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「ただいま」 (Tadaima)
“I’m Home”
As the second season starts rolling, the mysteries continue to build up as the rest of our cast head out to investigate the extent of the Titans breach into Wall Rose (and try to get a certain now “mute” Priest to talk). In the meanwhile, Sasha gets her time in the limelight as she goes all out trying to ensure the safety of her former village and its inhabitants—her father included. Along the way, we get a look into her past as someone whose lifestyle was frowned upon by the others around them, and the lengths her father went through to help others despite that. Years later, it’s a decision that’s seemingly saved a majority of the village’s inhabitants, and more importantly—influenced Sasha to the point that she’s willing to risk her life protecting someone from that same village without her regular gear. I mean, look at that arrow stab to the eye! I’ll say—that’s a daughter whose grown into exactly the kind of person you hope she’d be.
With all this focus on singular characters (the first episode highlighted Mike’s last stand) however, it’s becoming more and more apparent that this season’s focus is more personal in nature, and it’s a welcome choice that gives us a vital fleshing out of side characters we haven’t really gotten to know aside from their various quirks and the paths they took to train and become members of the Survey Corps. At the same time, the singular focus has given a chance for the series to escalate the drama further by giving us deaths that are even more brutal and drawn out than before—this week gave us a Titan eating a mother alive while her child looked on—while highlighting an important contrast between those that have been safely living behind walls the entire time, those that have had to struggle accommodating displaced refugees from other districts, and those who no longer have a home to return to. To this end, you realize how significant the Survey Corps really is, and it’s not just because they’re humanity’s last hope, but because it’s a thread that manages to bring together everyone capable and willing to contribute regardless of where they came from situation-wise and the views they had before.
Looking forward, it looks like the limelight goes to Connie for the time being, and let’s just say the sight of a random Titan collapsed on his house merely continues to add to the questions this series has presented over the past two weeks, especially if that’s the only Titan in the area. At this point I wouldn’t be surprised if something or someone’s going around just spontaneously changing humans into Titans (perhaps the Beast Titan?), and it makes you wonder if Wall Rose was physically breached (Armin’s question of whether Titans would destroy walls made of other Titans seems too convenient), or the threat actually originated from within the two walls itself.
Either way, not knowing what the heck is going on is a terrifying thought given us the horror and surprises we’ve already faced, and we’re only two episodes in! It’s just too bad the Priest seems anything but willing to disclose what he knows, and one hopes that whenever we get to it, the secret he holds—one seemingly more important than the fate of humanity itself—is worth the ride we’re going on now. Oh yeah, and the fact they took the time to repeat the whole “there’s likely no Titan in the 104th” at the beginning of the episode? Yeah, I can’t say I’m convinced anymore. I hope it’s just the paranoia setting in though, cause otherwise, I shudder to think what could happen in the next few episodes. Ugh.
Author’s Note: Once again, please refrain from spoilers of the source material past what’s been covered so far. Use spoiler tags if you absolutely need to mention something that wasn’t explicitly shown/covered, as there is a zero tolerance policy in effect and comments with spoilers will be immediately deleted and bans handed out where necessary.
Preview
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I’m not ashamed to admit. It a series drenched with tension and despair, it’s the happy moments that bring a tear to my eye.
Defiantly a scary thing.
Following is speculations I actually made first season before I read the manga and are drawn from anime evidence I do not think manga knowledge I now have leaked in. Just in case.
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This I recall from first season Adult Swim postings. And thus ends my speculations as I have read ahead in the manga.
Badass Sasha is badass.
https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2027%20-%2021.jpg
I like how this episode focused on Sasha. She’s one interesting girl.
Getting strong Seirei no Moribito vibes here…
Show Spoiler ▼
SOOO much respect for her to stab instead of shoot the arrow to make sure the little girl manages to escape.
I seriously thought Sasha was going to die. Like seriously, they have no problem killing off anyone. There’s the flash black (obligate flashback before death), her horse ran away (omfg u traitorous horse), gotta stall for the little girl to run away (a reason to stay behind), only have one arrow left (death flags on death flags)… They sure manage to toy with my emotions.
Show Spoiler ▼
I hesitated to click the show spoiler in fear of being spoiled lol.
But yeah, thank god they didn’t coz I would cry too.
@inferno: “I seriously thought Sasha was going to die.”
Isn’t that entire scene is a flashback? So why would you think Sasha could let alone would die?
