First Impressions / Shingeki no Kyojin

「慈悲 ―ストヘス区急襲②―」 (Jihi ―Sutohesu Ku Kyushu (2)―)
“Mercy ―Raid on the Stohess District (2)―”

The penultimate episode is upon us and what we start off with is a flashback to the past. In essence, Levi says it all:

“No one could’ve predicted that outcome.”

And it’s important not only because it emphasizes how theoretically no one was at fault for what happened out there and because it links in to how no one aside from Armin saw what we’re dealing with now either. But now that they’ve confirmed Annie to be the female Titan, both sides are officially risking everything and I wouldn’t have the first season of Shingeki ending any other way.

The problem? Eren still can’t accept it and he finds himself unable to transform as a result—giving us a repeat of the notion that it’s one thing to know what you need to do and what you should be doing, but another thing to accept it. In this respect, Eren demonstrates he’s still human by still having doubts and effectively being “hopeless optimistic” in how he believes in humanity and his friends, and admittedly, I quite admire this sentiment considering what he’s been through.

Sadly though, the Shingeki world’s a cruel one, and it’s one where there really is no place for the sentiment Eren holds. Whereas this belief and personality probably could’ve gotten him places in a normal world, it won’t get him anything here, and we see Eren finally giving up that “something” he needs in order to gain the power he wants and to change what he wants to change—in the form of his realization that there’s just no time to think about what’s right or wrong anymore. You fight because you have to and that’s all there is to it.

With that said, what this episode boils down to is the realization of what must be done to win a war whose scale eclipses one’s imagination, and it’s something that also shows itself in regards to how incompetent the military police are. Jean passing a bunch of shocked MP soldiers en-route to Eren and his realization of what it is he almost signed up for really makes this aspect of the episode shine, and the obvious increase in budget usage this episode took it from there. Suffice to say, the action aspects came back in a flurry this week, and it’s only fitting they’re accompanied by some darn great usage of Hiroyuki Sawano’s brilliant vocals to boot. It just goes to show how much of a difference a great soundtrack can make, and really, there just weren’t many series with soundtracks capable of challenging Shingeki’s soundtrack (soon to be soundtracks, as the second OST comes out on 10/16) this year.

Looking forward, the next week brings us the finale to the series that has effectively kick-started an entire cultural movement, and I don’t think we really needs words to describe the potential epicness that’s likely to come or the sadness one’ll get when realizing that it’s the last Shingeki episode we’ll get for a bit. Onward to next week!

Author’s Notes:

  • Per the usual, there’s a zero tolerance policy for spoilers that aren’t in spoiler tags or in response to a query.
  • Use your own discretion in regards to what you decide to speculate on. I won’t be requiring that spoiler tags be used, but note that if you don’t (or your speculation implies more than just that), viewers may down vote your comment to oblivion, and there would be nothing I can do to make your comment visible again. Also keep in mind that any speculation that seems beyond the scope of the word will be removed if deemed inappropriate or clearly based off the source material.

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    Preview

    127 Comments

        5. While there are fewer volumes left, I think there’s enough “stuff” for a second season. Especially if they go into individual side stories in more detail – it’d drag a lot less than waiting for Eren to pick up that boulder, anyway.

          Rob
          Reply

      2. In case you aren’t trolling…
        I haven’t reread the earlier chapters of the manga but I didn’t notice too many fillers. The flashbacks all appeared in the manga although the order in which they played out was a bit different. All in all a pretty good and faithful adaptation.

        Superlanboy
        Reply

        1. faithful adaptation?
          like other important plot from the manga that was change from the anime(annies father begging her, mikasas flashback)

          annies transformation flesh by flesh in the beginning was not in the manga
          jean was not in the meeting with erwin and the others in the manga
          eren got crushed by annie was not in the manga
          mikasa, jean, armin and the others fighting titan annie was not in the manga
          titan trap for annie was not in the manga
          jean getting out of the carriage was not in the manga

          wtf is cat doing there, cat is a titan?

          Espada
          Reply

        2. So, you’re saying if the adaptation isn’t 100% like the source material, it’s not a faithful adaptation?

          Why not complain that it’s not on paper and uses moving pictures? It’d be as much a valid complaint as everything else you’ve said.

          Da5id
          Reply

        3. c’mon now, no need to be too picky.

          Annie transforming into titan piece by piece is ok. I mean the mangaka can’t possibly draw it out piece by piece. That’s the difference between manga and anime. Manga is pictures, anime is moving animations. I think it’s perfectly ok for the animators to fill in the gaps between manga panels. Along with jean being in the meeting and getting out of carriage etc are just a minor detail change, doesn’t change the story. Same goes with the cat scene. No idea why it’s there but whatever lol

          Not sure about the annie father and stuff, didn’t read manga, can’t say much there. But eren getting crushed adds to the dramatic effect. I mean eren getting crushed doesn’t change the end result, he transformed just fine. And makes me wonder it must hurt trying to sit up while having wood through his right chest.

