First Impressions / Shingeki no Kyojin

「応える ―トロスト区攻防戦⑥―」 (Kotaeru ―Torosuto Ku Kobo Sen ⑥―)
“Answer ―Defense of Trost (6)―”

Another week’s helping of Shingeki brings with it the harsh realities of war as we get a continued look into the insanity that is being a soldier in this universe. As we see in the opening moments of this episode, the fact remains that after awhile, you’re just glad you’re not the guy who’s died in the previous battle. That’s the reality. It’s not so much as losing emotion at the loss of friends or family as it is living in fear that you’ll be the next, and it’s something that ends up really being a self-fulfilling prophesy for the most part. Not only that, but the fact of the matter is that fear is something that spreads like wildfire too—a positive feedback loop of endless propagation. Just terrible, terrible stuff to say the least… and something that’s just compounded further with the existence of the ultimate x-factor (and potentially last straw that really could’ve sent a lot of people off the deep end)… the existence of a human who can transform into a Titan.

Continuing from last week, Eren manages to save Mikasa and Armin… but in another cruel twist, ends up potentially making things even worse then they ever were before. There’s nothing like the sadistic irony of saving your friends and potentially screwing yourself over in the process, and it’s something that our three childhood friends end up facing this week. At the very least though, this development ends up highlighting the fact that the next path of action is clear: they must get to the basement of the Jaeger residence. To that end though, Eren does make an interesting point. Why exactly was Eren’s father hiding things anyway? What is he hiding exactly that he can’t divulge so easily? There’s something terribly grim about all of this… and I can only shudder at the things he might’ve done to end up at the information he supposedly obtained.

Either way, the biggest thing here is how this is perhaps the turning point of the game so to speak. In many ways, Eren’s position in the military is forever changed (at least, how he’s viewed), and his dynamics with Mikasa have as well. He isn’t just a kid or little brother that needs her shielding him at every step. All of a sudden, he’s on equal (if not unequal) terms, and it’s something that they’ll need to deal with (I’m hoping they address this, anyway) in the future—especially in Mikasa’s case. In addition, there’s a big change for Armin as well, as he realizes that he’s no longer the same person he was at the beginning of this series, and that Eren and Mikasa consider him equivalent to them as well—trusting him with their lives in a significant and touching show of friendship.

Ultimately, Armin manages to reward that trust—mostly, anyway—albeit partially due to the “saved by the bell” type intervention from Dot Pixis. Generally, the fact he suddenly shows up in the nick of time after things have gone so far leaves me with a slightly “meh” impression… but I guess it’s nothing particularly significant in terms of how it’s a story element commonly used in many series. What does slightly make me flinch though, is how he just nonchalantly walks (ALONE!) with Eren, Armin, and Mikasa in the end. You can explain that with the fact he’s “eccentric” or “beyond our comprehension,” but that’s an insanely risky maneuver for someone of his stature. He’s undoubtedly scored a lot of points with the general viewer as a result (and I too, like how hip he is)—especially when contrasted with Verman—but it’s something that notably breaks from the otherwise realistic depiction of how people might react to a situation like this, no matter how calm/collected/experienced you are. As with before, it’s nothing particular significant in terms of being something that lowers my impression of the series as a whole, but it does admittedly irk me slightly.

Looking forward—again—the big thing here is that it’s a turning point in many ways this week, and Eren will seemingly get his chance to demonstrate his allegiance to the cause (and potentially score an insane amount of status) as a result. In addition, this is also undoubtedly significant in how humanity finally has something potentially effective against the Titans—to the point they can really launch some kind of proper offensive strike without an insane casualty rate. Still, while things are clearly on a uphill swing, I do find myself wondering if things will go as smoothly as expected. As this series has shown time and time again, the suffering just never stops, and there’s undoubtedly something on the horizon that’ll screw the pooch so to speak… or maybe, that’s just what they want you to think. Heh.

Author’s Notes:

  • According to various sources, Episode 14 (July 6th) will be a recap episode, so plan accordingly.
  • As usual, there will be a zero tolerance policy on spoilers. Spoilers should generally not be written in general if it can be avoided and any spoilers should have a comment detailing what kind of spoiler it is and should be in response to a query. Those found violating this will find their comment deleted and multiple violations (in the form of comment deletions) will lead to bans. Note though, when deletions of the offending comment are removed, so will accompanying replies. This does not mean that those whose accompanying replies are at risk of being banned, unless they also violate the rule in some way.

