others before himself. He also had an inner conflict similar to Armin’s: is it right to kill innocent people if you have to? Is it ok to kill not-so-innocent people because they’re against you? I really like this theme in SnK just in general.

8.  Gabi. It’s no secret that I adore Gabi lol, and I think her character development is great. She was in her element when we first met her: she was confident, she was doing her best and succeeding, she knew the world around her so well, and then Eren took everything from her. People like to hate Gabi for killing Sasha and for being aggressive on Paradis, but I think it’s great that she didn’t have an overnight change of heart. It’s great that Isayama showed us her shock and her raw emotions, it’s more than natural for a child with her upbringing, even if it’s messed up. But I love it when stories take characters that are great at what they do, and they take them out of their element, to show them at their worst: lost, angry, broken and confused. I love that she understood everything herself and not because Falco told her “hey they’re people too” that one time. She had to go through this hell to figure everything out, and I think it’s great.

9.  Historia. Historia was one of the least interesting characters for me (and for a lot of people, Yams included) at the beginning, and tbh I think it’s brilliant: we never saw anything in her; she was just a waifu material who’s nice to others. It felt fake and boring, well, because it was indeed fake and boring, and to this day I cannot believe that that was the entire point. I love how Ymir made Historia realise that she needs to think for herself, but what’s interesting about all that is that after Ymir left, she almost came back to her old habits. Which is also a development, and a very interesting one. The end of S2 was a high point for her (when she told Ymir that she isn’t scared of anything when they’re together), and then there was a very low point (when Ymir left), and then a high point again (when she remembered Ymir and Frieda and decided to act upon her own desires). She’s one of my faves now because of all that… It’s sad she didn’t have a bigger role post-timeskip, but I still appreciate her story for what it is.

10.  Oh god this is so hard to pick one and this post is already so long… can I just give you a bunch of quick honorable mentions?

Annie (who was a loner that couldn’t really trust anyone but ended up showing her vulnerable and emotional side), Hange (started out enthusiastic and eager to learn more only to meet more pain and disappointment, crumbling under the pressure, but ultimately remembering her amusement with titans), Levi (granted it’s very subtle, but him going through Kenny’s death, Erwin’s death and his promise to him, realization that he’s been killing people all this time and other stuff fascinating and huge leaving a mark on him), Ymir (who got hurt and decided not to trust anyone anymore and to act selfishly, but ended up sacrificing herself anyway lol)…. God, these short description sucks, they can’t describe them properly. Also there are so much of them that I think have good development, and I’m 100% missing someone… but I think I’m done for now. Katsu I’m sorry for making you read all this.

That you for this ask, Anon <3 and sorry again for being so late

[randomposterofstuff]

Why I still appreciate AOT/SNK despite how it ended

Hi, all!

I still have a lot of thoughts running rampant in my mind. I plan to express each idea individually. By this, I mean that one idea will be the subject matter of one post. I have many thoughts, and it would be a really long post if I include all of them in just one. Haha.

But for this particular post, I would like to express that even though I have mixed feelings about the conclusion, I still appreciate Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin. I admit that I only joined the fandom recently. Haha. But I became invested in the story and its characters fairly quickly.

I have mixed feelings about the ending. And as of now, they lean more towards disappointment and frustration. (I will elaborate more on what I think of it in another post.) Haha. But despite this, the series still gave us many, many incredible scenes and exciting plot lines. Furthermore, it also offered critical insights on complex subject matters.

Fair warning: This is another lengthy post. Haha.

A. It is entertaining

AOT/SNK is very entertaining. The action scenes alone had us on the edges of our seats. And those epic fight scenes were nicely complemented by compelling storylines involving deception, mystery, and power struggles. A personal favorite scene of mine is Levi Ackerman’s fight scene against Kenny’s Anti-Personnel Squad. The action and the conspiracy which led to it were amazing and jaw-dropping. (Side note: Ackerman Supremacy forever!)

B. It offers critical input on relevant issues

But the series is more than just enjoyable. It is also critical and reflective. Many people have said that AOT/SNK is a commentary on the many ills that plague human civilization and society. And I agree with this.

The series has invited us to think critically about war, violence, and trauma and their various effects on different people. It also has encouraged us to reflect on the power of information and perspectives.

1. AOT/SNK on war, trauma, violence and their effects

It showed us how a once innocent girl like Mikasa Ackerman became a highly skilled combatant because she feared losing her loved ones to violence. After witnessing her parents get killed in front of her while she was helpless to do anything, Mikasa became motivated to fight to protect the very few precious people left in her life.

It showed us how a former thug like Levi Ackerman realized that he could put his exceptional skills to better use by staying with the Survey Corps/Scouting Regiment instead of returning to the Underground. When he lost Isabel and Furlan to Titans, he felt unadulterated rage and pain. This also caused him to see the threat that the Titans posed to humans and influenced his decision to remain as a soldier.

It showed us how a once self-centered Jean Kirchstein transformed into a dedicated soldier and reliable leader after seeing the decimated corpse of his closest friend and companion. Jean’s change of heart was admirable. However, it was unfortunate that the change was caused by something as tragic as losing Marco.

It also showed us how a cowardly Floch Forester became a violent and narrow-minded extremist. When he was first introduced, he was afraid of dying in battle. But the war and struggle against Marley caused him to view anyone who wasn’t an Eldian as the enemy, even if they were only unarmed civilians. Ironically, his extremist views had made him a braver fighter. At one point, he had even told his allies to dedicate their hearts to the new Eldian Empire.

2. AOT/SNK on the effects of prejudice, propaganda, and indoctrination

I think that the series had also brilliantly portrayed how prejudice, propaganda, and indoctrination affect different people from different sides.

i. Propaganda in Marley

It showed us how the current generations of Eldians were forced to pay for their ancestors' sins. The old Eldian empire under King Fritz and his successors until Karl Fritz mercilessly conquered lands and destroyed many lives. Understandably, this caused the other nations and peoples of the olden times to hate Eldians. However, this hatred was unfortunately passed down from generation to generation. The crimes of the old Eldian Empire were committed thousands of years ago. Yet, the Eldians who were borncenturies afterward were still despised and viewed as devils.

This millennia-old hatred was also used by Marley to spread propaganda to keep itself in power and to keep Eldians in the internment zones across the world in check. They taught Eldians that because of their ancestors' sins and their supernatural ability to transform into Titans, they were monsters and plagues upon the Earth. They were also taught that they needed to repent to absolve themselves of the crimes of their forefathers.

This propaganda led to many Eldians believing that they deserved to be treated poorly and that they had to work hard to be respected as actual people. This mindset was what allowed the Marleyan Warrior Program to become successful. One privilege that came with being a Warrior of Marley and a family member of such Warrior was being granted honorary Marleyan citizenship. It was viewed as an honor and a sign of respect.

It was because of this that Gabi and Reiner Braun both aspired to become Warriors. Gabi trained as a Warrior because she wanted to prove to the world that there are Eldians who are good people. She herself had admitted that the struggles she faced as an Eldian were what motivated her to work hard. On Reiner’s part, he joined the program because he assumed that becoming an honorary Marleyan would complete his broken family. He thought his Marleyan father would live together with him and his Eldian mother once he became a Warrior. But alas, he was proven wrong since his father rejected him despite his efforts.

On the flip side, it also caused other Eldians to become hateful and resentful of superpowers like Marley. They were tired of being treated as second-class citizens and formed the Eldian Restorationist Movement. The Restorationists believed that Marley was feeding them deceitful propaganda. While this is indeed true, they instead believed that the source of all Titan power, who they reverently called the great Founder Ymir, was a benevolent being who would never harm anyone. It was eventually revealed that this was not true either.

The Restorationists had extreme views. These views caused Grisha Yeager to use his first son Zeke as a means to an end. The Restorationists had wanted to overthrow Marley utilizing the power of the Titans. And Grisha had immediately offered his son without any hesitation to their cause by enrolling him into the Warrior Program to become a spy for them. The Yeager patriarch was so focused and engrossed with their goal that he had neglected to act as an actual father to his then young son. He was more invested in Zeke's progress as a Warrior candidate than in the latter's growth and happiness as his son.

ii. Propaganda in Paradis

It was also revealed that the inhabitants within the Walls were also taught propaganda. As readers and viewers, we all know that the people of Paradis were initially ignorant of the truth of the world and of the Titans because King Karl Fritz erased the memories of the island’s first inhabitants. We all knew that most of them believed that they were the last living humans in the world and that the rest were wiped out by Titans around 100 years ago. The misinformation spread by Karl Fritz endangered the people of Paradis. It cultivated and propagated ignorance which left them vulnerable to attacks from other nations.

As such, they were clueless and defenseless against the Warriors of Marley when they first attacked. And they would’ve continued to be defenseless had it not been for Grisha’s journals and the memory-related powers of Eren’s Attack Titan. The lack of information and the misinformation they received had placed them in great jeopardy.

When the truth came to light, the Eldians of Paradis were divided. One side sought to broker for peace with the other nations. They wished to show that the people of the island mean no harm. The people of this side were willing to overlook the terrible deeds that Marley had committed if it meant that they could finally achieve true peace.

The other side saw the other nations, especially Marley, as enemies who wished to exterminate them. They were disgusted and infuriated by what Marley had done. These Eldians wanted to take arms and fight for the establishment and freedom of the new Eldian Empire.

2. AOT/SNK on the power of narrative in relation to the cycle of hatred

One thing that the series masterfully executed is the portrayal of the importance of narratives.

i. The Paradis Perspective

During the first arc, it was shown how helpless the people inside the Walls were when Titans attacked the Shiganshina District. We also saw the trauma that a young Eren Yeager experienced when he saw his mother get eaten by a Titan. We witnessed first-hand how a young child lost his parents and his home. And how this loss cultivated his understandable anger and became his primary motivation for becoming a soldier for humanity.

Fans, readers, and viewers sympathized and supported Eren because of this. By presenting how the destruction affected him, we all rooted for him and his allies. This narrative also showed us how countless soldiers of the Survey Corps/Scouting Regiment lost their lives during the fight against the Titans. From a spectator's point of view, the Titans were beasts that killed humans who were significantly weaker and smaller than them and monsters that laid waste wherever they went. As such, this perspective had led many of us to resent Bertolt, Annie, and Reiner when they were revealed to be the Colossal, Female, and Armored Titans, respectively.

ii. The Marleyan Perspective

But this all changed when we were shown the Marleyan perspective. When the Marleyan Arc began, we were shown how Eldians on the other side of the sea were poorly treated. We saw how they were brainwashed to believe that Paradis Island's inhabitants were the true devils beyond salvation, whereas they could still be redeemed. When these things were gradually revealed to us, we eventually understood why Bertolt, Annie, and Reiner did the terrible things they did. Because of these revelations, we started to become more sympathetic towards the Warriors.

The power of narrative was especially emphasized in the Raid on Liberio. During Willy Tybur’s declaration of war against Paradis, he revealed the world's true history and King Karl Fritz's plan. He also announced that the founding Titan's power was stolen from the royal family inside the Walls by Eren and that the latter had planned to use it to attach the rest of the world.

Not soon after his announcement, Eren transformed and attacked the people in attendance. The Survey Corps had also arrived to provide manpower and backup. In the process, hundreds of civilians and visiting dignitaries were killed.

All of these things lent credence to the propaganda about Eldians being devils. From the eyes of a bystander, Eren and the Survey Corps were murderers who destroyed a city full of innocents. This was how Gabi Braun viewed them at the time. She was raised with Marley's propaganda. As such, her already present hatred was amplified when she saw her hometown get destroyed and her friends and neighbors get killed in front of her. While her general prejudice towards the Eldians of Paradis was unjustified, the pain and anger she felt during the Raid on Liberio were very much valid and understandable.

iii. On the cycle of hatred and how to end it

It is because of these narratives that the cycle of violence continued on for so long. No one narrative is more right or less wrong than the other. This is because the losses and struggles that each side suffered were all very real and very valid. It is not fair to quantify the validity of a person’s pain.

The neglect and loneliness that Zeke felt as a child were valid. The grief and rage Gabi felt when her friends were killed were also valid. The heartache that Niccolo experienced when Sasha died was also valid. The depression and trauma Reiner sustained after his mission on Paradis Island were likewise valid. The hurt Connie felt when he was betrayed by people he trusted was valid. Jean's sadness at losing Marco and Sasha was valid. The anguish Levi felt when he was left with no choice but to slaughter his transformed comrades was valid. The point here is that no one's pain is more valid than that of others. There are different types of pain, and they are all valid.

It is from these losses and pain that anger stems. Anger is a very valid emotion. However, the way people choose to act on their anger is not always valid. On this, the choice to express anger through violence is the root cause of the cycle of hatred. It is also what perpetuates the vicious cycle. I think that this message was executed well in the scene where Niccolo confronts Gabi and reveals her as Sasha’s killer to the Brauses.

It is also during this scene that the answer to ending the cycle of hatred was explained through the wise words of Mr. Braus.

Screenshots taken from Season 4, Episode 13 of the Attack on Titan anime.

Mr. Braus acknowledged that the world is like a giant forest where violence is nearly always afoot. He understood that violence will continue to exist unless people put a stop to hatred. He sagely advised that it is up to the older generations to bear the sins of the past and their effects and consequences. This is so that the youth of the future could live in peace. And he backed his words with action by choosing not to take revenge on Gabi despite his own grief and pain.

The series also showed that another answer to ending the cycle was through understanding. This was exemplified through Gabi’s character development. Prior to her arrival on Paradis, she thought that its inhabitants were devils that were beyond redemption. But after spending time with the Brauses, she became enlightened. Gabi eventually realized that she was wrong about her prejudices. And it was because of this realization that her hatred disappeared, and she asked for forgiveness.

Screenshot taken from Chapter 118 of the Shingeki no Kyojin manga.

----

Final Words: There are actually a lot more things that the series had touched upon. But I don't think that I can comprehensively cover all of them in this post. Hahaha. In any case, I still like AOT/SNK because overall, it is an epic tale full of action, mystery, intrigue, and most of all, valuable lessons and insights to ponder upon. I know that many fans feel that the ending ruined the series for them. And I understand why they feel that way. But personally, I think that many great things about it deserve to be appreciated. I know that not everyone will agree with me, but this is my take on it.

So, despite my disappointment and issues with Ch. 139, I still thank Isayama-sensei for giving us Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin. Thank you, Isayama! Shinzou Wo Sasageyo!

[ghostmartyr]

SnK 130 Thoughts

My opening joke is going to be a brief description of Historia’s circumstances, because it requires no creative energy on my part to make it a joke.

To review!

107 introduces the concept of Historia being a breeding factory. This is suggested as part of Zeke’s 50-year plan to establish Paradis without it being genocided to death. At the end of 107, present-day Historia is shown to be pregnant.

At the very beginning of 108, the Military Police openly discuss how this is kind of weird. And while the mood is largely in favor of Historia having children so the Founding Titan stays in Paradis control, she’s having a child at a very inconvenient time for everyone, because she’s supposed to eat Zeke before he can cause trouble.

In 114, it is revealed that Zeke’s actual plan is to sterilize all Eldians so they die off and stop being a problem. By virtue of five seconds of pondering, this falls apart when you consider that Zeke’s plan is the beginning of Historia being prepped to breed children. Having any royal children would actively interfere with Zeke’s ability to guarantee that his choices for the Founding Titan would be the last.

In 130, Historia is shown to still be going along with the 50-year concept, and no one is stopping her except Eren, who is against Zeke’s sterilization plan (which a child would stop), and who says that Historia making this kind of choice is what’s driving him to genocide.

To which Historia suggests a baby.

-draws a line back to 107-

-underlines Eren’s angry feelings about all of this-

This would make sense if it were live action and the actress were pregnant.