          A non-faithful adaptation would be full metal alchemist (in the later parts). The story is completely different. I’m talking about full metal alchemist, not full metal alchemist brotherhood if case someone is confused. SnK is faithful enough.

          inferno
          Reply

        4. We also can’t forget that the anime versions of manga are taking merely 17-30 or so pages of a chapter(s) (depending on how long each chapter of the series is) and having to fit what is otherwise a pretty short read into 26 minutes of animation. If one simply took the scenes panel by panel as they were exactly, you would more than likely not be able to extend it to that length, so this is where extra animation, a few additions here and there, and such come in. Not just for additional drama, emotion, etc., but simply to fill in the gaps to allow the material to be fit into an entire episode time frame.

          Otherwise, we’d probably end up with merely 10-15 minute segments, if not entire “episodes” (like various 3-4 minute 4koma-based anime that have been coming out lately) rather than what we have now.

          HalfDemonInuyasha
          Reply

        5. “unnecessary fillers
          unnecessary flashbacks
          unnecessary reactions
          unnecessary animation
          worst adaptation from the manga

          and thank god it will be over”

          Hmm, exactly which part of this post says anything about voicing about “opinion”.

          You know what? Lemme voice out my “opinion” of what you are

          “unnecessary short sentences
          unnecessary lack of caps
          unnecessary lack of punctuation
          unnecessary post
          most pathetic trolling attempt for this series

          and thank god it will be over”

          Anonymous
          Reply

        1. anime of the year? hell yeah I think so too, but not in your sense. I think SnK is amazing. Too amazing. Maybe it’s not perfect but there’s no way it is bad. If there’s something bad about it, I guess it’s because it’s so intense it’s bad for my heart. Apart from that, I guess it’d be manga updating too slowly. So it’s gonna be a while before season 2 comes out.

          inferno
          Reply

        2. @inferno

          Yeah, that’s one of the downsides to making an anime based on a manga that’s (nowhere near) finished. Either…

          A.) They end up having to wait a while in between seasons, assuming there will be multiple seasons, to allow the manga to pull ahead and release enough material to create that season while not catching up too quickly to the manga and further extend the waiting period for possibly another season. Usually made up for (to keep it alive until then) with anime-original filler material/OVAs/etc.

          …or, the equally, if not more common (mistake)…

          B.) They end up having to prematurely end the series with an anime original ending, usually one that’s pretty unsatisfactory, depending on how far ahead the manga is of the anime at that point and/or how they end it. A number of anime tend to fall under this category while only a few end up making up for it. (Like the Inuyasha anime, for example, ended quite suddenly and openly, feeling quite lame, but while it took a few years, they made up for it by releasing The Final Act, which finished up the series from where it left of, thus making up for it.)

          Sadly, my comparison to SnK, Claymore, ended like that with the anime version. While the anime ending was also a bit open, considering how the manga story has developed up to this point, I really don’t see how any further series of it could come out without completely retconning that anime original ending since, if they keep that ending, they’d more than likely have to revamp chunks of the story to make up for it which would probably lead to a complete debacle.

          HalfDemonInuyasha
          Reply

        3. Well that’s nice, complain AND add a spoiler.

          If you took the time off your whine/rant spree you might’ve realized that there’s still some time to put in that “oh so critical scene that’s been missing” in the next episode.

          The setup’s there, and again it’s really not that bad provided you remove that large stick out of your…

          Vagrant
          Reply

      5. what power do you have in a anime blog where 90% percent of visitors are children who wants some action?
        stop visiting this site then

        SNK anime adapation is superior and the manga is trash

        Exelsior
        Reply

        1. I would agree that the anime is indeed superior – mostly because the animation and music is simply stunning (Action mangas do tend to work better on screen – plus, this is Production I.G.)

          However, to call the manga trash is quite a leap. The manga is where the story comes from – so unless you are only watching SNK for the animation and music and NOT the story and characters, the manga is far from trash.

          Satch
          Reply

    4. I think someone said it best in last week’s post: SnK is like Shounen manga gone wrong. Rather than having the idealistic protagonist miraculously save the day, in SnK, Eren’s idealism gets more and more people killed. First Levi’s Squad, and now even more soldiers.

      Despite all this, I can’t find it in myself to blame Eren for being so naive. Sure, it is frustrating, but that’s the road to great character development. Annie is Eren’s friend and (since it seems like the anime skipped one of my favorite parts of the manga) mentor/sparring partner. It’s understandable that Eren was in denial even after she cleaved his head off with that kick.