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    Preview

    105 Comments

    2. The eccentric characters are usually the most memorable. We all remember Sasha for her potato scene, and now Commander Pixis stated that he would like to be eaten by a hot lady titan.

      Speaking of Sasha and eating, have another funny picture.

      MasterDragonKnight
      Reply

    3. I don’t know if i were supposed to laugh at it. But Sasha stating that her stomach was killing her, making the already depressed guy loose all faith in his life, just cracked me up. Would this count as dark humor, or something like that…?

      Wuz
      Reply

      3. I was laughing like crazy. I was quickly reminded of how many would use that excuse to not go to class or work. Was Sasha honestly going to use that excuse to no go fight Titans!? xDDD

        Forget losing an arm or a leg, stomach pains are serious business. FACT. Have stomach pains? Stay home, don’t fight Titans today. 8D

        Solara
        Reply

      1. In my opinion, he’s there to showcase the types who are in power that plays it safe and are actually quite incompetent. He’s probably there cause he obeys everything obediently in order to keep his secure and somewhat powerful position in life, which I assume works great with those who are above him.

        That’s probably why they made him out to be a coward and annoying to many (including me as well). Yet, he was thrust with decisions that would normal drive an average person over the edge. I’m not saying to give the guy a break, though. By all means I’m more than happy he’s out of the picture now that Dot Pixis is here.

        bakakubi
        Reply

      3. Who needs promotions when there is attrition.
        Trusted me i ve seen it plenty in real life in the army of shitty officers get put in charge because there was no one else that can fill the position at that moment.

        sober!man
        Reply

        1. There’s also a big difference between armchair officers and warriors. The armchair types tend to rise up the ranks when there’s no fighting so you wind up starting a war with the wrong types in charge. It takes awhile for the warriors to get back in command (if they manage to).

          Bear
          Reply

        2. Don’t forget the Roman-like corruption of the safe interior politicians. That makes armchair soldiers rise quicker through the ranks than gutsy soldiers. As in the Vietnam War, the corrupt leadership sends the “troublemakers” to endless, meaningless patrols through enemy-infested territory to wear them out and kill them.

          jhpace1
          Reply

    6. Everyone is treating Eren like he’s a witch. If he doesn’t drown, he’s a witch but if he does drown… then he’s not a witch. Come on.

      Armin’s development in this episode was great. I really loved his speech and salute. Too glorious and risky, really wouldn’t expect something like that from him.

      Jel
      Reply

    7. https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
      https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2038.jpg
      https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2010%20-%20Large%20Preview%2001.jpg
      https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2037.jpg
      YES!! PIXIS’S HERE!!!!!! Look at him, so suave, so calm, so confident, walking like a boss.
      https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2039.jpg
      And approaching Eren so confidently!
      Contrast this with the annoying commander
      https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2009.jpg
      https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2010%20-%20Large%2033.jpg
      Yep….nothing but panicking panicking panicking.

      Thank you Pixis for giving me back belief in the Stationary Guard.

      Fafnir
      Reply

    8. “I wouldn’t mind being eaten as long as it’s by a hot female Titan”.

      XD

      But yeah, Armin scores big for his development, despite showing his obvious fear in the face of doing so, but he didn’t let that fear, unlike the Captain, control him. He reeled it in and kept it (barely) in check.

      I also still love the attention to detail in the art. Like you can clearly see all the various colorings on the bones, the various strings of muscle tendons along and hanging from the bones, and so on.

      I can only guess at least one reason why Eren’s father kept it a secret; because it’s potentially dangerous beyond just the general fact that a human can become a (possibly uncontrollable) Titan.

      Like HOW that power will be used, whether by that person, or by others. We already saw how corrupt these “lords” and various merchants can be, so who’s to say that, during or after the Titan scourge is ended, that they won’t try to use the method to create their own personal enforcers to keep themselves in power or take more power, becoming even more corrupt and such? Or if a person(s) with the power decides to abuse it for selfish, nefarious, etc deeds as very few would be able to stop them? Having regular Titans is bad enough. Having SMART (and probably militarily experienced) Titans, as we seemed to see with the Colossal and Armored Titans, would be a WHOLE different story all together.

      If I were to think of a similar thing off the top of my head, it would be the original Godzilla, King of the Monsters with Dr. Daisuke Serizawa and his Oxygen Destroyer. After Godzilla’s romp through Tokyo, Serizawa is asked to use the Oxygen Destroyer in order to kill Godzilla as everything else in the military’s arsenal had proven useless, but even with it being potentially the only thing in the world that could save it from Godzilla, he (initially) adamantly refuses to let it be used.

