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「兵士」 (Heishi)
“Soldier”
With the past couple of weeks being slightly slower than usual, the drama and action returns this week to Shingeki no Kyojin. The titans are attacking the abandoned castle at night and all the trainees don’t even have gear to attack or defend themselves! Not to mention that there are more than a dozen titans (of all sizes) coming from no where trying to eat them. Obviously you can’t expect there to be no casualities, but I wasn’t expecting the leaders to die off so quickly. Just as they’re growing on me and given a bit of personality – they’re gone. Not to sound heartless, but if there’s anything Shingeki no Kyojin is good at, it’s keeping you on your toes because no one is safe. It’s for these reasons though, that I’ve started to be a bit desensitized to the violence. I don’t think this is the end of the trainees remaining on the tower, because you can’t just kill everyone off the show, but I can’t imagine how they’re going to escape the tower now with the sun rising and only Ymir as their last hope. It does give me a bit of comfort knowing that the Beast Titan has left the premises, but is there any way that Levi and crew can rescue them soon?
Speaking of Ymir, her relationship with Krista, as well as her true form, is what’s brought to light this week and it’s a big reveal! It’s probably not as shocking as it could’ve been since we know that humans can transform into titans already but what?! Just how many secrets are there within the 104th trainees class?! Is EVERYONE a titan?! So many questions and no time to answer them given the situation at hand, but I’m sure we’ll get some good flashbacks next week between Krista and Ymir. We already know that the Church know something about Krista (something that she may or may not know herself?) and that she’s a pivotal part of the show going forward, but what does Ymir mean to her and how does that go back to the titans in the wall? It’s funny that Krista and Ymir have been made to be such critical characters in this second season when I don’t recall them playing such a large role in the first season. They were there, but as an audience member, I feel like they’ve been completely one-dimensional until this moment. A bit like Annie actually, before they cornered her at Stohess. If history does repeat itself, I somehow doubt that Ymir will stick around to get interrogated later on. She might just run off on her own to avoid the Survey Corps bringing her in or she might even be a casualty in all this mess.
I genuinuely thought that this was the moment that Reiner was going to die – or lose an arm at the least. HOW does he LIFT a titan and escape to tell about it? That’s incredible! I totally had a fan-girl moment when he thought about marrying Krista. He’s definitely someone that has a good head on his shoulders and smart to boot, probably guessing earlier on that Ymir is hiding something. He couldn’t read the label on the can, but Ymir could and just what does that mean for both Reiner and Ymir and the castle? How does a can of food that only Ymir can read – get into the walls in the first place? It all goes back to the 104th trainee class that decided to go into the Survey Corps. We know all about Eren (and Mikasa and Armin), but just what do we know about everyone else? Reiner and Bertolt have a past and since they’re relatively stronger (mentally and physically) compared to say, Connie, they appear as much more interesting characters to keep my eye on. I actually find Reiner’s past even more intriguing than Krista and Ymir’s. And now that I mention Ymir and Reiner, does anyone else also notice the similarities in the previews? Coincidence?
We’re entering the next arc of this series which leaves me with a lot more question marks in this post than I intended. There’s a lot of history that I hope gets told soon, but also the intentions of all the members in the Survey Corp and how they’re going to investigate this “hole” in the wall. I’m conflicted with what I want to understand and know more of. Do I care more about the history of the characters (particularly Reiner?) or do I want to see the story progress faster to see who lives and dies? Personally after this week, I’d probably care to see more of Reiner (and Bertolt) more, but I think we’ll have to sit through Krista and Ymir’s promise first.
Bottom Line – @RCCherrie: Oh Reiner… if I wasn’t so into Levi, you’d be a close second. Enough talking though, #Shingeki finally brings back all the action! Just how many secrets are there among the 104th trainees squad?
Author’s Note: Zephyr is busy this week with a last minute work emergency and I’ve been asked to blog this episode in his place. He’ll return next week though so everyone wish him luck =)
Full-length images: 11.
Preview
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https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2029%20-%20Large%2027.jpg
Goodbye Elvis
What an episode! They really did begin to pile on the fear and despair with the rookies having to fend off two Titans, and Reiner carrying a Titan like a badass sure was awe-inspiring. Not to mention the hilarious crux of the episode: Everyone fawning over Krista!
While I knew that Ymir must be a Titan (from that OVA on Ilse’s notebook), I didn’t expect her to sacrifice her cover for her comrades. Makes me wonder if many of these Titan-shifters may be experiencing conflicting loyalties (despite seemingly being OK with wiping out at least an entire country of people, if not humanity as a whole).
.
That leads to my confusion over a bit of speculation I’m sure most RC readers have considered by now (spoilers just in case): Show Spoiler ▼
have made wonder yet again if I was completely wrong or if there’s been a change of heart. Even Annie had a soft spot for Armin, yet her actions would’ve eventually led to his death regardless so…what gives?
That wasn’t meant to be a reply, but alas.
Not only does he go down like a boss – screaming about who drank the booze – but he arguably got a pretty merciful death out of virtually everyone so far with, presumably, getting killed with that smack into the rock as he was being pulled out, possibly breaking his neck or something and so would already be dead when eaten rather than having to suffer feeling himself getting eaten before finally getting his head chomped off or something.
Wait, don’t give her the knife Connie. Omg, she’s gonna do something. Uh oh someone stop her quick. Noooooo she jumped. AHHHH she’s dead now… wait… omgomgomgomg omfg
Basically me at the very end. I was expecting Eren and his gang to show up and save the day. But meh, guess we won’t be seeing them anytime soon.
