@NimmelTheGreat not to mention the month-long wait between chapters here and there. There were some brutal cliffhangers that we had to wait so long for a resolution
It's very intentional on Isayama's part that we have that whole scene in the restaurant where Mr Blouse gives his beautiful speech about keeping children out of the forest only for them to all be held hostage a few seconds later by Floch. Floch's last name is Forster which quite literally means "An occupational or topographic surname for someone who worked or lived in a forest". Floch was a teenager back when he was heavily traumatised during the Shiganshina mission and has clearly become lost completely lost in this metaphorical forest of hatred and repeating the cycle of violence.
Wrong. Floch is right about the situation they're in and he see's further into the future than the rest of them. Floch is a very logical character and knows full well what's gonna happen if they don't fight back. He's one of the most realistic characters becouse of this. Reducing him to "hatred" is just a poor take. Let's say he didn't fight back, what do you think would happen to the island?
@@beastvicious8672I agree he isn't just hatred, but about him having vision and being logical... What? No he isn't. The entire point of his character is that he is (alongside Yelena) the most fanatical of Eren's followers and will do whatever he thinks furthers Eren's goal without ever asking anyone for input. He is literally a blind follower and is no better than pre-Paradis Gabi when it comes to facing opposition to his points of view. The first thing he does when Shadis confronts him is to try to shoot him in the leg, and then orders a bunch of cadets to beat the shit out of the guy for "being a symbol of the old order". Please, do enlighten me on how on earth that is a move a logical person would make.
Eren and Armin fighting violently while Mikasa helplessly stands there, tearfully pleading for them to stop... it's the same as Reiner and Annie fighting in the grass outside the walls as Bertolt tearfully pleads for them to stop...
Regarding Sasha's death, that isnt the first time that Eren's reaction to a tragedy is manic laugh, he did the same when Hannes died. It makes sense that Connie would be confused though.
Wish more people would see this parallel. Eren is laughing at his own incompetence to change the outcome he desperately tries to avoid. He laughed when Hannes died becouse Eren broke down about how he was still at the same spot as the beginning of the series. It's similar with Sasha. It's a coping mechanism.
SPOILER The fact that the lyrics of the final song (playing in the epilogue, which is the best epilogue I've ever seen) are all about this is even more beautiful
I was reading this part of the story, and I realized - somewhat to my surprise - that of all the characters, Levi was acting as my moral compass in this crazy world. Not that he himself is the most moral character - we have Sasha's dad representing true north - but there's something about Levi's ability to recognize and call out BS that just hits right. We saw him do it with Erwin when Erwin needed someone to call him out (remember that scene when Erwin was smiling when they learned the titans were once humans? Levi was pissed). In these scenes we see Levi's extreme distaste for Zeke and Eren. What makes it work is that with Levi, it's never philosophical. No, with Levi, it's grounded in people. Real, living people. Because Levi cares about people. And when he sees someone who can't show remorse for the death of others, that's all he needs to know. I love Levi because he himself, no matter how much he loses, he never stops caring. And you can make the case that he's lost more than any single person in this show. If anyone could be justified for growing callous to death, you'd understand it for Levi, the ultimate soldier whose lost his closest comrades again and again and again and again...But he doesn't. And I love him for that, and it earned him his place as the character that if Levi gets pissed at someone, then I'm getting pissed too. also, can we get something happy for this poor guy....
I feel like, of all the characters, Levi was probably the most prepared for what the outside world ended up being. I think his life growing up in the underground, and the events that brought him to the surface, taught Levi about moral greyness from a very young age, so when the truth of the world was revealed, if anything, it probably just confirmed his already-existing worldview.
Isayama really did a great job with Gabi and Falco parallels. Both were brainwashed and experienced discrimination, but their actions are totally opposite from each other. They're like Doflamingo and Corazon. FYI. Falco had it worse because he's whole family was hated. His uncle was one of the Eldian Restorationists that was turned into dumb titans. Gabi kinda has the VIP treatment (among Eldians) because Reiner her cousin was a warrior, and she's like the best "student" among the young trainees.
The VIP treatment is more of a feeling though. The Honorary Marleyan system only applies to immediate family. Falco's immediately family, his older brother, is to inherit the Beast Titan remember, whereas Gabi has to get a titan for herself if she wants her parents to be treated better.
@@secondeye1574 The Grice family was forced to prove their innocence by sending their family member to the military. The Brauns want one of their family members be a warrior so they can be honorary Marleyans. Gabi wants recognition while Falco (and Colt) were doing it because they have to
true, but on the other hand reiner and gabi had it rougher - though they didn't realize it at the time - in the sense that the indoctrination was propagated _a lot_ within their own family. the grice parents seem scared and sad about their kids fighting in a war, and you can assume they wouldn't have let their kids become warrior candidates if it wasn't necessary
@@jura9484 I get you. It's a pity that the Braun cousins (Reiner and Gabi) were so brainwashed it affected their mental state. Reiner having split personality and suicidal, Gabi was a psycho. I just think what happened to Falco was tragic (had to delete the rest of my comment because its a spoiler).
Pieck's "bluff" speech to Gabi is one of my hidden favourites in terms of stuffing a bunch of character exposition and development. 3 things are happening here: 1. She is trying to trick Eren; 2. She is showing she is very conscious about everything that is going on and probably having the first chance to speak her mind and frustrations out loud (as she could have never done in Marley); 3. She is trying to "save Gabi from the dark future that awaits them" in a parallel to Reiner's talk to Falco on the train to Liberio.
When I look back on my memories of the series through all the bitterness I felt after its ending, I still fondly remember perfect, perfect horsegirl Piecke.
Another tragic and brilliant call-back this part of the story does is the way that Erwin's common mantra he shouted throughout the story to "dedicate your hearts" has had it's meaning twisted and bastardised by Floch and the Jaegerists. What previously was used to inspire the Survey Corps to fight against the titans, explore the outside world and discover the truth is now being used as a nationalistic chant, screamed out by frenzied crowds after a political assassination and used as a rallying call to convince young recruits to beat their instructors to near death like we saw with Shadis.
15:02 I took the scene with Mikasa flashing back to when Eren rescued her from the kidnappers as her being forced to see Eren in a different light due to his recent horrific actions. Previously whenever she's thought about the time Eren rescued her she's always associated the memory with the moment Eren wrapped the scarf around her, which she thinks back to literally a couple pages earlier when Louise brings it up. Him wrapping that scarf around her made her feel warm when she was so cold and then he gave her a new home when she had nowhere to go. However this time she doesn't think back on the beauty of Eren's actions that day, she instead thinks about the cruelty, how he brutally stabbed 2 grown men to death with a crazed almost deranged look in his eye, his appearance now seeming ominous rather than comforting. A big theme of Attack on Titan and especially Mikasa's character is that the world is both cruel and beautiful, Eren to her has always represented the beauty but now she's being forced to recognise the cruel side of him as well.
