Another thing that excited me about the last chapter was seeing Louise and the callback to an event I’ve talked about very recently concerning Mikasa’s development.
I’ve referred to her salute here as the beginnings of her development into a proud soldier and defender of the peace. What is especially significant about this development is that it is wholly separate to her love for Eren. So, seeing Louise give the same salute here in trying to convince her to help Eren ignites a certain cognitive dissonance within her.
She’s seeing, in an image, her duties as a soldier combined with her desire to help Eren.
Isayama Hajime Holds Autograph & Q&A Session in Oyama, Oita on March 3rd, 2018
As announced on his most recent blog entry, Isayama Hajime held his latest autograph session in his hometown of Oyama, Oita, Japan!
The lucky fans who were able to attend shared various photos of his sketches and signatures, as seen above. Separate sessions were held with different groups of fans within a room in the onsen resort where the event took place. Each group had 30 minutes to ask him questions and receive illustrations. A total of 30 chosen participants were divided up into 6 groups of 5.
Isayama’s answers to various fan questions are as below (Note: These are fan accounts):
About Levi and the other characters’ updated looks: Levi’s cape is a new, black one. However, Levi couldn’t adapt to the other changes, so he kept his uniform and blades. Kawakubo Shintaro (Isayama’s editor) didn’t want any visual changes for the characters – he even wanted Eren to stay clean-shaven. However Isayama decided to not “shave” Eren too much.
On Older Eren: 19-year-old Eren’s height is 183cm – the same as Grisha. However, Isayama states that Eren was more like Carla when he was younger. [T/N:Grisha is actually 182cm, so Isayama may have misremembered here. Zeke however is 183cm.]
On Erwin’s Burial: The Survey Corps had to move on quickly to fight further after Battle of Shiganshina, but Levi later returned and brought back Erwin’s skeletonized body with him/buried him. Though a lot of soldiers perished, there was a special memorial service for Erwin.
On Horoscopes: Neither Eren nor Jean’s birthdays were decided through horoscope characterizations/stereotypes.
On Levi’s Father: Isayama has no plans to draw Levi’s father in the manga. He’s not anyone significant – Isayama thinks he was probably just a short guy.
On Levi’s Cape (Again): The question was what Isayama thought of fans thinking that the cape belonged to Erwin. Isayama states that there is a sense that Levi dyed the green cape into a black color. He doesn’t know whose cape it was, but if it belonged to Erwin, Isayama doesn’t think the size would’ve worked for Levi.
On New Character Designs (Again): Why didn’t Levi’s change much compared to the 104th? Isayama says he wanted to show that the 104th trainees belong to the “Smartphone Generation,” but Levi decided to stay with his “Flip Phone.” Levi doesn’t understand the younger generation, and he is turning into an old man (Literally “Oji-san”).
On Erwin: Will Erwin appear in the manga again, even if just for one panel? Isayama says he thinks there are still chances, such as in flashbacks.
Hardcore Eren: If Eren goes to karaoke, what type of songs will he sing? Isayama: “Metal.”
General Eren Facts: Besides now standing at 183cm, Eren is also a heavyweight drinker (Doesn’t get drunk easily) and good at cleaning. He is now influenced by a lot of the memories he retained, and he determinedly chopped off his own leg before entering Marley. His irises are a grey-ish color and his bloodtype is B.
“Will you be happy with developing the future plot similar to how you drew the story so far?” Isayama: “Yes! But I want to see the readers anticipating [the upcoming plot].” Kawakubo: “Like he said, I’ve been saying the same thing! Everyone is looking forward to it.” Isayama: “…Then I’ll change the story.”
Eren & Elysium: When Eren asked Falco “Is that person…a girl?”, he was under the influence of other people’s memories (Possibly Grisha in that moment). The new Survey Corps uniform was inspired by Matt Damon’s external armor/exoskeleton in Elysium (Below). When asked about the members going to the restroom, Isayama: “It would be better to open a hole in that design…”
Lots More Information: Isayama on Eren’s bloodtype – “Because this is a fantasy series, maybe there are not only 4 blood types. But then again, are they even counted as human…?” [T/N: This somewhat contradicts the earlier fan account where Isayama said outright that Eren’s bloodtype was B…].
“What will Levi think of Eren’s current look?” Isayama (Without hesitation): “Dirty.” [T/N: As in unclean, of course]
“Was it Eren’s own idea to grow his hair long?”
Isayama: “Right now he is in a state where he is no longer paying attention to how people view him, so he just let it grow out.”