      On to the animation– wow! This is where all the animation budget went to. All of Mikasa’s scenes– especially that part when she was getting pelted by all the debris– hell, even that acrobatic duo, that transformation-! I can’t even think of a coherent sentence to describe it beyond that was fucking awesome!

      I swear Mikasa took a page out of Levi’s book when she suddenly spun just as Annie grabbed her.

      Jean’s short introspection as he joined the battle was also a nice touch. This man has really grown from his experiences.

      Beedle
      Reply

      1. Talking about idealism I can´t help but think in Marlo, the boy from last week, and how he´s so alike Eren and very different at the same time. Marlo is naive and idealistic but lacks the one thing that helps Eren move foward and grow as a character: true motivation. Marlo wants to change the status quou to improve mankind but Eren wants to help mankind so they can destroy the titans, avenging all those who died at their hands; if Marlo doesn´t have anything close to that then everything he does will be hopeless.

        haseo0408
        Reply

      2. I think it was me? lol

        But yeah, it’s not really the naivety/idealism/etc. in general that I have a problem with. There will always be a main character(s) that will be like that.

        It more has to do with, like what tends to happen in many “typical” shonen style manga/anime (or at least what I’m used), the lack of any real (harsh) lessons and/or consequences by the (main) character(s) as a result of it that I have a problem with; the main character(s) seeming to have few really bad things happen to them, things seeming to “work themselves out” somehow (hax/convenient power-ups, pretty speeches, etc.) while not really changing/growing all that much, despite a bunch of experiences.

        For those who know Gundam, it’s like I tend to believe, “The 08th MS Team is the anti-SEED of the Gundam-verse”. Both of them have pretty idealistic main characters to the point of being unrealistic, yet they usually tend to cling to those ideals (specifically, not wanting to kill their enemies). Where they part, however, is that The 08th MS Team actually has very real consequences for not just the main character, but his team and others around him as well and, while he still wishes to believe in those ideals, he also does end up having to go against them at times, having to learn lessons the hard way. SEED, however, doesn’t really seem to have the main character “grow” in terms of learning lessons, but really just seem to have him dig himself even MORE into his naive idealism while, in the end, things seem to “work themselves out” without any real consequences against him and the others.

        HalfDemonInuyasha
        Reply

        1. Kira Yamato is actually my favorite Gundam character of all time =( But I do know what you mean. I love SeeD; Kira’s struggle was keeping his idealism in the face of war even when it got a lot of people killed– or when he was forced to kill. There was a quote I vaguely remember reading around that time that struck me; it was something along the lines of “a discarded ideal is merely a hobby”.

          To be fair, the Natural vs Coordinator war in SeeD is unlike SnK’s. For one, the humans in SnK can’t negotiate with the Titans yet.

          Destiny was a pile of crap that I couldn’t take seriously, though I did like how crybaby Yamato got upgraded to LegendKira.

          Beedle
          Reply

        2. My main problem with Kira was that, early on in SEED, similar to some other Gundam protagonists, he didn’t want nor like to kill, but he knew if he didn’t, he and his friends would be the ones to be killed instead. Basically, it was more of a mentality for war and, of course, it had effects. But to have him just suddenly shift to the “no killing anyone” (except the main baddie) coupled with being made nigh-“invincible” (again, except against the main baddie), even when others around him (nearly) die or kill other people just felt completely unbelievable/unrelatable, and it’s not like he really “changed” all that much from the beginning. The only real difference was that he decided to try not kill anyone under ANY circumstance rather than only if he had to to protect others.

          It’s why I see him as, considering how his character ended up established, the complete opposite to Shiro Amada of The 08th MS Team; both had come to adopt the ideal of not killing anyone, but with SEED, there were very few real consequences that resulted of his (and his group’s) actions or any real big lessons learned whereas Shiro ended up getting not just himself, but his team in trouble, both in and out of the battlefield, thus lessons and consequences to where he ended up having to kill not just Ginias, the main baddie, but even normal pilots like Topp or Norris, and not being all “everything’s okay in the end”.

          Even as “perfect” as Lacus can come off, I actually support her more than Kira because at least she acknowledges the hypocrisy of their actions in SEED. “We call for peace, but with weapons in our hands”, basically showing how, while they keep trying to tell people to stop fighting, they’re essentially doing so while holding a gun to their head and fighting themselves, thus even if the fighting does stop, it would only be a temporary, half-hearted solution because it would do nothing to solve the actual problems causing the fighting in the first place.

          Same with 00, at least in Season 1, I supported it more because, unlike SEED/SEED Destiny, their whole point WAS to get the world to unite against them so they stop fighting with eachother. SEED/SEED Destiny was all about getting EVERYONE to stop, yet they themselves were doing a lot of fighting themselves as if they were somehow “special”. I just couldn’t really get behind them or their cause because of it.