Not within the story or anything.

But an explanation would at least exist.

I should take up drinking. Or cocaine. Or something.

There’s virtually zero content this chapter. Half of it is just Eren going on rampage. This is how you know it’s the end of a volume for a story that’s ending. The subtle ways the story beats come firing at a machine gun’s pace before slowing to a deliberately controlled crawl.

Surprise, Liberio’s no longer a factor!

-surprised Pikachu faces-

-everyone officially burnt out on violence-

-except Eren-

-this is a problem because Eren is indeed causing the most violence, and violence would probably be a great help in stopping him, so having someone on that boat thinking they should just fucking stab him would be just a little encouraging that’s all I’m saying-

Then we dash straight into a slightly more visible flashback to Eren’s memories of the future being unlocked, and get to the development of his genocide plan.

It isn’t much of a plan.

It mostly still involves genocide.

But worse.

He’s basically going to do what Karl did, only when he tells people on Paradis that all the humans beyond their borders are dead, he won’t be lying. He is keeping the genocide and the mind-wiping, though. In this spirit of how well that worked out previously.

This is a choice.

A bad one.

Even by Eren’s current standards.

This is especially impressive given that he has none.

Alrighty then. Uh.

Here we have Eren’s mission statement. That’s nice?

“The only way to put a final end to the cycle of revenge born from hate... is to remove that history of hate from this world and bury it in the ground, civilization and all.”

Legitimately, Eren’s entire plan amounts to, “The First King was right about everything except not actually making us the last humans alive on the planet.”

See, Zeke’s plan of killing all Eldians off is evil and bad, and Eren is disgusted at the very idea of going along with it.

Eren’s plan of killing everyone else off, regardless of who they are, is a good one.

As is manipulating all of his friends into following it, telling them he hates them, fairly directly letting one of them know this is basically all her fault, and.

.

Look, I’m sorry, but what the fuck?

I mean.

Fuck, do I have to go full Madoka on main?

Here is a brief summary of the third Madoka Magica movie, for those who do not understand the reference: Person who has spent her entire life torturing herself to save one girl feels like she didn’t save the one girl hard enough, and compensates for this mental breakdown by turning into the literal Devil.

These are decisions that can be explained by trauma. The character in question has been through a lot, and arguing that she’s too emotionally stable to undo the universe is harder to do than it feels like it should be.

She still takes the established order of the series and 90% of the movie and drops it in the shredder, leaving the characters who are around and aware of this move to stare, aghast, as the new world order is established.

To catch up the uninitiated, when the new world order is established in the series, it’s a happy ending that ties up all the struggles everyone has been through. Not necessarily neatly, but they’re honored, and the cast continues on.

The new world order of the movie is one character screaming “NO” in various cries for help as she pounds her heart into the pavement and the pavement is everyone else’s quality of life.

..

Anyway, the current reason everyone on the planet hates Paradis enough to attack it is because Eren publicly murdered civilians at a festival with international significance, including the one Eldian in the world with good publicity.

Things weren’t pretty for anyone, but Eren snatches the ball out of the court and throws it into the backyard with vicious guard dogs. He decides to bring everyone into a war, and he decides the initial terms. He makes a violent declaration, and ever since, the story has been devoted to people catching up to him to ask what the fuck his problem is.

As opposed to the usual routine of catching up to him to steal him back from whoever’s kidnapping him that week.

Eren’s the direct cause of this mess.

Fucking Marley doesn’t help, what with their hundred years of brainwashing and titanizing to actively keep the hate of Paradis alive -- but Eren’s the one who turns it into an issue of national immediacy when everyone around him is trying to find more time.

All the while going, “look what you made me do”

Right.

Where it breaks down for me isn’t that it makes no sense for Eren to have fallen this far. This entire series has been destroying him one piece at a time, and I do feel like you could have a very powerful conclusion with Humanity’s Hope turning to Humanity’s Despair, and the people he once inspired having to bear the torch themselves instead of forcing one person to carry their entire future.

Hell, that could still happen. I would still love an ending where Mikasa wraps the scarf around Eren, and he’s finally saved from himself.

What’s aggravating is that as many ominous hints as we’ve gotten about Eren’s monstrous nature throughout the series, there’s just as much material of him loving his friends, and wanting them to be free and happy, and understanding that walls aren’t the only prison.

Angry Eren the Rage Boy is there. He’s even easy to understand, sometimes. OG Ymir’s history inspires a desire for death and destruction. It would be and is wrong, but the impulse isn’t difficult to parse.

He’s more than that. He stays up all night listening to Hange’s theories. Armin’s dreams of the sea catches his mind like wildfire. Fighting Annie even after she’s revealed to be someone who’s ruthlessly murdered his comrades is painful. He wants to believe Reiner and Bertolt are innocent even when they’re making the worst show of hiding it. He smiles every time he sees his friends genuinely happy.

Eren’s rage has always been a direct response to his views of the world. The slavers are monsters. He has no problem killing them. Titans are monsters. He wants them dead. He runs off in Trost and gets his leg chomped off because he’s so upset that a bit character we barely spend time with is being eaten.

“When we’re born... all of us... are free. People who reject that, no matter how strong they are... don’t matter.”

Since leaving his friends in Marley, Eren has rejected the freedom of every single one of them. He doesn’t tell them what he’s up to, but expects them to have his back. He pushes events into motion that nearly lead to all their deaths. He actively lies to Mikasa about how her brain functions. He tells Historia to get on board or have her memory wiped.

The rage and agony and helplessness Eren feels isn’t particularly strange, in my mind. He hasn’t coped with any of the manga’s arcs well, and the few victories he’s been part of have landed him in worse and worse places, emotionally.

The conclusions he’s reaching don’t work.

It isn’t that strange for people to not realize that they’re contradicting themselves, especially when they’re in this frame of mind, but Eren loves his damn friends.

Meanwhile, he’d find it easier to take if Mikasa were attached to him because her bloodline made her do it, but that’s.

Actually, no, that’s relevant.

Eren suggests plot magic chemistry before he considers that Mikasa actually loves him.

He’s a dying man.

He’s condemned himself already. It doesn’t matter what he does, as long as his friends are alive. Anything else -- everything else is secondary. They’ll be alive, and he’ll be dead, and it’s as simple as that.

But it isn’t like he doesn’t know right from wrong. This might be a wrong he can accept on his deathbed, but it’s undeniably wrong.

How horrific is it that people might be so attached to him that he can do all this, and they’ll still fight for him instead of putting him down like the monster he is?

Eren struggles with greys. If he’s willing to be the bad guy, it makes sense for him to commit. He’s rejecting freedom, so by his own rules, he doesn’t matter.

It would be so much easier for him if everyone else agreed on that point.

He seems to be doing what he can to make that happen.

...But that’s just whimsical speculation born of profound pity more than anything. I still have trouble figuring out what his deal is. He’s eviscerating his friends in the name of them surviving, but he still terms his want as them having “long, happy lives.” While actively interfering with both those aims.

This chapter doesn’t seem to leave much room for a secret other plan that Eren is secretly putting into action. That’s been my hope from the beginning, and pretty much every bit of my confusion here is why. The majority of the conflict here comes from Eren deliberately fucking things up. It’s like he accidentally poisoned a bunch of people by using the wrong chemicals to clean up the dead body of the person he killed who totally deserved it, and figured the best following response was to repeat the process.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that the Eren we’re starting to see looks broken beyond all repair, and we’re missing the breaking point. We can puzzle out possibilities and trauma, but at the end of the day he has chosen such a destructive route that it needs more justification within the story.

Personally, I think that this Eren is buying into his own bad press so completely that he’s stopped giving himself freedom. That is my most established take.

The fact that that read play in nicely with Mikasa wrapping the scarf around him and taking him home has very little to do with that except that’s where my brain spends most of its time now, I guess.

.

.

AND NOW WE’RE BACK TO HISTORIA BECAUSE WHY THE FUCK SHOULD I EVER GET TO HAVE A SINGLE MOMENT OF PEACE.

Hell.

I am tired of going over all the ways in which this does not make sense. I am, perhaps, equally tired of how every single time the pregnancy subplot comes up, it manages to get worse.

‘what oh noooo she’s being used to breed an army of royal babies who will eat their mother’ ‘wait nooo she manipulated a guilty childhood bully into fucking her so zeke could live for some strange reason’ ‘oh nooooooooes it turns out she actually goes and fucks npc farmer guy because zeke needs to live for eren to commit genocide and if she doesn’t let eren commit genocide that’s bad for some reason even if she was just saying it’s actually bad for him to commit genocide’

I.

????

Additionally, I realize this chapter has probably reinvigorated people’s theories that Eren is the father, which. um. continues the trend of being worse, because then you have Historia feeling like she’s backed into a corner where fucking the guy who’s about to commit genocide is her only option because if she can’t come up with some good excuse to not eat Zeke he’s going to wipe her memories.

(ETA: Hours later, I sit here remembering he can’t actually wipe her memories until after Zeke shows up. Oops. ...That somehow manages to make all of this make less sense.)

I deeply do not want to discuss that element.

I’m just bringing it up to establish that every way you spin Historia’s situation is fifty shades of rape, and it’s skeevy as fuck along with making no sense.

Glad to know that in two years, literally nothing has come along to make this better or more logical.

That’s vaguely true because it lends more credence to the idea that it’s all a lie, but at this point, the writing is breaking its own back bending over to try and make this work.

“If there is a most reliable way to make sure that this island lives on... I’ll go along with it. There was no other way... But... you defended me back then... everyone acted for my sake... That’s enough for me.”

I’m going to try to explain my problem with this without screaming.

I’m probably going to fail.

The thing is, Historia’s entire arc is about fighting fate.

Her entire arc is about undoing the cycle of abuse her family has perpetuated, breaking free of it to reclaim her identity as a person and forge a better future for the world.

She almost kills Eren for her father’s approval.

When she doesn’t, her commentary isn’t that it’s wrong, or ineffective (though she’s aware of both these elements).

She makes her case very succinctly.

“God?! What a load of bull!! You’re just saying whatever you can think of to manipulate me and save yourself!! That’s it, I’ve had enough! I won’t let you kill me!!”

Replace “save yourself” with something related to Eren, and we have the exact same plot beat we already had, for a character who’s already gone through it.

Historia’s lack of agency would be bad enough on its own.

The entire focus of the pregnancy subplot has been that it causes Eren angst.

We have not gotten Historia’s thought bubbles.

We have received her verbal compliance.

We have had her misery over her situation on display.

This is something for Eren to feel guilty and angry over, not something for Historia to interact with.

On its own, that’s bad.

When you have it attached to a character whose entire arc is about breaking damaging cycles and living a life designed by her own choices instead of following orders and roles, you have a problem.

Historia never tries to resist this fate. Not that we’re shown. She’s clearly terrified, even in the scene where she staidly offers acceptance, but Eren is the one to speak up. She’s miserable whenever we see her pregnant, but every scene with her involves her sadly going along with this thing she clearly does not want. Even when she asks Eren what he thinks about her having a child, she’s unhappy.

This is the first time she’s gotten dialogue of her own in two years.

The first little bit is her shrugging at her inevitable suffering.

The second bit is being appalled at Eren’s everything.

Then somehow we land at her proposing her inevitable suffering.

Which...

How does that help??? Anything???

My answer to that is that I’m Team Fake Pregnancy, and Historia is proposing a hypothetical thing where she ponders how her having a child would play out, but I’m sorry, what?

Eren’s upset about you losing your bodily autonomy.

Among other things, yes, but having a child you’re not enthusiastic about is the entire fucking ignition point of this fucking fuckening idiocy how is it that NEITHER OF YOU ARE IN POSSESSION OF YOUR SOLITARY BRAIN CELL WHAT IN THE  F U C K.

Even if you read it as Historia not having a child with the intent of future cannibalism, but simply having a child to get out of eating Zeke --

Holy fuck is that not better.

It’s still her feeling forced to have a kid because the alternative is lots of people dying.

She’s nineteen.

At the very fucking least this could have the decency to be her story, not a story built around making the main male lead angst enough to commit genocide. At the time of this writing, we are denied that, and while I don’t think this is totally beyond saving, the story the narrative is selling is inexcusable and insulting. The only room for improvement is if we’re actively being misled.

Which is a valid theory, but that doesn’t change my disgust at what we’re being told to believe.

Having Historia simply accept her fate is a sledgehammer to Historia’s entire character development, and Historia’s character development is a microcosm of the guiding themes of the main story. You can’t dethrone her without the manga’s entire thematic significance ringing false.

Also, while I’m here, Eren’s being a fucking prick.

In case that was somehow missed.

'hi historia friendly reminder that i’m only here to commit genocide because you saved my life because like you said you’re the worst’ ‘lol remember that time you said the titans should just kill everyone and i teased you and you said you were caught up in the heat of the moment well guess what i listened to you and everyone’s gonna die thx for the protips’

Anyway.

This is either really good or really bad.

Because Historia does some very stupid things. That is not a writing flaw, it’s a character flaw and feature. She’s impulsive and dumb and realizes things conflict with her principles nine steps into committing criminally negligent homicide, and if that’s how this is all justified...

Hell, I guess I’ll just be tired. Which I already am, so that’s. fine.

It’s funny. This is one of the times I could have gotten away with writing barely anything, since half the chapter is just trailer shots for Eren’s monster movie. Yet here we are, many words in.

I’ve thought a lot today on if I should keep reading or not. One of the things that got under my skin is that I’ve spent a long time coming up with ways for this all to turn out okay. I complain a lot, and certainly lose my temper, but I like to think I stick around because however bad this gets, I have faith that the story’s thesis is that beauty wins against cruelty.

If that’s the case, I want to be here to see it through. I want that high of things being okay when all signs point to nothing ever being okay again.

But it’s been a long day, and I’ve spent two years split between anger and hope that I’m not sure if I feel because I trust the story or if it’s become a habit I’m afraid to break.

Or if it’s because if I did give up, I’d feel insanely guilty for any of the times I’ve tried cheering people up over the bleak things going on in the manga.

I want this to be a happier story than anyone I know thinks it will turn out. I’m an optimist to a degree that people tolerate, but don’t find particularly realistic when gauged against the content.

The main character is on a genocidal march in the name of friends he has broken and betrayed. Friends who can still barely vocalize the option of putting him down.

I don’t know if I want to be here for this.

I don’t think I need to watch more cruelty unfold, no matter how much beauty survives it.

[darisu-chan]

My problem with people expecting a happy ending for SNK is that, after being told that there were more people on Earth, and that they were stuck on an island, it completely changed the possibility of a happy ending

It obliterated it

SNK is not a Disney movie, and it features a lot of tense and conflicting issues, but so long as the enemies were the titans or just the government, they were more easily fixed. The moment Isayama introduced the plot point that the rest of the world hated Eldians, it was over for a happy ending. Because the Eldians were basically colonists and imperialists who waged war on tons of people. They killed millions with the power of the titans for a long, long time. It's not something you can easily forget. Then, some of them left to the island, but others stayed in Marley territory and were brain-washed into believing they were demons who deserved to be punished. Even then, they were still used by Marley for war and imperialism.

How can you come back from that?

The first solution is, of course, taking away their ability to become titans, Ymir's curse. Sure, this makes them no longer demons as they won't have the power to cause more destruction. But, again, that's just the tip of the iceberg. It doesn't erase all the lives lost and how other people in the world will view them. Moreover, this puts Paradis at risk of being attacked. Their only defense was having two titans and that the millitary is trained in killing titans. But they are way behind in technology. A hundred years behind. Against people like Marley. That's why alliances were important and Paradis making friends with other countries to stand against Marley was necessary.

But, really, even if they had taken a diplomatic approach... it really doesn't resolve things. This is not something that our main characters alone can solve. Not in their youth. They need to keep making efforts and maybe when they're old, everyone will have some semblance of peace.