      This is because he foresaw the very real, and likely, possibility that after Godzilla was killed and the Oxygen Destroyer was revealed to the world, the next thing would be to apply it for military use and becoming a weapon of mass destruction that could make even the atomic bomb look like nothing, thus leading to an already escalating arms race (as it releases “micro-oxygen” that rapidly splits and liquifies oxygen, thus suffocating any and all life in the area of effect, reducing them to bones and then liquifying the remains, and this isn’t limited to people and animals either, but everything).

      Even though he soon agrees to let it be used, but ONLY that one time, he burns all his research papers and blueprints for the designs and even, without obviously telling anyone else about doing it, commits suicide and dies alongside Godzilla when it’s used underwater where he is, thus erasing any “easy” attempt to allow the Oxygen Destroyer to exist. (Of course, those who know Godzilla know that these facts are brought up again in the last Heisei-era Godzilla film: Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.)

      HalfDemonInuyasha
      Reply

      2. So in other words, you are trying to say that Humanity could have created this Artificial Titan to fight the Normal Titans, and after they won, they keep use the Artificial ones to have a “thread” to humankind for Power?…

        Nice move….

        Germanguy
        Reply

      3. Commander Dot Pixis doesn’t even know how Eren transforms into a Titan, what his limits are, other factors, etc. Using a weapon you’ve never seen before and have no idea for its’ limitations or proper usage is risky as all get out.

        Spoiler, just in case…
        Show Spoiler ▼

        jhpace1
        Reply

        1. We didn’t exactly know if the atomic bomb would work. We only did ONE test with the more unknown variant (Plutonium) before sending it off with the Uranium 235 one, and even then, with no guarantee that either would work.

          Potential weapons can be tested all people want, but testing in a controlled situation is completely different from being used on the field.

          HalfDemonInuyasha
          Reply

    11. The soundtrack near the end sound oddly familiar, so I went and check on ANN, and sure enough…

      …he’s doing the OST.

      No wonder it sound a bit like Unicorn there…

      Onto some other points…

      -Well, THIS got enhanced to a quality that’s better than the manga…
      -Armin, you have my back now. Especially after that grand speech of yours.

      info600
      Reply

    13. Even an episode that is mostly just talk keeps me on the edge of the seat. I have to fight the urge to read the manga because the feeling of watching the story unfold in animated form is so much more engrossing than it would be then by pouring through all the manga volumes in one sitting.

      I haven’t seen a recap episode in any of the anime I’ve been watching lately, guess it was too much to hope that the practice had faded away. I know they are having production issues so maybe this will help them get straightened out and deliver quality animation more consistently (less stills). I can handle one week but lets hope we don’t get 4 weeks of recap like Wolf’s Rain.

      Absaroka
      Reply

      1. When I watched Zetsuen no Tempest they had like to or three episodes of talking type epsidoes that kept me on edge , Shingekis was good but I gotta say Zetsuen wins it for me

        Annami
        Reply

        1. If the series is effeminately going to be 25 episodes and the manga is not finished yet does that mean it will diverge from the manga plot? Or do you think there will end on a cliff hangar and have a second season that follows the story line of the manga…I really hope its not one of those half-assed last minute plot ditched tied up conclusion adaptions like they had for a lot of older anime…not that they still don’t do that

          random-kyojin
          Reply

    15. More Attack on Titan fanart, from Thailand:
      http://www.dannychoo.com/en/post/26962/Shingeki+no+Kyojin+Thai.html

      I love how the artist combines traditional Thai artwork with the series concept.

      For comparison:
      http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/collections/freeman/thai_ramayana/600/thai_rama_093.jpg

      http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/614374/614374,1282780333,1/stock-photo-a-demon-in-the-ramayana-painted-on-wall-grand-palace-bangkok-thailand-59769916.jpg

      zztop
      Reply

    17. Yes! Smart guys get their moment to shine! Though it seems like it’s more that any heroic qualities, if they persevere, will shine through the grimdark.
      Since his previous strategic victory didn’t seem to resolve his inferiority complex, I’m glad this happened for Armin. Having some confidence to go with those brains of his can only be a good thing at this point.

      mythnut
      Reply

        1. I honestly feel glad not having to start reading the manga, (been fighting that urge to pound my way through the chapters!). That energy felt from her voice was just so awesome it was unreal.

