First Impressions / Shingeki no Kyojin

「心臓の鼓動が聞こえる ―トロスト区攻防戦④―」 (Shinzo No Kodō Ga Kikoeru ―Torosuto Ku Kōbō Sen ④―)
“I Can Hear a Heart Beating ―Defense of Trost (4)―”

It’s another weekend, and with it, comes yet another insane episode of Shingeki no Kyojin. Suffice to say, it’s definitely fitting that I talked about the “definition of insanity” last week, because this week really starts taking things to another level in that respect. After all, never in the wildest dreams of our cast—and probably most of our viewers too—did they expect that they’d be siding with a Titan to fight against other Titans. I mean, there’s the phrase “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” but I don’t think it’s something that was meant to apply to this situation.

Either way, I’m pretty sure I can speak for most people when I say that this week was one of those episodes where viewers really got what they wanted—and to some degree expected—from this series. Indeed, it was it rife with action, Titan slaughtering, and a nice show of military tactics—and even topped it off with some key situations that led to some obvious development for some of our characters. For instance, Armin finally gets the chance to shine by being the brains behind the rather “crazy” plans this week, Jean starts to realize that sometimes the best commander isn’t necessarily someone who’s “strongest,” but someone who understands others and has a survival instinct (even if it’s because they’re scared), and Mikasa shows some emotional reactions to top things off too.

Suffice to say, there’s a lot this week—though all of the above pales in comparison to the revelation we get at the end, which is that Eren was indeed involved in the “special Titan.” Undoubtedly at this point, it’s definitely related to the shot from Eren’s father, but it doesn’t look like we’ll get much in terms of explanation for a bit, as it looks like the negative parts of human nature rear their nasty heads in the coming episodes again… as the preview hints at Eren being treated not as a hero, but as a threat. It’s not particularly surprising though, considering the situation everyone’s been through—however ridiculous it seems to us viewers—and it’s something that really adds to the experience to say the least.

Ultimately, what can I say? This is just one of those episodes where words aren’t really adequate, so I’ll let the screen caps (extra this week!) do the rest of the talking—a picture’s worth a thousand words after all!

Author’s Note: As usual, there will be a zero tolerance policy on spoilers. Spoilers should generally not be written in general if it can be avoided and any spoilers should have a comment detailing what kind of spoiler it is and should be in response to a query. Those found violating this will find their comment deleted and multiple violations (in the form of comment deletions) will lead to bans.

 

Preview

138 Comments

  1. Author’s Note: As usual, there will be a zero tolerance policy on spoilers. Spoilers should generally not be written in general if it can be avoided and any spoilers should have a comment detailing what kind of spoiler it is and should be in response to a query. Those found violating this will find their comment deleted and multiple violations (in the form of comment deletions) will lead to bans (a few have already been handed out).

    Zephyr
    Reply

      1. Precisely. They’re simply butthurt that you’ve pre-empted them. Much like how potential shoplifters react when they see a sign that reads “shoplifters will be persecuted”.

        Anonymous
        Reply

    11. There’s been so many gifs and pics of that particular scene.There was one pic of an person begging for paypal donations peeking over the wall and it said E Beg Town lol.

      Magoiichi
      Reply

    3. The scene with Mikasa hugging and checking Eren’s heartbeat can be summed up in one word: beautiful.

      So far, Shingeki no Kyojin is a shining example of how manga should be faithfully adapted: balanced storyline (i.e. cut unnecessary elements while keeping the delicious meat, no pun intended), appropriate pacing (i.e. no pointless shounen filler material), superb art that captures the manga feel, excellent soundtrack and last but not least, excellent seiyuus. I’m glad faithful adaptations are starting to be norm now for most studios. I remember the pain-filled days of rage whenever an Anime would veer off in some weird direction from the source material because of budget issues. catching up to manga, idiot writers/directors,, etc. Anyway, I did initially keep my expectations low (as I do with most series), but given that Shingeki no Kyojin has delivered above and beyond each week, I think I can safely raise my expectations for the rest of this season…

      Aoihoshikage
      Reply

  5. So it looks like if you get eaten by the Titans, you get pooped out as a new Titan. At first I thought Eren just turned into a Titan from it, but it looks like he kept his human body? but was just located at the back of the Titan’s neck.