And yeah, Reiner is kinda broken. Female titan grabbed and about to squash him? Nope, just bust his way out. Smaller titan bit him on the arm? Nope, throws titan out the window.
When she asked for the knife, I had a suspicion that she wasn’t going to commit suicide or anything… but it’s not like she’s going to go and fight off titans with a tiny knife either. It feels almost too ironic that 3 graduates from the same class would be titans, but hey! I guess life is full of coincidences =P
yeah, that’s true. No way she’s going to fight any titans with that puny knife. I just felt that something really bad is going to happen if Ymir was handed that knife. And when she jumped… I was like how is that going to help. And then “that” happened.
But yeah, now I really want to know how people get their titan power. iirc Eren got his from getting injected with some “titan” meds by his dad or something. I wonder how the others got theirs.
I suppose it makes sense that the Titans would infiltrate the military once the walls fell, all around the same time. I wonder how well coordinated they are, with Annie being within Wall Sina and Ymir being with the Scouts. Then there’s Beast Titan, who has seemingly never even seen the 3DMG.
Another great episode.
Director though is way overdoing the pleading while dying thing. These are tough experience soldiers some may break but others will yell or scream in anger and pain, some stay stoic, others go into shock of some sort and be unable to respond. Experienced soldiers from hard training have gotten pain levels up to levels just short of serious injury and many will have had serious injury. With a greater pain tolerance way fewer soldiers will break. Even many civilians even when being torn apart will be in some form of shock and not respond.
Peter the Great could not get captured rebelling soldiers from the old Russian Army to talk despite extreme torture involving all the big toys. Peter’s men and almost certainly Peter used hot coals, hot irons, pincers, horrible flesh tearing whippings and other things and no one broke from torture. Turned out that the old Army had a secret torture club where your membership level was determined by how much pain you could take. Clearly these guys would have stayed mute though the whole Titan eating process.
Peter did get one to talk by stoping the torture, embracing and kissing him (Russian Males kiss), and telling him all was forgiven and that he would be made a Colonel in the new Army along with a house and extra cash. The man talked and Peter made him a Colonel for life.
Peter was very hands on and tried to do anything he asked a regular solder or anyone else for that matter. Peter defeated the old Army units with the new Army unit especially artillery he was forming part of the process that turned a backwards ignorable state into a world power.
There aren’t exactly Titans in our world though so I don’t think you can really compare anything here. I also really like the pleading. It adds a whole new level of brutality.
Don’t forget that in the real world, soldiers could be tortured for information and so it would be feasible to train them to resist.
However, Titans clearly aren’t after information, so pain tolerance exercises would be futile when compared with training to actually kill the buggers.
Krista ripping off half of her skirt <3
What if only Krista and Ymir survive, and Krista keep this secret of Ymir for herself? No one would know of Ymir’s secret, right? and if Ymir can really control her Titan instincts…
all the father,father screaming and cool action, but only this that memorable for me
“gotta marry her”
reiner get his priorities straight haha
“I totally had a fan-girl moment when he thought about marrying Krista.”
Gotta dissapoint you. It’s implied that both swing the other way.
That wasn’t meant to be a reply, but it still kinda counts I guess.
Uh-oh
Show Spoiler ▼
Ahh humanities is done for…
Well Reiner seems to swing the straight way and it’s only Krista that may not… >_>
I just find it funny that in the midst of everything that’s going on, he can still think about getting married ._. the innocence is cute.
Couldn’t help but laugh at the scene of the titan bullying the other one. Come on, dude, you gotta stand up for yourself!
I didn’t expect the Ymir reveal to be this episode. Though it has been about 4 years since I read this section of the story. I wonder why She didn’t reveal herself along with Annie.
perhaps
– Yuri vibes
– Big Guardian One-sama vibes
Hmm. Something is weird with Reiner for some reason. Specially when he saw Ymir and the can.
Also is there something special with connie too?? Reiner seems protective of him, and even mentioned Annie protected him too.
I’m confused. Is Ymir good or bad? Is Annie good or bad???
This was a very well done episode, adaptation wise with the shuffling around of some scenes that manga readers had expected in the previous episode.
So far this new AoT season delivers.
https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2029%20-%20Large%20Preview%2003.jpg
MY PRECIOUS
@ Cherrie:
FTFY
Also, for anyone forgetting, the cadets that are over not in the city on EP.1 (ie most of the ones in this weeks episode) were under suspection for being potential saboteurs.
OTOH, this looks familiar…*cue dramatic-plot-twist noise*
Thanks, I guess that can be true too haha.
I also used similar images in my post >_>
Lovely episode, i just hope the pacing picks up after this episode, we only have 12 episodes this time and i doubt anyone could wait another 4 years to get to the really interesting stuff in the manga (i hope they announce a 2nd cour in the next season but there is still no news on that).
One thing though, i did read those chapters long ago but i will try to avoid spoilers while talking about these points, at this point in the story (when i was reading the manga) i could guess the identity of the Armored Titan through a process of elimination (and the hair, it’s really important, and once you figure it out a lot of things will make sense), also it’s obvious now that the titan we saw in that flashback this episode is Ymir, that makes her an enemy to Reiner and Bertolt since obviously she ate their friend (but there is more to this if i remember correctly), how did she return to her senses and why is she so fixated with helping Krista are interesting story points that will interesting.
I think that flashback also relates to actually where Reiner and Bertolt came from originally (from the way they talked here it is clear they are from somewhere far away that they can’t go back to now for some reason, maybe even because it’s outside the walls).