Eren sacrificing himself only helped push things forward a little bit, but it definitely didn't solve everything. But diplomacy wouldn't have solved it either.

What we were shown is that Eren knew that diplomacy, which was Hange's and Armin's plan, wasn't going to solve things fast enough or that it would truly change things. Zeke's plan was miserable and relied on condemning innocent people to cease to exist for the sins of their ancestors. So that was no good either. But what Eren did was worse. He knew it. He knew genocide was the worst option morally speaking, but that it would achieve breaking the curse.

I think the point is that there was never going to be a happy ending in which the characters would get to live happily ever after.

The Rumbling achieved people who hated each other working together against a common enemy and the breaking of Ymir's curse. But that's it.

Such a complex problem couldn't have an easy and happy resolution, which is why the characters are still fighting in the end, but now they get to do it with diplomacy instead of more fighting.

Eren's plan sort of worked, but not in a way that would bring the current people happiness, given how many people died, Eren included.

Honestly after the Marley plot, I knew we wouldn't get a happy ending and that a lot of the story would still be about pain and suffering and wars. Things got complicated and there's not a clear-cut answer to how it should have ended.

And I think that is also the point.

If we think about our world, if we think about all the wars there have been through history, all the pain and suffering, you will see that we still feel their effects.

After WWII, there's still antisemitism. Lots of people are still treated like second class citizens or slaves (see racial tensions throughout the whole world). Many countries are still at war with each other. Hell, we can trace tensions between Europe and Muslim countries for several centuries. Not to mention the tensions and issues within each country in the world. How governments keep violating human rights. How several groups of people cannot live in peace. People are dying right now due to hunger, sickness and war. No matter how many organizations we create for peace, no matter how wars end and treaties are signed, we still don't live in peace. And if we haven't reached this ideal yet in the real world, why would a story with similar problems reach it in just one arc?

And it's depressing, I know.

It's a tragedy.

However, tragedies do teach us some very important lessons. And in this case is that every single human being has a right to live. Has a right to be free. No matter who your ancestors were, no matter what they did, you, right now, have the right to be here. You are important because you are alive. And we all need to fight for our own freedom. For the freedom of others. For justice.

But there's also a second teaching. A warning. Hate leads to wars and wars lead to death. No matter how necessary, no matter how you try to justify them, wars will lead to tragedy, to death. Never peace. And this hate you feel for your fellow human being will never give you happiness. And it has repercussions in generations to follow. The wars being fought today will be felt 100 years from now. The hate you feel now can very well be passed onto your descendants. It is a cycle that can never end unless you break it. And, again, there's not a clear cut answer on how to break this cycle peacefully.

Eren couldn't have a happy ending, couldn't be alive, because he chose war. He chose to be the enemy, the villain, that his friends would fight for peace. Yet, he killed so many people that he couldn't stay alive. His persue of freedom was his tragic flaw and it killed him in the end.

Is it satisfying or happy? No. Tragedies rarely are. But they show us the true human condition. Our fears, our hatred, every single ugly thing we as humans feel. Yet, in the end SNK is not a true tragedy. And there is hope that the world can change.

The world is cruel but also beautiful.

Eren's actions were horrifying but for a noble cause.

That is the duality of humans and it is something that, in the end, SNK expressed very well.

The real monsters out there aren't titans or other creatures, they are humans. Maybe you thought you were the hero, but you will be seen as a monster by other people. Or you always thought of yourself as a monster, who ends up being heroic. In the end, you must choose who you want to be for the sake of peace and freedom.

Where there things I would change? Absolutely. I didn't enjoy the last few arcs because I knew it was too ambitious for a manga. But the problem wasn't the last chapter only or the last few chapters. The real problem is the complexity of the plot and that a happy ending was truly not possible.

So, we can take it for what it is.

I don't think it was as horrible as GoT or other stories. But I also feel that it couldn't achieve all it set out too.

In the end, I still appreciate SNK for reminding us about being human and what sacrifice means.

[marmarparadoxa]

I sent this ask to someone else already but I just read ur post on Levi's reason for fighting and I think ur absolutely right so I'd like to know ur opinion as well ☺ I wonder why it's still so hard for people to believe Levi's character is more than violence, revenge and one-dimensional. I thought the fandom were over with this. I just read on reddit some fans discussing him during this last war. Since Levi's already proved himself to be out there fighting not just+

(Same anon) + for killing Zeke but also for his kids, humanity and the alliance these people are still saying "if it wasn't for the kids, for the fact Hanji created this alliance, etc Levi would be indifferent to what's happening to humanity. He's a character with anger issues" and I'm like???? What's your take on such reactions? I'm really sad people view Levi like this. 

Hi! Thank you for reading my post :) I’m sorry those reactions saddened you, and I understand your frustration over it. I too can’t help but be quite perplexed at seeing people still reading Levi this way, honestly. Anyway, I’ve read @micia-posts-stuff answer to the same ask you sent me, with which I agree completely, so I’ll try to add my two cents to what they have already discussed. Let’s start looking at the last chapter then. In chapter 135, indeed, we’ve seen Levi fighting alongside the kids all along, trying to protect them, risking his life for them multiple times. And, besides an initial moment looking at the empty corpse of the Beast Titan, he didn’t even mention Zeke once for the whole fighting, nor did he try to look up for him. Moreover, despite his critical condition, he did not lose his cool. Instead, we saw him gathering, directing and advising the other kids - like restraining Mikasa from being reckless and attacking the hoard of titans alone, or call on all of them to gather them and to try to get Armin back. Last thing, I think it’s worth noting that at a certain moment he even came to propose himself to act as a bait, and Levi must have known that he wouldn’t have much chance (if any) to survive if he had proceeded to do so. But he was ready to go for it nonetheless, if that would mean improving even a little bit the kids’ odds to survive the fight, and giving them a chance to save Armin, or the only one possessing the power to find and possibly stop Eren. Summing up, Levi’s conduct didn’t strike me as that of someone driven by his personal agenda or acting out of his revengeful feelings in any way. Instead, I think this chapter showed very clearly what his priorities are. Also, I cannot agree with those who say that “if it wasn’t for the kids and for Hange creating the Alliance, he would be indifferent to what’s happening to humanity”. Of course he cares about the kids, and of course he supported Hange in their efforts to put up that fragile, unique alliance, sustaining them in their plans. Now, he’s still fighting for that tiny, impossible hope of saving humanity that Hange didn’t give up to. Because of course he cares about humanity too. What Hange, Erwin, and so many others before them gave their life to is the same purpose Levi chose to dedicate his life to long ago, and it is the same purpose for which he’s fighting now, carrying on his previous commanders’ legacy at the same time: humanity’s survival, and freedom. And as you, I cannot understand that onedimensional, only violence-and-revenge take of Levi you often encounter in the fandom. About the “anger issues”, it’s true that sometimes, particularly in difficult moments at dealing with his emotions, Levi can be taken away by his anger, and become rude and even violent because of that (remember his outburst against Historia during the Uprising Arc, or when he punched and kicked Eren and Jean in the mess hall, after his talking with Erwin). On the other hand, we also saw that when the conditions required it from him, he was ready to “play the part of the lunatic and rearrange some faces”, as he did in the Uprising Arc, or put up a show and brutally beating up Eren, only to save his life from the MPB. So it’s true that Levi is liable to act violently, and there is more than one reason behind that. But of course he is not only that. Levi has always been shown to be one of the most empathetic characters, someone who deeply cares for his comrades, and highly values every human life. As already mentioned by Micia, he helped Historia building the orphanage for the homeless children, and he altruistically saved Ramzi when they were in Marley, while risking to attract dangerous attention to them. And I think his reaction toward Eren when he was faced with him after their attack on Liberio clearly conveyed the disappointment and sadness he felt, for Eren to have turned up like that, and for the lives they lost and they were forced to take away because of his actions. As all the others, he never wanted any of that.

[lostcauses-noregrets]

You usually talk about eruri only and not so much the manga itself, at least not currently, and I was wondering how you're feeling about it. Are you enjoying the current stroyline?

LOL guilty as charged Anon! I make no bones about the fact that I’m a dyed in the wool shipper, but I’m also a fan of the manga quite apart from my beloved ship, so it’s nice to get an ask about this. 

I’ve said before that I think Yams real gift as an author are his characters and world building, but that his plot and pacing are woeful, and I still stand by that. The Marley Arc was the most glaring instance of this problem.  Abandoning the main cast for, how long was it? 12 months? and introducing a whole new cast of characters at such a late stage was madness.  I actually really like the Warriors and have a huge amount of sympathy for them, but I still believe their story would have been much more effective and affecting if it had been woven into the main arc. There have been other pacing issues since then. It’s no secret that I’m not a fan of the Yeagerbros, and while I found their endless psychodramas and daddy issues a bit dull, I really want to know where the hell they are now.  I mean is Zeke still even alive in any meaningful sense of the word?  Is he stuck in paths indefinitely? And don’t even get me started on Eren!  I know it’s impossibly difficult to maintain such a huge and complex cast of characters for so long but I think Yams tendency to focus on one group of characters for several months, while ignoring all the others, has been detrimental to the impact of the story, particularly if you’re following it month by month.

As far as the current storyline is going, I really like the fact that the Warriors and the remnant of the Survey Corps have had to come together.  It’s been foreshadowed for long enough and it doesn’t seem unrealistic to me that they would put past grievances aside (temporarily?) to defeat a greater enemy.  Yelena is not my favourite character, but I like the role she’s playing at the moment, as she has no allegiance to either the Warriors or the SC and is primarily there to cause trouble.  In the current chapter I thought the reappearance of Daz and whatshisname was ridiculous.  I get the SC are conflicted about fighting their former comrades, but that could easily have been communicated without the reintroduction of two characters who everyone had forgotten and no one gives a damn about. Yams does have a bit of a tendency to get side tracked by plot lines that contribute little to the overall story arc, @momtaku called out a few here.

“Miss him (Zeke)” is a stretch but I am for sure more interested in his story than Daz and Samuels. Or Louis’s. Or Connie’s mom. Or the Hizaru mechanics. Or Floch’s continued buffoonery.

I would also have cut down the amount of time devoted to Gabi and Falco’s story, I actually really like both characters, and I appreciate that they have an important role to play in the story, but there are other characters that deserve a bit of attention too.  (HISTORIA).  Same goes for Nicolo’s story, and I thought the repercussions of Sasha’s death were a bit disproportionate to her role in story.

Meanwhile we’re still waiting to find out what the hell Eren is really thinking, what ever happened to Zeke and OG Ymir,  where the fuck Historia is, will Bert’s death ever be addressed, has Marley already been flattened by the rumbling, will we ever learn anything more about the origins of the Ackermans, will Levi get to fulfil his vow.  Etc, etc, etc.

Having said all that, it’s easy for me to sit here and criticise when I can barely spin a story out for half a dozen chapters.  To maintain a story this complex for ten years is an astonishing achievement.  And let’s not forget that this is Isayama’s first manga, he was only 19 when he started writing it and he’s been working on it constantly every month for ten years without a break.  Think about how much your life changes between the ages of 19 and 29, can you imagine working on the same project all that time? Amazing.  

Frustrated as I often am by the direction and the pacing of the manga, and much as I think Isayama really needs a good strong editor, I still love the story and I’m absolutely going to be following it to the (bitter?) end.    

Thanks for the ask Anon, and apologies that this turned into a bit of a rant :}

[botaniia]

127

Some 127 thoughts because I promised myself I’d jot these down for future reference before I forget what I initially thought of it

Overall probably one of my fav chapters in a long time because it gave us that sweet, sweet character interaction that I’d been looking forward to since the start of the alliance. 

Jean is the absolute real MVP here. Before he was an okay character to me, I liked him but not extraordinarily much, but this chapter moved him very close to the top of the list. What a beast. I commend Yams for giving him that emotional release

I’m so happy we got to see his internal struggles. I feel like in a way it mirrors his choice to join the Survey Corps. His thoughts were very similar back then as well. Very interesting to see that this longing for comfort, safety, and luxury is still with him after all these years

“I didn’t see anything. I didn’t hear anything” is an absolutely masterful line. Who’d a thunk I’d be broken already on page 2?

Hanji’s refusal to allow mass genocide is commendable. People have been calling her too optimistic, but I don’t think you can deny that genocide is ever a viable option. Saying that genocide is no option isn’t meant to be a solution to the question “what should we do”, it’s stating that there are things that shouldn’t be done. Hanji is right, you cowards

That said, Jean addressing what they should do then is also necessary. I wonder if Isayama saw any of the fandom discussion or if he simply predicted the nature of the discussions, because he nuanced every single point raised very well and gave a satisfying acknowledgement of the complexity of the situation.

“You can’t just massacre everyone! Like hell there’s a good reason to do that!” I want this printed out and framed on my wall. That expression is so powerful and shows us how Hanji ultimately wants a peaceful resolution to this. It tells us a lot about who she is and why she’s struggling with the current predicament.

That spread of everyone sitting by the campfire is absolutely amazing. The tension! The dichotomy between Jean and Hanji as they’re singled out in their own separate panel! The divide between Marley and Paradis with Onyakopon and Yelena in the middle! 

It was at this point I realised that I was only at page 11 and we were about to witness 34 pages of exactly what I’d been hoping for when the alliance formed. We knew confrontation was coming and did it deliver!

Interesting to get an insight into Magath’s thoughts. He always struck me as being less racist than most Marleyans, but apparently I overestimated the extent to which he was fair in his judgment of Eldians. Some major points:

Assuming that every Paradisian would be happy with genocide and would happily live in a world where only they were still alive. He may think more positively of Eldians than your average Marley higher-up, but he still has a prejudiced look on Paradisians. At the same time, he barely had any interaction with them. I’m curious to see how his vision could change when working side-by-side with them.

“In other words, you’re telling me you developed a sense of justice” are you projecting, my man

I did find the shade about letting Eren and Zeke make contact fitting. Must’ve been a shock for the gang that they were wrong and I can see why he’d question it

Jean calling out Magath will be the subject of my dreams for a long time.

Theo “we provoked you numerous times and then you attacked us back, ya demons!?” Magath everyone

We’re mentioning Eren’s mom now? Because you’re absolutely right, Jean. I always thought that it was wrong to call for some violent justice to be carried out against Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie when it’s really their superiors, the ones who chose to send them there, that deserve this treatment. The fact that Magath also had such a great involvement in the warrior project is something that deserved attention called to it, so this feels very nice

“You killed hundreds” “well you killed thousands” “okay but you enslaved our people” is exactly why it’s necessary to look past both sides’ past mistakes. Genocide is never okay, and the history shouldn’t be erased, but both sides have shit they can fling at each other. Both sides have wronged the other. There is no one who comes out on top morally speaking, so it’s pointless to argue that now. That’s what’s been bothering me about the “x is actually the bad guy here” talk in the communities, regardless of who x is. 

Sure, Hanji says she’s talking to Jean, but really she’s talking to Magath and throwing shade about the fact that he’s being bitter about the fact that the evil selfish Paradis devils are trying to stop the rumbling from destroying everything

“Would someone who’d change their mind because of that commit genocide?” are you projecting, Annie? Was there anything that could’ve been said to her that could’ve made her stop the initial attack on the walls? 

Annie slept for five years only to drop outta her crystal and absolutely obliterate the scouts with some harsh truths. She seems so reasonable at the moment and I can sorta admire her dedication to her father.

I want to marry Yelena for everything she said in her trip down memory lane because this was exactly what I had been hoping for this whole chapter and she just gave it to us like that

The panels are on-point. Framing the person she was accusing while also placing their primary victims in the background. Excellent artwork

You know you’re starved for content when just mentioning Bertholdt’s name got me excited. 