    Essentially, the Titan’s weak point behind the neck looks to be killing the human that’s trapped there. =\

    Note: haven’t read manga, just guessing from what I’ve seen so far.

    nagi
    Reply

    2. There is alot more to it than that….Eren was clearly in a saddle assembly of some sort. Yeah, lots of internal…gore?….was rather covering it all up, but he was seated in something.

      He was riding the meat mech….a mech made of meat…

      skylion
      Reply

  6. Woah, Eren was a Titan-shifter all along? Thanks to all those wannabe spoilers out there on Youtube comments and Facebook fan pages, I had NOOOOOOO idea at all.

    Note: I already read the manga up to the latest chapter, but I feel bad for all those new to the series who had the rest of the story spoiled for them. What’s so satisfying about telling others about what lies ahead?

    I really don’t get some of these fans at all. If they can claim that they are actual fans of the series, why don’t they do their fellow fans a favour and stop going on about how “oh I so want to spoil” on the Shingeki No Kyojin Facebook page? Let those who want to stick to watching the anime series itself enjoy the experience, and the twists that are yet to come.

    Tremste
    Reply

    4. some people just love to spoil to act superior. They even call people who had only recently got into Shingeki no Kyojin by watching the anime as “anime-only-filthy-plebs”. Yeah, I don’t get them either.

      hyacinth
      Reply

    1. I think the stills are greatly used well placed. Don’t forget that anime runs on a budget and stills help for them to put animation where it is needed. I could assure you that if Shingeki No Kyojin didn’t use stills, the action would be less detailed. So to allow themselves to put more frames into the action, they simply relay the dialogue scenes with stills.

      Goodwill.Wright
      Reply

      2. @c2710 Not sure if srs bro. Obviously that slow motion falcon punch and colossal titan appearance scene was totally not movie quality. Oh and did I mention how terrible the hand drawn 3-D gear swings are? I mean they only practically drawn a character swinging around in all kinds of angles and still make them look realistic. Srsly, like where does the budget go to right? Bro.

        Just A Random Guy
        Reply

  10. Now if the idiots running things would let the tactical genius(Armin) formulate an attack plan and come up with a way of using Eren, but it looks like they’re going to do all the wrong things over and over again. Such is the way of bureaucrats.

    Bear
    Reply

      1. Probably not.

        If there were humans inside each titan there should be corpses left behind after the titan burns up/dissolves/whatever like how Eren popped out.

        There could be some sort of non-human inside that dies similarly to the titan’s though… or most of the titans are unmanned which would explain their kind of roaming autopilot behavior.

        In either case the weak spot probably exists because it’s where the “pilot” is or where the command nerve clusters or whatever for the titans are.

        qwert
        Reply

  15. I was beside myself when we finally got to see the gunnery scene from the opening. Loved it. Loving this anime, definitely in my top favorite animes of all time.

    Shingeki No Kyojin I also have to argue is one of the best technical animation in anime I have seen to date. The anatomy on the titans are very well done and when I first saw the advent of the Abnormal Titan, just the attention to muscle definition was quite eye-catching. Not to mention the overlay material they use on the Titan’s skin most of the time topped with the added amount of frames used to animate them.

    My only inverse and slightly negative opinion on this episode is that they used the money shot in the before episode. The Abnormal Titan had considerably less detail than the previous episode, lacking overlay and muscle definition at parts. But of course that doesn’t sour my opinion one bit. I am just happy and satisfied to see it defined at least once.

    Goodwill.Wright
    Reply

      2. Jean: “My! What big eyes you both have!”

        Parents: “All the better to see you with, my dear!”

        Jean: My! What big ears you both have!”

        Parents: “All the better to hear you with, my dear!”

        Jean: “What big teeth you both have!”

        Parents: “All the better to eat you with!”

        Jean: 0_o; “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

        Vaans
        Reply

  17. Those giants freaking smashed the walls with their faces.

    Giant: HELLO ALL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT OUR LORD AND SAVIOR? MAY I ALSO BORROW A CUP OF HUMAN? MY FEMME-LOOKING ASSOCIATE MAY ALSO LIKE TO HAVE TWO CUPS.