          YOLO_MLG_420BlazEit_HashtagsToTheExtrem3
          Reply

    22. I believe Eren’s dad kept it a secret because he is trying to hide it from a bigger organization, most likely the kingship that runs the whole human world in Shingeki No Kyojin. Another reason is the possibility of an arms race if we consider that there may be more large organizations other than said kingship. Finally, we know how humans reacted to just one Titan shifter, imagine how everyone would react if there was a whole populace of Titan shifters? So there is merit and potential justification for why he has kept it secret. But who knows, maybe the secrets go beyond just the Titans.

      As for Dot Pixis, his eccentricity didn’t really irk me at all. He may just be putting on a brave front or he has already seen enough blood to the point he is desensitized from the fear. His character I do not think is unbelievable, not even in the world of Shingeki No Kyojin. Besides, in terms of eccentricity, I think Hanji would have to take it.

      The only thing I may have against this episode is Dot’s timing for his intervention. But, I’m just going to assume he was watching for some time and probably wouldn’t have intervened if Armin didn’t show such determination and resolve. Those factors seem to be how he judges a person’s character, evident in his talk with Eren.

      Goodwill.Wright
      Reply

      1. You probably have to consider that the 3D Gear puts an incredible strain on most soldiers’ bodies, plus with the horrible attrition factor to the ones in the Recon Corps who go outside the wall, you may not see “old and wise” soldiers rise to the top. Dot Pixis may be as unique as Mikasa, the competent or even genius commander who rises to the top despite politics. You typically only see one of those a generation.

        jhpace1
        Reply

        1. I can’t argue with that. I would assume that Dot Pixis would use his 3D gear much more efficiently to compensate for his aging body in comparison to how brashly the younger users would.

          Goodwill.Wright
          Reply

    26. The last scene where Pixis didn’t say a single word, but indicated that Eren should direct his eyes to the lands behind the wall was simply epic. He didn’t even need to explain directly that if Eren can’t do it, then humanity will lose another 1/3 of her lands.

      Fafnir
      Reply

      1. Truly reminded me of the phrase “A picture is worth a thousand words”, in this case the sight of what is left of humanity’s land. With the epic BGM running it made Pixis freaking cool too lol.

        YOLO_MLG_420BlazEit_HashtagsToTheExtrem3
        Reply

    28. Well now it explains why titans die if you slash back of their necks, if every titan potentially is a transformed human, and human himself is in the back of the titan’s neck, kill human “piloting” the titan > kill titan himself. Titan is just a shell.

      JIks
      Reply

    30. I have a theory based on the revelation that eren was in the nape(kill zone)of a titan’s neck, clips from previous episodes, and the beginning image in the closing credits. Its been bothering me how it could tie together, but I may have an idea now after watching eren actually in the “flesh cockpit” during this episode. The beginning image in the closing credits shows a bunch of what looks like simple organisms, like single cells or something. Also, back in the episode where the rogue titan first appears to save mikasa- there’s a quick scene with those round cells again. In that scene, it was one cell I think and it was beating like a heart. It could be used to symbolize eren’s transformation, but I have another theory to add to that. I think those round cell things are the titans, or more accurately-the controlling core of a titan. Instead of a human in the neck near the spine,nerve center, and so forth, its one of those cells. Slashing the nape, killing the core, no more cell to pilot titan=rotting titan body. If I’m right, Eren’s Dad may have stumbled onto this, thinking its a natural bioweapon or something, leading to numerous reasons to keep it secret. It still doesn’t explain reasoning for the organisms, motivation to eat humans, or their origins, but the ending credits’ usage of the image with those round cells and the use in that important scene before the rogue titan’s debut leads me to think that the cells are an important factor in all this…Just a theory/rant. Did anyone else notice the beating cell thing back in that episode???

      C.R.
      Reply

      1. Also, back in episode 7 when that scene happened, Mikasa sliced out one of those cell things and the small titan collapsed dead before a bigger titan appeared(and got promptly destroyed by the rogue titan). There was also alot of focus/blinking scenes on the cell Mikasa cut out and the purple beating cell during the rogue titan’s angry roar/battlecry.

        C.R.
        Reply

      1. Mmm the comments have been pretty spoiler free lately though. There was that downvoted comment near the top, but that was a troll one with false information eh. As for Railgun, I’ll be addressing the spoilers there in the next post.

        Zephyr
        Reply

    33. I don’t mind all talk episodes but they dragged the whole Armin’s “monologue” to the point where it was not even emotional. At least for me, this whole episode was a waste and poorly executed in terms of Armin’s inner conflicts.