Levi falling in slow motion towards his comrades who have just turned into Titans is one of my favorite scenes in the anime. I think its a scene that perfectly encapsulated his character without even having to speak words. I love that you can see the hurt turn into resolve in his eyes as he realizes that he once again has to kill more of his friends and people. He's always able to keep pushing forward for the people who are still alive no matter how much it hurts him to do so.
Gabi is indeed radicalized, but she's also literally traumatized. She saw her friends butchered by these people, essentially all the brainwashing was proven "right" in this moment. That's a key difference between her and Reiner who was able to blend in more, yet Reiner also had that psychological trick of being Marcel and the cognitive dissonance of shoving his guilt down while being the leader of a mission, so he ended up suppressing his feelings more and not having the chance to grow that Gabi might have.
Love how even after Sasha's de@th her impact can be felt throughout the story by serving link between Niccolo, Mr. Brause, Kaya and Gabi. Also Armin and Mikasa's relationship is so underrated. Loved how he stood up for her to Eren.
AoT’s themes are simply timeless. I love how complicated the situation is. Super curious who Merphy will ultimately side with or if she will conclude that choosing isn’t the point.
Gabby is probably the most hated character in AOT fandom, but I think from my perspective she's the key to the story and probably my favorite part of it. Her level of hate and brainwashing is only mirrored in Eren, but while he drifted down the path to further violence in his adult life, she's being given a chance at redemption and a better hope for the future. She had to be truly terrible for her growth to be meaningful.
I think Midnight Sun or The Door of Hope are my favorite episodes but I agree with you. The scene with Sasha’s father is probably my favorite scene to show new ppl who watch the series. He should run for president lol
i like how the gabi and sasha's family storyline is pretty universally considered one of the best parts of the series and the only "main characters" in it are falco and gabi, great writing doesn't require the presence of the main cast to be impactful
Merphy you are absolutely flying through this series, glad to see your thoughts on this. because as someone who took it in as it was coming it was a lot and we were theorizing i cant imagine how much information this was to take in at once.
As someone who has finished the series, no spoilers. It just been a great journey watching Merphy go through the series and ramble her thoughts. From the wrong theories to the right ones, to the thoughts on reveals, etc, it's been a fun watch.
Louise directly said to Mikasa "You were saved too, right? By mister Yeager" so thats why she also remembered that Eren scene but your interpretation is pretty correct to. I think is also important to notice that Mikasa is just "now" seeing how brutal and rageful Eren was while saving her. Also, that man that Floch made the cadets beat up wasnt Pixis, it was Keith the one who trained our cadets and was Grisha's friend who then sabotaged Eren's equipment.
It was funny how she was like "I don't know how to say his name" and she just says the name of a different character 😂 These poor old men getting mixed up
It's really interesting seeing you grow to like Armin more after the timeskip. You're not the first one I've seen this happen to, and the others I saw feel that way had a similar mindset/analysis on the whole situation especially Eren's character, but when the chapters were coming out it was far more common for people to like Armin before the timeskip and then hate him for "becoming useless" like Eren says.
As a psychologist student i loved the laugh reaction of Eren when he knew sasha died, it shows that people react to loss depending on how they state of mind is, cry, laugh, numbness feelings or anger are all forms of mourns we can feel. I loved that each character reacted different when the news got to them, armin and mikasa cryed hystericaly, conny was shocked and cryed while maintaining a straight face, eren laughed and made a angry /sad expression trying to hold it in his reaction, and jean was angry at eren for making them go to battle and blamed eren for sasha's death.
@@kushaljoshi3862 yeah, this is why i believe his reaction was the most "out of place" within sasha's friends. His mind is just a mess because of everything he passed through, everyone in this show is on the edge of what the human mind can handle.... sadge.
@@LEVl.K9 it wasn't out of place... it's in line with exactly the same as Hannes' death... what did he utter while laugh-crying at Hannes died... "Nothing's changed... nothing's changed".... guess what, that was the same sentiment he had with Sasha's death... though this time, those words have a whole new meaning... n i'm sure he was screaming that internally.
@@scubed9227 what i meant is, people dont see much "laugh" as mourning someones death, i've seen a lot of people confused on why eren laughed when sasha died, you would be surprised how manny people i've met that felt that eren reaction was strange and out of place, it makes sense why eren react that way but some people have a hard time interpreting this scene and just dont know why he would laugh, but i understand what you meant lol, and im very impressed that you understood the paterns of his personality because since the start of the season finale a lot of people just didnt figured eren out.
the replies to this pretty much got the more complex reason of his laughter down, but there's also another simple reason IN ADDITION to all that. Her last words being "meat" was hilariously in character for her. Thinking of food in her final moment.
The thing that impresses me the most about this series is how well the author understands his characters. He is very deliberate with the way he draws characters, particularly their facial expressions. I think some of the more subtle facial expressions are lost in the anime adaptation, which is why it’s fantastic you’re consuming both together!
Seeing you get to experience & analyze the story now that it’s completed makes me love it That Much More!! I cannot wait to see you reach the end!! ❤ 🕊️
I personally didn’t take Armin’s reaction to the euthanasia plan from Yelena at face value. He probably does see some merit. But it also feels like he’s appeasing Yelena, especially after she just shot someone
Oh yeah. That dinner-table scene with the Blouse family hits so hard. Watching you talk about it felt like reliving it again. We've been restless for a while about the fact that Kaya has been so kind to Gabi who happens to have killed Sasha. It's like a bomb waiting to go off under all these introspection of humanity and its faults. Like yes, Kaya was incredibly kind to Gabi right now. But what if you throw Sasha's death into that mix. And then there you have it. Kaya burst into a violent reaction upon finding out. And Gabi's reaction is unforgettable. She saw first-hand that her own actions... just the fact that she shot this one person has affected the kind Kaya so much that she tried to stab her with a knife. All of Gabi's effort to hold on to her ideals and this felt like the factor that finally pushed the right button. It's finally sinking in. Damnit Merphy, I need more. This "Ravings of a Mad Woman" is music to my ears. And I understand your concern completely. I think a lot of us had the same thought. AOT has done too good of a job with this story and its characters. You don't know how things would go from now on. And is it even possible to tie it all up with a satisfying end? It's a testament to how good Isayama's writing is, but also... sticking the landing feels more and more like a herculean task now.
From watching your vlogs, it seems like you're getting angrier and angrier that you even started this series after each volume. I haven't finished this vlog yet, but I can't imagine it turning all sunshine and rainbows for ya. Here's hoping you enjoy through the end (which I have not yet watched or read).