    The Truth is in the Axe
    Reply

  18. Why are people complaining about the stills? It makes absolutely perfect sense. Actually, I thought the budget management was superb this episode. We are on episode 7, with really one lowered budget episode, which did an amazing job of setting up the story. With almost no rest to the action, I’d expected this episode to have lower quality, but I was wrong. The team that managed the episode composition made the right decisions. There were decent amount of action sense, which kept a good quality, but on top of that, crucial moments have some of the most fluid and smooth animations I’ve seen in a while. Not only was there enough action scenes to feed our hungry stomachs, the quality of the scenes made it memorable to the viewers.

    The budget cuts on the stills were reasonable and at times, I think it added a different style of narration to the story. For example the scene of the squadron jumping on the roof, there was a couple of seconds that were just still images moving. To me that was a reasonable method, because in the past episodes, we’ve seen many visually stunning 3D maneuver gear use, if too much budget spent of drawing those, our value for those scenes drop. Another great cut I thought was the large panel scene of characters while the cast just voiced over it. Though it was only a long panel shot, the added effect made it much more enjoyable to watch, almost as if it had its own unique style of narrating.

    Honestly, I was stunned at the animation quality, I guess the last minute twitter recruitment payed off.

    For some reason, I feel a familiarity in the rhythm of this anime. It kind of feels like what I really expect to see from animes these days, but never get it. There is something extremely genuine and down to earth in the story telling that just distinguishes it from all of the other works. Now I did not read the manga, nor am I planning to soon, but I believe the manga has not finished yet. So I’m guessing the story will do what Full Metal Alchemist did in the first season, and finish with its own unique ending. Hopefully it won’t disappoint the fans!

    Just A Random Guy
    Reply

  22. I cried many tears with Mikasa, Erin was still alive and this is all I needed to end an ongoing trauma I had for almost two weeks now ergh! It looks like I was almost right with my “let’s hope Erin is controling it from the inside” that it isn’t some “fool’s hope,” dude am I so glad! I am loving seeing Armin’s strategy taking its action, and we have yet to see how “Armin” has saved both Mikasa and Erin in the past.

    Isn’t it odd that Erin’s father has been missing for five years or so? Even though what he has done to Erin is always on my mind, I’m not really sure if its related to this titan incident.

    I don’t know but I have no doubt in my mind that I would be put down under more stress in the following episodes to find out ergh!

    Thanks for your review, M.

    Mi-Chan
    Reply

  27. I wouldn’t mind Mikasa not showing her emotions often, as long when she’s shows them, it’s in a similar manner as how she showed them towards the end of this episode.

    paulrenzo
    Reply

  28. i died at
    “shove it up there ass”
    “ive never heard of that before”
    “does it work”
    hahahaha well played. but seriously though, everyone had hopes and dreams that it was eren in there but now hes “dead” theres no way. they gotta explain how he got limbs back and how he got into control of that titan. it was once hell of an episode. i think Armin is gonna be strategist thats wont fight, but act as general and make plans of attack.

    grktos
    Reply

  30. Awesome episode! Had expected Eren in some way responsible of the berserker, but never in my wildest dream he was piloting it like a Eva.

    PS: I’m glad RC start to take action against ill-intent-spoiler fan. I was avoiding RC altogether because of being spoiled several time in the last few season. Glad to be back. =D

    Bakaro
    Reply

  31. Sadly I knew it was coming. Worse I know what’s coming next and I haven’t read the manga. I just want to say thank you spoilers for reducing the enjoyment I got from this show in the beginning

    Bukszie
    Reply

  32. What? An episode that didn’t leave everyone in despair? Well the last episode ended on a high note and I hope that continues. It’s pretty nerve-racking when an episode ends with something like Eren getting eaten. I legitimately thought that the attack in the supply room would fail and everyone would get devoured because THAT’S a nerve-racking ending. I like how this episode ended. Never would’ve thought that Eren was actually “piloting” the Titan or so it seems. I thought he was the actual Titan. This just keeps on getting better and better.

    Zangkin
    Reply

  33. So Eren needs to be eaten so he can take over a titan’s body? If so that would really, really, really suck to be him.