“Did Eren consider the fact that he will be infiltrating Marley when he grew out his hair?” Isayama: “Since he was supposed to be a hospitalized patient, he actually should’ve kept a cleaner hairstyle.” [T/N: A little vague, but this basically sounds like Eren didn’t mean to grow his hair out as a disguise]
“Were there any cases of when you let the characters’ behavior and dialogue develop organically?” Isayama: “In general, I let the characters evolve on their own. I don’t remember things after I draw them. I can’t look at my storyboard calmly right after I finish them, so Bakku-san (Kawakubo) is the one who reads them objectively.”
“Following up on that answer: Bakku-san will immediately read your storyboard (In less than one day) after you submit them to him?” Isayama: “Since he has been waiting for the storyboard to arrive, in most cases he will read them in one or two hours after I give them to him.”
“Did they (Eren and Levi) resolve the confusion of when Eren said ‘midget old man (chibi oyaji)’? Or did Eren apologize?” Isayama: “Levi is not concerned about being referred to that way. But after Eren said it and Levi thought about the moniker by himself later, he seemed hurt. He probably thought “So Eren sees me like that….”
“Any plan to draw the four-year period back on Paradis island?” Isayama: “That’s something I can’t tell you for now. (Kawakubo also chimed in here and said: “Isayama-sensei won’t tell you anything, but please look forward…”)
“Kenny said he will never go to a brothel. Does Levi think the same way?” Isayama: “Because it’s an environment that Levi had been part of since childhood, it seems like he considers prostitution as just another ordinary job.”
“What is Eren’s current body weight?” Isayama: “If I have to answer that now – he indeed gained some weight because he has grown taller. However, he has a rather slender body.”
Chef Levi: “When the characters lived in the castle [T/N: Not sure if this meant Utgard or the SC headquarters], who made the meals?” Isayama: “Everyone. Everyone knows how to cook, because they are soldiers.” “So it doesn’t matter if someone is a new cadet or not?” Isayama: “Ohhh. In that sense, maybe those who are in higher ranks don’t cook.” “Then can Levi cook?” Isayama: “I think he can.” “Does he hold the knife in a reverse fashion?” Isayama: “He holds it the normal way. If he holds a cooking knife in reverse, he would just seem like a cocky person (Laughs}.”
Bloodtypes (Again): “Please tell me the blood types of Shingashina Trio.” Isayama: “If we are talking in the sense of normal blood types, then Eren is B, Armin is O, and Mikasa AB.”
Anime Changes: “At the end of Season 1′s OP, Eren’s eyes turned red. Was it an effect of him turning into his titan form?” Isayama: “It’s because the anime was completely at director Araki’s discretion. In the original work, it was not designed like that.”
Eren, Levi, & Cleaning: “I feel that Eren has been together with the Captain for a long time. Will their actions or language be influenced by one another?” Isayama: “For Eren, [the thing that influences him the most is] the cleaning. It is not because he likes cleanliness, but more that he has to do it – otherwise he will get scolded.” “Does Eren have a cleaning skill he is very good at?” Isayama: “It would be that — dusting. [T/N: Isayama’s original word here means “beating/knocking and dusting”. It can mean dusting general objects or dusting a futon, during which you hang the material outside. Judging from his next sentence saying Eren could make a stick for cleaning, Isayama was likely referring to him beating a futon and dusting it that way.] Maybe he would make a stick from tree branch and then wrap it with clothing or cotton.” “Then how will Levi react to it?!” Isayama: “Ohh, wouldn’t Levi want to see it (Laughs)? Although he wouldn’t consider it as good work, he would be quite surprised [T/N: There is a sense of “caught off-guard” in his feeling].”
Another Character Death: “There have been a lot of character deaths up to now. Is anyone going to die in the future?” Isayama: “I don’t even know, but I’ve decided for one person to die. It’s like when I draw the storyboard and I suddenly realize – ‘Huh? [This person] just died?’ But for other characters, I still don’t know.”
High School AU:“The High School AU is very popular among fans. Will you make it into a complete story?” Kawakubo: “Isayama-sensei is very into the idea of doing a spin-off.” Isayama: “I’m very concerned about its quality. I think I can only do that if I have the chance to learn about American culture in-depth, and draw it in a detailed fashion.”
Levi in the High School AU: “What’s the color of janitor Levi’s jumpsuit in SnK High School AU?” Isayama: “Deep blue. I based its model on the game Life is Strange.”