16:00 Chapter 109 has a dual parallel that ties into its title "Guides" and shows the impact both women, Mikasa and Sasha, left on the respective young girls Louise and Kaya. We see the girls trying to follow in the women's footsteps, and it leads to different conclusions, Kaya's more positive and healing and Louise's more negative and destructive. But the paths make sense for both girls. That's the overall thematic meaning, as for Mikasa's flashback in that moment there's a lot of possible meanings to it. The recontextualization of how horrifying that scene was even though in Mikasa's mind it was heroic rather than traumatic in the beginning of the series, we're now seeing that flipped and showing how violent Eren has always been; Mikasa seeing the warning signs in Eren's behavior and wondering if he can be "saved" or if he's no longer her family anymore; the girl's resolute King's Salute and how that resoluteness, that sheer will of "I am right and so I am going to commit extreme actions without regret" was reflected in Eren when he saved Mikasa in the first place; how Louise's unquestioned emotional devotion for Mikasa is alike to Mikasa's unquestioned emotional devotion for Eren. It's one of my favourite chapters in the manga, and I actually love how the anime adapted it by having the whole episode essentially focus on these more lowkey thematic and characterized events; by putting all the scenes of Gabi and Falco in that one episode they create this cohesive feeling, a calm before the storm.
Sasha's dad's scene is probably the single most important moment in the final arcs. It's THE WHOLE POINT. Do not forget it, because it's the clearest moment in which the theme of the story is stated so plainly before the actual end. Cadet trainer name is Shadis. Also. I know Armin isn't your favorite guy, but listen to him. If someone is the conscience of the series (though a sometimes flawed one) he's the moral compass.
I don't think people should be correcting you on that conversation between Eren and Reiner. It's literally meant to be ambiguous and open to interpretation what's being conveyed. Not to mention many scenes that follow could either reaffirm or recontextualize that scene to give you more insight.
Indeed! Tho when Eren said « We're the same, Reiner » when he sees him claiming the responsibility tend to show that Eren also considers himself responsible (SPOILER especially considering Reiner apoligizing to Eren remembered him the time where he apologized to Ramzi).
After all this time, I think Kaya’s decision to pick up the knife really speaks to the themes of attack on titan. It’s not just the adults that have agency and influence, this story started with one angry child…
In the same way Zeke didn't ask consent from people who want to have children, if I was him the same argument could be used that people who decide to have children make that choice unilaterally and didn't ask consent from their children if _they_ want to be born.
One thing I liked about Zeke apparently believing that he can make the call to sterilize all Eldians to "save" them is that you could say it actually makes a lot of sense, considering his childhood. As much as Zeke claims he's rejected Grisha's "brainwashing" wholesale, I think his biological father's constant speeches about him being The Chosen One, a child of royal blood who's meant to save his people, *did* get to him, and he developed a kind of messiah complex in the end. Combine that with what he learned from Xaver (his other, chosen father), the extreme self-loathing, the idea that being born Eldian could only mean torment in the end... and yeah, you get Zeke's plan.
Yeah-len-na is how it's said in the anime I think, you can also say Yeah-lay-na. She's one of my favorite new characters, very enigmatic and there's a lot to her that goes overlooked
I don't know if you noticed this Merphy, and I don't even know if it was intentional by Isayama, but I like to think it is. When Pieck points at Eren answering the question "Who is the enemy?", the anime makes it look like she is pointing at the audience. It is almost as if to say we are all the enemy to someone. A similar thing happened at the end of season 3, when Grisha asked the evil Marleyan police officer who kind of looks like the pringles man, why he killed Fae in such a gruesome manner. The evil man looks at us, the audience, through the camera and answers, it is because it is interesting to watch (or something along those lines). It's almost as if he is calling us out, saying we are judging him for his heinous actions, yet here we are watching Attack on Titan, because we also think human suffering is fascinating to watch, on some level.
Love this, was not expecting a new video so soon, and such a great review too! I cant wait for the full series review once you've finished the whole thing 😁👍
I love the Parallel of Gaby and Eren. I think the scene of Gaby with Sasha’s dad shows the parallel of Eren. Gaby wanted revenge and instead of “putting the knife down,” she killed Sasha. And then it created this cycle of Sasha’s sister wanting to kill her. At a bigger scale, Eren wants revenge for what they did to his hometown and his family, and instead of “putting the knife down,” to some degree, he decides to do the same thing. There’s also more to Erens plan and there’s more complexity to it but on the surface level that’s what’s Erens doing, same as Gaby. It’s also a parelle to everything’s that’s happened and war. The Marleyans started sending those titans to Paradis island and the reason they sent Reiner, Anna etc is bc they felt betrayed and chose “not to put the knife down,” simply bc there there getting revenge for there ancestors and getting brainwashed. And now Eren is continuing that cycle and getting his revenge. And in war that’s how it is, someone does something to a country and that county will want to get revenge and ends up hurting ppl, that country will then fight back again to protect there own ppl and the cycle continues for many years and both sides think they are in the right and that they have good reason to attack, which just continues the cycle and innocent ppl end up dying.
Man, griesha's voice actor is so good, like, the cast is still PACKED with goated VAs but he's still a standout 1:00:09 thankfully i stopped myself bc I'm just so eager that I'm commenting as I watch the video, but i was going to say that framing it as euthanasia is some absolute cope on the part of zeke, who is the one who gave it that name, euthanasia necessitates the consent of the person euthanized otherwise that's just not that
Great analysis, love seeing all the passion and the amazing interpretion from the series. I would like to add some details that Merphy might have missed or not include in the video that I think are significant: 1. Onyankopon, he only appeared briefly in this arc but his conversation with the scout is still stuck with me to this day. When Sasha asked :" Why you are your skin so dark", he responded :" He who made us think wouldn't it be interesting to have more kind of people out there, including you Subjects of Ymir, All of us existed because someone wanted us to exist." and then he end it with "Some one think it is God, but it's anyone freedom to think about it, right?" Such a epic line, I just love the way it saying about the theme of stories without awkwardly being shoehorned in. 2. When after Eren beat up Armin, Armin insult Eren back with what is this kind of freedom that make you hurt Mikasa, you just a slave of this master p.o.s. And it make me really think about the "freedom" that Eren keep yapping about, like Kenny said " Everyone is drunk on something, Everyone is a slave is something."
I really like the fact that Eren beats Armin because he knows that chatting with him will not work, and to Mikasa, he knows that he cannot fight her and destroys her emotionaly. Each weapon to their own.
Not sure how much of the series is gonna be in the next vlog, but I'm guessing the next big earthshattering revelation for Merphy will be in it and I'm super looking forward to seeing her spiral.
a real standout moment from pieck here is right at the end when gabi asks here if everything she said to eren was a lie and she basically goes, “well, not really, i DON’T trust marley, but i DO trust the friends and comrades that i’ve fought with for years”
No merphy You were absolutely right about that Eren & Reiner scene in the previous video. You got the subtext of that scene. Don't take people's interpretations of scenes as "clarifiers". Also In my interpretation, the table scene is very much Eren's show of lack of Will. When Armin questions him about his free will, he gets so angry. It feels like he's compensating for his internal belief that he lacks free will by outwardly saying the opposite. Also Armin was not moved by the euthanasia plan, he was acting to appeal to Yelena. The expression was drawn wonky but that's the expression drawn when armin is lying.