          HalfDemonInuyasha
          Reply

        3. In SEED’s (the first season) defense, the whole “Were gonna get everybody to stop fighting by fighting them” hypocrisy is really only present/apparent in DESTINY. In SEED it was more “Prevent both sides from committing genocide and remove the radical elements that are keeping each side on the war path.”

          Zetatrain
          Reply

    6. Omg, did you guys see mikasa when she’s talking to eren.

      Mikasa: Why don’t you fight annie? You have some special feelings for her?
      Eren: …

      If I didn’t know the context and watched that scene, that’ll be the scariest yandere there is.

      And… scenes after scenes of sakuga animation. I wonder how big their budget is.

      inferno
      Reply

        2. In the manga Mikasa said the line with a much scarier expression, like she was acusing Eren of something. In the anime you just see the jelousy, in both cases you can fell she´s really jelous because she feels the bond between is special. But talking seriously there, is no secret that Mikasa sees Eren as something more than family, he´s her entire world, without him Mikasa would be just a killing machine, holding on to life for the sake of the memory of Eren, it´s not really healthey for her but after what she´s been through is a miracle she can feel anything for anyone.

          haseo0408
          Reply

    8. As much as I love this show, they really jumped the gun in making it. This first season covered 8 volumes and Japan’s not even getting Volume 12 until April. We’re going to have to wait at least over a year before they even have enough material to make a second season.

      That said, still looking forward to the English release. Hopefully that’ll push the process along.

      Da5id
      Reply

      1. I´m sad for saying this but I think it would be at the very least 3 years of waiting, I read the manga and right now the story is in a turning point that could extend the arc much more than any other before. Danm this is going to be a long wait!.

        haseo0408
        Reply

    9. That 2nd female titan capture and all that chasing scene before that, wasn’t that anime only? Not that it was bad in any way, but they needed to drag it a little bit before the actual titan vs titan fight, so that they can end the first season the way they’ll do.

      boingman
      Reply

    11. I gotta say Mika looked hella creepy when she was telling Eren man up and fight Annie o_O.

      That having to bite your hand so hard in order to transform kind of sucks especially if it doesn’t work.
      Almost looked like he was eating his hand! lol xD.

      Sucks the next episode is the last but i’m sure next season (once it’s confirmed) will be even 10 times more epic! ^_^

      leatherhead333
      Reply

        3. @rukia

          Something to live for beyond the person you owe your whole life in post-apocalyptic Earth, with a minute chance of surviving the next day and in constant danger of being eaten by a titan?

          Well there’s always Jean…

          TheMoondoggie
          Reply

    16. I dont know why few people hate the anime being not 100% but for me heck its one of if not the current best adaptation for past seasons of anime from manga, not to mention the quality …heck the moment Chitanda the large Titan appeared at the end of fist episode we expect anime orgasm all season round for the series and it never ends…. episode by episode… its the first series i guess for those who haven’t seen the manga to love muscles(literally)eating each other… and anatomical models sales will surly will be part of you collections (for some of those who need a titan for your diorama with cast of SnK Figma)

      HawHaw
      Reply

    17. This anime is turning quite shitty lately in contrast to the beginning, nothing happens in the first 3/4 and its full of flash backs and then an adrenaline filled last 5 mins, just to give you goosebumps. You could literally watch the last quarter and you wouldn’t miss anything. They are milking it now.. lol

      polesp
      Reply

      1. But that’s because the manga was full of flashbacks too(in the early chapters) to explain more about the current events in the story. It pans out afterwards, with flashbacks appearing when only necessary.

        And what’s so wrong with flashbacks? It’s a good source of explanation and a nice way of world building which you can insert anywhere without disturbing the present feel of the story. Unless if the flashback is too long, it won’t disrupt anything.

        TheMoondoggie
        Reply

    18. 2/5

      Worst episode since the end of the drawn-out Trost saga, for me. I could see how off the art was during the animation so much that it completely detracted from what I was watching. My eyes never picked up on art issues during 3DMG before. Minimal detail. Expected jaw-dropping animation smex after reading the first few comments… and I ended up just watching a (mostly) non-fluid sequence of shots requiring a ton of BD touch-ups. Not good.

      The worst part of the ep wasn’t art/animation, though–it was the blatant stupidity of the action itself. I honestly can’t remember exactly how the manga went, but I’m pretty sure Eren transformed after the Mikasa bit (vaguely recall the ‘run both ways’ plan). The entire scouting legion (bar Erwin, Levi & Jean) were lying in wait – we even saw the non-disguised ones waiting on rooftop – but it was all up to Armin and Mikasa?… And there was this bit where Jean arrived and Armin RAN BY Annie’s foot, after being a distance away from her in the shot prior; Annie not moving to squish him. Time-wasting action bullshit that lead nowhere and looked bad. Had filler written all over it.

