First Impressions / Shingeki no Kyojin

「解散式の夜 ―人類の再起②―」 (Kaisan Shiki no Yoru ―Jinrui no Saiki ②―)
“Night of the Disbanding ―Mankind’s Recovery (2)―”

Shingeki no Kyojin rolls into its fourth episode, and gosh darn, it doesn’t look like we’ll ever get a break with this series. But that’s just fine with me, because there just hasn’t been any other series in recent memory that’s been able to give us not only two, not only three, but four superb episodes in a row to start—which is what Shingeki has managed to do, and it’s a quite the feat to say the least. Moving right on in though—this week’s episode notably gives us quite a bit to talk about, so bear with me, because this’ll end being a fairly long post.

And first and foremost on our agenda? A discussion about the cast. Having been introduced to them previously in last week’s development-filled episode, we already had a nice grasp of the individual characters and their respective quirks/personality/pasts, but this week follows it up with a bit more—in the form of individual critics from the drill sergeant:

  • Reiner Braun – great mental/physical fortitude. Reliable.
  • Armin Arlelt – lacks physical strength, great academics.
  • Annie Leonhart – lone wolf. (She kicks ass by the way.)
  • Bertolt Hoover – highly talented, lacks initiative.
  • Jean Kirschstein – 3D control is great, but blunt personality causes friction.
  • Sasha Braus – unconventional, but not fit for organized activity. (POTATO GIRL!)
  • Connie Springer – skilled at making sharp turns, but mind isn’t sharp at all.
  • Mikasa Ackerman – genius. (Gotta say, it’s nice seeing the a female heroine be the one with natural talent, rather than the male lead.)
  • Eren Jaeger – lacks any outstanding talents, but has improved through diligence. (Gotta love the contrast between him and Mikasa.)

    • And suffice to say, it was superbly done. Because as you can see, they manage to give every character his/her own moment in the spotlight, and it’s something that’s pretty amazing when you consider how they not only have to juggle fitting a large amount of material into this adaptation, but have to do so with an exceptionally large + diverse cast—something that a fair amount of series struggle to do with casts half the size of Shingeki’s. Really, it’s just a testament to how well the development’s been done when you’re already feeling at home with such a large cast four episodes in, and it’s just great stuff…

    …especially when you note how they’ve tied in each person’s past into how their personality + views have developed—something that shows itself both in the discussion between Annie and Eren mid-episode and Eren’s announcement that he would be joining the Recon Corps near the end. Indeed, we can see how Annie’s ability to see the contradiction behind people training to fight Titans just so they can get the privilege to avoid them is something that correlates to her past, and on the flipside—we can also see how Eren’s past made it so he didn’t. And it’s something that ultimately mixes itself into a discussion about what a soldier’s duty is and the double-edged sword that is human nature…

    …the latter of which is something that can either cause our own downfall or guide us to our salvation. Needless to say though, Shingeki’s really hammering in on the negative parts of human nature… and it’s not a pretty sight. After all, overconfidence and complacency led the humans in Shingeki’s universe to the situation they’re in now. At the same time though—and this is perhaps the most important thing when talking about human nature—you can’t blame people for feeling and acting the way they did, which really adds a measure of complexity to the developments in this series and also highlights the maturity of Eren when he meets Hannes again.

    Going back up to the soldier’s duty part for a moment though, I gotta say… I had already noted that Shingeki borrowed heavily from the Muv-Luv Alternative VN Trilogy, but I never expected it to be this similar. The entire bit about soldier’s duty just conjured up many memories from the VN, and it’s something that makes it so I have to at least put this fitting quote from MLA out there:

    “Achieve your mission with all your might.
    Despair not till your last breath.
    Make your death count.”