100%. A thing also to note with the table scene is how Eren is drawn there, specifically with how he's leaning back so far the chair by all accounts *should* be falling over. Bit of a visual metaphor for how unstable he actually is. (That was kinda ruined for me since I first saw it as an edit where you saw that he was using the Warhammer power to hold the chair up.)
@@draganilic7622Final chapters spoilers For a long time he pretended to himself he had no agency over his actions (in order to justify the atrocities he was committing) though and that what he saw was inevitable but we’ll never know that because he never really tried to just not do what he saw with the rumbling. Only during the Armin conversation is he able to finally admit that just like Reiner this wasn’t some noble pursuit, but him trying to fulfil a selfish childish desire of there being nobody outside the walls, just a playground for him to explore with his friends.
Oh boy I thought you would get about one and a half more volumes, that's where the arc is typically considered to end... Probably a good call if you found this arc very condensed, but wow you're gonna have a heavy start to the next/final arc
Many have also thought Levi could be having a headache in that moment, but if you pay attention there's always a sound effect kanji when Mikasa has her headaches. There isn't one in this moment, so it's possibly Levi is just facepalming. Isayama is being meta by treating the audience like Eren is treating his friends, using the little bits of information they know to scrap together a narrative and trick them into believing him. He is essentially being Eren because he knows more than us, and it makes us helpless. That's a big theme of this arc. As Pixis said to Yelena, "The best lies contain a little truth in them" -- but what is that truth? How do we parse such a complex situation when we're being intentionally kept in the dark? If free will is part of freedom, does that mean you have less freedom when you're confined by a lack of information? If you put it that way, then Eren is limiting the freedom of his friends... Many interesting thematic contradictions woven into this arc of information.
1:07:05 (slight spoilers for the next episode/chapter) I think it's a bit clearer in the anime, but most people interpret Armin's crying here as a bluff/manipulation to get on Yelana's good side. There isn't a ton to support this besides that it just doesn't fit his character to be so moved about such a wack plan, but I think Yelana realizes it later and that's why she gives him that creepy face later. It also just comes out of nowhere and even his friends are surprised by it, so he was probably just malewife mansplain manipulating out of jail or smth
we are at the end game now... or atleast very close to end game... i can't believe how close we are to the end i don;t want the raving of a mad woman to end 😭😭😭😭 i am so impress of how well you are understanding of the theme of the story and you reaction to it. i have a request if i may, after attack on titian is over, is it possible for you to rank and talk about the opening and ending song and their llyrics? also thank you Lin for reading and showing Merphy the comments to save her from spoilers :)
My main thing here is while the child soldiers part of the story is sad and is where we really get the meat of the story, people also forget that this started because Marley was upset they were losing their advantage in war and really just wanted to smack the other countries back down. The Eldians on Paradis would have continued fighting the brainless Titans into infinity if Marley didn't send Reiner and co to the island to steal back the founding titan. That is another thing that irritates me. But overall these were some of the best episodes. Though the tides will keep turning as you continue on and man i can't wait to see your reaction!!
@@D__634 No, the point of the series is that there's good people on both sides and that it's a cycle where who is in the right changes depending on the context.
@@D__634 The theme informs the reading. If anything he encourages readers to find their own side that is the most separated from ideology. That becomes clearer in the final volumes of the mnaga.
@@secondeye1574 Let me give you proof that Isayama does intend to make the readers choose. He created characters or group of characters that are considered "two sides of the same coin" and will make the fans think a lot: - Falco & Gabi - Eren & Zeke - Eldians & Marleyans (or the whole world) This type of writing and how it was executed proves Isayama is an amazing author
Imagine getting this series slowly over the course of ten years.
I don’t need to imagine that I just have to remember 😂
the agenda must of been radioactive
Reading it one chapter per week at first, per month some time later…
damn man this hurts i tell ya
@NimmelTheGreat not to mention the month-long wait between chapters here and there. There were some brutal cliffhangers that we had to wait so long for a resolution
"We've got to keep the young-uns out of the forest." Gotta be one of the most powerful quotes of this series.
It's very intentional on Isayama's part that we have that whole scene in the restaurant where Mr Blouse gives his beautiful speech about keeping children out of the forest only for them to all be held hostage a few seconds later by Floch. Floch's last name is Forster which quite literally means "An occupational or topographic surname for someone who worked or lived in a forest".
Floch was a teenager back when he was heavily traumatised during the Shiganshina mission and has clearly become lost completely lost in this metaphorical forest of hatred and repeating the cycle of violence.
Wrong. Floch is right about the situation they're in and he see's further into the future than the rest of them. Floch is a very logical character and knows full well what's gonna happen if they don't fight back. He's one of the most realistic characters becouse of this. Reducing him to "hatred" is just a poor take. Let's say he didn't fight back, what do you think would happen to the island?
@@beastvicious8672I agree he isn't just hatred, but about him having vision and being logical... What? No he isn't. The entire point of his character is that he is (alongside Yelena) the most fanatical of Eren's followers and will do whatever he thinks furthers Eren's goal without ever asking anyone for input. He is literally a blind follower and is no better than pre-Paradis Gabi when it comes to facing opposition to his points of view. The first thing he does when Shadis confronts him is to try to shoot him in the leg, and then orders a bunch of cadets to beat the shit out of the guy for "being a symbol of the old order". Please, do enlighten me on how on earth that is a move a logical person would make.
@@beastvicious8672 he is just a fascist
Eren and Armin fighting violently while Mikasa helplessly stands there, tearfully pleading for them to stop... it's the same as Reiner and Annie fighting in the grass outside the walls as Bertolt tearfully pleads for them to stop...
OMG SAME
And it also mirrors one of the first scenes where Mikasa punches Eren after he insulted Armin about being a coward.
Regarding Sasha's death, that isnt the first time that Eren's reaction to a tragedy is manic laugh, he did the same when Hannes died. It makes sense that Connie would be confused though.
Wish more people would see this parallel. Eren is laughing at his own incompetence to change the outcome he desperately tries to avoid. He laughed when Hannes died becouse Eren broke down about how he was still at the same spot as the beginning of the series. It's similar with Sasha. It's a coping mechanism.
"we're reaching our lowest point"
Lowest point *so far*
😅
Shadis is the one who trains the Survey Corps cadets not Pixis. Pixis is the general who was talking about negotiating with the yeagerists earlier.
tumbs up to raise to the top. Merphy blended two characters together
He trains all the cadets during training for all military branches. He used to be in the Survey Corps.
@ oh right I forgot the cadets are undeclared while Shadis is training them.
