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「願い」 (Negai)
“Wish”
I got to say, this season of SnK is turning out to be pretty damn impressive. While there may be a lack of the usual SnK shenanigans—i.e. people eating, among other associated pleasures—the show has quickly made up for it by providing the first significant story advancements and explanations often left by the wayside previously. It may not have the same feel as older SnK, but with storytelling already as tight as this, it’s going to make the later reveals all the more sweeter.
Continuing from last week the big thing once again lay with Historia’s past. The Titan power so central to everything right now is as some have guessed unique, a power so strong and so special that it is literally bound to the blood of the Reiss family. Only those having the blood (ex. Historia) can use its memory manipulation, which is why Eren has never shown such ability before (taking away a potential plot hole) and why in part Rod Reiss and his predecessors were content to rule from behind the scenes. While mass mind control is obscenely powerful, why bother using it if you don’t have to? Simply control the government and any manipulation is naturally required only for those in the know because everyone else by design has no idea what lies behind the curtain. Limited expenditure, maximum effect—the correct way to utilize power.
Of course as Rod Reiss vividly showed though, there’s a little more to it than that. While the Reiss’ Titan power may have further explanation, these tidbits only increase the mystery of SnK’s world. Why hasn’t the Reiss family actually exterminated the Titans as promised, why did their first family head want the Titans—i.e. the Reiss family—to openly rule? There’s something important held in those memories passed along which turns even the most ardent desire into sullen rejection. This is likely why Rod at heart is exceptionally cowardly, desperate to pin his family’s so-called duty on his relatives and siblings because he believes he cannot handle the burden—both that of knowing, and the process of becoming aware. It certainly juxtaposes against Historia’s mental wrangling, for while she also rejected the duty (and thus the chance of obtaining Frieda’s memories), she did so out of honesty for her own desires and refusal to let one seriously broken Eren off the hook. The kid after all now knows what he did, he knows what his father did, and won’t be throwing off that burden onto an innocent just because it suddenly hurts the shoulders. For better or worse the duty of Titan elimination now rests with Eren, and it is his mindset and past realization Historia mentally knows stands the best chance at actually completing the task.
It might take a bit of a push to get Eren back into his Titan hating ways, but with Rod Reiss giving a good reason to go full Titan (thank Kenny for the opportunity) and a bunch of friends needing a little assistance, our star of the show has all the encouragement he could possibly need.
Preview
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Well, I’m glad to have played caveman OP the entire week to avoid spoilers. I was devouring every bit of info dropped this week like an absolute feast of a food.
I too am enjoying this kind of story oriented SNK (Rather than action based) for a change, looking forward to each new ep with so much thirst for new revelation. Loving it man !
Thanks for a nice Sasha cap. The B team needs some love. One thing which fell apart as the story continues is that the main trainee group from Season 1 split up. Now that the B team is just barely well-established enough and slightly developed, they got shoved back to let the Survey’s senior members take their place. Tough to call the seniors a “B team” but, as far as screen time and importance goes, the first B team is now more like an R team (“R” for “Reliably in the background” and “Ready when needed”).
That ending shocked the hell out of me. Things just got crazier lol.
I have to admit I cracked up laughing when Reiss face started glowing after he licked the Titanade. That entire part was both badass and hilarious at the same time for me. Certainly hooked me in for the next ep.
Watching the anime as a manga reader really make you appreciate how everything get pieces together. Definitely one of those series where a re-watch is worth it.
Agreed, at some point I’m going to have to re-watch it all myself, if only to binge watch all those fight arcs with the ridiculous cut scenes breaking things off just as they’re getting good XD
Woah the action sequences in the first half. Those runts became so badass, so proud of them.
Was quite disappointed when this Lord Reiss guy didn’t look very charismatic when he was revealed even after being told they’re the real “royal family” and all that. Now I can see why, he’s a major creep… reminds me of that baron in Kuroshitsuji’s circus arc.
Also, someone FINALLY SAID IT. Someone finally called Eren he’s a lil sheet for all he’s worth!!
Also, is it a major theme or something where a lot of the fathers in the series are quite obsessed? Even though I don’t know the context behind their actions, from what I can see Annie, Eren and Historia’s dads are all pretty hardcore at burdening their children cause they’re cowards.
I don’t know if it’s a theme as much as a way to add a touch of tragedy to the characters. A rough family life or crazy parents is one way of building a character, and when it comes to a world full of sky high walls and giant Titans, nothing says grimdark like ridiculous families. I will say though that Eren’s dad has a decent explanation for why he did what he did, but I don’t know whether we’ll get that in the next arc just yet.
Annie’s father as well.