    Sounds quite fitting to Shingeki does it not? But yeah, it’s something that just highlights the importance of how you can’t give up just because you think you can’t win. If you give up, you lose before you even start. But if you stay alive and try to fight, at least you have a chance, no matter how slim it is. It’s about hope, and it’s about fighting for the memories of those that fell before you to get you this far. Some truly powerful concepts there…

    …just like “human resilience”, which shows itself this week in the form of “humanity regaining its dignity” in only five short years. Going back to the discussion about human nature, this is arguably the one thing that really balances out the negatives—this ability to fight back in the face of adversity—and it’s just nice to see the series sneaking this in…

    …even if it’s short-lived, as the Titans make their epic return as well. Seems like the series just loves its epic SURPRISE! moments (which have spawned many a memes) and it looks like Eren and the rest of our cast’ll have to go through a trial by fire to start off their new lives as full fledged soldiers. And well, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Ultimately, it’s just another great episode, and I just can’t wait for next week.

    **EDIT#1: REFRAIN FROM SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT IN THE MANGA. I’m seeing a whole lot of things being discussed that just have no business being talked about now (either with or without spoiler tags). If I see repeat offenses, your comments will be deleted and I may have to think about asking for bans as well.

    **EDIT#2: Due to personal reasons, I have asked Asobi (thanks!) to cover Shingeki 05, so the next post will probably release at a different time than the norm. I am currently unsure if I will return for episode 06, but I will resume coverage on episode 07 at the latest.

     

    Preview

    159 Comments

      2. I agree! Was so pumped towards the end I almost fell off the chair yelling when the “To Be Continue” popped up. That buildup + the stare down between Eren and the Titan was just too epic! Going to be a painful wait for next episode… T.T

        Akizuki09
        Reply

    5. I’m really hoping there’s some in depth exposition at some point on the nature of the titans and detail on things like why they can appear in flashes of lightning just outside the walls but don’t just plop down in the middle of the city instead.

      qwert
      Reply

        3. A friendly advice for every anime-only watchers: read the manga as soon as you can. Chances that you will be spoiled on this website or elsewhere are REALLY high. Don’t even read Attack on Titan’s wikipedia entry, the characters’s bio are full of spoilers (and there’s no spoilers warning!).

          Read the manga and enjoy the ride 🙂

          GH
          Reply

    12. OHHH HOHOHOHO!! S**T JUST GOT REAL!!
      https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2036.jpg

      The hype just keeps rising! That’s pretty much the 4 chapters so far in a nutshell.

      Although from this point on…we’re in for a great deal of action…AND MOAR POTATO-wait..
      potato girl just right now stole a steak…so…right now is steak girl??
      GRILLED POTATO AND STAKE GIRL!!! (and loud fart one, lol)

      XDark-AlchemistX
      Reply

    13. And they seemed to forget that it was because of their continuing to “resist” and live that they were still alive then; humanity building the walls and protecting what’s left of mankind could be seen as their own way of “fighting”. Sure, today, it’s easy to see people “living comfortably” within the walls like “giving up”, but as mentioned, you can’t exactly blame them for wanting to do so and, sadly, it’s just how a lot of humans tend to be.

      HalfDemonInuyasha
      Reply

    14. It appeared in a lightning bolt, anyone notice?

      Something that big would have been spotted miles away.
      The plot thickens.

      Also, place your bets on who’s going to be dead by the end of the series.

      Geoff
      Reply

        4. No, that was generic citizen #199,871~ onwards. Maybe a few were caught up before it. #41 was seeing his aunt in Wall Rose at the time so he didn’t get caught up in the first Titan attack. #51 has a part time job inside Wall Sina and due to it, he rarely has time to go back to his home in Wall Maria. I can’t really remember some of the others.

          But some of the earlier generic citizens avoided the first Titan attack as there was a huge market sale going on in Wall Rose so they weren’t in their homes at the time.

          Goodwill.Wright
          Reply

    15. Yeah, kinda agree with Eren that joining the RC is much more badass and awesome, just look at these crests, who would want to wear roses and unicorns as their symbol. xD
      And wow, the gods in this world are just toying with the humans, they are just summoning giant moving flesh out of nowhere, and for what reason, I really want to know.