They do look very similar
The 'Children of the Forest' episode (the one with Sasha's dad's monologue) genuinely had me in tears
Legitimately one of my favorite episodes of anything ever
SPOILER
The fact that the lyrics of the final song (playing in the epilogue, which is the best epilogue I've ever seen) are all about this is even more beautiful
I love these mad ravings vlogs!
attack on titan is a crazy series :)
I was reading this part of the story, and I realized - somewhat to my surprise - that of all the characters, Levi was acting as my moral compass in this crazy world.
Not that he himself is the most moral character - we have Sasha's dad representing true north - but there's something about Levi's ability to recognize and call out BS that just hits right. We saw him do it with Erwin when Erwin needed someone to call him out (remember that scene when Erwin was smiling when they learned the titans were once humans? Levi was pissed). In these scenes we see Levi's extreme distaste for Zeke and Eren. What makes it work is that with Levi, it's never philosophical. No, with Levi, it's grounded in people. Real, living people. Because Levi cares about people. And when he sees someone who can't show remorse for the death of others, that's all he needs to know.
I love Levi because he himself, no matter how much he loses, he never stops caring. And you can make the case that he's lost more than any single person in this show. If anyone could be justified for growing callous to death, you'd understand it for Levi, the ultimate soldier whose lost his closest comrades again and again and again and again...But he doesn't. And I love him for that, and it earned him his place as the character that if Levi gets pissed at someone, then I'm getting pissed too.
also, can we get something happy for this poor guy....
He’s definitely a good and compelling character. Historia and Ymir are probably both my favorite characters, personally.
I feel like, of all the characters, Levi was probably the most prepared for what the outside world ended up being. I think his life growing up in the underground, and the events that brought him to the surface, taught Levi about moral greyness from a very young age, so when the truth of the world was revealed, if anything, it probably just confirmed his already-existing worldview.
Isayama really did a great job with Gabi and Falco parallels. Both were brainwashed and experienced discrimination, but their actions are totally opposite from each other. They're like Doflamingo and Corazon.
FYI. Falco had it worse because he's whole family was hated. His uncle was one of the Eldian Restorationists that was turned into dumb titans. Gabi kinda has the VIP treatment (among Eldians) because Reiner her cousin was a warrior, and she's like the best "student" among the young trainees.
The VIP treatment is more of a feeling though. The Honorary Marleyan system only applies to immediate family. Falco's immediately family, his older brother, is to inherit the Beast Titan remember, whereas Gabi has to get a titan for herself if she wants her parents to be treated better.
@@secondeye1574 The Grice family was forced to prove their innocence by sending their family member to the military.
The Brauns want one of their family members be a warrior so they can be honorary Marleyans.
Gabi wants recognition while Falco (and Colt) were doing it because they have to
true, but on the other hand reiner and gabi had it rougher - though they didn't realize it at the time - in the sense that the indoctrination was propagated _a lot_ within their own family. the grice parents seem scared and sad about their kids fighting in a war, and you can assume they wouldn't have let their kids become warrior candidates if it wasn't necessary
@@jura9484 I get you. It's a pity that the Braun cousins (Reiner and Gabi) were so brainwashed it affected their mental state. Reiner having split personality and suicidal, Gabi was a psycho.
I just think what happened to Falco was tragic (had to delete the rest of my comment because its a spoiler).
Falco is more skeptical because
Pieck's "bluff" speech to Gabi is one of my hidden favourites in terms of stuffing a bunch of character exposition and development. 3 things are happening here:
1. She is trying to trick Eren;
2. She is showing she is very conscious about everything that is going on and probably having the first chance to speak her mind and frustrations out loud (as she could have never done in Marley);
3. She is trying to "save Gabi from the dark future that awaits them" in a parallel to Reiner's talk to Falco on the train to Liberio.
When I look back on my memories of the series through all the bitterness I felt after its ending, I still fondly remember perfect, perfect horsegirl Piecke.
Another tragic and brilliant call-back this part of the story does is the way that Erwin's common mantra he shouted throughout the story to "dedicate your hearts" has had it's meaning twisted and bastardised by Floch and the Jaegerists. What previously was used to inspire the Survey Corps to fight against the titans, explore the outside world and discover the truth is now being used as a nationalistic chant, screamed out by frenzied crowds after a political assassination and used as a rallying call to convince young recruits to beat their instructors to near death like we saw with Shadis.
15:02 I took the scene with Mikasa flashing back to when Eren rescued her from the kidnappers as her being forced to see Eren in a different light due to his recent horrific actions. Previously whenever she's thought about the time Eren rescued her she's always associated the memory with the moment Eren wrapped the scarf around her, which she thinks back to literally a couple pages earlier when Louise brings it up. Him wrapping that scarf around her made her feel warm when she was so cold and then he gave her a new home when she had nowhere to go.
However this time she doesn't think back on the beauty of Eren's actions that day, she instead thinks about the cruelty, how he brutally stabbed 2 grown men to death with a crazed almost deranged look in his eye, his appearance now seeming ominous rather than comforting.
A big theme of Attack on Titan and especially Mikasa's character is that the world is both cruel and beautiful, Eren to her has always represented the beauty but now she's being forced to recognise the cruel side of him as well.
this is not even an "I took it..." thing imo-it's just the Objectively Correct Take.
I agree. I also think Louise's obsessive devotion to her reminds her of her own obsessive devotion to Eren, and it disturbs her a bit.
The name of Sasha's dad is Artur Blouse! The goat, delivering the wisdom
Levi falling in slow motion towards his comrades who have just turned into Titans is one of my favorite scenes in the anime. I think its a scene that perfectly encapsulated his character without even having to speak words. I love that you can see the hurt turn into resolve in his eyes as he realizes that he once again has to kill more of his friends and people. He's always able to keep pushing forward for the people who are still alive no matter how much it hurts him to do so.
I can identify to those teary eyes, reading the lines of Sasha's father.
These vlogs are the only thing keeping me going through my masters degree, thanks Merphy T-T
Yooo literally same
They’re also keeping me going while I’m taking care of abandoned orphans and rescue cats and dogs
(lol for real congrats)
Dang, funny enough, same...
Gabi is indeed radicalized, but she's also literally traumatized. She saw her friends butchered by these people, essentially all the brainwashing was proven "right" in this moment. That's a key difference between her and Reiner who was able to blend in more, yet Reiner also had that psychological trick of being Marcel and the cognitive dissonance of shoving his guilt down while being the leader of a mission, so he ended up suppressing his feelings more and not having the chance to grow that Gabi might have.
Love how even after Sasha's de@th her impact can be felt throughout the story by serving link between Niccolo, Mr. Brause, Kaya and Gabi.
Also Armin and Mikasa's relationship is so underrated. Loved how he stood up for her to Eren.
AoT’s themes are simply timeless. I love how complicated the situation is. Super curious who Merphy will ultimately side with or if she will conclude that choosing isn’t the point.