      And holy crap we don’t need a recap of the story for every damn episodes…

      boki
      Reply

      1. It’s common for 2 cours series to include a summary episode at half-point. Because this is the time when a new anime season starts. So these summary episodes also serve as advertisement for recruiting new viewers (who at the start of a season basically look at every somewhat interesting first (or in thise case recap) episode to decide if they will watch the series) and thus indeed serve a purpose (other than the often assumed money-saving only).

        phecd
        Reply

    36. http://youtu.be/Wbc-P5-B1uE

      No matter how I see it, that’s not a Titan that Eren is “piloting”, that’s an Evangelion unit, especially the position of the “cockpit” where he’s situated himself. In fact, the story could be thought of as Evangelion with a less advanced medieval/steam-punk tech tree.

      Anonymous
      Reply

        1. Am I the only one who doesn’t get that EVA vibe when watching this? I even grew up with Evangelion.

          – One of the main difference is even given the nature of an EVA, it is still considerably more mechanical than a Titan.
          – The perks are different along with the consequences.
          – Eren doesn’t have the luxury of a cockpit. Sure, effectively both the EVA and Titan are controlled mostly through thought, but the synchronicity with a Titan is near 100% while the EVA, the pilot is still relatively detached unless they dive deeper into the plug.
          – The humans in Shingeki No Kyojin are the dominant combatants while the EVAs are in Evangelion.

          The only thing close to an EVA vibe I would get from this series is the father – son relationship but even Jager has established himself to be a seemingly more passionate father than Ikari.

          Goodwill.Wright
          Reply

        2. “- One of the main difference is even given the nature of an EVA, it is still considerably more mechanical than a Titan.”

          I’d assume that’s largely due to the Eva being restricted due to its armor (made to contain its power after all). A regular human in armor, like an old style knight, or simply guys with lots of battle gear on, would end up having their movements restricted due to the weight, style, etc of said gear, which is why it’s constantly being tweaked to be as light and non-disruptive as possible. Once the Eva/human sheds that armor, they immediately gain a far greater range and degree of movement, thus able to move a lot more gracefully and precisely.

          Evas, after all, are pretty human-like, even having human-like skeletons, spines, etc.

          In the end, it’s really the most basic ideas that are similar. Obviously both are also very different in their own way based on how things work.

          HalfDemonInuyasha
          Reply

      2. Well, I believe the whole thing for both Titans and Evas, with that location, is really illustrating the medulla oblongata.

        “The medulla oblongata is the lower half of the brainstem. In discussions of neurology and similar contexts where no ambiguity will result, it is often referred to as simply the medulla. The medulla contains the cardiac, respiratory, vomiting and vasomotor centers and deals with autonomic, involuntary functions, such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure.”

        …and I’d guess things like the Titan’s/Eva’s regeneration and whatnot would fall under the “automatic, involuntary functions” part. Also why, in Evangelion, ejecting the plug is the method usually used to forcefully shut down the Eva and we’ve seen in pretty much every version that, in such situations, entry plugs are usually forced to stay in somehow, whether signals are forcefully rejected, or something.

        In real life, it’s often a spot where snipers would like to aim for because it’s pretty much a guaranteed one hit kill if they’re target is shot there. Problem is is the size and opportunity to hit it.

        HalfDemonInuyasha
        Reply

    39. Usually I make sure I turn off the lights, close my room door, get into a relaxing position so I can watch the anime without being distracted, but I swear, with this anime, just turning on the video player, I can’t notice anything else around me. I am still absolutely most intensely infected by this anime, and I need a prescription!

      I was waiting for Pixes to show up (sorry if I spelt his name wrong) and I was waiting for Armin to put forward a stand, and he did, and it was heart breaking.

      I can’t wait for next episode, I hate this weekly waiting!

      Thanks for your review, M.

      Mi-Chan
      Reply

    42. I’m kind of starting to see Armin like Saki(Shin Sekai Yori) and not just because he’s the one narrating but also because he seems to be something like a umm…voice of reason,if you may.I’m expecting to see him in a high ranking position by the end of the series(or even earlier on) which I’d totally be down for.I hope he won’t be shoved aside if Eren & Misaka will leave the army to be on their own or something,I’m really starting to like his character.

      Another character that I find interesting is Jean,so much that I wish he was was given enough screentime as the 3 friends.I dunno,I’m sure I’m in the minority here but I find both him & Armin more interesting than Eren & Mikasa,at least so far.