    As for the preview next episode, it would be damn moronic of the king to try and kill the one weapon that destroyed what? over 8 titans by himself? So what if he becomes a threat later. He’s only 1 guy. The real threat would be if he was so popular he ended up usurping the king’s position in the hearts and minds of the populace and/or lead a revolution against the morons in power.

    My guess is that Eren’s going to go overboard and over confident until someone (Jean looks to be the best bet. Rival turned friend then dying is a staple) dies and he realizes that he isn’t invincible (like this episode getting overwhelmed)

    Zaku Fan
    Reply

    1. I wonder why Eren was still clothed after his transformation. I mean, this is Japan, who love lose-all-the-clothes transformations. It would make sense, with the giants being unclothed and sexless.

      jhpace1
      Reply

      1. From what we have seen Eren wasn’t really transformed into this Titan more like inside it and maybe controlling or some sort of symbiosis , parasite whatever this is

        Distortion
        Reply

    1. Oh .. nooo .. more like Neon Titan Evangelion .. that’s more like it .. giant humanoid biological robots .. check .. pilot goes near the back of the head .. check XD

      HunterWulf
      Reply

  36. Disclaimer: Have not read manga and have so far avoided most spoilers like the plague.

    Observing how society in this world works like in medieval times, and considering how humans like Eren could turn into Titans, could the Titans be a conspiracy by the nobles, deliberately manufactured artificially, to keep the population of the “plebs” in check?

    Anonymous
    Reply

    1. I’m thinking the titans were either some bioweapon or mutated humans that was unleashed in the past.

      I notice they reference the year as 850. So what happened in the year 0? That may be one of the answers to why the titans appeared and exactly what they are

      Zaku_Fan
      Reply

      1. Aye, bioweapons. When you think of the premise of the remnant humans being walled up in this final bastion, it just reminds me of those zombie apocalypse settings (i.e. World War Z), where bastions of what remained of humanity walled themselves up to protect themselves from the zombie epidemic.

        Anonymous
        Reply

    2. Hmm interesting, you gave me one crazy idea — what if the nobles [in your theory] are also conspiring with other nobles outside the wall? Meaning, there are several walled “countries” outside, and nobles from different countries conspire so the bastards can have all the resources in the world to themselves?

      Saki
      Reply

  37. HOLY CRAP!!!That (Nice)Titan was Eren?I thought he died!Such a surprise!
    I think that I learn a lot about those Titan now I saw Eren going out from the NECK of the Titan’corp.
    REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT EPISODE!So Epic!

    NoTitan
    Reply

  38. Zephyr, if you could enlighten me on when this happened, that would be great:

    Undoubtedly at this point, it’s definitely related to the shot from Eren’s father

    Just an episode would suffice.

    Can’t say I wasn’t a bit freaked out when they kept waiting to lure the Titan’s in for Armin’s plan. Almost got snapped at, so easily. Can’t believe there weren’t any casualties due to the plan.

    Wonder what Mikasa is referring to when she said that she and Eren were saved by Armin’s intuition and planning. Jeez, what else have these kids gone through? I’m ready for a flashback! Lol.

    Finally reached the climax of volume two (chapter 9ish). Was a complete curve-ball for me that Eren was that Titan. My face: :O

    Mikasa checking his heartbeat and crying subsequently… wow. So beautiful. She’s really fleshing out in these last few episodes.

    Ready for Levi next week (and how gg decides to romanize his name. Levi is what it sounds like, and Rivaille is more original I guess?). My favorite character by far, and hope that Kamiya Hiroshi does him justice with his distinguishable voice (Levi’s a bit different from his usual, a bit worried over here).

    Jel
    Reply

  39. Huh, they managed to fit in that Marco/Jean scene while skipping this Eren/Annie. =(

    Anyways, I’m loving this adaptation. Even knowing potato girl wasn’t going to die in that scene, I still held my breath. And at the end, when Mikasa was tearing up…the director and animators really did a good job in bringing out everyone’s expressions!

    Beedle
    Reply

  43. Damn, feels good to see them finally accomplish something hopeful (gas to escape). Poor potato girl cracking under pressure.