32:43 the way Mikasa hugs Gabi always warms my heart
I also love Onyankopo’s response to Sasha’s question about him being black, “we exist because we were wanted”
Pieke pointing at the enemy was one of my favourite scenes of the series. The whole "honorary" marleyans squad are my favourite part of the final arc
Gabby is probably the most hated character in AOT fandom, but I think from my perspective she's the key to the story and probably my favorite part of it. Her level of hate and brainwashing is only mirrored in Eren, but while he drifted down the path to further violence in his adult life, she's being given a chance at redemption and a better hope for the future. She had to be truly terrible for her growth to be meaningful.
I think Midnight Sun or The Door of Hope are my favorite episodes but I agree with you. The scene with Sasha’s father is probably my favorite scene to show new ppl who watch the series. He should run for president lol
I am enjoying this so much, revisiting my own experience through yours. I miss those days so much.
i like how the gabi and sasha's family storyline is pretty universally considered one of the best parts of the series and the only "main characters" in it are falco and gabi, great writing doesn't require the presence of the main cast to be impactful
Merphy you are absolutely flying through this series, glad to see your thoughts on this. because as someone who took it in as it was coming it was a lot and we were theorizing i cant imagine how much information this was to take in at once.
As someone who has finished the series, no spoilers. It just been a great journey watching Merphy go through the series and ramble her thoughts. From the wrong theories to the right ones, to the thoughts on reveals, etc, it's been a fun watch.
Louise directly said to Mikasa "You were saved too, right? By mister Yeager" so thats why she also remembered that Eren scene but your interpretation is pretty correct to. I think is also important to notice that Mikasa is just "now" seeing how brutal and rageful Eren was while saving her.
Also, that man that Floch made the cadets beat up wasnt Pixis, it was Keith the one who trained our cadets and was Grisha's friend who then sabotaged Eren's equipment.
It was funny how she was like "I don't know how to say his name" and she just says the name of a different character 😂 These poor old men getting mixed up
Oh thank God someone answered her question about this scene. I wanted to answer her but I'm SO sick at the moment.
It's really interesting seeing you grow to like Armin more after the timeskip. You're not the first one I've seen this happen to, and the others I saw feel that way had a similar mindset/analysis on the whole situation especially Eren's character, but when the chapters were coming out it was far more common for people to like Armin before the timeskip and then hate him for "becoming useless" like Eren says.
As a psychologist student i loved the laugh reaction of Eren when he knew sasha died, it shows that people react to loss depending on how they state of mind is, cry, laugh, numbness feelings or anger are all forms of mourns we can feel. I loved that each character reacted different when the news got to them, armin and mikasa cryed hystericaly, conny was shocked and cryed while maintaining a straight face, eren laughed and made a angry /sad expression trying to hold it in his reaction, and jean was angry at eren for making them go to battle and blamed eren for sasha's death.
**Spoiler** it's also because he knew it was already gonna happen due to well smth we all know
@@kushaljoshi3862 yeah, this is why i believe his reaction was the most "out of place" within sasha's friends. His mind is just a mess because of everything he passed through, everyone in this show is on the edge of what the human mind can handle.... sadge.
@@LEVl.K9 it wasn't out of place... it's in line with exactly the same as Hannes' death... what did he utter while laugh-crying at Hannes died... "Nothing's changed... nothing's changed".... guess what, that was the same sentiment he had with Sasha's death... though this time, those words have a whole new meaning... n i'm sure he was screaming that internally.
@@scubed9227 what i meant is, people dont see much "laugh" as mourning someones death, i've seen a lot of people confused on why eren laughed when sasha died, you would be surprised how manny people i've met that felt that eren reaction was strange and out of place, it makes sense why eren react that way but some people have a hard time interpreting this scene and just dont know why he would laugh, but i understand what you meant lol, and im very impressed that you understood the paterns of his personality because since the start of the season finale a lot of people just didnt figured eren out.
the replies to this pretty much got the more complex reason of his laughter down, but there's also another simple reason IN ADDITION to all that. Her last words being "meat" was hilariously in character for her. Thinking of food in her final moment.
The thing that impresses me the most about this series is how well the author understands his characters.
He is very deliberate with the way he draws characters, particularly their facial expressions. I think some of the more subtle facial expressions are lost in the anime adaptation, which is why it’s fantastic you’re consuming both together!
Seeing you get to experience & analyze the story now that it’s completed makes me love it That Much More!! I cannot wait to see you reach the end!! ❤ 🕊️
40:48
Mikasa: 'nah man, I'm loyal to you'
Eren: 'nope, super not 💅'
I love those vlogs. Thank you for making them
Yet another obligatory reminder to watch the song as the final credits role with translated lyrics
I personally didn’t take Armin’s reaction to the euthanasia plan from Yelena at face value. He probably does see some merit. But it also feels like he’s appeasing Yelena, especially after she just shot someone
"man everybody is just in the darkest timeline" boy oh boy you have no idea.
Armin looking to trick Yelena ended up tricking Murphy too...
Oh yeah. That dinner-table scene with the Blouse family hits so hard. Watching you talk about it felt like reliving it again. We've been restless for a while about the fact that Kaya has been so kind to Gabi who happens to have killed Sasha. It's like a bomb waiting to go off under all these introspection of humanity and its faults. Like yes, Kaya was incredibly kind to Gabi right now. But what if you throw Sasha's death into that mix. And then there you have it. Kaya burst into a violent reaction upon finding out. And Gabi's reaction is unforgettable. She saw first-hand that her own actions... just the fact that she shot this one person has affected the kind Kaya so much that she tried to stab her with a knife. All of Gabi's effort to hold on to her ideals and this felt like the factor that finally pushed the right button. It's finally sinking in.
Damnit Merphy, I need more. This "Ravings of a Mad Woman" is music to my ears. And I understand your concern completely. I think a lot of us had the same thought. AOT has done too good of a job with this story and its characters. You don't know how things would go from now on. And is it even possible to tie it all up with a satisfying end? It's a testament to how good Isayama's writing is, but also... sticking the landing feels more and more like a herculean task now.
The way she calls pieck peck kills me 😂. Just remember her as pieck is peak!
This upload has given me the strength required to push through my college work
Gabi’s character development is awesome
From watching your vlogs, it seems like you're getting angrier and angrier that you even started this series after each volume. I haven't finished this vlog yet, but I can't imagine it turning all sunshine and rainbows for ya. Here's hoping you enjoy through the end (which I have not yet watched or read).
We are feasting with these 1 hour vlogs!!!