“Have there been times where you came across ‘secondary creations’ of your work (e.g. Donjinshi and/or fanart)? If so, what perspective do you have of them?” Isayama: “There are times when I have come across them. That alone has already made me happy. Like, people are creating new types of ‘fun’ out of Shingeki. I don’t mind no matter how you are having fun with it.”
On SnK’s Manga’s Ending Date: “Have you decided on when to finish this series? Have you ever considered timing its completion with the Tokyo Olympics (In 2020) somehow?” Isayama: “I’m now working on the manga without any decision about the ending date. But [Kawakubo and my] shared idea is to finish it quickly. Five years ago, we decided to finish the series in three years (Isayama and Kawakubo laugh together).”
Erwin as a Character: “What’s the role of Erwin in the work Shingeki no Kyojin?” Isayama: “For the protagonists, it is necessary to have a charismatic superior, and that ;person is Erwin. I think he never broke into cold sweat. It would be wrong for him to get that nervous/anxious.”
Revisiting Erwin and Bertholt in Flashbacks: “I find it hard to draw Erwin in flashbacks, because I feel there was already a perfect ending for him. But for Bertholdt, I haven’t finished drawing him…”
Bertholt’s Family: “To be honest, I didn’t think much about his family. If I’m going to consider it right now, he is probably performing his tasks (e.g. Being a child warrior) for the sake of his father.”
Why Bertholt was Chosen for Colossal Titan: “He had his own hidden opinion towards the fact that he was asked to take on the most important responsibility. Well, I think [it’s because] he could do anything [physically], so [he might think] ‘I can also grow mentally stronger in the future [by doing this].’”
On Character Deaths: “But I don’t think the characters literally ‘died.’ Even if they died in the story…well…they still often appear somewhere else. [T/N: We’re not sure if he meant they would appear in the story again or appear in another form, such as in the anime or merch]
Kawakubo is Nervous About these Q&As (LOL): “Things like this… I… I am not remembering all the things Isayama-kun is saying here. There is going to be trouble for me later when we make guidebooks for things like birthdays or other stuff.”
Janitor or Thief?: In the High School AU where Levi entered Eren’s room, he entered through the window.
Eren & Alchol (Again): “Does 19 y/o Eren drink alcohol?” Isayama: “I think he drinks, but how should I put this…there is ‘compliance’ in the manga industry regarding adolescent law [T/N: To prohibit mangaka from drawing illegal situations. In this case, the legal age in Japan to drink alcohol is 20]. Maybe it would be fine to draw alcohol? As long as it is not in the anime.”
On Spin-Offs(Also combining this Tweet): “How should we consider the relationship between SnK spin-offs and the original manga?” Kawakubo: “Kyojin Chuugakkou (Jr. High)’s author had creative freedom.” Isayama: “Regarding ACNWR, I talked roughly in advance with the author about things that could happen in the underground world.” [T/N: OP mentioned her memory was not clear and she could be wrong] Isayama’s own design was that Erwin noticed thug Levi in the underground and decided to draw him into the Survey Corps.
On Levi’s Return: “Recently I haven’t been drawing Levi in the manga. Sorry that I drew a far too smooth/straightforward return for him when I finally made him appear again.”
On Mike’s Death: “What were the feelings of Levi and Erwin and others when they heard of Mike’s death? It was necessary to have their feelings depicted in the manga, right?” (Kawakubo smiled bitterly) Isayama: “Why did I rush that back then and not draw it properly?” Kawakubo: “It was too early for a good person to die.”
On Erwin and Levi Touching Hands: “When entrusting the syringe and serum, was there any meaning behind the scene when Erwin and Levi’s hands touched each other’s?” Kawakubo (Laughing): “Are you asking about Isayama-san’s meaning or Erwin and Levi’s meaning?” Isayama: “There is no particular meaning. In reality, if this were two real people, it would also be normal for them to touch hands…”
On Erwin’s Mom: When asked about Erwin’s mom’s story… Isayama: “I’ll start thinking about it from now on.“
Kawakubo: “We need to have a memopad here [for him to help Isayama keep track of all his responses/new ideas].”
PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANT, this was Isayama’s Disclaimer at One of the Sessions: “Ultimately, the story resembles a living creature in the way it evolves. My answers during this autograph event are just some of all the possibilities that can happen. I hope you can ask questions while having this idea in mind.” [T/N: Isayama, forever the King of Vagueness]
There’s so much to say about ch100, I don’t think it can possibly fit into one post, but let’s start with… alright, maybe with Eren and Reiner and Willy Tybur and even a bit of Erwin Smith, and the persistent theme of moving forward and fighting on. Because it’s definitely a Thing, and it has rarely been more of a chilling Thing than in the latest chapter.