“Using the power you stole from Bertholdt Hoover” the rational part in me knows that no one had a choice on that day and the only outcome was his death, even if cool motive, still murder was applicable in the situation. The irrational part in me is cheering Yelena on for wording it like that.

It seems like Reiner and Annie know that Armin inherited the colossal and that Sasha is dead? If they hadn’t, they probably wouldn’t have just sat there staring when learning it for the first time. I’ve seen people annoyed at the fact that these facts were glossed over without much reaction out of the other characters, but I kinda get it. The chapter was already packed with details. Would an acknowledgement have been nice? Yeah, sure, it would’ve been extremely fitting in this conversation, and the fact that it wasn’t there definitely doesn’t do anything to diminish my fear that Bert will never be addressed again. But this chapter already deals with Jean’s anger over Marco’s death, so I get why it wouldn’t fit inside the same chapter. I also feel like Reiner doesn’t believe he has the right to be mad or sad about Bert’s death, exactly because of the things all three of them did. As much as I would have loved some acknowledgement, I think we can’t ignore that the lack of a reaction tells a lot about Reiner and Annie and how they have dealt with this issue in the past. I’m only hoping that they still interact with Armin in some way and give me the content I have been STARVING for. Just a drop, Isayama, please

Armin still looking like a kicked puppy when she says that though. He truly got the real Bert experience of getting orders to be the most destructive force in the assault and then getting to deal with the emotional aftermath, huh

The looks exchanged between the 104th and the kids... God damn, what a perfect page that is. Jean glancing down a panel after he was called out for nearly killing Falco. Gabi getting the true Braun experience of regretting actions she can never take back even if she wants to now. Someone save these children and shelter them from the worst, because I am not happy that literal 12-year-olds are still with the gang. Yams I beg you keep these kids away from combat, I will find out where you live

Yelena did all of that to sow hatred amongst the new alliance, so much effort to put into words what no one dared talk about in this awkward situation, and Jean manages to talk it away and turn it from destructive to constructive. What a man. Seriously, his character development and the guy he’s become are an inspiration.

“What was it again? Your close friend’s name you told me before?” and it was at that moment Reiner realised he should’ve pulled the trigger

It’s very telling that both Annie and Reiner are speaking so openly and so honestly about what they have done after years of secrecy and lies around their former soldier colleagues. In a way, I can imagine that despite the dread of having to tell Jean this, it’s at least something to finally be able to speak the truth. 

I gotta give it to Reiner that he did well speaking up and clarifying that he was the one who was responsible for the death. People always seem to either deem Annie as his killer or split the blame evenly between the three, but while Annie was obeying orders she couldn’t disobey and Bertholdt was doing nothing to prevent it from happening, at the end of the day Reiner is the one who decided that Marco was going to die. So I ain’t even mad that only he gets beaten for it.

Isayama’s expression game is on point for Jean especially this chapter. I can’t wait to see this animated, truly. If this scene were excellent already, this moment will define it. Everyone’s reaction to it is touching. Mikasa showing a rare moment of true grieving sorrow (though I have noticed that post-timeskip, she looks saddened more often than she looks determined) Armin looking like he had a clue that this was the case already, either through deduction or through Bertmin mechanisms (give us the memories, Yams) Connie’s stoic and bitter reaction (still tired of learning that the people who betrayed him are even worse than he thought, but not surprised in the slightest) Reiner and Annie looking pretty exhausted and done with themselves. Fuck. Good page.

“He said we still haven’t talked” narrative mic drop, hot damn

Jean could have easily used this information as a reason to leave the alliance. He so easily could have, and I don’t think anyone in the world would’ve thought it an overreaction. Instead, he was constructive and he remained calm for the greater good. He had more courage, more self-restraint than any other character in this group, and I seriously think this is the pinnacle of his character development. What a great guy.

“Jean that’s my line”

At first I didn’t quite get why Reiner decided to “push his luck” with Jean and tell him that additional stuff, but after giving it some thought it is actually really obvious. This is the most desperate looking we’ve seen him in a long time, and I’d argue that this is even more emotional than what he showed when Eren first lured him into that basement. Marco’s murder was a tragedy and a traumatic experience. With his fellow warriors, he couldn’t truthfully express the guilt he felt over it because he was responsible and he couldn’t show any attachment to the island devils when he was the one constantly checking Annie and Bertholdt’s allegiances. Back in Marley, there was no one he could be honest to because why would a good honourary Marleyan have empathy for a Paradis devil? This murder has been festering inside Reiner’s mind for so long. He couldn’t tell anyone about it and there was no one to judge him for it. He couldn’t just let Jean turn this into something constructive, that’d be far too merciful on him. No matter which shape it took, he needed to confess what he had done and he can’t stress enough that he doesn’t deserve forgiveness. Not from Jean, anyway. But if he wants a chance at ever being able to live with himself again, he had to do this. Add to that that he didn’t know at all what to do anymore (something he literally states), I think it’s fair to say he was looking for some type of closure, even if he hadn’t a clue how to get it.

I, and I’m saying this as a big Reiner fan, have never been as satisfied with a turn of events as seeing Jean beat the living hell out of Reiner in the most visceral, most violent way he could think of in that moment of raw anger. Jean already showed so much restraint in this conversation, so you can’t even call this a rash decision. Reiner had it coming.

The fact that Reiner accepts it without any attempt to defend himself is pretty admirable in its own right, and is again telling of his mental state and self image

Despite the anger, despite the fact that he had probably hoped to see it happen someday, despite the absolute hatred for Reiner, Connie still decided to stop Jean. Despite his damage, deep down you can still see the person he was so many years ago, the person who wants to put an end to conflict.

Gabi, darling... I already liked her just because people unreasonably hate her, but this moment is so character-defining that I can’t help but love her for this. At the start of the Marley arc, Falco is a defensive person and Gabi an offensive person. While we’ve seen Falco forced to be more offensive, Gabi generally stayed on the attack even after her realisation. Here, she could have easily chosen to attack Jean to stop his assault, but instead she threw herself between Reiner and the kick. “Gabi is trash” people love to shout while she decides to sacrifice her own safety to prevent Reiner from being hurt any more. She, a regular human girl who is literally 12, defended an adult titan shifter built like a tank who could’ve easily regenerated from the damage and who clearly deserved the beating. And believe me, at her age a kick like that can be lethal if it lands in the wrong spot. This is the moment where she stole my heart. She has turned into the perfect candidate for the armoured titan.

People saying that it’s good that Gabi got that final kick: have you considered she’s not only, again, literally 12, but also deeply apologetic for what she did and likely a key player in defending Paradis in the future?

Falco is a gentleman and he’s a good kid

Annie caring for Reiner... I didn’t know I needed that in my life, but honestly the idea that she’s looking out for him now (compare to her kicking Reiner back on the first day of the mission) makes me unreasonably happy. They’re the two survivors out of a group of the only four people in the world who can understand what they’ve been through, please look after each other!

The manga has a habit of making the cycle of hatred continue when one character is already sorry about their actions towards the person who next adapts the cycle. It was good to see Jean take the mature option and choose to consciously break it. No one would’ve faulted him had he left that night, but he still came back. He still showed kindness to two children, one he had wronged and one who had wronged him. That’s why Jean is our MVP.

I can’t be the only one who sees some 845 Jean in the way he wakes up and yells at Reiner, right? Also, what a gorgeous contrast between gently shaking awake Gabi and assuring her everything’s right, and giving Reiner a very rude awakening

If there was ever a parallel to make me believe that Reiner may be getting some closure, it’s this one

And despite all the tension and anger, I feel like we’re finally reaching a point where Reiner is finding closure. I’ve said this before, but his suffering only finds meaning if it leads to something, otherwise it just isn’t satisfying. He’s not gonna be forgiven by his former comrades. He knows this and he can accept this. But it’s off his chest and he got the reaction he deserved out of confessing his sins. At this point, I can only hope that this paves the way towards forgiving himself, because lord knows the guy deserves some peace of mind.

I’m walking the fine line between “Annie truly wanted to know where she fit in after all this and we are getting answers in the future” and “Yams is telling us very clearly that he’ll never answer this question”

Jean, my man, you got plenty of practice on everyone’s favourite punching bag, now go replicate everything you just did on Floch!

There’s gonna be lots of death next chapter, huh

Some other, more minor thoughts

Marco is still a cutie, even when in Jean’s conscience vision. 

Remember in 2013/14 when the fandom would get pissy over people finding Marco important and would say that Yams killed him just because he could? Remember when a few months ago even, people were still posting “Marco happened so long ago, Jean doesn’t care about him that much guys, get over it”? Remember when Jean remembered the ashes of his dead friend last chapter? Remember when Jean beat the ever-loving shit out of Reiner when learning he orchestrated Marco’s death? Yeah

Reiner looked unhappy about not being in a depression nap right now the entire chapter long

Need me that panel of Annie with her ring framed on the wall

[bipabrena]

A Second Chance Chapter V (Titan!Erwin Eruri fic)

Half-arsed summary: Events from chapter 84 had Erwin been given the serum. Soft and obsessive Levi, Erwin struggles with guilt from those he sent to die for a selfish dream, and everything with Zeke-Marley will be far different under Erwin’s leadership. Erwin will be the one to save the world. Read the whole thing here.

X

Several weeks passed, and the Survey Corps set their sights on clearing up the rest of the titans inside Wall Maria, as well as progress on Erwin’s experimentation and Eren’s memories.

Unlike before, Erwin spent a lot of his time alone. Normally, he’d spend his time with Levi, Hange as well. When he worked on paperwork, Levi would usually be there, even if silently, just keeping him company.

But after Shiganshina, Erwin wanted to be left alone.

Levi thought Erwin was angry, that he saw Levi as a failure and disappointment, but the truth was that Erwin was trying to find himself.

He was trying to recollect memories, see what Bertolt saw. Know what he knew. Unlike before, he tried to actually get some sleep, because he thought it’d be the best way to meet Bertolt again. The coated man in the dreams he couldn’t remember, he knew it was him. But he didn’t see him again. He couldn’t dream.

Everything was just hard for Erwin.

He was overwhelmed, even though the Survey Corps had done nothing but progress. They earned the people’s love and warmth, while the other military branches’ respect and admiration.

Yet something felt amiss.

What is it that he gained that day…?

He reached the basement and proved his father right. He felt he redeemed himself some for being a stupid child that got the father he adored killed.

But he still didn’t feel whole.

Sometimes, his hands felt dirty. When he lingered too much on his feelings of emptiness, he’d look at his feet and see a pile of corpses. And the very first corpse he stood on was Mike, who always stared at him with his brows slightly creased.

Like he were questioning him.

So, what did he gain…?

Knowledge?

Progress for humanity?

At the expense of what?

How were they supposed to fight not one enemy, but the entire world? What was it that he, a man that was exhausted and broken, could do?

If only, if only he could remember something.

But what did that matter? Did Bertolt have any information that was more useful than anything Grisha and Kruger gave them?

Or more useful than Eren’s predecessors?

He took a sharp inhale and stood from his desk. He went over to his bookshelf and grabbed one of the old books he borrowed from Historia’s library.

He sat on his bed, and made himself comfortable as he spread the several journals on the bed, and rested the book on his legs brought to his chest.

“The Fundamentals of the Brain,” it was called.

He grabbed one of the journals, pages yellow from its antiquity.

There were detailed drawings of the brain and the lobes of the cerebral cortex. He alternated between speed-reading the journal and book. He focused on the notes on the hippocampus—the part responsible for memory function.

He grabbed a quill and his own brand-new journal.

He stared at the blank page, lost in thought.

The paths Kruger mentioned… they could almost be defined as a channel of transportation. It links all Eldians, and the central point is the Coordinate. The brain possesses something similar. The axons in the brain serve as a wire that connects neurons from location to location. It’s responsible for transmitting information over a long distance. A neural pathway, so to speak. This pathway maybe could be seen as the Coordinate in the brain. Every Eldian is connected to the Coordinate, so, perhaps we could be seen as axons. If the memories are passed on from shifter to shifter through these paths…

“Hm…” he muttered. “Let’s see,” he now spoke out loud, leaning back on the pillows and looking at the ceiling. “If memories are stored as patterns, and those patterns encode information of an event, maybe a stimulus could cause those memory networks to be activated. But how do you stimulate a brain to remember?”

His head shot to strong knocks on the door.

He stood and headed to it, and opened it. It was late, who wanted to bother him?

He found Levi and Hange.

“… Oh? What are you two doing here?”

“Were you just talking to yourself?” Hange said.

“You heard?” his brows rose.

“You’re just like Eren now!” she jested. “I thought he was weird, talking to himself and all, but you’re the same! Maybe it’s a titan shifter thing. You guys are so weird!”

She grinned and laughed, but she was evidently hiding the sadness in her.

“Why are you here?” Erwin asked.

Her eye saddened. “Because we’re worried about you…” she admitted.

He took a good look at them, and was surprised when his eyes found Levi. The dark circles under his eyes were terrible, and his normally handsome face was plagued with an unspoken emotion Erwin couldn’t decipher.

Sadness? Resignation? What was it?

He frowned in surprise.

“… Have you been losing weight?”

Levi didn’t say anything.

“What do you need?” he asked them.

“We’re just worried, Erwin…” Hange frowned. “About you. We want to know what’s going through that mind of yours.”

“I’m fine,” Erwin said.

“What are you doing?” Hange asked, getting on her tippy toes and looking over Erwin inside his office, catching a glimpse of his book filled bed.

“Reading,” he said.

“Erwin…” Hange frowned, “why won’t you talk to us?”

“What do you mean? I am—“

“Whenever we’re done experimenting or working, you disappear without a trace. You were never like this before. We don’t talk, share tea or do anything together at all. Why…? Why has everything changed so much?”

Because he hates me… Levi thought.

Erwin sighed, and they were surprised by the visible saddening of his eyes and his sudden sincerity.

“I’ve wanted to be alone,” he admitted. “I have much to think about. I don’t need any distractions, but don’t take that the wrong way.”

“Isn’t there anything we can do to help?” Hange asked.

Erwin looked down in contemplation. He glimpsed at the books, then at them.

“Three heads are better than one,” she smiled sadly.

“… Yes,” his eyes softened. “How foolish have I been?”

He fully opened the door and paved way for them to enter. Hange did immediately, but Levi hesitated.

“Levi?” Erwin called.

Levi looked up at him, brows furrowed and eyes sad—and his expression was pitiful to look at. It was childish and pleading, like he were asking Erwin if he was truly allowed to go in, if he was truly welcome.

“What are you waiting for?” Erwin smiled at him for the first time in weeks, and it made everything inside Levi tighten. “You don’t intend to stay there all night, do you?”

Levi silently walked through the door, and stood in the middle of the office, doing nothing.

Erwin walked past him to the bedroom and plopped on the bed. He sat, scurrying back as Hange went over with a chair to sit next to him. After several calls, Levi did the same. He sat next to Hange at the right bedside so they both could be face-to-face with Erwin.

Erwin explained what he was trying to do. Hange nodded intently, and Levi gazed at Erwin with the most pitiful eyes he had ever seen. He tried to ignore it, but it brewed something terrible inside Erwin.

What was wrong with Levi?

“That’s brilliant,” Hange referred to the way Erwin illustrated paths with the human brain. “The brain does behave like a sponge,” she said. “When you ate Bertolt, you said you dreamt about his titan form crying. If what Rod Reiss said is true, and we have no reason to believe otherwise, then a titan shifter never truly dies. Their memories are absorbed by the current holder, certain conditions simply need to happen in order for those memories to surface.”

“But the issue is how,” Erwin sighed. “I don’t know how. After all, I’m trying to stimulate my brain for someone else’s memories, not my own.”

“Hm…” Hange pondered, skimming through the journals.