16:00 Chapter 109 has a dual parallel that ties into its title "Guides" and shows the impact both women, Mikasa and Sasha, left on the respective young girls Louise and Kaya. We see the girls trying to follow in the women's footsteps, and it leads to different conclusions, Kaya's more positive and healing and Louise's more negative and destructive. But the paths make sense for both girls. That's the overall thematic meaning, as for Mikasa's flashback in that moment there's a lot of possible meanings to it. The recontextualization of how horrifying that scene was even though in Mikasa's mind it was heroic rather than traumatic in the beginning of the series, we're now seeing that flipped and showing how violent Eren has always been; Mikasa seeing the warning signs in Eren's behavior and wondering if he can be "saved" or if he's no longer her family anymore; the girl's resolute King's Salute and how that resoluteness, that sheer will of "I am right and so I am going to commit extreme actions without regret" was reflected in Eren when he saved Mikasa in the first place; how Louise's unquestioned emotional devotion for Mikasa is alike to Mikasa's unquestioned emotional devotion for Eren. It's one of my favourite chapters in the manga, and I actually love how the anime adapted it by having the whole episode essentially focus on these more lowkey thematic and characterized events; by putting all the scenes of Gabi and Falco in that one episode they create this cohesive feeling, a calm before the storm.
Sasha's dad's scene is probably the single most important moment in the final arcs. It's THE WHOLE POINT.
Do not forget it, because it's the clearest moment in which the theme of the story is stated so plainly before the actual end.
Cadet trainer name is Shadis.
Also. I know Armin isn't your favorite guy, but listen to him. If someone is the conscience of the series (though a sometimes flawed one) he's the moral compass.
I don't think people should be correcting you on that conversation between Eren and Reiner. It's literally meant to be ambiguous and open to interpretation what's being conveyed. Not to mention many scenes that follow could either reaffirm or recontextualize that scene to give you more insight.
Indeed! Tho when Eren said « We're the same, Reiner » when he sees him claiming the responsibility tend to show that Eren also considers himself responsible (SPOILER especially considering Reiner apoligizing to Eren remembered him the time where he apologized to Ramzi).
Not Merphy's voice breaking reading about Sasha and Kaya
I love watching you experience aot for the first time, it's such a wild journey. I am always so excited for these long videos!
Arthur Blause is Sasha’s dad name and he’s a fan favourite in the fandom btw. Also Toto being your favourite in OP is taste !!! I love Toto
After all this time, I think Kaya’s decision to pick up the knife really speaks to the themes of attack on titan. It’s not just the adults that have agency and influence, this story started with one angry child…
one angry child?
the story started because of king frtiz and ymir
In the same way Zeke didn't ask consent from people who want to have children, if I was him the same argument could be used that people who decide to have children make that choice unilaterally and didn't ask consent from their children if _they_ want to be born.
I feel like this comment needs to be brought up. It's pretty critical to understanding Zeke's perspective.
15: 30 "I didn't really understand this scene".
*Proceeds to completely explain what the scene is about.
Nice haha
Bro you are zooming through these
One thing I liked about Zeke apparently believing that he can make the call to sterilize all Eldians to "save" them is that you could say it actually makes a lot of sense, considering his childhood. As much as Zeke claims he's rejected Grisha's "brainwashing" wholesale, I think his biological father's constant speeches about him being The Chosen One, a child of royal blood who's meant to save his people, *did* get to him, and he developed a kind of messiah complex in the end. Combine that with what he learned from Xaver (his other, chosen father), the extreme self-loathing, the idea that being born Eldian could only mean torment in the end... and yeah, you get Zeke's plan.
what huh NOW!?
just couldnt resist huh
yeah season 4 onwards feels five times as long as everything before it combined.
Got me tearing up at work while listening to this ☠️
It's not the darkest timeline unless they have goatees. ...wait.
This is wrinkling my brain.
Yeah-len-na is how it's said in the anime I think, you can also say Yeah-lay-na. She's one of my favorite new characters, very enigmatic and there's a lot to her that goes overlooked
I don't know if you noticed this Merphy, and I don't even know if it was intentional by Isayama, but I like to think it is. When Pieck points at Eren answering the question "Who is the enemy?", the anime makes it look like she is pointing at the audience. It is almost as if to say we are all the enemy to someone. A similar thing happened at the end of season 3, when Grisha asked the evil Marleyan police officer who kind of looks like the pringles man, why he killed Fae in such a gruesome manner. The evil man looks at us, the audience, through the camera and answers, it is because it is interesting to watch (or something along those lines). It's almost as if he is calling us out, saying we are judging him for his heinous actions, yet here we are watching Attack on Titan, because we also think human suffering is fascinating to watch, on some level.
Love this, was not expecting a new video so soon, and such a great review too! I cant wait for the full series review once you've finished the whole thing 😁👍
I did not expect to see you so soon but I did so I clicked. I love these videos
I love the Parallel of Gaby and Eren. I think the scene of Gaby with Sasha’s dad shows the parallel of Eren. Gaby wanted revenge and instead of “putting the knife down,” she killed Sasha. And then it created this cycle of Sasha’s sister wanting to kill her. At a bigger scale, Eren wants revenge for what they did to his hometown and his family, and instead of “putting the knife down,” to some degree, he decides to do the same thing. There’s also more to Erens plan and there’s more complexity to it but on the surface level that’s what’s Erens doing, same as Gaby.
It’s also a parelle to everything’s that’s happened and war. The Marleyans started sending those titans to Paradis island and the reason they sent Reiner, Anna etc is bc they felt betrayed and chose “not to put the knife down,” simply bc there there getting revenge for there ancestors and getting brainwashed. And now Eren is continuing that cycle and getting his revenge.
And in war that’s how it is, someone does something to a country and that county will want to get revenge and ends up hurting ppl, that country will then fight back again to protect there own ppl and the cycle continues for many years and both sides think they are in the right and that they have good reason to attack, which just continues the cycle and innocent ppl end up dying.
Man, griesha's voice actor is so good, like, the cast is still PACKED with goated VAs but he's still a standout
1:00:09 thankfully i stopped myself bc I'm just so eager that I'm commenting as I watch the video, but i was going to say that framing it as euthanasia is some absolute cope on the part of zeke, who is the one who gave it that name, euthanasia necessitates the consent of the person euthanized otherwise that's just not that
Damn this background is beautiful merphy, really made me happy for some reason 23:00
Great analysis, love seeing all the passion and the amazing interpretion from the series. I would like to add some details that Merphy might have missed or not include in the video that I think are significant:
1. Onyankopon, he only appeared briefly in this arc but his conversation with the scout is still stuck with me to this day. When Sasha asked :" Why you are your skin so dark", he responded :" He who made us think wouldn't it be interesting to have more kind of people out there, including you Subjects of Ymir, All of us existed because someone wanted us to exist." and then he end it with "Some one think it is God, but it's anyone freedom to think about it, right?" Such a epic line, I just love the way it saying about the theme of stories without awkwardly being shoehorned in.
2. When after Eren beat up Armin, Armin insult Eren back with what is this kind of freedom that make you hurt Mikasa, you just a slave of this master p.o.s. And it make me really think about the "freedom" that Eren keep yapping about, like Kenny said " Everyone is drunk on something, Everyone is a slave is something."
I think your interpretation of Mikasa’s flashback after speaking to Louise is correct. Notice how Eren is drawn and framed in that flashback though.