    As for the end I loved the looks on all their faces as eren titan destroyed the titan that ate Thomas. The music was just epic. Also glad that mikasa got her family back. I can’t wait for more potential flashbacks of how aramin saved eren and miskasa.

    Also when the show first started I thought it was ridiculous that the enemy were giant naked people, but seeing all those smiles this episode just continues to freak me out, especially the duo that was looking in on jean and the titan that put it’s eyes in front of the muskets. They are definitely menacing foes. It reminds me that the best freakiest aliens and monsters of past anime had human designs built into them, like the faces,jaws, eyes and hands of the BETA from last seasons MUV-LUV:TC being a recent example. So having the “creature” in this series being straight up human-like is a interesting choice, now that I’ve seen 8 eps it just works.

    Sherylfan
    Reply

    1. its not overrated because Shingeki deserves its praise because of its animation, story, the fact that it keeps true to the source material. Yes, the fanbase is worse than Sword Art but SAO was as overrated as it gets. The only cure for not being spoiled, don’t read any reviews or comments about this show, just go on websites to watch it, don’t even bother reading the comments and avoid tumblr at all costs.

      SDFSDG
      Reply

    3. One could argue that the fact there’s so much potential to spoil here means that there’s a lot in Shingeki worth spoiling in the first place… you know, epic things that are actual twists and really cause a lot of “WTFBBQ.”

      SAO on the other hand… arguably had nothing for which spoilers would greatly impact impressions of so… yeah.

      Also, I gotta say… I don’t know why you’re associating a series’ fanbase with your actual impressions of the series. Those two are two separate things entirely.

      Zephyr
      Reply

      1. To be fair, Kayaba Akihiko’s in-game identity was one of the few if not the only one major twist and ironically enough, that’s exactly what was spoiled for me. Oh well …

        Misk
        Reply

  46. Great episode to shine on some other characters today. Was touched to see Mikasa reunite with Eren.

    I decided to pick up the manga today to see where we are at. Since I know theres only 10 volumes and this series is expected for 25 episodes. I was hoping at best, we will get an unfinished end to the series but somewhat loyal to the manga like Btooom. However the 1st volume was animated into 5 eps! And I wouldnt even have known, the anime didnt make it feel like it was dragged with filters. So if we keep it up 5 volumes = 25 eps. We could possiblly anticipate a 2nd season in a year or 2?

    Btw, the anime quality is a great adaptation. The voice acting, music and cinematography better expressed the despair, hope, emotions and character personalities of this series.

    Perhaps I’ll get bashed for praising this series too much, but Im certainly enjoying this show.

    Altasia
    Reply

  48. Well, know i am curious how they will explain how they get so Big out of thin Air. If this was Space Sci-Fi, then they should explain where the Bio-“Angel Evangelion” Suit comes from, for our “Geeks” Fans. And how they regenerate lost limbs of the Pilot. Well, i think Eren will be now tolerated outside of the Walls as Ally, because there are still Fear. Better then trow out of the City or killed. He has to overcome the miss trust now. Hey it is still Human Nature, we are speaking here

    Germanguy
    Reply

  49. I would be glad to know that was Eren at the end of the last episode. The effect of the good guy being uber strong like that last scene where Eren knocking and chewin up giants, is a fleeting thing in this anime. I usually keep up with it for those scarce scenes alone, not to mention misaka/eren character dynamic.

    MrBrownSound
    Reply

      1. Lawl,keep’em coming!If this keeps up,I could see Shingeki being just as famous for it’s hilariously fan-made gifs,videos & pictures as the anime itself,or maybe even beyond that.

        MgMaster
        Reply

  54. this episode was amazing 😀 and at the end when mikasa cried, it really touched me cause all this time she kept a strong face for everyone and tried to keep eren’s memory alive, and the wave of relief that hits her when she finds that eren is safe brings out her tears and her inner self- she relies on eren because he gave her a new life and existence in the first place

    shinichick39
    Reply

  55. marco’s totally gay for jean…lol

    ending scene made me choke a lil…nice touch with the music…all around a good episode…sasha is still so much win…”i surrendered to titans!! WAHHHH” lol

    NierTevra
    Reply

  56. That lift scene where the titan turns…. F**k, I had to change my pants. Thankfully it was just the bladder that failed me, although the heart nearly gave out.