      Jhacks
      Reply

    16. I’d say this show is the only new show (for me) that has maintained its excellent quality, four episodes in. ‘Hataraku Maou-sama!’ was quite entertaining for the first two before it became stale and I may even drop it if it keeps getting clichéd and blows it; I never cared for ‘Suisei no Gargantia’ since it has literally all the ingredients and components to piss me off, as in the greatest hit of Cher or Justin Timberlake, which is like saying there is no doubt that it’s very popular and may be considered excellent among those who like that -but not me. I like ‘To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S’ much better than the first one, but that one is an acquired taste. Well that about sums up most if not all of the popular series of this season, right?

      Anyway I digress. To those of you manga readers: while it’s no doubt that the show so far has skipped or omitted a bit of the manga materials, it somehow doesn’t feel like any major parts have been dumped. I have a hard time remembering since this is going so dead-on linear. I think it’s just a little bit here and there. Nothing major that I can think of. It’s more of pacing that stands out for me. It somehow feels very fast, almost to the point being slightly rushed, but not quite. I bet I feel that way since I already read the manga; I kinda wish they really would take time -similar to Uchuu Kyoudai or Monster- and develop & tell the story since the manga materials have so much that it could have easily done that.

      But it is what it is and on the other hand, I’d think If I hadn’t the manga already, the pacing so far would be just fine. In fact, I’d say while it felt slightly rushed at times, but that also makes it quite fast moving, dynamic and exciting, which suit the anime very well. So far so good; just feel slight apprehensive towards future episodes since it looks like it may be inevitable that some stuff will get cut (yeah, yeah, I don’t want to be those who cry foul on every little changes on manga/anime adaptation. And I am not).

      deathtogeneric/formulaicshows
      Reply

      1. In terms of the manga and the anime comparisons, I really can’t complain.
        Like others have commented previously, it’s nice, and frankly better, that everything is happening linearly rather than constant flashbacks in the middle of big plot moments/fights.

        Honestly, while some of them were quite fitting, others were just plain annoying to have a flash back inserted seemingly at random.

        As for the anime cutting anything, I have yet to see any complaints really. Its following the source material quite well, and, if anything, I’m anticipating seeing the net few episodes… Hope they do everything justice!

        Stratski
        Reply

    20. YO, 5年ぶりだな
      Hello there, it’s been five years, hasn’t it?

      On another note, I find it intriguing that the two series I look forward to the most weekly, (Shingeki no Kyojin and Hunter x Hunter) now have antagonists that similarly feast upon human beings.

      l3reezer
      Reply

    23. DAT CLIFFHANGER. OH MAN.

      Also, when Eren and co. met up with Hannes again, they looked extremely matured. 5 years, but even in the last couple episodes they looked different. Lol.

      This series is fantastic, and I think I might pick up the manga this weekend for that cliffhanger… can’t wait another week for that…

      Jel
      Reply

      1. Maybe not misunderstood. I wasn’t particularly fond of him for the first two episodes, but that’s definitely not true now that he has grown and matured. He is in fact awesome now, especially with that sheer amount of character development in the last scene. In this episode, Eren himself said to Hannes that he is no longer ignorant, so it makes perfect sense for him to be portrayed as strongly displeasing in some characteristics until now.

        l3reezer
        Reply

        1. To me, Eren’s actions at that time were very much understandable. I mean, he was young back then; he was just a kid so any irrational outbursts from him at that time were justified. But I agree that right now, he is undeniably and incredibly awesome!

          yin13147
          Reply

        2. He has matured quite a bit – I also found him annoying in the first two eps.

          I think he has a ways to go though – I’m not sure he realizes how tough of a goal he’s set for himself.

          FarHorizon
          Reply

      1. They will, but not until later. It’s considered a huge spoiler storyline wise, so be careful that you don’t accidentally stumble upon it via reading the comments or whatsoever.

        Here’s the explanation (only click on it if you want to spoil yourself):

        SPOILER WARNING!

        Show Spoiler ▼

        Zack
        Reply

      2. Indeed. I have yet to understand how no one seems to notice something THAT massive approaching. So he either appears literally out of thin air or something entirely different is going on, that they have yet to explain us.