      MgMaster
      Reply

    43. My Preview for Episode 11 is this:

      Eren will turn into Big. But he will not run directly to grab the Stone and do what he was told. Remember he has limit control in the Big state over his Conscious. His hatred about the Titans will surly come back again. But perhaps with the help of his Nakamas. Perhaps she lure him to the Rock, so that he grab it somehow. Then somehow he get convinced to trow the rock to the Hole and close it, somehow

      or the previous Captain will play “party pooper” and attack Eren in his Big mode to kill him. Perhaps this Chaos can be used to lure him to do the Job. That would fit better. But to prevent future “party pooper”, the Captain should get injured or died under the thrown Rock

      Well, only Time will tell. If my Experience with time, get it right

      Germanguy
      Reply

      1. Oh, and looks like Eren is low on Titan Power. Lets see, if he will survive this Attack on the City, and get time to refuel his Titan Powers.. How many Episode should be aired?
        If it will be around 24, then for sure they will give him time for breathing. Perhaps a Human Counterattack on the “Titan’s Nest” is possible after the City invasion is closed

        But if i am right, that only proves how predictable the Storytelling has become. The same as always, just the “blink blink” stays Up to date. Try to create a Story outside the Box. But then, how will look these?.. two-edged sword

        Germanguy
        Reply

    44. Two thoughts on this episode:

      1. The suggestion of having Eren move a boulder in the way of the hole seems a bit odd to me. Even if he were to morph once again into a 15-ft titan and do so, wouldn’t ANOTHER 15-ft titan simply be able to move it out of the way? I assume they will come up with a slightly more complex plan than just boulder blockade, but if not that seems like an odd bit of logic.

      2. Armin’s development this episode seemed a bit forced. Having a 180 degree turn on how he believes himself viewed seems a bit too drastic following 1 or 2 sentences from Eren. Not that I’m saying his being forced into the action wouldn’t prompt some growth, just that it seemed too fast and too far from his character previous to this. You don’t go from crippling self doubt to blazing self confidence in the blink of an eye, regardless of what revelations your friends might tell you.

      Monks
      Reply

      1. Regarding no.2 – Everyone should realize by now that Shingeki is a plot/story driven show and not a character one.As such,we can’t expect them to be the main attraction and as noticed up till now they’re pretty much steoreotypes that can are sometimes,okay most of the times,over the top.I like Armin more than the hot blooded,typical shounen protag like Eren and the completely one-dimensonal Mikasa but he was pretty over the top himself this episode.I mentioned in a comment above that I’d wish Jean had was more than just a side character but I think that was an understatement.I’ll be honest and just say that I wish he was the main character because so far,he’s the one I’ve been able to take the most seriously.

        I really like Shingeki but I suppose I can’t fully enjoy it for what it is because I put too much emphasis on characters over plot/story 😛

        MgMaster
        Reply

        2. I know what you mean. I believe that you need a good balance of character and plot development along with whatever other factors are involved. At least when it comes to series’ trying to be “good” like that. If it’s more or less NOT meant to be like that, like the plot is meant to be more over-the-top, ridiculously funny, more fantastical, etc, or the characters are meant to just be way out there, then they can be granted a bit of slack in some areas.

          After all, you can have one of the greatest stories in history in general, but most people won’t be able to get the full enjoyment of that story if the characters used to push that story forward are pretty flat, boring, unenjoyable, unlikeable (for the wrong reasons), etc. Same on the opposite side; you can have some of the nicest, coolest, prettiest, badass, etc characters you want that people will love, but it doesn’t mean much if the plot they’re involved in is boring, confusing, undeveloped, full of holes, etc.

          Of course, anime or any work will rarely ever get it perfect and people will always have their own personal range of taste and preferences like, as you admitted, you look more at the characters than the plot. Others may look at plot more than the characters, while I tend to look at both.

          HalfDemonInuyasha
          Reply

      1. Well… alcohol is a depressant so you are pretty much right with your statement. As long as he isn’t drink flying… he should be okay…

        Now I really want to see Dot Pixis in action… bring it next episode!!

        Goodwill.Wright
        Reply

    47. PIIIIIIIIIIIK-SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS!!!!!!!!!!!

      badass general…gotta wonder how capable he is with the 3d maneuver gear though…
      i lol’d at how armin’s plea was so ridiculously dramatic its almost cringe-worthy…

      NierTevra
      Reply

    49. This was a good episode for me to kinda see the distances between the walls when Eren looked back at the city. Was there an episode or section the manga where they said how far apart the walls are apart?

      altasia
      Reply

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