      I know Shingeki has pacing issues. I knew only one chapter would be adapted. I knew Eren wouldn’t transform until the end for a cliffhanger. But even knowing all that and liking the series, it got to me. The episode was like a mix of everything bad about the show: talking about what we already know; awful art consistency; nothing happening in an ep (Eren transformed… that’s it). And the fact it’s gonna end next ep with little more than another single chapter unless the ep is extended for the cinema makes it all but certain that it’s gonna end with a whimper. Ep21 was the high-point of the show and it’s been on its way down ever since.

      …positives? Mikasa’s face when she was questioning Eren about his lack of passion when duty calls. The closest she’s got to yandere. Eren deffo needs one of those JP school girls bringing him a bento, if only to see how Mikasa reacts/whether she kills the other girl, herself, Eren or all three.

      AironicallyHuman
      Reply

      1. in my opinion, this ep is not as bad as you think. I believe it’s because you have read the manga and already knew what was going to happen. For me (haven’t read the manga), I have no idea who’s going to die next. So everytime when they go into extended action scenes (the so called dragged out filler action in your case) actually make me a little nervous. Everytime when they fight, I never know whether someone will die. In this ep, when Mikasa and Armin said they’d sacrifice themselve so not all three of them have to die, I was worried that Mikasa or Armin would die. And during the Mikasa vs Annie titan, I was afraid that Mikasa might be killed and give it a tragic ending to SnK. But then again, I guess you have a point.

        As a manga reader, you already know what will happen, so since you know for sure mikasa isn’t going to die, the action will just be some fancy effects that are made to fill in the space. But for me, it’s not. Every action made can be lethal (my heart almost stopped when annie actually managed to grab mikasa). Not trying to prove you wrong or anything. In fact, you may actually be right. Just thought I’d let you know my point of view so you can kinda understand why some people like me likes this ep.

        And you’re comment about the yandere part, lol I totally agree. The next special SnK ep, they can make annie or someone bring eren a bento and have mikasa go rampant.

        inferno
        Reply

        1. Reading this comment reminded me of something. Persona 4 The Animation, that fake bad ending (Mitsuo). That trolled so many people since they knew a lot of people that would watch the show already played the game. It wasn’t 100% faithful, yet a lot of people loved it.

          Also I read the manga yet I loved the bits of filler they add in, I have to say it almost made it look like it was going to a different ending, but I held off my opinion to the end. That part when they trapped her the second time I was wondering if she was really going to break out or will they capture her there.

          winters
          Reply

      2. I personally find the character reinforcement for Jean, and the little air time just to keep characters like Hanji relevant acceptable for fillers. An so are extended fight scenes. Better those than other fillers.

        The studio handles their fillers pretty well compared to some imho.

        It’s already understood that they’re trying to end s1 at a particular point, and given that objective the fillers could’ve been much much worse… like say several new episodes devoted to an anime only side character based around a plot loosely related to the source material.

        Vagrant
        Reply

      3. The worst part of the ep wasn’t art/animation, though–it was the blatant stupidity of the action itself. I honestly can’t remember exactly how the manga went, but I’m pretty sure Eren transformed after the Mikasa bit (vaguely recall the ‘run both ways’ plan).

        Most everything after the eyecatch was filler– glorious filler that shined a spotlight on the rest of the cast and not just the main three. Up to this point, I can only agree to disagree with you; difference in taste and all. From tolerance to whatever you deem is inconsistent art, that’s all subjective.

        The entire scouting legion (bar Erwin, Levi & Jean) were lying in wait – we even saw the non-disguised ones waiting on rooftop – but it was all up to Armin and Mikasa?…

        This scene was actually one of the better fillers I’ve seen. It sure made much more sense than the absurdity of the manga’s version.

        1) Hanji’s team was Erwin’s backup plan. This is in line with Erwin’s character, and this strategy was no different from the one he employed in the forest– and there was nothing stupid about that. In the manga, the plan banked solely on Eren’s ability to transform from the get-go and taking Annie down. There were no backups; that was stupid.

        2) Mikasa, Armin, and Jean weren’t the only ones fighting Annie. While the Police stood there gaping, the Recon Corps rushed to battle. Off the top of my head, there were at least three instances that directly contradict what you’re spouting: Erwin ordering all able-bodied soldiers to join the fight, the group that picked up the fight when Mikasa was knocked down the first time, and that acrobatic duo that tried to take Annie by surprise.

        So, no; it was not “all up to Mikasa and Armin”, though they did have more scenes because they’re actually named characters.

        And there was this bit where Jean arrived and Armin RAN BY Annie’s foot, after being a distance away from her in the shot prior; Annie not moving to squish him.