Back in a different life, when Reiner was a Marley spy in Paradis and Eren was a fired-up trainee determined to save the world, they had a conversation on what was a pretty bad day for each of them. Well, for Reiner every day in Paradis was some flavour of bad, just by virtue of, y’know, the guilt and the constant stress and the lying, but he’d also recently made the decision to launch Genocide, Take Two (ie, break the wall at Trost), and this was kind of weighing on his mind. Meanwhile, Eren kept failing at whatever exercises it was that trainees were supposed to do, and he got to the point of wondering this was it, ifhe’d never amount to anything more than fighting words.
And in desperation, he turned to Reiner for advice. Because Reiner was good at all this soldier stuff and also constantly looked like he had his shit together, which is retrospectively ironic as hell, but there we are. And Eren asked: what do I have to do? What do I have to change about myself in order to fulfil my goals and not die without having done a thing? And Reiner’s response–Reiner’s sincere, hard-won response–was: do what you have to.
And in a different story, this would be a message of determination and hope. You fight on, buddy! You do whatever you have to do and don’t give up! Have faith in yourself and put on foot in front of the other!
But in this story, in this context, the message comes out a lot darker. It comes out as: do whatever you have to do, no matter what it is, no matter what it does to you. Walk on. Keep moving forward, and don’t flinch at the seas of blood you leave in your wake.
Obviously, this advice landed on fertile soil, since Eren was already known for his drive and tenacity. Eren was that loudmouthed kid who proclaimed not to understand people who didn’t grab their destiny in their own hands and march onwards regardless of adversity. Eren stood out, even before the coordinate, even before the Attack Titan, because he didn’t fit in with society as a whole–because he refused to play by the rules the rest of society bound itself to, because he violently rejected any norms that would obstruct his way to the goal that he considered more important than anything else.
And yeah, from the very start of the story, this sort of ruthless drive wasn’t presented as an entirely positive thing. Or a comfortable thing. Eren, much like other people in this manga with a similar sort of determination to push forward, didn’t just come across as inspiring or visionary–he came across as really unsettling, too.
(Again: see also, Reiner explaining the importance of keeping your chin up and moving forward even as his moving forward involved the slaughter of countless people.)
And years later Eren, having stared into his fair share of deep abysses and now himself a spy in Marley, hears a down-the-dumps Falco echo the question he’d asked Reiner years earlier. Falco is also wondering what he has to do and what he has to change to reach his goals. And Eren’s response to it is very tellingly not to give the same advice Reiner once gave him–the same advice younger Eren would’ve given anyone, really.
Instead, Eren philosophically muses (Eren! philosophically!! muses!!!) on the nature of whatever it is that puts people on the path of moving relentlessly on, pushing themselves along even when it brings them pain. Even when it lands them in hell. Most people, Eren says, don’t walk into this hell voluntarily. It’s other people forcing them, or the environment they grew up in. Except then he makes a significant caveat:
And this is Eren who’s outgrown his childish grandstanding. He’s no longer the kid who threw himself into every fight and shouted gleefully about freedom. Where younger Eren could literally not see how marching towards his goal could be anything other than the best, most reasonable choice, this adult version of him knows what it costs. He knows that the freedom he seeks too often comes at the price of someone’s death, and he also knows that this won’t stop him. And he acknowledges that this is hell, and also that this hell is his choice.
He is that part of humanity that always strides forward, no matter the cost.
And let me say, again, that in another manga this would be an inspirational example of determination defeating all obstacles, but here it comes with a hefty dose of terrifying and depressing. And it’s not even given as a pure heroic trait; merely an extraordinary one. There are people who will inexorably move ahead, and in so doing they will change the world, for better or worse.
This isn’t about him at all, but it’s hard not to bring up Erwin in this context. Because he is another one of these outstanding, forward-striding individuals who provoked a lot of debate for the choices he made and what they cost other people. Erwin, who was the engineer of humanity’s march ahead, who embodied all the valour and the steadfastness of the Survey Corps, was also convinced he’d go to hell for everything he’d done. And he kept marching on, but this was hell for him; it was never as clear as towards the end, when we saw him weighed down by guilt, questioning his own motives, his own choices.
And in ch100, we’ve got another person determined to change the world, no matter what it costs him or others: Willy Tybur.