        Tassadar
        Reply

    29. I especially liked how when Eren was being all peaceful, I went “BOOM!” and mr. big titan appeared at that exact moment. XD

      Why is Mikasa being so mean to Potato Girl though, She’s awesome. Who else dares to steal meat and save someone’s life by impaling their leg. 😀

      JHN
      Reply

    32. I dont get this “Surprise, Gigant is here!” scene at the End. Nobody saw him coming? Well, he is not so easy to been overseen. Or is Eren playing Mr.Ice?

      That what i see in the last Pictures

      So Titans, appear out of now where

      Germanguy
      Reply

        2. I think they’re definitely making that sudden appearance a point with the what you could assume to be a lightning strike of sorts.
          I can’t tell if you’re talking about Shingeki or Claymore strictly at this point, but if you read the manga, why are you posing the question?

          l3reezer
          Reply

        3. You must follow the Manga, to understand my Gist here

          Well, there is a little misunderstanding. I mean Claymore Manga. Because the Claymore Anime, dont answer my 2nd Point.

          Hope i cleared it now

          Germanguy
          Reply

    38. man, not one mention in the comments or summary about my favorite character in the entire series finally appearing. Even the screen cap cropped him out. This is not how humanities greatest warrior should be treated

      SomebodyAround
      Reply

      1. I know who you’re talking about, it’s sad this character wasn’t shown in the screencaps, but he hasn’t shown what he can do yet, so it’s okay. His time will come.

        AzureNova
        Reply

      1. Also Armin’s brain is wasted in the front lines, just like Eren said.

        He should instead be the guy looking at viruses and diseases that kill giants only, looking at dissecting giant bodies to see if there’s more weak points, making better cannons and weapons, making human ridable balloons from which they can bomb the giants, etc

        Zaku Fan
        Reply

    40. Mikasa framed Potato Girl was too funny. XDDD

      DAT TOP 10 GRADUATION LINEUP!! >:D

      DAT FRIGGIN ENDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I haven’t been so hyped for a new episode since how long!?

      swordhack4
      Reply

      1. Crunchyroll uses Hoover, which in contrast to Fubar is at least a real/common surname. Although, considering that most of the characters have German names I personally think Huber is meant. The Japanese spelling allows all the aforementioned transcriptions.

        Akoriko
        Reply

      1. Show Spoiler ▼

        Edios
        Reply

        1. Show Spoiler ▼

          Germanguy
          Reply

    46. Amazingly done especially during the 3D maneuver gear scenes. However I noticed a slight drop in quality during various scenes in this episode. I hope that the next episode will make up for the drop of quality in this episode ^^

      Eclipse
      Reply

    48. Sorry if someone have already asked/written about that, but how they stood after being promoted means their ‘rank’? Like Mikasa stood as the first so she was the best, Reiner 2nd, Bertolt 3rd, Annie 4th, Eren 5th etc? I assume it from what Jean said about being worse from Eren. ( and Mikasa being a genius )

      And someone knows if there will be new episode next week? Because there is golden week in Japan then, so I’m afraid that some of shows could not air 🙁

      Shirocat
      Reply

      1. Yes, they were aligned according to the rank they had gotten. From 1st to 10th.

        Episode 5 called “First Battle: Defense of Trost (1)” has been given a May 5 broadcasting date, so nothing to worry about.

        yeahair
        Reply

    50. It’s been a while, Fate/Zero namely, that I was that hooked by an anime.
      Shingeki has that group/friends fighting against all odds feeling that I love so much.

      This really feels like “Muv Luv Alternative” the anime. So whoever enjoys this anime, knows which VN he should play.

      yeahair
      Reply

    51. I prefer the anime’s portayal of falling off the wall. In the manga, they’re all plummeting dumbstruck until Eren shouts an order to switch to 3D movement. Here, they’re that much more believably competent.

      Vloxalion
      Reply

      1. If I were them, I would’ve been fairly dumbstruck myself. If I recall, none of the others have actually seen the Colossal Titan. Not to mention they’ve pretty much had peace for 2 (5?) years. On top of the steam (?) that pushes them off the wall, that they wouldn’t expect.

        But inversely, I like how the anime did it better anyway, just much more cleaner and awesome.