        Annie was distracted. The whole point of Armin’s cutting words and Jean’s stunt was to distract Annie then bait her. And as we’ve seen in the previous arc, Armin knows exactly which words will confuse Annie– and that Annie doesn’t want to kill her friends at all if she can help it.

        Again, I’d argue that what Armin did there was pretty clever. If Armin had used his 3DMG in front of Annie, she’d just swat him out of the air or grab his line, so Armin did something completely unexpected and ran behind her. If anything else, it was much less threatening than charging at her with his swords drawn.

        Time-wasting action bullshit that lead nowhere and looked bad. Had filler written all over it.

        Action sequences do waste story-telling time and thus are filler. That’s a given. Action sequence are about feats; the most story-telling you can get out of it is how desperate a struggle is.

        In my opinion, there’s a lot of bullshit filler out there, but this isn’t one of them. This filler showcased how much the cast has grown, allowed the supporting cast to shine without breaking character, and reinforced how deadly an adversary an intelligent titan is.

        Beedle
        Reply

        1. “Annie was distracted. The whole point of Armin’s cutting words and Jean’s stunt was to distract Annie then bait her. And as we’ve seen in the previous arc, Armin knows exactly which words will confuse Annie– and that Annie doesn’t want to kill her friends at all if she can help it.”

          (can’t seem to get the quote tags working properly)

          I like that idea. That concept of Annie being reluctant to kill the people she actually got to know better, or in one way or form has accepted her as “Annie”.

          That wasn’t brought across well in the manga, and the few fillers we get helps to add/reinforce that notion.

          Also what’s with all the people complaining about the fillers. Like I’ve said a hundred times “it ain’t that bad compared to other anime”

          We’ve also established that the mangaka actually contribute to the creation/selection of filler scenes. And Some are actual scenes they decided to omit from the manga (probably for space/printing/page limit reasons). But that doesn’t make them any less valid as they still part of the creators ideas for the story.

          It’s one thing to be objectively critical and another thing to “whine” about it like some manga only puritan, There are fillers that helps the original source material and there are those that are complete crap money grab to simply extend the money roll.

          Vagrant
          Reply

    19. I’m a bit surprised that Annie outright ‘revealed‘ herself to Eren. I’ve read the manga but I only noticed this detail after watching the scene in the anime.

      I was disgusted by all the corpses in this episode caused by Annie. Just… squashed like ants.

      Eren biting his hand was also a bit ‘gory’ for me. His hand was just spilling blood and I was beginning to wonder how hard was he biting?! Whoa!

      I agree with you Zephyr that Eren’s dilemma is legit. He is torn between wanting to fight to avenge his friends and save humanity, but also doesn’t want to fight to the death versus a friend– someone he respects to a certain extent at that. He comes to the conclusion that there is no time to think about whether it’s right or wrong… and finally gains the resolve to transform and fight. As said in Shakespeare’s Hamlet,

      There is nothing neither good or bad, but thinking makes it so.

      It seems that the MP are pretty out of the loop on everything, which I found to be pretty comical. We saw last week that they had to get permission to use 3D gear. Lol. And this week we see that they didn’t even know the Recon Corps plan about Annie possibly being the Female Titan and that she might pose to be a problem within the inner city. Erwin even tells them there is a Titan, and they still refuse to believe anything has gone wrong, and instead threaten to kill Erwin (lol with guns, not even 3D gear). At least we get to see Jean reflecting on how he almost became one of them, as he puts it.

      Also, loving these anime-only scenes. Every bit of them.

      On a side note, I must be one of the only ones that appreciate Kaji Yuki’s voice, especially when he does Eren’s screaming-angry voice like when he talks about annihilating every Titan, and when he is like this.

      Jel
      Reply

      1. Yuki Kaji really put his heart into voicing Eren. It’s amazing how he can switch between a child’s voice (a role reserved mostly for female VAs) and growling of a monster (motto! MOTTO! KOROSHITAI!). I believe he is extremely talented, he just doesn’t have much luck when it comes to the choice of characters he voices and often ends up as a spineless harem comedy protag or the variation of such.

        SherrisLok
        Reply

      2. My favorite voice acting by him in this series is the part where he is in military court. The best was when he simply screamed “WAIT” when they accused Mikasa of possibly being a titan too. He just sounded awesome!!!

        zandy
        Reply

      1. And when you consider Marlowe, the guy who said it, is voiced by Sugita Tomokazu, then we have an epic comedic quip. I wouldn’t be totally surprised if this was actually one of Sugita’s trademark unscripted ad-libs he’s so prone on doing in shows like Gintama.

        echykr
        Reply

    21. Mikasa to Eren: Or do you have certain feelings for her? Is that’s what’s stopping you?

      She’s saying that to Eren with a glare that says “you better have no feelings for her or i’ll f**king kill ya”

      ufobaby
      Reply

    24. Those MPs. They where the top in their class, worked their butts off to live in a safe place, yet what happens? They freeze up when they have to do “real” work. I do love it when those “elite” that looks down on others finds themselves in situations where those they look down on are a lot more useful then they are. Also love that one part in the manga, Show Spoiler ▼

      winters
      Reply

    25. I’d never thought you’d need a Plan C just so you can use it out of alphabetical order…

      …And then there’s Hanji-san, who should have some Yuno-photoshops done and posted onto the internet by now, but Mikasa overshadowed her.

