First Impressions / Shingeki no Kyojin

「壁の王」 (Kabe no Ou)
“Ruler of the Walls”

While SnK has been going strong of late with its significant story developments and paradigmatic reveals, sometimes it doesn’t hurt enjoying the simple things and this week is here to remind us of that fact. From good old fashioned Titan killing to the always entertaining Eren shenanigans, we got a bit of nostalgia to help prime the long road ahead, because if there’s one thing to except from SnK in the near future, it’s going to be hardship.

One of the things which keeps me enjoying SnK is the show’s unabashed willingness to stay excessive. Every Titan we encounter is often bigger and more disturbing than the last, every revealed plot (well, aspect of the main plot) more dangerous and insidious than before, every character in some way increasingly more off their rocker. Rod Reiss of course best exemplifies this trait by literally shaving off half his anterior and still going strong. Even for one like me who’s actually fiddled with cadavers and held human hearts and brains in my hands (biomedical engineering minor for the win), seeing stuff like this doesn’t lead to happy thoughts. Little early for the October spookies don’t you think? At least the off putting nature of Rod’s inglorious end helped to return Eren back to the proper protagonist path, for in his understandable confusion he finally saw and recognized his own weakness, succinctly ending what to now have been a couple seasons of try and fail. The kid may deserve the ribbing he gets, but he’s finally set himself along the path needed to overcome past failures and start successfully pulling the weight he’s determined to bear. Don’t deny, you know like him more when he’s yelling too.

Eren though isn’t the only one who has seen growth the past few weeks, as Historia has now finished her own transformation. While Erwin’s plan for eliminating Rod may not have been centered on legitimizing Historia’s royal ascension, there’s no denying that Historia helped solidify her position by landing the final blow, ensuring her own duties will not be overshadowed by collective doubt and insecurity. We may naturally obey leadership because they are leaders (and are backed up by weapons), but the only way to actively instill trust and affection for leaders is for them to take on the hardships of the average person. Historia’s willingness to fight on the frontlines did exactly this, a selfless act proving her convictions and showing (at least in the future) that she is no puppet of the military and is one who will act only in her subject’s best interests. Considering where we’ve come from and the level of duplicity shown by the previous government it’s a substantial change, and one—as visualized by a few kids—whose impact is going to reverberate for a while to come.

Humanity is now ready to turn a new leaf in the world of SnK, and as a bit of history between one cowboy and Scout extraordinaire will show, the fun and games of this new order are only just getting started.

Author’s Note: I’ll be away next week on a business trip to the Albertan oil sands from the 23rd-26th, so next week’s post may be delayed. I’ll try to get it, but it all hinges on how nice the camp internet (and my workload) will be.

 

Preview

15 Comments

  2. Well well, an actual successful military operation and some solid PR for the up and coming Titan-slaying queen. Everything’s actually coming up aces for the Scouts for once!

    … So then the next arc is probably going to go completely sideways, isn’t it?

    PurpleBomber
    Reply

  4. https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2046%20-%20Large%2021.jpg
    Huh. Who’d’ve thought that the Titan Rod Reiss dragging its face on the ground would expose a critical weakness?

    https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2046%20-%20Large%2025.jpg
    “EXPLOSION!” (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) Also, I’m a bit impressed that Eren can still understand Erwin’s orders even while in Titan form.

    https://randomc.net/image/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin/Shingeki%20no%20Kyojin%20-%2046%20-%20Large%2032.jpg
    A wee bit early, but… “Hail to the queen, baby!”

    Now I’m wondering if it’s time for Kenny to go. It feels like it was only yesterday when I realized his voice actor also voiced Kurama in Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory as well as Bane in the Japanese dub of The Dark Knight Rises, LOL.

    Incognito
    Reply

      1. That much caring and focusing on her happiness also Historia is the only one that makes Eren smile it’s just pretty easy to conclude as romantic in my book.
        Plus it’s almost the only healthy growing relationship this manga ever had.

        anon696
        Reply

  6. Loved it.
    The author shows he know cannons are very powerful and should have been able to do the job but adds good and lucky reasons the heroes have to do the job themselves. In the story, it mentioned the guns should do the job. An expert gunner should be hitting the right spot almost every time. But as stated these gunners were inexperienced, scared in their first fight and if was inferred their training was poor being in a fairly safe area. They were missing badly considering where lots of the damage was. They have already shown in an earlier episode in a brief scene they have the last generation of ballistics data generated gun sights. (they are carried in a pouch the gunner puts them on the gun to aim and removes before firing. For the last shot when the guns would have had a great shot at the neck that probably would have killed it, a wind shift blows the steam to the wall preventing the shot.
    With so many military errors in so many shows, I find it great the author in little ways lets those who know the reality of cannon effectiveness that the author knows it too and thus the author is creating situations where the cannons are limited and the maneuver gear must be used, not because the cannons are poor weapons to use.
    No, I was not in artillery, I was Infantry the Queen of Battle and any good infantry officer respects the King, the artillery if they know their history.

    Have to assume Historia made a last-second gas release out of sight to slow her enough to just break the wagon and not her. Historia also probably aimed herself there. But all of the scouts had to do a slow down release or they would have splated falling that fast.

    Warrior Queens and Kings. Most do not know that the Ruler going into battle was the norm in history over the last few centuries when the exceptions started to regularly happen. And gaining legitimacy was a clear part of that. Same for the Nobels who originally got the job because they were war leaders. Kings were killed on the battlefield and captured for a King’s ransom to be paid many times. So I am very glad Historia’s desire to share her comrade’s risk and do her duty as Queen won in the day as this will give major legitimacy in the people’s eyes. Historia also has the massive benefit of not really wanting the job combined with a huge desire to do the job right that can make a great ruler. Erwin and the rest of the military government better be ready, very soon Historia will only be giving orders not taking them. And I love it!
    (not a spoiler just a logical conclusion)

    RedRocket
    Reply

  7. All that canon shooting and Erwin gloriously yelling out commands always gets my heart all dokidoki. Eren is just the usual. He is redeeming himself a little though.
    And just when I thought I’ve seen the lot of man-eating Titans, Isayama outdoes himself again with that mighty coronal view.

    Bambi
    Reply

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