        Goodwill.Wright
        Reply

    52. With the hint from episode 2 flashback (where Eren’s father was injecting something to Eren), I’m having this ominous feeling of something might happen to all of the characters…

      I’m not talking about death, but something extraordinary such as Eren and rest of his team becomes a “titan” to fight the titans or something?

      boshi
      Reply

      1. I thought it was some kind of special medicine so that Eren can use ‘superhuman’ powers to fight the titans.

        I really doubt of him and rest of his teams becoming a titan.

        kanade_
        Reply

    54. What i dont get is, if the Colossal Titan came from the sky why don’t it just land in the middle of the human settlement and NOT right outside of the walls and end it all? lol

      rnf.mello
      Reply

    58. How the hell did that titan manage to creep up on them!?? Seriously it’s huge, and that’s a wide open field beyond that wall with a view that goes back miles concidering their vantage point on the top of said wall. These guys could do with regular checkups at their local opticians. That said, great episode, and an epic one to come after I’m sure.

      Pot Noodle
      Reply

    59. Wow! They definitely know how to build up an atmosphere! Can’t wait for the next episode!

      By the way, anyone else being reminded of the Band of the Hawks crest when seeing the RC one? (and I mean that in a good way)

      whitey
      Reply

    60. I’m upset and happy at the same time.Maybe I’m remembering it wrong, but Show Spoiler ▼

      I’m upset about that, but I’m happy at how well Annie’s Muay Thai was animated <3.The scenes with the 3D Gear were incredible too.

      It sucks having read the manga beforehand already because I already know what's going to happen and there's not much for me to comment on besides what's different or changed and how awesome the animation is T-T

      Rivaille and Zoe makes their appearance <3

      The Lightning Bolt ruined that moment when the Colossal Titan shows up.In the manga, it just comes out of nowhere.

      Am I the only one that noticed Sasha had a Frau Bow moment when her mouth was watering duhuhu?

      Magoiichi
      Reply

      1. Rather than muay thai, I think Annie uses something closer to jujutsu or the like.

        I also preferred the Colossal Titan’s appearance out of nowhere a little more than in the anime. But perhaps if one wasn’t expecting it at all in the first place, the effect would be the same.

        introverte
        Reply

    61. Why do these idiotic manga users keep posting spoilers when nobody asks like they’re showing off their penis? OH CONGRATS YOU READ THE FUCKING MANGA. NOBODY GIVES A FUCK.

      Half of you fuckwads probably only started reading the manga when it the anime began airing.

      Idiots
      Reply

      1. I give a “fuck” and I am not the only one. As long as they post it in Spoiler tags then there isn’t a problem.

        Just so you know, the manga readers also enjoy watching this anime as well, and are entitled to their discussion behind Spoiler tags.

        Goodwill.Wright
        Reply

    63. I really wish people would stop putting spoilers here; spoiler tags or not. There are people who are curious about what is going to happen and don’t think when they read/click on the spoilers until after they read them. You wouldn’t want to ruin the experience for them.

      ShishidoryoFan
      Reply

      1. Atually, when Hannes appeared (around 18min into the episode), walking on Eren’s diretion, he WAS wearing the Garrison symbol. But then the angle changes and he’s shown from the side, and the badge changes to the Survey Cops on both Hannes’ and the other guy’s uniforms.
        But it’s the only time they got it wrong.
        If you look carefully, you’ll see that after he taps Eren’s head and his face is shown up close, the symbol on his ang his colleage’s sleeve is the Garrison’s again, and in the end of that scene the other guy is wearing the Garrison uniform again.

        Rima
        Reply

    65. Geeeezz so many spoiler warnings going on around here.. just because they are asking the question doesn’t mean they really want to know the answer, it’s just more fun for us who don’t know, to guess and speculate. Anyways, totally blown away by the episode because it was awesome!! The colossal titan coming out of nowhere was the biggest troll imaginable. Eren was just talking about humanity making a comeback and this dude pops up outta nowhere like muwhahaha comeback my ass. Can’t wait for Saturday to come again!! See you guys next week :)!