“Maybe you should cut open my skull and probe my brain,” Erwin smiled.

Hange’s mouth opened. She stared at Erwin, and he and Levi could tell she was contemplating the idea.

“He was just kidding!” Levi yelled, frowning at her.

They were taken aback, since it was the first thing he had said, and he looked panicked.

“I know, I know,” she smiled apologetically. “Buuuuuuuuut—“

“But nothing!” Levi reproached.

“Okay, okay,” she put her hands up.

Erwin laughed, and her eyes darted between him and Levi. She spoke to Erwin, changing the subject to lighten the mood, but she couldn’t stifle the sadness inside her.  

Levi was quiet and never said anything about it, but she wasn’t dumb.

She easily noticed the changes in him and Erwin since their last meeting where they discussed what happened in Shiganshina.

The difference is, she could tell Erwin was distant, but Levi…

It’s like Levi had fallen into a deep depression, and she wasn’t sure if it was because of his failure in killing the Beast Titan, or somehow because of Erwin.

She just wanted everything to be fine.

They lost so much during the Battle of Shiganshina. Mike wasn’t with them, she had lost Moblit; the three of them were all they had. And now that Erwin’s time was ticking, she didn’t want anything to get in the way of their friendship.

She abruptly stood up, and they both looked at her.

“Let’s go out!” she smiled. “Tomorrow’s Friday. Let’s go out to the interior! Let’s have a few drinks, let’s go to a cabaret—let’s have some fun! We have earned it!”

“But, Hange—“

“But what?” Hange said. “Are we here just to work? Were we put on this Earth to drown in work every waking hour, and think about the pain we feel during the little time we have to take a breather?”

“Let’s go out!” she repeated. “Let’s get drinks, let’s eat some meat, let’s attend a fun show and just get drunk!”

Levi was too depressed to say anything, or to even contemplate her words.

“You know what,” Erwin closed the book with a thump, “you’re right.”

They looked at him in surprise.

“I can’t remember the last time I relaxed,” he said. “Can you?”

She shook her head.

“And I’m sure Levi is the same,” Erwin said when Levi said nothing. “Let’s enjoy ourselves. I’ll make the carriage arrangements tomorrow morning.”

“Yes!” Hange brought her fist up then down in victory. “Then it’s settled,” she sat back down and wrapped an arm around Levi. “We’re going to have fun and eat,” she emphasised, but Levi didn’t know why. It took him a few seconds to understand, and he looked away when he did.

Erwin frowned at Levi’s utter lack of enthusiasm. His pitiful expression was starting to get to him.

“But for now,” he said, standing up, “I’m going to think for a little longer, then sleep. You two get some, as well.”

“Okay,” Hange smiled, complying, and Levi followed. She bid Erwin goodbye, waiting for Levi, but she quickly left instead when Erwin tugged him back to prevent him from leaving.

Levi looked up at him with those pitiful, hopeless eyes.

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah,” is all he responded.

Erwin frowned, not knowing what to tell him or what to ask him. Why was he so thin?

The Survey Corps had better food than ever now. So, why?

He held both his shoulders and shot him a comforting smile, to Levi’s surprise. “Get some good sleep,” he said. “We’re going to have some well-deserved fun tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.”

Levi frowned, and it shocked Erwin further when his words had the opposite effect he intended.

He looked even worse, even more distraught.

“… Okay,” is all Levi said.

He turned and left, hands in pockets and tired eyes on the floor.

“Levi?”

He turned to look.

“Goodnight,” Erwin smiled.

Levi frowned even more. He said nothing and left, to Erwin’s utter confusion.

This was the last part of the chapter. Read its entirety here. I do suggest you start from chapter I, though.

[arlingtonpark]

#worthit

You know, we’re lucky Zeke is a moron. At long last he has access to the ultimate power in the world, and instead of using it then and there, he tries to show Eren the error of his ways like this is A Christmas Story or something.

Zeke thought he was Chris Marley and Eren was Ebenezer Scrooge. Turns out, he’s a QANON believer and Grisha is the owner of Comet Ping Pong.

It’s just stunning how unself-aware Zeke is. He’s like one of those hyper-partisan, extremely-online people who shout about how Obama is a tool for the rich, but freeze up when asked for details. This is a man so immersed in his own worldview, his head so far up his ass, that all he accomplished is making the most spectacular own-goal of the entire series.

I mean, he takes Eren on this wild ride, is basically making this all up as he goes along, certain that the next memory will be the one that proves Grisha’s EVIL-ness, and they spend God knows how long watching a dude filing paperwork.

This exercise was meant to turn Eren to his side, but all it’s done is create an opening for Eren to turn Zeke. And that may happen, honestly. Zeke’s beliefs have been pretty shaken now, so he may be receptive to some reasoned persuasion.

But up next is Grisha stealing the Founding Titan, so Zeke definitely won’t be want for validating material.

The only bigger jackass this chapter is Eren.

Eren really, honest and for truly, fucked up. He shat on his friends, he shat on his country, he shat on little kids, and he did it so he could trick Zeke into unlocking the Founding Titan powers for him.

Except now all that’s out the window because actually Zeke is in charge.

Oops.  

Eren presumably did all this because he couldn’t bear to see Historia’s life shortened, but now it seems he has no choice but to do it anyway, meaning he did all this shit for nothing! Amazing! Dreams really don’t come true in this story!

I love how the chapter foreshadows Eren dropping the ball by showing him literally dropping a ball.

At least now it means Historia is going to be relevant again soon. I don’t think I’ve ever said it before, but I lean towards the pregnancy being fake.

Yeah, Historia having a kid means Zeke’s dream can be easily undone, but Zeke probably realizes this and plans to overwrite King Fritz’s deal with the Founding Titan with one of his own: all future royal bearers of the Founding Titan will be infected with Zeke’s ideology instead.

After that, all he’d have to do is feed Eren to Historia. Zeke’s ideology takes over, and everything is set.

Eren needs Historia to eat Zeke, and Zeke would need Historia to eat Eren. And all the while Historia just wants to eat out Ymir.

Would Zeke really do that to his little brother?

…Yeah, he would. Zeke himself said Eren was just a key this whole time. He wants to save Eren from Grisha’s brainwashing, but remember that means convincing him life isn’t worth living. Because of that, Zeke probably wouldn’t even see it as a betrayal. From his perspective, it’d be him freeing Eren from the hell of life.

The reason why I think the pregnancy is fake is because I figure Zeke somehow coerced Historia into it, but then Eren told her about his true intentions and told her get pretend-pregnant. Then, once Zeke was disposed of, Historia could drop the act and live happily ever after.

(And then die with no heirs, thus leading to a succession crisis.)

And if the pregnancy actually is real?

Well, that would be a travesty and I’d rather not think about that.

This chapter has the most explicit endorsement of nationalism so far. Which is bad because no matter how much gold the series puts on it, nationalism is still a garbage heap of an ideology.  

Talking about nationalism and this series is a bit complicated because really there are two levels to this. There’s the depiction of nationalism in itself and then there’s that depiction as it relates to the social context of the story.

Just looking at the story, taking back the Founding Titan and actually having a ruler who cares for his subjects is very reasonable. King Fritz is a lunatic who believes Eldians deserve to die for the sins of their former Empire. And it’s understandable that people like Grisha would be pushed to support extreme beliefs like that the Empire must be restored.

Issues start to arise when you look at the social context of this story. King Fritz is pretty obviously a caricature of progressives who emphasize the need for society to own up to past sins. You see this in the United States with recent debates about Confederate monuments, for example.

Other debates about how the founding of the country is glorified and morally questionable actions like the three-fifths compromise are swept under the rug have been ongoing for literally centuries.

There are progressives who think these facts are not reflected upon enough, and then there are conservatives who think the progressives want Americans to hate being American.

Japan has a similar debate going on. The Japanese Empire of course did many awful things throughout its history, especially during World War II, when it tried to conquer East Asia. Japanese progressives argue this history is not given its due. (It isn’t)

King Fritz is obviously a caricature of these people and not a very flattering one. The strongest evidence that this series leans conservative is the echoing of the popular Japanese conservative talking point that the official history is a “masochistic” one designed to shame Japanese people.

Like, I don’t actually have to explain how the obvious parallel is obvious, do I?

Everything about King Fritz reads like a satire of liberals written by a Fox News pundit. Deranged king so obsessed with past sins he’s cool with his people dying for it? Did Sean Hannity write that?

Said King is a chump because he’s…a pacifist, which makes him weak, I guess. (How can a series be anti-war if #pacifismisforlosers?)

SNK’s brand of anti-pacifism seems reasonable on the surface, but when you consider the real world analogs the story’s set up, things start to fall apart.

The story’s message seems to be that the Eldians should be allowed to live as themselves with no outside interference and they should be allowed to use the wall titans to defend themselves if needed. That seems reasonable, but then you realize the Wall Titans are basically nukes, so the series is basically endorsing nuclear weapons and nuclear proliferation.

Nuclear weapons are not military weapons, as their in-story equivalents are set to be cast as. They’re used to wipe out women and children and unarmed people, and not for military uses. And their use leads to massive environmental damage.

It’s disturbing that the series treats the morality of their use as a given. Isayama doesn’t seem interested in grappling with this exceedingly difficult question at all. There is no debate between the characters on this, literally everyone wants to use them, even Armin who previously made a point of not wanting to.

It’s simply stunning that this series would set up such a weighty situation and just not grapple with the moral implications of it. Does Isayama even realize the metaphor he himself has written?

This isn’t to defend Fritz’s actions. Just up and leaving like he did was lazy and irresponsible, but that just ties back into the hyperbole of the caricature. The details aren’t important in the sense that what’s important is the overall statement being made. It may seem weird, defending the idea this character supposedly stands for, but not defending his literal actions in the story, but that’s because you’re not approaching the story from the perspective of satire.

Isayama’s laughable statements aside, Attack on Titan is clearly satirical. It is making its point through hyperbolic caricature. Though with King Fritz the series arguably veers into straw-manning.

It may be hyperbole, but no reasonable pacifist actually believes we should roll over and let other people kill us, and I honestly can’t believe we are apparently supposed to take this seriously.

The point is that pacifism is bad.

King Fritz swears a vow to renounce war, which the series has lambasted at every possible opportunity. This vow is directly analogous to the vow to renounce war contained in Japan’s constitution, which also binds future generations no matter their personal beliefs since, ya know, it’s the law.

Fritz does this because he believes it will lead to an everlasting peace, which also echoes Japan’s constitution, which renounces war specifically in the name of peace.

Article 9 in Japan is broadly popular with the public, but is criticized by a small usually conservative minority.

All of this is to say that the series echoes conservative talking points and generally seems to be written from that perspective.

Now we come to this chapter. Zeke explicitly refers to Grisha’s ideology as a nationalism and is then made to look like a dumbass for thinking Grisha is an evildoer.

#nationalistshavefeelingstoo.

Yeah, Grisha loves his family, but who cares? The series is clearly going frame Grisha forsaking his mission to be with his family as a mistake, because that’s what this series does! In the world of SNK, people who chase their dreams either fail in some way or are otherwise evil, unless that dream is to fight for the survival of your race, in which case you’re a hero.

Nationalism is bad because it’s an ideology centered on loving your race. It is an inherently exclusionary belief system. The series may not be afraid to criticize specific methods, but the idea of fighting for your race is itself not presented as a bad thing.

Even though in the real world, you would be hard pressed to find a similarly sympathetic example of a nationalist movement.

Nationalism is an inherently emotional ideology, it is fueled by grievance. The series acknowledges that certain expressions of nationalism can be fueled primarily by emotion, but we are also apparently supposed to think that a “rational” nationalism is possible.

In fact, rational nationalism is an oxymoron.

The idea of fighting for your race can never be rational because the notion is inherently irrational. The only people who would care enough about their race to emphasize fighting for it are the desperately insecure.

Whether it’s because they’re desperate for anything about themselves to love, like with Floch, or outraged over the targeting of their race specifically, like with Grisha, nationalism is never born out of some coldly rational thought process.

So now the Yeager Bros. finally succeed and Eren finally gets to betray Zeke. But wouldn’t you know it! It’s the royal who has control of the Founding Titan!

I was leaning against this idea, but for a while now I’ve had the inkling that the Founding Titan is supposed to be a metaphor for the concept of sovereignty, and now it seems that instinct was right.

Sovereignty refers to the absolute authority that governments have. In republics like the United States, sovereignty resides in the government, but it is exercised on behalf of the people.

In monarchies, sovereignty resides in the reigning monarch, who rules by God’s grace.

The key word here is “resides.” The king/president is merely a vessel for the sovereign authority of the government.

For many centuries, kings, and, later, officeholders in general, were thought of as having two bodies.

Their body natural, that is, their physical, human bodies.

And the body politic, that is, the power that comes with the office.

When the king dies, only their body natural dies, but the body politic is eternal and passes on to the next body natural that occupies the position of king.

The Founding Titan is apparently modeled after this idea. Each successive Eldian king is a vessel for the Founding Titan, which grants absolute authority over all Eldians, but only to those who are of royal blood, ie those with the right to rule.

Of course, only people with a legitimate claim to the throne may properly exercise sovereign authority, just as only Zeke may command the Founding Titan. As I said in an earlier post, as a commoner, Eren’s use of the Founding Titan is illegitimate by default.

Needing a royal sympathetic to his cause creates an opening for Historia to become relevant again and that just highlights how everything would’ve been better if Eren had just used her in the first place.

I get that Eren cares about his friends (really hoping he and Historia are just friends), but if you think that makes Eren sympathetic, then let me tell you a little secret: it doesn’t.

Prioritizing someone’s literal life over another’s simply because you know them is awful. It reduces the choice of what you should do to the randomness of who you just so happen to have gotten to know better.

If this was just about who Eren was going to spend a Saturday night with, then choosing based on rapport would be fine, but the stakes here are significantly higher. People are dead.

The excuse that Eren is doing this for his friend’s sake is no excuse at all.

At this point we’re half way through the fourth volume of this arc. The next chapter will probably wrap up this A Christmas Story riff and the chapter after that will most likely end with the Wall Titans finally being awakened.

Afterwards, I’m betting it’s just one more volume to close out the story proper and then maybe we’ll get a volume for that epilogue Isayama mentioned once in an interview.

[momtaku]

(1/4) I dunno mum. I love your meta, but no matter how much Pieck/Reiner (both well written characters that I love) rely on their friends, they still report to a Nazi-like regime. Even Magath though sympathetic, is complicit in training child soldiers and in a position of power rather than a brainwashed, second-class-citizen child. Their mission was to commit genocide and steal Paradis's resources from the start. I think we're looking at this too much by ideal shounen standards.

(2/4) By that measure Eren is a failure as a protagonist, which is why I think so many people hated him from the start, and especially now. His actions are undoubtedly not ethical, but - at least as far as Liberio goes- they are rational. Marley has a lot of balls to come after Paradis after planning and carrying out genocide on them (both with the Warriors and pure titans), and engineering a situation that would lead to the deaths of mostly Eldians civilians (after they had declared war).

(¾) I really feel for all sides. There are no good options. Even now, Eren has strayed so far from the ideal, the best defense for him is to hope Yams has something better planned (with all the clues we’ve gotten I do hope he does). Reiner and the warriors are victims, but their crimes go beyond what Paradis has done or could do short of the Rumbling. Zeke, his followers, and the Yeagerists are cruel at worst or delusional at best, but I cannot believe Eren is truly onboard with them.

(4/4) And Eren himself is still a teenager. To me, it’s disingenuous to compare him to Erwin. Based on who Erwin was, he would have handled the situation better. 100% without doubt. But Eren is a 19 year old kid, with powers no one understands, who has never been in an official position of power. Erwin was appointed, as a willing adult. Eren couldn’t seem to care less about the Yeagerists. At the very least, he’s radically anti-appeasement. At most… we’ll see what Yams planned for us.