      At least this week’s episode was more action packed than the manga equivinent rather than the other way around.

      info600
      Reply

    26. I was a little worried after watching the preview, I hope that talk about ‘Eren destroying the world’ was just a figure of speech, otherwise I’m afraid of anime-only ending, which would suck imo. o.o

      Misk
      Reply

    28. Oh god, Erin. I think it wasn’t just Erin that had a resolution that it is time for Annie to die, but I think I needed this episode as well. You see I love Annie, and I couldn’t farthom the fact that she killed so many. I can’t ignore the fact she wiped out Levi’s team, she played yo-yo with people, she killed many innocent peopel, and above all was almost on the brink of killing Reiner. I cannot forgive her anymore. It was really sad seeing Levi talk a lot, knowing that he probably was feeling the emptiness of his now-gone team.

      Of cours Mikasa was amazing this episode, I really feel bad for her, because I think she’s at her limit with this Annie ordeal, how many times she almost lost Erin (her whole life) before her eyes? I think she’s just lost it. Am I the only one that noticed that Annie could have killed Mikasa when she was lying on the ground, but when she noticed that she’s passed out, she let her be. What is up with you Annie! I want to know. I have to say though, that I cannot forgive her ever, I need a god damn good reason.

      So next week is the last episode? You mean, that I probably will regain the parts of my soul that this show has already consumed? Oh wait, I don’t think I want that to heal, I want more!

      As always, thanks for your review. Cheers, M.

      Mi-Chan
      Reply

      1. Not really: some people just hate some anime for reasons, regardless of how huge the fanbase is. When there’s a fanbase, there’s a hatebase. That spoiler troll a few weeks ago probably is part of the hatebase.

        TheMoondoggie
        Reply

        1. So if someone repeatedly spoils something for a show week after week even though people tell him to stop repeatedly, they’re part of the hatebase?

          If your spoiler posts on Future Diary or OreImo are anything to go by, you must be part of the hatebases for those shows, eh?

          Barbados Slim
          Reply

        2. What’s your purpose on spoiling anyway? I guess it’s to “annoy people” against mine, which is to “rejoice for a Kirino end” and “find a discussion about Mirai’s end”.

          Spoiler troll is part of the hatebase, I’m not. Plain and simple. Please use your head the next time you post, LOL.

          TheMoondoggie
          Reply

        3. Though whatever the reason, spoilers always tend to have the same result of annoying people who downvote comments into oblivion.

          You should probably consider that next time you “just want to discuss something” that you know at least some people don’t know has happened yet. Though it’s doubtful that you will…

          Barbados Slim
          Reply

    31. I absolutely loved the anime-original material here (especially more of Jean) but one thing bugged me…

      In the manga, Eren actually uppercuts his way out of the tunnel straight up punching Annie after Armin and Mikasa moved out. Now mind you, I don’t mind the change of having everyone run around while Eren was stuck under debris and near-dying. But considering how they got Eren into that position of being trapped, it would’ve been much more desirable if Annie went back and searched through the debris and THEN gets the uppercut when Eren transforms. Seems really OOC for Annie to get “surprised” like that considering how she heard the lightning strike and practically had all the time in the world to react against Eren’s punch. Hell even the second OP got that bit right…

      Again, I thought the rest of the episode was great, but that bit at the end just felt sloppy in terms of scene-planning.

      ronri
      Reply

      1. I rewatched the scene and I noticed Annie was staring off at something… the church(?) the wall(?) she was preoccupied… probably planning something.

        So I’m willing to put in a little suspension of disbelief for that. Maybe she was too preoccupied thinking of something that she didn’t react fast enough?

        Besides the last episode already established she’s a far more superior brawler than Eren, one punch isn’t just gonna do her in. I’m hoping the studio did it for reasons to setup something for the next ep.

        Vagrant
        Reply

    32. They’re just doing it on purpose now, there wasn’t this many sexy poses in the manga XD. There should be a poll on whose your favorite Yandere, either only from this anime or in general. Zoe, Annie, and Mikasa would definitely be in the top 5 alongside Yuno. I wonder if Senjougahara counts as one. The definitive version of a Troll Face.

      I love how I can’t recognize the anime original stuff unless someone mentions it. The changes are too minimal for me to notice. Now if something obvious or pervy >;3 happens, like the lipstick wearing bishoujos, I’m going to notice it.