      Jani
      Reply

    66. Sasha got the moves!

      First we have the “fart” (well that was more Mikasa, but I wanted to mention it anyways), then we have the meat stealing incident https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2031.jpg (got to love that scene), and her unconventional movements for the win, Samuel might have an impaled leg, but it’s better than being dead ;P

      On a side note I thought Eren’s speech was something else after all he managed to convince at least 1/2 of the top scores to join the recon and I’m not counting Armin or Mikasa.

      agr0n
      Reply

    68. These comments. You weren’t joking Zepher. Holy crap. I’d selectively take bans from those who can’t keep their mouth shut, even if they seem well intentioned. DON’T EVEN LET THEM TALK ABOUT THE MANGA IN THEIR SENTENCES.

      Example:

      Comment Guy: This is stupid, why does x happen? It makes no sense!
      Reply Guy: I can’t tell because it would spoil it! But I can tell you it is foreshadowing and it will vastly affect the plot!
      Me: Wow. Great Job.

      TheOrangeOne
      Reply

    72. Well, I guess they’re not having those sandwiches after all.

      Seriously though, humanity can’t catch a break here. This show and Gargantia are probably the two most refreshing anime series I’ve come across in a long time. This is definitely a strong spring season.

      silver_huskey
      Reply

    74. Please can someone who’s read the manga help me. I have a theory spinning around in my head and it’s not letting me rest. I would like to confirm it, but I don’t want to get spoiled. Could some good soul please help, otherwise I won’t be able to sleep tonight:
      Show Spoiler ▼

      ilion4o
      Reply

      1. I guess for now we can leave it at Titan logic… I give props to how they think, makes things seems much more epic. But 5 years cold turkey without food… I can barely survive 4 hours without food…

        Goodwill.Wright
        Reply

    76. ok, I have to ask the 2 very important questions. 1: What have the giants been doing the past 5 years? and 2: who is Eren going to get with and what other matches will be made?

      zandy
      Reply

      1. It’s like saying, “what have the Titans been doing the last 100 years after the wall was made”… I guess in the 5 year gap, they were doing just what they were doing back then; pacing around the foil that holds their delicious sandwich…

        Goodwill.Wright
        Reply

    79. No one should have a problem with that titans appearance it did the same thing in the first episode. In a flash of lightning it was there. Just reminds you of what level the titans are on the humans are never safe, the sense of despair never leaves. Didnt watch this episode but it seems like they are following the manga pretty well. Which is great because this story is f***** up. And at the end of the current issues there are so many more questions to be answered.

      pgod
      Reply

    80. Just me being picky, but around 9:12 in this episode where Annie has Eren pinned to the ground and the knife at his throat, I don’t see how Eren is holding the knife back… He is holding the arm that Annie is using to support/push the knife down with but her hand that is actually holding the knife is completely free… Not quite sure about this part but I think it wouldn’t have hurt for them to at least draw in Eren’s other arm holding back her knife hand.

      Goodwill.Wright
      Reply

    81. Just a heads up guys,

      Due to personal reasons, I have asked Asobi (thanks!) to cover Shingeki 05, so the next post will likely release at a different time compared to the norm. I am currently unsure if I will return for episode 06, but will resume coverage on episode 07 at the latest.

      Zephyr
      Reply

    82. i cant wait for the next show, i feel like an addict or wait i am one already im loving this anime, only 7 episodes and its already ranking in my top 100!!! no wait!! top 20!!!
      all i need to keep me going is the names of the background music that plays and im going to survive another week
      PLEASE HELP
      😀

      jeagerTITAN
      Reply

    83. Whenever i watch AoT i always think about the poem River Song recited

      “Demons run when a good man goes to war
      Night will fall and drown the sun
      When a good man goes to war

      Friendship dies and true love lies
      Night will fall and the dark will rise
      When a good man goes to war

      Demons run, but count the cost
      The battle’s won, but the child is lost”

      The show reminds me of Doctor Who a bit,imagined Eren as a dalek so many times XD “EXTERMINATE…..ALL THE TITANS”

      Whovian
      Reply

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