(5/4) Not to say the civilian deaths in Liberio were morally right in any way, or that diplomacy shouldn’t morally have been the first option. I personally don’t see a better option than what occurred, considering your opponent 1) Already declared war on you, breaking Wall Maria after a peace agreement and, 2) would most likely send any negotiators back to you as pure titans, but I am no strategist. As much as I love Armin, it would have been nice to see Erwin’s take.

(6/4) Sorry for any salt. I respect the hell out of you. I agree with about 95% of your stuff and I really admire your respectful attitude, despite all the hate you receive. Keep up the good work!

I woke up to eleven asks this morning and was worried 😅 This is good though. I appreciate your thoughtful reply and I likewise respect the hell out of everything you’ve written here. I agree with about 95% of it. In fact I thought about some of these very things as I was writing my posts. 

The Marleyan regime was a nightmare. There’s no arguing that. All I can say is that everyone who was formerly in authority is dead except Magath, and he was pushing for change. He feels like someone who would sit across the table from people like Hange and Armin to make change that benefits everyone. I don’t have that confidence in Eren or the Jaegerists, who seem wholly nationalistic in their attitudes. If people like Floch and Yelena are indicative of the sort of leaders a restored Eldia would have, it would be as bad or worse than Marley. 

We can compare the wrongs of Marley, the wrongs of the Jaegerists, and the wrongs of ancient Eldia to try to determine who get’s the Award for Most Wrong, but I think that’s sort of pointless at this point. I really like the attitude Mr. Braus proposed in chapter 112 when he said it’s time for the adults to shoulder the sins and hatreds of the past. 

As you say, there are no good options. I don’t trust Marley. I don’t trust Eren, Zeke or the Jaegerists either. Like Pieck, I’m more inclined to put my trust in the individuals who I think can best effect change.

What you write about Eren and Erwin I also agree with. It highlights my biggest issue with Eren right now, namely, that he has no right to be unilaterally calling the shots. He’s confusing power with authority and shutting out the people who earned the right to be making decisions. He has his reasons, I’m sure he does, and I want to stay hopeful about those, but it’s wrong and people are suffering because of it. 

I hope this helps explain better my short post. Thank you again for letting me know your viewpoint on this! I hope we can chat again.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

🏰⚔️🐲 DMODT- 22 update... dragons are kittens

Eren and Levi were both late back the following morning. Eren had flown them back over to Eldia for their private night together, where they'd spent the night near the Draecia peninsula. Come morning, Eren had tried to hide away from the sun. Neither of them were hung over, but they were a mess, and neither wished to return to reality or the company of others... Eren woke in a playful mood, happy to take "advantage" of the fact Levi's clothes were ruined from where he'd slice them off with his magic. It took a bath in the ocean and Eren's magic to make them both look presentable again, and not like they'd spent the whole night doing less than respectable things. Flying them back to the Reiss manor, Erwin was waiting on the field near the cabins. The moment they'd landed, the man was lecturing him on his disappearance. It wasn't like Erwin hadn't know there was a chance of him not returning for the night. Levi wished he could follow Eren's lead by not being human. Eren hadn't shifted back, instead he was was standing tall behind Levi, almost daring Erwin to say something about his appearance. Erwin didn't, but unfortunately Levi couldn't stay "hidden" behind his omega's protection forever. Kissing Eren's forehead goodbye, he promised to see the mage later. Erwin had prepared an overly lengthy lecture for him, the blond didn't stop talking, even once they'd arrived back at the cabin the Eldia party was using. It was only him, Erwin and two guards, so it wasn't like they needed lavish rooms. All he really needed was a bed and somewhere to bathe. He'd thought everything that was happening with the festival would be planned down to the very last second, instead it seemed they very much went with the flow. He and Eren weren't even the last pair back. After his scolding from Erwin, and showering, it was time for breakfast and Levi was famished. Eren was a very demanding lover after all. And Levi loved being the one to make Eren fall apart beneath him. Grabbing a full loaf of fresh bread, butter and jam, he then brewed himself a fresh pot of tea and settled himself down at the kitchen table, sighing heavily as he did "Is there more I should know?" Pulling the opposite chair out, Erwin sat, launching right back into it "Mikasa and Armin wanted to know where both you and Eren had gone. It would seem Mikasa has feelings for Eren" No fucking shit "That's old news" "She's intending on asking for Eren's hand" Choking on the sip of tea he'd taken, Levi glared at the mug. Ok. He knew she held deep affections, but surely she must know Eren wasn't interested "She has no chance" "And how are you going to break this to her?" "Me? It's not my issue. If you haven't forgotten, I'm still engaged to Petra. I'm not the best person to be going to over relationship advice" "I didn't expect you and Eren to return to fucking quite so fast. It would problematic if everyone was to find out" "Everyone who?" "Everyone. We don't know if there are Marley based dragons here... I hope you kept things under wraps last night" "They all already know" Slamming his hands down on the table, Erwin rose "You idiot! Is he really worth all of this?!" "Erwin, you knew damn well it would be out in the public once we arrived here. Historia and Freya both knew with just one look. It's a dragon thing" Sinking down, the blond shook his head "I let you come up here, under the provision you didn't allow things to get out of hand" "You let me? That's rich. You know how much I missed him" "That doesn't mean you need to throw yourself all over him" "I've been carrying out my royal duty. I've been on all the walks and to all the sites the Reiss family wanted to show us, and since we've arrived, I've only spent two nights with Eren" "Without your bodyguard even knowing where you were" "Well, the first night we screwed down by the lake. Last night, we took a quick trip back to Eldia and went at it like rabbits near the beach. Is that what you want to hear? Or do you want to know how many times I knotted him? Or how many times I made him come?" "Why must you be so crass?!" "Because you're picking a fight over something so incredibly stupid. This festival is important to Eren, and important to me. Draecia is important..." "Why can't you listen to what I'm telling you?! I want you to be careful. We don't know if there may be a possible enemy here, and you've let your guard down as you're back with Eren. What if something had happened last night?" Levi tapped the brooch he'd attached on his fresh shirt "Eren has placed a portion of his magic inside this. This scale is one of his, and if anything happens, his magic will kick in" "That doesn't mean anything! Some poisons kill you in an instant" "I was surrounded by dragons and dragon riders. I couldn't have been safer" Could he be flattering himself to believe that Erwin wasn't being a dick for the sake of being a dick, but out of actual concern "You still should have told me. I heard nothing from you at all" "There wasn't exactly time, and other then when we returned Eldia, Eren and I were supervised" "He never should have taken you back to Eldia" "Eldia is special to him. All he wants is for the people of Eldia to be safe and happy. He knows the potential outcome of Zeke learning about his dragon status and his relationship with me" "So you two are still in a relationship?" Levi blinked. Yes? Was that not feeling obvious? "I'm serious when it comes to Eren. My affections for him hasn't changed in the least, despite our time apart" "Have you explained to him that Petra still resides at the castle, and your engagement is still in effect" "You don't need to keep harping on about it. You make it sound as if Eren and I have never had a serious conversation over the future. He hasn't openly talked about it, nor has he tried to rub it in anyone's face. We've been careful, and Eren takes herbs to prevent pregnancy, even with a dragon pregnancy lasting for two years. He understands the situation, and he only wants what's best for Eldia" Eren had explained in length what a dragon pregnancy entailed, after his talk with Historia and before he'd left Eldia. They weren't rushing things, even if they'd fallen into bed so fast, or at least, Levi didn't feel as if they were rushing things. They'd spent a year apart, with only letters between them, and still wanted to be with each other "Eldia can't afford to lose you... I can't afford to lose you" Placing down the piece of bread Levi had been buttering, he sighed deeply "I'm continuing to play my role, and I'm being cautious about it. Still, it isn't enough for you. Your puppet prince is doing his job, and you know it" "Levi" "No. That is enough. I wish to eat my breakfast in peace, before I have to return to the manor" "The manor? Again?" "Yes. I found myself unprepared yesterday, so today I'm going to talk with Historia about the rest of the festival" "Does that mean I'll be spending the day with Mikasa and Armin again?" "Does that bother you?" Erwin groaned, Levi enjoying the sound of pain "Mikasa is a tad forceful..." Snorting, he nodded. Understatement of the century right there "She is just that. That's why she's here, as Eren's body guard. So we didn't have to suffer her anger of them being separated" "She's bright, but she's far too focused on Eren's personal life. You won't be able to hide things between you and Eren, from her, for much longer" Levi already knew about just how invested in Eren, Mikasa was. He'd been enraged when Eren had written that she'd offered to share his heat with him. As far as Levi was concerned that was his right, as Eren's boyfriend. Spending four heats/ruts apart had been bad enough at it was, his ruts had been nearly unbearable without his partner to soothe the pain, and to take care of "Then I'll talk to her when the time comes. Even if she challenges me for Eren's hand, it is his decision in the end" "Is there any chance that Draecia will oppose your relationship?" Levi's alpha roared in the back of his mind. His eyes narrowing as his tone grew icy. Erwin had sounded fucking hopeful, and it hadn't gone missed "No. Because they actually fucking respect relationships around here. I am Eren's alpha. I am his master. I am his boyfriend. And I am his dragon rider. We are bonded by the vow taken upon the altar, but we were bonded before even that. I am so fucking sick of this. I get it. You hate him. You only want him around when it serves your purposes. He has proven himself time and time again, and that he has Eldia's best interests in heart. Why we must keep having these petty and ridiculous arguments, I do not know. But I am absolutely sick and tired of it. Never once has he placed anything in jeopardy. He is strong and he is brave. And I am proud of him" "We keep having these arguments because you keep putting yourself in danger!" "I do not!" "You're intimate with him. You were so, even when he couldn't control his magic" "His magic has never hurt me. Even when he was a child, and on death's door, he didn't hurt me. Even when he lost control mid-heat, he didn't hurt me. He doesn't want to hurt me. He doesn't want to hurt anyone!" "No one is that perfect. He turned those bandits to stone" Erwin was grasping at straws. He'd tried to give the man leeway, chalking things up to stress. Even over the past year, he'd found himself making excuses to excuse Erwin's behaviour. It wasn't easy living in the castle where your parents were murdered and being the last of the Smith line, nor was it easy to watch your country fall more and more under Marley control, when you didn't have the forces to resist. But god. He was so tired of it all... "The bandits who killed royal guard and tried to force themselves upon him. If it was either of us, we would have slaughtered them. The only difference is that he used magic, where we would run our swords through them! Now that my breakfast has been ruined, you can fuck right off to babysit Mikasa and Armin. I do not want to see you for the rest of the day" "You can't do that! I am your bodyguard" "No. I am yours. I'm the public face the kingdom hates. I am the one with the target on my back. And I am the one who is going to spend the afternoon being educated by Historia, because Draecia is an important ally and I don't want to turn them into an enemy" Rising from his seat, Levi left Erwin sitting there. He was so tired of fighting. Why couldn't he just have this time with Eren? They'd both been high on aphrodisiac wine, which had made having a serious conversation too hard, and he hadn't been able to ask when Eren was finally coming home. Marching up to the manor, the days in Draecia were so much warmer than Eldia. The sky bright and clear, apart from the dragons coming and going. There was little wonder as to why Eren's health had improved, despite falling pretty much along the same line of latitude, the air seemed to be so much more fresher, and everything so much more green. No doubt dragon magic was responsible for that, but he did feel some shame in the fact that Eldia wasn't doing quite so well. By the time he'd reached the manor, sweat beads rolled down his back uncomfortably, leaving him feeling like he must look horribly disheveled. In the heat of the sun, any other colour to black would have been preferable, but appearances must be kept up, and once inside the manor, he found the temperature much more agreeable. Historia was busy for most of the morning, so Levi made a pest of himself by settling down in the Reiss family's library, and reading. It was either that, or go back to Erwin., and that was liable to end in a fight. How could they possibly have the same fight almost every single day for over a year, and Erwin still think that Eren was bad for him? No one else who knew about them seemed to feel the same way... by that he meant Historia and Ymir... and they'd been by Eren's side when he couldn't be... it was just... exhausting. Historia appeared around lunchtime with lunch, the blonde bright and bubbly as she came to sit across from him on the plush floral sofa, placing a tray filled with sandwiches, fresh tea, and cups down on the table between them "I'm sorry, you know how It can be..." Waving her hand towards the door, Levi smiled as she blew a raspberry at it "I do, very much so" "My father and step mother are stubbornly set in their ways. They wish to keep with this policy of non-interference, even with Marley developing weapons to shoot down dragons. They say if they fall, then that's on them... it's a load of shit" Pouting and swearing. He'd never thought he'd see Historia do both so easily "Has that been happening often?" "As far as I'm concerned, for it to even happen once since the treaty, is far too often. And then you inform of us Marley attempting to gather dragon relics. It's as if he doesn't care if Draecia is wiped out" "I'm sorry to hear that" "I'm complaining far too much. Tell me what brings you up to the manor" Taking a cup from the tray, Levi poured himself a cup of tea "Would you believe I'm hiding from Erwin?" "Oh, no! Eren did say that Erwin didn't seem to approve of your relationship" "No. He doesn't. He sees no issue with using Eren like a pawn, or for jobs he doesn't want to do for himself, but it's tiring to hear how much he disapproves of our relationship" "Do you want me to put a little magic on him?" "No. He'd lose his shit, so you really shouldn't tempt me" Historia giggled "Aw... if you change your mind, I know an excellent spell that leave him itchy down there" Levi snorted so hard he nearly split his tea "Don't tempt me! He's a man of questionable bedroom morals... I think he'd declare it a crisis if he were to develop an itch" "Now you make me wish to try the spell even more" Sharing a small laugh, Levi leaned back into the sofa "Maybe I should keep it in mind. Actually, aside from Erwin, I wanted to ask if there is more I should be doing during this festival. I thought everything would be thoroughly planned, and down to the second given how respectful every dragon and dragon rider I've met has been" "Normally, it is a little more structured. Father... he had a falling out with some dragons and things happened. It sought of spiralled from there. But honestly, we dragons and dragon riders prefer to let things come as they may. It is much more natural that way, and if you haven't realised, we are very much about nature" "I've noticed. Still... last night, I felt as if I should have been standing... and Eren was far too intoxicated to make much sense" "You're doing just fine. Simply being here with him, shows a great respect in everyone's eyes, and it's clear you both adore each other. That's the main thing. Everyone knows you're human, and that it'll take time to learn things, so they don't actually care. Of course, we have to look like we do, because that's what been told to us as young children. No. You've proven yourself already when you didn't abandon him" Levi wasn't expecting that... he was sure he must have insulted more than a few people "Then... when do I give him his gifts?" Historia smiled broadly "Tonight. See, not all dragons can stay for the length of the festival, so we get all that out the way first. The markets being run today are mostly to trade wares from all over the world, and a last chance to buy a gift. The markets will be open for the whole duration, but as I said, some dragons need to return early" "I was quite surprised to find that not all dragons lived here" "Well, it'd be cramped if we all did. Some have established themselves as healers, using magic to hide their nature and walk among normal populations as simple magic users. Some dragons need the heat, while some need the cold. We don't usually tell anyone, as it makes them prey for less than desirable people. You're an exception as Eren is your partner and your dragon" "I have no intention of telling anyone your secrets" "You couldn't, even if you wished to. Eren would lose his shit" "That's very true. So tonight, I give him his gifts?" "Yes. And I know how much you love flying, so be prepared for another flight" "Over to the ocean again?" "Not quite... I don't want to spoil the surprise" "Erwin's going to be angry. He was mad I didn't inform him of my whereabouts last night" "Upset he wasn't invited?" "I probably would have killed him if he'd found a way to show his face. That fancy wine of yours certainly works" "Like you two need any prompting. Anyway, once lunch is finished, would you like to come with me? I'm not sure if Eren will be there, but I need to go retrieve Ymir, or she'll try and escape tonight's ceremony" "Are gifts not her thing?" "Oh, no. She loves gifts. She loves giving me gifts, it's receiving them..." Historia sighed, picking at a sandwich "... she had a hard past, before she finally became mine. You should see how much gold she has already, dragons adore gold. For every gift I give her, she gives me five back. It's actually really sweet, but then I have to sneak everything back into her room. Dragons are super picky about their spaces" "That doesn't sound like Eren" "I'm sure he doesn't know how to accept gifts without expecting something to be wrong. If that makes sense. Like a gift for a service... not that he thinks like that with you. It was just hard for him. He's lucky you found him that day" Levi had never thought of it like that. He'd known plenty of skeezy men who'd lured young children in with gifts. Just the thought of someone hurting him... He'd never told Eren that he'd also been on the streets, because he knew the shit that happened there. Eren had been so young, so it was better he forgot all he went through "He won't let me spoil him... I want to though, and I did bring smaller items..." "I'm sure whatever you have chosen for him, he will adore. He doesn't let the brooch you gifted him out of sight" "I hadn't expected him to like it so much" "Of course he does. It's a gift from you" Levi shook his head "I'm a good decade older than you, yet here you are, consoling me" Rolling her eyes, Historia gave him a very "Eren" look "I'm not consoling you. I'm educating you. There's a big difference" "I stand corrected" "Actually, you're sitting. But who's splitting hairs. Now, I need to feed my face. I'm starving and on my feet all morning" Chatting back and forth over lunch, Levi joined Historia as she headed off to find Ymir, and from the feeling of it, Eren too. Walking a well worn path through the forest, Historia sighed as she looked up towards the top of the hill, where a series of loud thuds drifted down from "Something wrong?" "No. Just our dragons being idiots. Stay close to me. Ymir will probably want to play" Confused and curious, Levi followed Historia up the hill, unable to stop himself from shaking his head as he watched what Ymir and Eren were up to. The two of them had, what could be described as a boulder, between them, using both their feet and their tails to smack it at each other, running round and chasing each other while ignoring the clearing they were ruining in the process. Watching the boulder come to a stop, Eren wriggled his butt, practically pouncing in it, before swatting at it with his feet. Racing across the space, Ymir stole the boulder from Eren, Eren jumping backwards before pouncing on her. Kicking him off, Ymir rolled the boulder away, smugly turning to place a clawed foot above it. Eren once again shaking his arse as he lined up his prey "He's like a damn kitten with a ball of yarn" "Yes. Yes they are. I told Ymir to magic up a ball in future, but they pop them too fast" "They pop them?" "They get so into their own little game, they forget everything else..." So magical balls could be popped? Ok... he didn't know why he needed to know that, but if Historia said so "Ymir! Eren!" Eren's pounce went sideways as Historia yelled his name, Levi cringing as Eren landed on his head. The kid still a total klutz... Ymir on the other hand wasn't done playing. With a swipe of her foot, the boulder was sent flying straight at them. Throwing himself sideways, Levi ducked and covered, waiting for an impact that never came. Cautiously opening his eyes, he watched as Historia sent the boulder rolling back up to the playful dragons "What the hell was that?" Historia doubled over laughing, shaking as she staggered over to offer him a hand up "Ymir. She knew I'd step in. You didn't have to dive like that" Letting himself be pulled up, his face felt warm... "I'm sorry. I'm not used to flying boulders coming right at me" "Eren wouldn't let anything happen to you" Catching the boulder, Eren brought on foot down on it, smashing it to pieces, Ymir barrelling into him as he did "Are they sane? And is that safe?" "All dragons love playing, or at least young ones do. Eren is no exception. Ymir however knows I've come to get her and doesn't want the game to end" "I think Eren just saw to that" "He did. He probably didn't take too kindly to Ymir sending the boulder down. Now, how you recovered?" "I'm fine" He sounded pouty, and completely unprincely "Good. Let's head up"" Shifting her form, Ymir came running when Historia was close enough. Catching her dragon, Historia smiled. Looking to Eren, his boyfriend walked over to him, nudging him with his nose "Hello to you too. I thought you had serious dragon things to attend to" "Our game was totally serious. Until Eren decided to ruin it" "You did away the boulder towards us" "I wasn't expecting the prince to run away" "I didn't run away. You try being human and having a massive boulder coming towards you" Eren huffed, shifting back and wrapping his arms around him possessively "Ymir knows she's not supposed to send the boulders flying" "You're just upset your prince ran like a girl. Oh! What's that?! Historia's a girl and she didn't run? Maybe he's a chicken?" "No. It means you're just a sore loser" "I'm pretty sure I'm winning. Have you seen my Historia?" "I'd rather my Levi!" "You can have him" "Good. You're fixing the field today. Levi and I have things to talk about" "Noooo. You destroyed the boulder! The rules are "whoever destroys the boulder, fixes the field!"" Releasing his hold around Levi's waist with his right arm, Eren waved his hand. The damage and the boulder dissolving away as the grass went about regrowing. It was kind of amazing... and over in seconds. He had no idea why they'd act like it was the hardest job in the world "Very nice, Eren. Your magic has come along beautifully" Ymir shot Eren a dirty look, Eren was sickly sweet as he replied "Thank you, Historia. It takes a delicate hand" "Oh, blow it out your arse, Storm Dragon. You wish your magic was as delicate as ours" "Mmmm. I do. It always feels so warm" "Your storms always smell nice too. That's enough niceness, let's go, Historia" Levi wasn't completely sure how the conversation ended in compliments, but as Historia and Ymir left, Eren nuzzled into his neck "It's fine. It's a dragon thing" "I don't think I'll ever understand. She didn't hurt you, did she?" "Maybe a few scales, but it's all fun and games" "It... was scary to watch. You two just jump on each other like it's nothing" Mouthing at his neck, Eren was a little shit "I didn't mean to make you worry. I'm honestly fine" Turning in his boyfriends arms, Levi slung his own over the teen's shoulders, leaning up to kiss him "You're more than fine" Sharing a deep kiss, it was warm and affectionate, and not matching the horny way Eren had been mouthing at his neck. Breaking the kiss, he stared up into Eren's bright eyes "So... we have all afternoon" "We do. I was thinking we could talk?" "Normally you want sex" "You make it sound like that's all I want" "Not all. But talking would be nice" "Good. I want to show you my room" "Only your room?" "I might show you more... like the kitchen" "Does that mean you'll cook for me?" Eren shook his head "It means you're cooking for me. It's hard being that big" Breaking their hug, Eren looked across the field. Holding one hand out, the grass seemed to grow, and seemed to get even greener? Arching an eyebrow, Levi looked to Eren in confusion "What was that?" "My scales being absorbed by the ground. Ymir likes to give her scales to Historia. I would have given mine to you, but they're only quite small. I hope you don't mind..." "No. They're your scales. Does it help the ground?" "Does it help the ground?" Obviously it had to help the ground. God. That wasn't what he meant to ask "Oh, yes. You probably can see how green Draecia is. It's because of all the magic in the soil. Ymir and I play here quite often, so I like to give back to the earth" "That's very like you" "I'm a visitor here. It'd be rude not to repay Draecia" Taking his hand, Eren lead him towards the forest path "Speaking of that... I was wondering when you planned to come home?" "I thought I'd told you? Once the festival is done, I can come back. I mean, obviously I need to come back to Draecia from time to time, but it's time for me to go and explore the world" Way too happy, Levi pulled Eren against him a little too hard. The alpha landing on his back, with Eren's knee dangerously close to his crotch. Both of them looking down, and letting out a sigh of relief "What are you sighing about?" "I don't want to break your dick with my knee. How would I even explain that?!" "I thought your magic fixed everything" "I'd prefer not to hurt you, or that wonderful dick of yours. Now, why did you pull me down in a fit of passion?" "Because you didn't tell me you were coming home! I've been stressing over this" "I thought I did" "No" "Oops. Hey, Levi. Guess what? I'm coming home soon" "Really? Thanks for letting me know. I'll have to get your room organised, no one's been inside since you left" "That's creepy" "It didn't feel right... but... if you're coming home, you can stay in my bed until your room's ready" "Oh? Really? Is that so?" Growling softly, Levi flipped them over, nuzzling at Eren's chest, as Eren laughed. Finally. Finally his boyfriend was coming back home "Yes. You and this sweet little arse of yours is mine" "Mmm... this sweet little arse is all yours" "Good... now, we're going to go talk. And you're going to pack" Eren nodded, his smile dropping on the edges of his mouth "We're staying... until the end of the festival, right?" "Of course. I don't want to take this away from you" Throwing his arms around him, Eren's happy scent flooded into his nose "I love you! Thank you!" "You're welcome, brat" As the pair of them detangled from each other, Levi's heart was racing as he panicked. Eren had told him he loved him! Without the influence of sex, or a knot, or wine... it may have been a slip of the tongue, but the elation he felt... it was scary...