I really like the fact that Eren beats Armin because he knows that chatting with him will not work, and to Mikasa, he knows that he cannot fight her and destroys her emotionaly. Each weapon to their own.
and also the way he throws armin to the side is actually a callback to when he was a kid and he used to throw bullies lol
What a great upload to see when I’m starting a walk. Hope you’re doing well Merph
the saddest thing is that people still hate Gabi to this day and REFUSE to admit that she is also a victim.
I knew that Children of the Forest is gonna be your favourite episode 🙌🏻
Not sure how much of the series is gonna be in the next vlog, but I'm guessing the next big earthshattering revelation for Merphy will be in it and I'm super looking forward to seeing her spiral.
a real standout moment from pieck here is right at the end when gabi asks here if everything she said to eren was a lie and she basically goes, “well, not really, i DON’T trust marley, but i DO trust the friends and comrades that i’ve fought with for years”
Levi and Mikasa being related seems a missed opportunity. Would have liked to see more interaction between them.
16:00 Yes that's absolutely it. Mikasa also remembered being saved by Eren immediately after saving the girl in Volume 2.
No merphy You were absolutely right about that Eren & Reiner scene in the previous video. You got the subtext of that scene. Don't take people's interpretations of scenes as "clarifiers".
Also In my interpretation, the table scene is very much Eren's show of lack of Will. When Armin questions him about his free will, he gets so angry. It feels like he's compensating for his internal belief that he lacks free will by outwardly saying the opposite.
Also Armin was not moved by the euthanasia plan, he was acting to appeal to Yelena. The expression was drawn wonky but that's the expression drawn when armin is lying.
No she's not, Eren doesn't believe he's just a pure product of his environment. He apsolutely believes in agency over his decisions
Gotta keep that Eren hate train going woot woot!
100%. A thing also to note with the table scene is how Eren is drawn there, specifically with how he's leaning back so far the chair by all accounts *should* be falling over. Bit of a visual metaphor for how unstable he actually is.
(That was kinda ruined for me since I first saw it as an edit where you saw that he was using the Warhammer power to hold the chair up.)
No. eren knew he has a choice just like reiner. That's why he said "as I thought, we are same"
@@draganilic7622Final chapters spoilers
For a long time he pretended to himself he had no agency over his actions (in order to justify the atrocities he was committing) though and that what he saw was inevitable but we’ll never know that because he never really tried to just not do what he saw with the rumbling. Only during the Armin conversation is he able to finally admit that just like Reiner this wasn’t some noble pursuit, but him trying to fulfil a selfish childish desire of there being nobody outside the walls, just a playground for him to explore with his friends.
As fun as watching these ravings have been, the upcoming reaction is what I have been waiting for. Merphy is not ready for Erin's nonsense.
I did not but it’s a very pleasant surprise
Blessing us again so soon 😮
Oh boy I thought you would get about one and a half more volumes, that's where the arc is typically considered to end... Probably a good call if you found this arc very condensed, but wow you're gonna have a heavy start to the next/final arc
Not sure if you missed it in the scene with Hange and Levi and Floch, but Hange jumps into the river with Levi's body, fleeing the Jaegerists
Been enjoying your review of the series =)
Can't wait for what allegedly will be 4.3 and 4.4 ;)
Hang in there Merphy
Many have also thought Levi could be having a headache in that moment, but if you pay attention there's always a sound effect kanji when Mikasa has her headaches. There isn't one in this moment, so it's possibly Levi is just facepalming. Isayama is being meta by treating the audience like Eren is treating his friends, using the little bits of information they know to scrap together a narrative and trick them into believing him. He is essentially being Eren because he knows more than us, and it makes us helpless. That's a big theme of this arc. As Pixis said to Yelena, "The best lies contain a little truth in them" -- but what is that truth? How do we parse such a complex situation when we're being intentionally kept in the dark? If free will is part of freedom, does that mean you have less freedom when you're confined by a lack of information? If you put it that way, then Eren is limiting the freedom of his friends... Many interesting thematic contradictions woven into this arc of information.
The fact that Sasha might have been calling Niccolo instead of niku(meat) makes me sad
I love your reactions to Aot but I gotta say one important thing... 5 more fucking days till arcane season 2 !!!!
1:07:05 (slight spoilers for the next episode/chapter) I think it's a bit clearer in the anime, but most people interpret Armin's crying here as a bluff/manipulation to get on Yelana's good side. There isn't a ton to support this besides that it just doesn't fit his character to be so moved about such a wack plan, but I think Yelana realizes it later and that's why she gives him that creepy face later. It also just comes out of nowhere and even his friends are surprised by it, so he was probably just malewife mansplain manipulating out of jail or smth
I think Mikasa was pushing her away like Eren did to her and Armin.
we are at the end game now... or atleast very close to end game... i can't believe how close we are to the end i don;t want the raving of a mad woman to end 😭😭😭😭 i am so impress of how well you are understanding of the theme of the story and you reaction to it.
i have a request if i may, after attack on titian is over, is it possible for you to rank and talk about the opening and ending song and their llyrics?
also thank you Lin for reading and showing Merphy the comments to save her from spoilers :)
My main thing here is while the child soldiers part of the story is sad and is where we really get the meat of the story, people also forget that this started because Marley was upset they were losing their advantage in war and really just wanted to smack the other countries back down.
The Eldians on Paradis would have continued fighting the brainless Titans into infinity if Marley didn't send Reiner and co to the island to steal back the founding titan. That is another thing that irritates me.
But overall these were some of the best episodes. Though the tides will keep turning as you continue on and man i can't wait to see your reaction!!
What iritates you about the eldians fighting on paradies?
@@TheEnecca For me its your lack of reading comp skills
Liberio is the city that Eren decimated
Screw the Attack Titan. I'm all about the Peck Titan
When the "paths" come to play ohhhh boy she is going to lose it!!
1) Your garden is so pretty!!!
2) I Wonder how she might react to the people that hate Gabi, its so nonsensical
The series definitely wasnt trying to make us pick a side, but we damn sure did many a households, friend groups, communities, etc were divided
I'm pretty sure Isayama intended the readers to think a lot and pick a side.
@@D__634 No, the point of the series is that there's good people on both sides and that it's a cycle where who is in the right changes depending on the context.
@@secondeye1574 you're talking about the theme. I'm talking about how Isayama wants his audience to be critical.
@@D__634 The theme informs the reading. If anything he encourages readers to find their own side that is the most separated from ideology. That becomes clearer in the final volumes of the mnaga.
@@secondeye1574 Let me give you proof that Isayama does intend to make the readers choose. He created characters or group of characters that are considered "two sides of the same coin" and will make the fans think a lot:
- Falco & Gabi
- Eren & Zeke
- Eldians & Marleyans (or the whole world)
This type of writing and how it was executed proves Isayama is an amazing author
great video