I’m not going to launch into a full-on discussion of Willy Tybur here, because, let’s face it, dude will derail this post and make it all about himself, and we can’t have that. But painting it in very broad strokes: Willy Tybur didn’t have to do anything of what he’s been doing in the past few chapters. Nothing required him to. If anything, the Tybur family inaction was the expected thing. The ruthless plans, the conspiracy, the potential sacrifice of his own life–these were all on Willy Tybur, as a thing he actively chose, as a thing he felt he absolutely, undeniably had to do.
I will eat my hat and everyone else’s if Willy echoing Eren’s determined words from years and years ago isn’t meant to imply parallels between them and what keeps them moving forward. Or, rather, the fact that it’s their very natures that set them on this course they will inexorably, ruthlessly follow.
And I’m guessing Eren didn’t see this coming from Willy, hence his surprised expression when he hears it. Eren thought, probably, that Willy was doing this out of pure hatred for Walldians, or… something else along these lines. But then he hears Willy echo the feelings that lie in his own heart, and his response to this is a sad, understanding smile.
It seems to me that Eren is thinking: very well, so it is like that. I understand this. And I cannot change it, and I cannot change his mind and I will not let it change my own actions that will follow, and we’re still set on a collision course that will kill one or both of us, and a lot of other people besides. But I understand what’s driving the person leading the charge from the other side, and it’s the same thing that’s driving me. And maybe it has to be like this. Because:
And he understands that the other side does too. He says this much to Reiner, acknowledging their similarities. And judging by his face, he feels no anger towards Willy as he prepares to kill him. He’s just doing what he has to do. Whatever he has to do. All in the service of that goal that still, after all this time, after all the blood shed in its name, is the most important thing in Eren’s life.
Temporary* forgive my auto correction I’m on mobile Dx
I sorta liked “temporal” 🙂
If you ascribe to Death of the Author, I can see where there could be some room for “what ifs”. What if that person dies, what if they change their mind? The manga hasn’t, and probably wont, cover all possible details of the Ackerbond.
But if you accept supplementary material like interviews with Hajime Isayama, we’ve gotten a clear picture of his authorial intent – that is the bond is the most important relationship if their life, one involving choice, instinct and lifelong devotion. Ackerman are not “ordinary people”.
MIKASA
I’ve discussed this here. Mikasa bonding with Eren as a child does present some unique challenges. Isayama considered a separation so Mikasa can develop individually, but knows that is something canon Mikasa wouldn’t want.
I think it is pitiful if Mikasa’s life is only about staying together with Eren. However to Mikasa, it is a wonderful thing to be with Eren forever.
So according to the interview, canon Mikasa would never want to separate from Eren. Even though it was a childish decision, her life is devoted to him.
Isayama did mention having her face a choice between “the right thing” and “the eren thing”. Mikasa giving up in the fight for Armin on the roof may have been what he was hinting.
KENNY
We have a full life story in the manga. Kenny chose Uri and followed him the duration of his life. When Rod made a disparaging comment about Uri, Kenny nearly slit his throat. The bond was still there.
As far as any regrets, we can look to the manga. As Kenny lay dying, he was remembering Uri and talking to him, even telling Levi about him. Kenny didn’t seem regretful. He seemed inspired.
In the recent Guidebook interview, Isayama says that giving the serum to Levi was the first selfless thing Kenny had done. In doing so, I’d like to think it was a moment where he attained something close his goal of reaching Uri.
LEVI
Levi was an adult man when he made the decision to “devote himself Erwin”, the person “whose existence exceeds that of Levi’s own” The interviewer specifically asked about Levi’s mindset once Levi learned Erwin’s goal had an element of selfishness.
To Levi, they had shared a promise to “save humanity together,” so his first thought is, “This guy’s words…why are they different from before?”
And even though Levi still didn’t understand things fully after discovering how Erwin had childlike motivations, he leaned towards the attitude of, “Alright then, let me help you anyway” rather than distrusting Erwin.
When he discovers that Erwin actually has a selfish goal like his “dream,” it can be said that he felt betrayed. However, he also recognizes that this person whom he cannot hope to surpass actually has “an innocent, childlike side that chases dreams.”
The interviews have let us know that Levi accepted this part of Erwin and continued to support him unconditionally.
There’s also this – the face says it all.
All of this being said, you’re absolutely welcome to believe what you want. Many people choose to view the Ackerbond within the confines of the manga. That’s fine. The manga provides solid indication of the intense and powerful dedication each Ackerman feels towards their chosen person.
Thanks for the ask!