[aotopmha]

Attack On Titan Chapter 113 Thoughts

The tl;dr version of it is that I’m getting kind of exhausted with the pacing. Firstly, waiting for the big shoe to drop - you know *something* has gotta be coming considering how AoT usually does things and secondly, also waiting for the thematic resolution.

I think the series has had several low points when it comes to pacing so far, but here it’s really kind of starting to get to me. I was patient with the Uprising and Marley arcs (the beginnings of which I consider the other pacing low points of the series, for Trost the drag is only essentially a couple of chapters, so it's not as big of an issue in comparison to those two arcs) because they were the very beginnings of exploring the story’s wider complexity, but right now that pit has already been explored quite a bit.

So once again, this chapter simply continues exploring some of the established thematic threads that I’ve gone into a bunch of times in my various posts already.

You can see Zeke’s complacency to the broken system he grew up under from how he thinks Levi would deal with his subordinates and how he actually deals his subordinates. Zeke hopes that if he does his job no matter the cost, it’ll lead to a better future and I suspect Eren might’ve caught that bug while interacting with him in Marley, too. Again, I’m pretty sure he’s affecting him in some way, just still not sure about the specifics yet.

Elaborating on Zeke a little bit, It seems like he is pretty content working for the sake of a horrible system, but he doesn’t realize doing so will not make it all go away and bring peace, but instead probably make it worse (perhaps he really believes doing this will "end it all" as he tells Reiner and Bertholt in the Shiganshina arc because that's what Marley promised).

How would he know he’s doing anything wrong if he hasn’t seen what's right and lived under a broken system like that his whole life?

He decided to do things better than his father, but he also, like many of the Marleyan Eldians (looking at his monologue against the SL) seems to believe the Marleyan propaganda (which is not how systems like Marley's work), so he’s really just keeping the system intact because he's stuck inside this one perspective he has and actually can't understand Levi. Him thinking he understands the SL's thinking when he actually doesn't is an interesting portrayal of that.

That or he just wants the world to burn at this point. I'm leaning more towards to the former, but there is still some uncertainty about pretty much everything here.

He's essentially like Karina, Grisha and Gabi, going off of the perspective he has. His perspective is understandable and human considering his position, however, Zeke is in no way being excused here, he's just being explained and he's interesting to me in the same way those other three are. I really like this and always will, but again, this is another repetition of this idea we've had several times already.

I don’t care much for Levi, but we have seen that he cares and respects his subordinates and friends; the biggest example of this is still probably his first squad.

Levi tells Erwin to go fight out there because that’s the morally right decision to make and he lets him die because he can’t bring himself to bring him back to be a weapon for the sake of everyone else. It would be morally wrong in his eyes.

Historia’s pregnancy kind of flies to the face of this idea depending on how you look at it, too. She was essentially forced into a decision to sacrifice herself to save everyone else. A very morally wrong decision, only understandable because it is for the sake of the survival of humanity. 

But they all also know this is wrong. They just saw no other choice, even if there might've been one.

Her whole character arc was about escaping this kind of position and finally living for herself.

In the end It all depends on how the story decides to present this idea - to me it would be the best if the pregnancy was fake.

But if it’s real, I feel like Historia and her child have to get a happy ending and freedom by the end of it. Some reward for the sacrifice, which is thematically appropriate in a different way.

In comparison, at this point, Zeke is only doing his job and that’s that, with no consideration of human lives and what they mean, while the opposite side knows that lesson and decides to fight to make those sacrifices mean something. So, it’s a thematic battle Zeke lost and we got some blood and gore to accompany it.

Levi won because he is accurately aware of the value of life, but still ready to put his feelings aside when needed, while Zeke didn’t expect that because he, again, probably doesn’t understand any perspective beyond his own - he doesn’t have that same empathy attached to his decisions because of his position as a warrior and focus on just doing his duty.

We see Reiner go on autopilot like this as a kid, too.

The question is, how does knowing, but still doing bad things make you any better than your enemy?

Well, it’s all about acknowledging that you do bad things and do the best to minimize them. This chapter's even called "Violence", which I think is a reference to the difference between blind cruelty and simple pragmatism.

Again, depending on how the situation is going to be framed and handled, how Historia is treated is that potential seed of thematic hypocrisy right there. Perhaps some of the hypocrisy might even be intentional considering how brutal Levi was with taking down Zeke.

However, "If you don’t sacrifice anything, you can’t achieve anything" is also an idea on the table here, as I mentioned above. If Historia's decision to go with having her child is framed as her personal sacrifice, and she and her child gain freedom, I’m alright with that.

So, these are the two main ways I see how this could work thematically right now: either commit to it by incorporating the sacrifice theme or make it solely about the idea of doing the "right" thing by having the SL have a risky plan that spares Historia up their sleeve.

I think it were the best option if the child was fake because it would keep to Historia's character arc and the SL’s principles more concretely, but I have a soft spot for the other because it incorporates the sacrifice idea, too, not just keeping to one idea.

So, these are basically the main ideas explored in the chapter.

There is a side visit to Floche, as well, aside from these elements - once again, this whole situation is also basically commentary on how fascist regimes usually come to be.

People want a strong leader when the current one seems incompetent. This is usually accompanied by a shitty economy and having a conflict with outside countries. It invloves a bunch of extreme views posited that appeal to the unhappy population, a raise in nationalism, placing importance on militarization and military strength, spreading propaganda of the leader being the shit, all that jazz.

The most famous irl example, of course, being Germany.

The “united against the whole world as an enemy” is a big wet dream for regimes like this - it keeps the necessary war going to lead attention away from the country’s inner problems and the propaganda puts the population under easy control.

So yeah, I think it’s a good chapter - the thematic substance is interesting and nuanced and currently also relevant, but I wish it would just get to it already. There can be a point reached when exploring the pit gets repetitive and boring.

[ghostmartyr]

SnK 113 Thoughts

See, there’s this fundamental problem with Zeke’s strategy for dealing with Levi.

It hinges on Levi having a good heart, and loving his subordinates.

It hinges on the world being a kind enough place to Levi that he’s ever believed he has the benefit of that bringing him something besides pain.

Didn’t anyone ever tell you, Zeke?

War is cruel.

And Levi prefers tea.

How frustrating must that have been, though? Day after day of watching every single person in the squad take a drink. Day after day of reading the same book, over and over again, dealing with the angriest little soldier that could.

All while Levi doesn’t drink a drop.

Or was it fun? Did it bring Zeke some joy to know that Levi’s only escape would be doing what was necessary, and his too-soft heart would never be capable of doing that?

It’s hilarious how badly Zeke misjudges Levi.

Like.

Zeke.

Kiddo.

(I’m gonna call you kiddo.)

Just because you don’t value your foot soldiers, just because you don’t think twice about the people you transform into monsters, just because you haven’t grown out of thinking of them as your tiny tin soldiers you can wind up for the heck of it and pop out their eyes if they happen to not follow your orders...