    On a unrelated note, I wonder if giving Mikasa or Rivaille a 3d Gear that combine with the Steam Ball and Adamantium-made blades would makes them damn near unstoppable.

    asba1991
    Reply

  57. My tears are welling up when Mikasa reached for Eren and felt his heartbeat. If anyone would still call her a Mary Sue after that, I don’t know. That’s just one of the most heartfelt scenes I have ever seen in anime (been watching for years).

    Saki
    Reply

  61. I feel so left out everytime I watch a new episode.All I can do is anticipate my favorite moments and marvel at how beautifully crafted they are.

    I’m still pissed they skipped the Eren vs Jean fist fight that happened way before the events in this episode.I was really looking forward to seeing that animated :/

    Oh well, badass Rivaille gets some screentime next episode <3 and yes, Levy is still a stupid name to give him, fansubbers, so stop it and get it right!

    Magoiichi
    Reply

  62. Sorry I know this may be a stupid idea but why dont they just live underground. I mean it would slove the titan problem. They would get hungry and eat or kill one another just like the human population.

    Also what happened to Eren’s Pops? Last time we saw him he was running back and was attacked I believe. I’m not sure?

    Also is Eren Stronger then Miskasa as he was the reason why she is so brutal?

    Don’t need answers to question 2 & 3 but number one is important lol.

    Dragonite88
    Reply

    1. the Titans don’t eat to live as it’s been mentioned. They eat humans for enjoyment and even if that-they don’t need the humans to sustain themselves and are more or less just lumbering, mindless husks that just happen to gobble up humans when they see them. and seriously, living underground? haha, sure, yeah, that’s an awful way for humanity to live.

      deerling
      Reply

    2. Lack of food production facilities underground. They are not advanced enough to have hydroponics or artificial sunlight.

      Lack of construction technology as seen when Armin said they couldn’t even move that big rock to block the hole in the wall

      Additionally, attacks by titans will be both greater in damage (bringing down the roof literally) and harder to defend (no 3D gear movement)

      Zaku_Fan
      Reply

  63. One of the best episodes so far, they surely answered a lot of questions (about the fate of our characters .. specially Eren, and about the Feral Titan) but they also created a dozen more of questions .. how did eren more from being in the stomach of a titan to being into the back of the head of another one (or maybe the same one) and control it ? .. how did he get his limbs back ? .. why couldn’t he try to communicate with Mikasa or Armin .. or maybe he didn’t recognize them at all .. i mean is Eren really himself when he is inside the titan or does his subconsious take over (so it’s all like “KILL TITANS .. KILL ALL TITANS” inside his head XD) !!?

    Then there is the preview .. the higher ups are clrealy afraid of him or want to capture and dissect him to understand how he did what he did .. or maybe both !!?

    Long story short .. they series just got 200% more interesting, Can’t wait to find the answer to all those questions .. just hope it isn’t another fantastic manga-based series that ends too early with some pointless anime-original ending (i’m looking at you Maoyuu Maou Yuusha).

    Oh and one last question i’m hoping to get a reply for (if it’s spoiler free) .. why did Eren’s Titan suddenly lose his ability to regenerate at the end of the episode when he clearly was able to regenerate before (he regenerated his arm in the previous episode when it got destroyed from a powerful punch he used on one of the titans) … so does that mean the regeneration ability has a limit (just want to know the thoughts of other non-manga readers) or is it a continuity mistake or something that will be revealed later .. if the answer is the third .. no spoilers please XD

    HunterWulf
    Reply

    1. If going for a half-joke I’d say they hired someone from Onemanga. Everything has to be super perfect, and even then its all do to personal preference, equal to a person who hates porn reviewing an ecchi series without a hint of objectivity to what its target audience is. Or perhaps I’m just tired of seeing their utter contempt to anything Kishi does regardless of what it is.

      As for reviews in general for professional organizations, even there it varies widely, even accounting for their huge range of biases!

      TheOrangeOne
      Reply

  65. Pretty obvious at this point that the giant skin-less titan is also piloted by a human much like Eren did. Its sentience and apparent overpowered abilities all point to that fact.

    Alabaster
    Reply

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