      Magoiichi
      Reply

    33. This ep made me ship Eren x Annie ( it’s a bit sad that he was the only one who didn’t believe it was her, blame it mainly on denial, but still maybe it means sth ;P ). But still Mikasa x Eren is my OTP.

      Shirocat
      Reply

        1. I actually forgot that scene existed o_o

          I wouldn’t lose hope of never seeing it animated tho. We’re still in a time frame where it could be shuffled and shown as a flashback to the fights resolution in the next episode.

          Vagrant
          Reply

        2. I wouldn’t lose hope of never seeing it animated tho. We’re still in a time frame where it could be shuffled and shown as a flashback to the fights resolution in the next episode.

          I won’t lie, this is actually what I’m hoping for in terms of how they’ll handle the last episode.

          ronri
          Reply

        3. I’m predicting…

          Eren realizes his brawling is ineffective…

          Flashback of his lessons with Annie

          And he utilizes those exact moves on her to turn the tide.

          At least that’s how I might’ve gone about it.

          Vagrant
          Reply

        4. Reasonably likely, this. Except for those two, specific scenes, the anime hasn’t left anything out that it didn’t later put in.

          Show Spoiler ▼

          Axe Armor
          Reply

    35. I´ve been thinking about this for while and since nobody is bringing it up I´ll just say it: The fact that there is another corfirm individual with the titan´s power coul mean the titans are actually some sort of ancient human biological experiment gone terribly wrong. Yes, Hanji did said a while ago that the apearance of the Armored Titan and the Colossal Titan could mean there is somebody else with Eren´s powers but now they know Eren wasn´t the first, they have actual evidence, opening Pandora´s Box to a whole horrifying possibilities.

      haseo0408
      Reply

    36. AFAIK the story presently has only three major arcs: The start(Training and plugging up the hole) and this arc which focuses on humans-can-be-titans ploy are the first two. It’s a wise decision to cut it here, in arc two, since there won’t be sequel hooks if ever(unless you could count what they might show in the final episode or in the OVA).

      TheMoondoggie
      Reply

    37. we see Eren finally giving up that “something” he needs in order to gain the powder he wants and to change what he wants to change—….

      Was reading the review…. lol at Powder instead of power.

      Walter White
      Reply

    38. This episode’s filler content was actually well executed, contrary to the first posts’ opinions (the downvoted ones, specifically). They definitely put more weight on Eren’s dilemna concerning the fact that Annie, one of his fellow graduates form the 104th, turns out to be the Titan that brutally sabotaged the Legion’s expedition and cause countless casualties. Not only that, but Mikasa and Armin’s echo-ing speeches also drove the point home, something that the manga doesn’t expand much on.

      As for Eren’s transformation in the manga for that particular chapter:
      Show Spoiler ▼

      Of course, the animation team wouldn’t have much material to work on if they faithfully reproduced all chapters exactly as they are. All the fillers we’ve had in the span of 25 episodes were few and far in-between, but they still made up for excellent exposition if you ask me.

      AnoBakaDesu
      Reply

      1. I have to disagree. Making Eren hesitate for ages while his friends are getting killed puts him in a horrible weak light as a person that clearly doesnt want to defend his friends. It’s quite non-sensical. He’s demotivated by the possibility of having to fight a friend, since he cares for the lives of his friends, but is not motivated by the deaths of his comrades and saving his closest friends from peril. The manga made sense, the anime did not.

        Stot
        Reply

      2. I agree with Stot. The manga scene wasn’t anticlimactic imo, it actually showed Eren’s development as a character. Him realizing the truth in Mikasa’s words, agreeing that ‘The world sure is cruel’ and then transforming was the part I was looking forward to and well… it got changed in the anime. In the anime adaption of that scene, not only it made him look pathetic, all he did was rage before transforming… zero development since ep 1, development that he did have in the manga.

        Furthermore, as much as the filler fight was ‘epic’, it was good only in terms of animation (and even that actually looked a little awkward for some parts). In reality, it was just a recyclation of the previous fights in this arc… And made no sense in some scenes too. Why did Annie follow Armin when he tried to lead her into a trap when her goal is to capture Eren? That trap was way too obvious btw, it made Annie look dumb. Also, Hanji threatening Annie who then frees herself was again just a recyclation of the similar Levi scene.

        All in all, this left a bad taste in my mouth. This is probably the only episode where I prefer its manga chapters instead.

        Misk
        Reply

        1. And don’t get me started on the last part where Annie lets herself hit by Eren’s attack. Was she sightseeing or what??? Not to notice that giant flash of light and all the sounds that accompanied Eren’s transformation. In the manga, it made sense because Eren appeared out of underground.

          Misk
          Reply

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