Oh, I didn’t think Sasha was going to die during that flashback or yes, I know the beginning was all flashback. I mean it’s a death flag when characters get a flashback. Like they tell us about their backstory first and then kill them off if you know what I mean. So after that, I thought the director/author/whoever was ready to kill Sasha off when we go back to the present where Sasha was running away from the titans. For example, she could have died when she was grabbed by the titan, or heck, a random titan out of nowhere suddenly jumps out and attack Sasha etc.
Good to know that I wasn’t the only one glued to the screen waiting to see what would happen to Sasha… I was praying that there wouldn’t be another death so soon =X
Is this show going to be slow paced again? Like how they spent 5 episodes in the forest and 3 episodes to block the opening in the wall with a boulder.
Nippon viewers like this kind of pacing, where the fans in the west get boring. i saw this in some sort of Fan Interview with 2 Animators
So, i think their home country fans are more important for them
I honestly never understood the criticism about AoT being slow-paced. 8/ Maybe because I binge-watched the series as the last episodes were airing? I think the direction is first-class and few anime shows can boast such effective mood-building as this one.
I’m getting Akarin vibes from Christa
Potato Girl kicks ass and looks damn good doing so, lol.
This “little” Titan, that crashed onto the house, looks like she/he was starving. Seems like a) he do not found food b) he fought his titan instinct to eat humans c) illness
Perhaps this is a point, so that they find out that some Titans stay “human” (like Claymores. I know, but last week speculation and here this picture, rise some “Silver eyes” (female vs male) vibes inside me)
if my speculation is correct, i do wonder if they go there an release the female titan they fought and is now covert in her Kristall form.. Do they go there an see her as an ally? i think this is to much
But then.. i dunno if this new “background deepness” of this Titans will do this anime an favor. It will steal the Mysteries
some sort of
Show Spoiler ▼
I have a theory about the Titan at the end, but when I posted it on reddit I got called out for posting spoilers.. I don’t know if someone confirmed my theory by calling it spoilers or if my theory was so “good” that the person thought I was posting spoilers, but just to be safe I’m not gonna post it here.
Just a friendly warning to Anime-only viewers: be very careful who you discuss this show with. If you think you’re on to something, keep it to yourself – or you’ll find manga-readers confirming/denying your theories and speculations.
you must know, even in reddit there are many downvote and spoiler trolls or bots
The best way to avoid being spoiled is to avoid anywhere(Like specific forums, social media hashtags or posts) where you feel you will be spoiled. It has worked for me when I want to go into an anime or videogame with no prior knowledge.
Did you put it in a spoiler tag (regardless of correctness)?
Not sure what you wrote on Reddit since this isn’t Reddit… o_O but Readers on RC are pretty considerate =) And they tend to put things into spoiler tags regardless if it’s speculation or an actual spoiler… since speculation could be confirmed to be true and ultimately a “spoiler”. If you don’t know, I’d just tag it anyway. Better safe than sorry.
Will Sasha fans now give up her designated “potato girl” nickname?? Found on the next episode of Attack On Titan!
Yeah…this is what happens when you start an series with one and a half minibus of named characters and they’re all loved by the viewers. But hey, I like the whole cast and their quirks.
ps. Oh gosh I can’t wait for next episode’s comment section now.
Writers of Mayoiga should read/watch and learn.
A potato girl episode yeah oxxoxo
And after despair, hope. Even some levity.
I love Sasha so much.
Show Spoiler ▼
Yeah there’s fodder for a ban right there.
Are you really such an A$$?
There is a ban. We can ban people from visiting/commenting =P
@Nathan O: IIRC, spoiler trolls showed up the first season of SnK as well. :< It's BS, but can only leave it to mods to deal with unless enough people downvote such posts so that it's hidden quickly enough.
Wonder how much Season 2 will cover, hope they speed up the boring politics stuff and focus more on the action arcs,
I think the manga readers will likely get a sense of where the anime will conclude once enough episodes have aired. They’ll likely have a pre determined end point in mind.
One thing’s for certain, that Beast Titan looks ugly as fuck goddamn… There’s uglier ones though //shivers
https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2027%20-%20Preview%2002.jpg
Also Sasha really puts her life on the line eh? Potato girl’s got some spunk! Can’t wait for the next episode hell yeah!
https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2027%20-%20Large%2021.jpg