You think your lengthy moral defects are the only thing that can drive someone to be willing to throw bodies upon bodies on the chopping block?

You’re so angry when that last gasp of a charge comes after you in Shiganshina, because it’s so pointless. Throwing bodies at the problem doesn’t change anything. When you do it, though, you have a mission in mind. That makes your way better, right?

You think because their constant sacrificial ways are so ineffective, their hearts are less resolute?

You think their soldiers consenting to their sacrifice makes them weaker?

Zeke’s entire plan goes so smoothly. The Yeagerists are running unopposed, the MPs are poisoned (and hell, with the range on that, things somehow continue manage to get even worse), and Zeke’s on his way out of the woods.

His one mistake is misunderstanding Levi.

Or, again:

Misunderstanding the Survey Corps.

When Levi first wins against Zeke, it’s immediately after Zeke’s scornful judgment of the Scout recruits giving their lives away. These uninventive fools can’t come up with any strategy but killing themselves. It’s idiotic and pointless.

At that point in the story, we have some idea of Zeke’s abilities, but not the extent. Not the utility. He has sent hordes of mindless titans after people. He’s performed his role as a cog in the war machine exquisitely. The idea that seeing someone else do the same thing offends him... oh, but that’s fun. The world is Zeke’s playground, not someone else’s. His methods have purpose. Your fave could never.

Only the Survey Corps has always found purpose in their deaths. They accept a hopeless mission knowing that death is coming for all of them.

Their bodies are building a bridge over the walls that keep their people caged. Their deaths will never be meaningless. They will fight the best way they can, and do it with clear eyes and proud hearts.

Their sacrifices aren’t about a failure of imagination; they’re a testament to their will. Give them an inch, they will find a mile.

The walls start them out with so much less than an inch, so they improvise, and their bodies become the tools to carve a better future. For them? No, probably not. For the world. For their people.

That’s what Zeke derides.

He’s grown up surrounded by a society selling that myth; Marley will never let Eldians have a better future. Eldians are only tools, and Warriors are suckers for believing that they have a prayer of changing things. Zeke can, but Zeke? He’s royalty. He has royal blood. His belief that he can change something is backed by something solid and real, not fairy tales of a glorious death bringing about a new world.

Erwin is the one who orders the charge on Zeke.

He does not want to give that order, initially. He wants to be selfish. He wants to learn the truth. He wants to see it with his own eyes, something that every single Scout has always been denied, and gone into battle knowing they probably won’t be the one to finally figure it all out.

Levi is the one who brings Erwin back to the best of himself. He pulls the Commander back in. Give the order. If there’s even a single spark of light, chase it, even if it kills you, so your body can carry your comrades and people further onward.

The first time Eren is saved by Levi, he sees the wings on his back.

The Wings of Freedom are Levi’s to bear.

Heavier than any iron, they still fly.

If Zeke had understood that even a little, he would have transformed with the soldiers. He would have joined the mindless squad in killing Levi instead of assuming it was a done deal and saving his energy.

You don’t win in a world like this by saving tricks for the final hour. Every hour is your final hour.

Strength, time, and choices.

Those things aren’t real.

Zeke thinks he knows that lesson, but he thinks, somehow, that a squad of mindless titans is enough to take down Levi even though it never has been.

Levi’s done nothing but kill humans his whole life. Victims.

He’s the first character to give voice to that, when Hange announces the theory. While everyone’s reeling with the horror, Levi goes straight to his actions, and the implications of what he, himself, has done. He’s Humanity’s Strongest. That translates very quickly into being the person responsible for killing more Eldian victims than any other person on the island.

That doesn’t change what he does. The awareness doesn’t diminish his belief in its necessity.

Zeke misses that. Completely.

The Survey Corps is full of insane dreamers who are capable of envisioning a better world when all logic and history dictates it won’t happen. That isn’t the same as innocence or naivety. The surviving members of the Survey Corps are people who look at monsters twelve times their size, and decide that they are going to fight until one of them wins.

Zeke’s been to the rest of the world, where Titans are losing significance, but still so horrifying that it’s only the development of heavy artillery that’s finally making it possible for anything in the world to fight them. One tiny human against a titan? That’s over before it starts.

Paradis does not have the luxury of thinking that way. Yeah, they’ll probably die, but they’ll put in some work before they leave. Such is life. They aren’t strong enough to win for themselves, so this is their only chance to make use of their limited time.

Every soldier has a choice to make. MPs, Garrison, Survey Corps.

90% death rate.

That isn’t a choice, it’s just that the options are death (of you) or death (of your people). A choice you’re forced into isn’t something you can truly embrace as your own decision. Everyone is a slave to the system, and a fool if they think otherwise.

That paragraph describes Marley’s system perfectly, and that’s what Zeke grows up with.

It also is a relatively fair description of Paradis, and I’m sure plenty of citizens would see and agree with that argument.

But the dreamers who make up the Survey Corps transform that illusion of choice into intent. This is the one option the world offers for improvement? It’s hell? You and everyone who fights for it is going to die, possibly without making a single dent in anything?

Fine. That chance of light is infinitely better than the promise of darkness if we do nothing. Bring on the gloom and death, we don’t need to be the ones to overcome it, but we’re going to make damn sure the one who does has a starting line to plant their feet on.

Marley Warriors believe wholeheartedly that if they just try hard enough, and die well enough, they’ll bring a new dawn for their people.

The Survey Corps is much more cynical in their approach. They don’t say that their plans will work. They don’t make those promises. They say that this death comes closer to change than any of the others you have available, and we’ll all fight for it with you.

Marley’s hope is a lie that’s allowed to be called truth to bring in recruits.

Paradis’ hope is a tiny flicker in the far distance that’s almost unanimously regarded as a shared delusion by the people being fought for.

Zeke’s given up on it long before he ever knew about it.

That’s why he’ll never win against Levi.

It isn’t even a fight. Zeke runs, Levi wins because he catches him. Contact happens. Zeke loses.

Zeke has always been the one in control. He’s always been superior. He might have his issues with Grisha, but the belief that he’s special goes down to his roots. Only his blood relative (and whatever Xaver is, probably) is given the respect of hearing Zeke’s truest worldview. Everyone else couldn’t possible understand, after all.

Also worth a note is that even though Zeke says that Eren’s the only one who understands, that actually does not disprove the theory that mind control is involved, because Zeke has some really bizarrely fucked up beliefs about people’s autonomy. Eren could lose his pupils and go around saying, “Yes, Master Zeke,” and Zeke could still conceivably praise his baby brother for being on the right side.

I don’t know where I stand with all of that, since I still think that Eren is making his own (very stupid) choices, but it seems that it’s Zeke hour, so here’s the latest edition of Zeke being unreliable af as a narrator.

He calls the squad Levi killed “the poor things” when he’s the one who transformed them into titans.

Zeke’s a special snowflake douche who thinks that anything’s justified unless someone else is doing it.

Going by the ominous sunlight, Levi’s done with the middleman approach, and they’re off to see Historia.

Sooo. Options.

NPC Farmer Guy eats Zeke, Historia The Obviously Pregnant waits for her offspring to be born before she eats him in a few months.

Anticlimactic, heavy on convenience, low on Zeke and whatever his fucking plan is being revealed.

Levi and Historia fight so long about her eating Zeke while she’s pregnant that Zeke finds a way to escape.

Trite, overdone, and Zeke really sucks at running away from Levi except when

Pieck is there.

I still like this. I don’t feel that where Mikasa and Armin scrambled off to in a carriage was properly answered, and that means it’s likely that those carriages were heading to see the Queen, and since Pieck’s eyes were on them, heeeey.

Additionally, I remain of the opinion that Pieck is given too many clues about Zeke’s allegiances to be accidental. I don’t necessarily believe that she’s in on Zeke’s plan, but I believe he left the door open so she could be convinced to be part of his plan, and I think having her help Marley to the realization that Zeke is alive is well within Zeke’s contingencies.

He presumably knows Pieck better than he knows Levi. Otherwise, yeesh, we’ve got a grand mastermind who doesn’t actually understand anyone’s mind, and that would be so dull.

There is also a chance that Zeke’s plan aligns with what Marley wants just enough for Pieck to go with it for now. Or maybe Pieck’s given up on hope, too, and Zeke’s one of the few ways out, if only for shaking things up.

Alternatively,

Pieck is not there. Neither is Historia. 50/50 on NPC Farmer Guy being there, but badly wounded, only not because Levi is so Done that he’d probably feed Zeke to him, which I’m not even going to wait for the end of the bullet point to call idiotic and meaningless. His name’s NPC Farmer Guy for a reason.

Give me ????? allegiance Historia and give her fucking themes a chance to actually fucking matter to the fucking plot you fucking fucked up story.

Really fast now because I know people are done caring about me being angry about this: Since so much of this post has been dancing around the importance of consent as an aspect of sacrifice, I would like to point out that it’s very much been pro-consent, which means that if Historia actually is pregnant, I hope Zeke wins and every single character dies, because they’ve essentially ripped away a person’s agency before it’s even born to save their skins, and they can all go fuck themselves if they’re at that point.

(If you think I’m bad about this now, just wait until next month. I’ll repeat that verbatim probably, only with streamers and balloons with angry Sharpie marker eyes.)

...Oh. I guess I can’t shrink or cross this part out, because it’s actually to do with the story instead of my continued grievances. Damn it. Sigh.

Personal preferences aside (ha no not even a little), the thematic implications of Historia’s current narrative continue to infuriate, because it makes all the pretty words about the Survey Corps meaningless. They sacrifice themselves. They’re soldiers. They pick this. They have barely any choice at all, but they still make the choice and make it their own.

Breeding royal children sacrifices those children. The fact that it causes their mother pain, that it might be hard for the DNA providers, is something I feel is largely insignificant compared to that detail.

Because you know what happens when that’s how you think of a child?

Zeke.

Zeke is what happens.

SO YEAH GO AHEAD AND HAVE ANOTHER ROYAL KID WHO’S ONLY ALIVE BECAUSE OF THEIR SIGNIFICANT BLOOD I’M SURE IT WILL WORK OUT GREAT.

That kid’s going to be a person at some point. Counting on that person to not hate them?

To directly quote that person’s mother:

“Exterminate the Titans?! What a pain in the ass! Who’d volunteer to do that?! In fact, I think humanity’s the problem!! We should just let the Titans destroy mankind!”

In summary, your plan is bad because it’s morally bankrupt and directly opposes the ideals your organization has backed for a century moments after those ideals did something tangible for once.

What, fifteen-meter monsters are worth fighting, but a bunch of angry humans need to be scared into compliance because trying to make something better out of it is too hard?

I thought we all agreed we didn’t like Karl?

No?

If Historia’s really pregnant, and the plan to use her kid is still greenlit (still optimistically going with ‘if’) Paradis deserves Zeke. The only question is if they get current!Zeke, or Reiss!Zeke.

....

Fine, so that wasn’t fast at all.

Meanwhile, to our left, we continue to find reasons why that quoted line of thought above is way more tempting than any of the higher moral values like five characters are still trying to keep track of.

As much damage as titans do, they’re just tools. On every single level, humans are driving the monstrosities forward. Humans are literally and figuratively the monsters, and really, if you spend enough time dwelling on that, Eren’s completely dead look starts making sense, because why the fuck do you even try for a scrap of light when people like Floch take a spark and douse it in gasoline to burn the house down?

Circling us back around to why the Survey Corps is where our protagonists are supposed to come home to roost.

Because the world (people) is so fucking cruel, but worth fighting for. There is a victory, there is a better, and lying down in the crap everyone else has made of it is not the way to get there.

-cough- Eren -cough-

Eren’s the original protagonist because he embodies that. If you don’t fight, you don’t win.

Simba. You are more than what you have become.

Once upon a time, Armin tells Eren about a body of water larger than anyone could harvest, made entirely of salt. It’s an unthinkable wonder to a child locked in a box, but Eren believes him, and one day, he sees it.

Once upon a time, Armin talks about diplomacy, and making peace with the world without war, and Eren shuts him down.

Not all fighting’s violence. That’s the most visible symptom of emotional revolution, but the fight Eren wanted all the people around him to have so badly when he was a child is that revolution, not stabbing slavers in the chest (though that’s important too).

Zeke’s stagnated. Whatever he has planned, however much it drastically changes the world, however imaginative and creative it is, he thinks he’s living in a world where certain things are inevitable. He’s jumped off the treadmill, but the meteor’s still going to hit the gym. He’s just chosen to rearrange the furniture to his liking before it all explodes.

...I say, still waiting for the actual reveal of what his detailed strategy napkin says. If it’s, “let’s gather all our enemies to this one island and step on them,” I’m going to be disappointed, and also argue that a lot of people on the island would be able to understand those intentions perfectly.

Blah.

Zeke being The Worst somehow hit critical mass for me with this chapter, but I still want to know what’s going on in the basement his head. As badly as he misjudges Levi, he’s methodical about every decision he’s making. His plan might not be justifiable, but I’d be surprised if it made no sense, or didn’t look really good in some shades of light. Hearing it would be nice.

Flashback time with Real Dad Mister Xaver (CR, how sure are you that there’s no i in that) probably holds some key to that. Ugh.

Mean-fucking-while for real this time...

Oyyyyy.

Isayama has gotten better, on the whole, with every aspect of his writing.

His determination to drive the drill as deep into darkness as it’ll go at the kick off of each major arc remains... really unpleasant to read. I won’t go as far as to call it unrealistic, because wow humans, but I would argue that it’s routinely having characters roll 1s in their morality checks in order to bolster the ideals that the good guys value.

I don’t like it when stories make the strings that visible. People do get caught up in crap like this. It’s horrific, but this is a sudden drop into an area we’re unused to, with the narrative so plainly driving it home that these people are going too far that the sympathetic feelings that get them there are lacking.

Eren looking like the best choice to an island who feels they have no choices is understandable. Floch being convinced that you need a demon to win wars is understandable. Recruits groaning over learning how to fight titans when humans are their primary enemies (kiddos, learn how to fucking fight titans. the fact that the things are capable of existing should scare you into enough common sense to want that knowledge) is understandable.

But Yeagerists are chill with civilian deaths, collateral damage, poisoning key government leaders, and generally throwing their society into chaos for reasons of, “Eren is the only one who can save us!” while the audience is left looking at the pieces on the board and saying, “cool, but how? (also who cares when you guys are being this dickish)”

The divide in methods and thinking is too stark for the Yeagerists to come across as a force recognizable as anything besides angry children who are due to get smacked down. They’re 2013 parody of fandom perception of Eren personified.

Which. is not an unthinkable development, but it makes the bad things people do a lot harder to read when the driving force of character reasoning is flouting the banner of power and glory they’re gathering behind.

I actually feel oddly weird complaining about it now that I’m actually retreading it all. I don’t mind the fact that the wrongness of what the Yeagerists represent is so candid. I might have criticisms of the graceless way it’s written, but on the other hand...

The idea that these people are awful, and encouraging people who might not be that dipped in darkness to strip and get their feet wet, is maybe better than giving the kind of thinking they’re backing the time of day. Understanding how they all get there might smooth out the writing, buuuuut.

Destroying their old enemy turned some of their own into enemies, and the challenge, again and always, for the Survey Corps, is to want better in an environment that has given up on better in favor of glory.

In some ways, having these people be undeniably wrong, no matter how they got there, is somewhat refreshing.

As graceful as a damn anvil, which will continue to annoy, but. Yeah, sure, refreshing. Gracelessness is part of Attack on Titan’s charm.

Really fucking dark read, though.

Next month should be the end of the volume.

No matter what happens, I think we can all agree no one is prepared, and drinking will make everything worse.