I find Eren as irritating as the next person, but what’s this about refusing to let him off the hook? Where does this antipathy toward Eren come from? He doesn’t deserve it. It’s clear that Eren said what he did because he believed the impression Reiss was trying to make: that Frieda would have gotten rid of the invading Titans if Grisha hadn’t killed her, and that now only a Reiss can fully use the power to get rid of them. He wasn’t trying to shrug off a burden that had become too heavy; he was offering to surrender the power to someone who could use it to “save humanity.” Eren’s only likely fault here was in believing what were probably half-truths and false innuendo. And as for Eren knowing what he’s done, he should know that he didn’t kill Frieda or force the power onto himself. What he did do was seal the Trost gate, which probably saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Yeah, he’s on the hook for that.
The off the hook bit stems from the guilt Eren feels for committing patricide. He certainly isn’t responsible for what happened with his father and Frieda, but Eren likely believes his actions (taking the power from his father) perpetuated the crime his father originally committed. Thus Eren’s attempt at correcting the fault by giving the power back to Historia (ending the vendetta) and making up for what he did to his father.
I was probably a bit harsh in assigning guilt to Eren in this case, but he definitely feels as though he’s not fit for the task he’s eagerly taken up. For better or worse the information about his father has sorely tested his commitment, something the likes of Historia (who understands its importance) won’t let go of that easy.
One factor of Eren’s guilt may be that he just lived through those memories. He’d have, all of a sudden, experienced killing the Reiss family and being eaten by his own son. That, along with his perceived uselessness, could explain his sudden and extreme guilt.
Very true actually, thanks for suggesting that! Given bystanders of traumatic events are well known to experience similar effects as actual victims, it wouldn’t be unlikely Eren had a similar reaction to seeing the memories, especially given who they involved.
Am I the only one who has completely fallen for Historia’s angry expression?
https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2044%20-%20Large%2020.jpg
So sexy!
The OST during Historia’s moment was (imo) fantastic too and really set how badass she can be once she’s set her mind to it!
Eren Show Spoiler ▼
So I’ve been trying to figure this out for a while… why, or rather how, were Eren’s and Historia’s memories sealed? They keep saying that certain bloodlines are exempt from the power, so it’s very strange that Historia had sealed memories unless there’s a very ironic twist coming still about her parentage. Eren theoretically wouldn’t be exempt from the memory sealing, although there’s still a lot we don’t know about his father Grisha, but either was the power is his so you’d think there could be some kind of immunity to it when you’re the controller of it.
I think by bloodlines they are referring to specific individuals, i.e. those who possess the power or are favoured by those with the power. Historia for example likely was affected just because Frieda chose to keep her memories locked as Historia was selected as the heir to the power (thus saving the girl some grief), whereas the other Reiss members being older would understand the duty.
Eren’s memories are the stranger one though, as if only those of Reiss blood can use the power, who then locked his memories away? His father certainly couldn’t, and so far we know of no blood relation between Reiss and Yeager. Until or if we find out it just might be down to author oversight, wouldn’t be the first time we’ve had such a plot hole after all.
Quite the high-octane episode! The action was on point with beautiful animation. I’m guessing Hange is just knocked out as it was mainly a shoulder injury, but it’s too soon to tell.
I’m curious about why Rod supposedly shouldn’t become a Titan. His transformation seemed to have too long of a spine, which I wonder is part of the reason or simply because he ingested the Titanade orally.
I’m also wondering what Kenny’s end goal is. It seems it’s simply to become King, but based on the blonde haired follower’s speech from last week, it could be Kenny planned to utilise the Titan scream to unite humanity in the fight against the Titans? His followers certainly believe it’s a cause worth dying for.
Next week cannot come soon enough!
Hange definitely isn’t dead, there’s no way they would kill off that cute face so soon 😛
For Rod I think the only reason was his refusal to do what was required of a Reiss to become a Titan—i.e. kill the previous power holder. Rod probably didn’t want the guilt of having to kill his father, so therefore let his brother take on the burden so he could avoid the guilt.
And as for Kenny it’s very likely he did intend on being King, but definitely unclear as to why. Probably nothing as grandiose as saving humanity though, he certainly doesn’t seem the type of person who cares too much about those he barely knows haha.
This episode missed out on such a beautiful opportunity to show more of Hange and Moblit’s relation.
Unlike the manga, Moblit is present during the attack on the cave in the anime but it is easily brushed aside. However, I feel like they really did Moblit’s personality dirty by not having him at least shout for Hange or give him a close-up when she got thrown into the pillar and to the floor. Instead they show Levi and his squad and have Jean shout her name.
Moblit cares so much for Hange, having been there to prevent her from getting hurt since season 1 and even earlier in season 3 we see him step up to Sanes who lays a hand on her but now that she is in a state that is uncertain if she survives or not, everyone reacts but him.
I loved the episode but Witstudio misses out on such opportunities and I think that’s a shame for making anime only’s care for certain characters.
https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2044%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
Is is strange to say that I’ve fallen in love with Historia’s misanthropy?
I mean, I get why she would develop such a worldview considering the crapsack world she’s in, as well as recent reveals as to her true heritage. Not to mention her learning that her family had this world-changing power, yet her ancestor(s) decided not to use it to improve humanity’s lot.
And I also loved the music throughout this episode.