@momtaku This is when I read posts like these that I realize how much I missed you on my dash. :3
The ending illustration card for Shingeki no Kyojin Season 2 Episode 1, featuring the vets – Hanji, Erwin, Levi, and Mike – drawn by Chief Animation Director Asano Kyoji!
But now there’s this empire who they have to defeat in order to survive and who knows about the rest of the world. I really don’t know how they’ll survive this one to be honest. Either they die from the titans and/or the Marleyans or they somehow take control over the titans and demand or fight for peace, but then the Marleyans will be under the Eldians and the cycle starts over again. I don’t see a good ending becoming clear anytime soon. 2/2
Hey Madam red Anon, sorry for the delay!
Ahhh, I really liked the latest chapter of SnK 🙂 and although the truth does seem horrible, I’m so very happy to finally get answers. Though, keep in mind that what Grisha explained in the latest chapter is what he believed was the truth before being arrested, I’m pretty sure the whole truth isn’t out yet 😉
I’m also absolutely incapable of imagining how SnK could end… And while I love theorizing, I think there is too much we’re still lacking to start thinking of a decent alternative to what currently seems impossible to defeat. I agree they need to break that never-ending cycle though…
Aaaaah, I’m totally ready to be bewildered by Isayama-sensei’s imagination! ^^
Maybe Native Americans still live there without knowing what the hell is going on. That would be hilarious if they were encountered in the world somehow. Plus, during Grisha’s time their technology was around the early 1900s. Grisha was turned in to a titan for a long time before returning into a human so what if now their technology is up-to-date with present times??? or at least the later 1900s?? Is there some kind of timeline to show this or we just don’t know yet? My head hurts… 2/2
I really have no idea about any of that, sorry. The only thing I can say is that Grisha’s situation as a kid reminded me harshly of the context of WWII in Europe (because Jewish people had to attach a star on their clothes so people would know they were Jewish… until they were deported…). It really felt like Grisha was living in an equivalent of the Warsaw Ghetto.
So I would have said mid-1900s for the timeline, although Isayama-sensei could have just taken inspiration from History without making it accurate to the timeline of his story.
And yeah Grisha probably was a mindless Titan for a while, since now Zeke looks as old as he is, when he’s Grisha’s son. And it’s possible the technology has progressed way more than anything beyond the Walls, yes…
I’m expecting more info next chapter, since Grisha’s flashback will probably continue, so maybe some of your questions will be answered in a week or so 🙂
Ah actually, I see where you’re coming from with this, but I didn’t interpret it exactly like that personally. I mean, obviously Grisha would know that Mikasa’s parents were persecuted and that would remind him of his own situation which is probably why he was so adamant about going to see them from time to time, but the parallels between Fay and Mikasa stop there for me.
I just think Grisha was a good man who wouldn’t have let this poor girl alone, especially since she came from two ostracized bloodlines but also maybe because, as someone from outside the Walls and her parents’ doctor, he knew how important she could be as an Ackerman and Asian.
Hopefully we might some excerpts of Grisha’s diary from after he was let into Wall Maria? I hope so, I wish to know more about many things, including the Asian minority and Ackerman family.
As I was saying above, it’s obvious that what Grisha believed to be the truth as a rebel might either not be complete or contain some lies, which is why I’ll wait for the flashback to end before I theorize on anything.
Just giving the example of Ymir the great ancestor, the possibility that she’s “our” Ymir is rather high, and in that case either she wasn’t just a mindless titan for 60 years or there are lies and false information somewhere in what we were given in the last chapter.
I’ll also add that this Owl guy, who was supposedly feeding Grisha’s rebellion info, is not someone I trust and I hope we’ll get to meet him or her.
Anyway, all that to say that I think Grisha believes Eren can use the First King’s power one way or another and as such do what the Marleyans were so afraid of (which is why the Walls were never attacked before Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie showed up).
The new chapter will be out in a week to ten days, so it’s really not far 🙂 Let’s hope we’ll get more interesting content!
Thank you for passing by and have a nice weekend :))
Hey again! Hmmmm, I do remember that interview of Isayama you are talking about, though I wouldn’t be 100% sure of the content but that does ring a bell…
Anyway, to answer your question, I loved her from the beginning and I do think she grew up a lot. 🙂 In fact, I think it’s easy to see in her relationships to others, how she learned to trust others (leaving leadership to Jean or trusting Armin’s plans without questioning anything), how she came to respect Levi and how she indeed clings in a very different way (and way less) to Eren.
I saw the turn in her character development at several points in the story, during her first team up with Levi against Annie in the forest for example, but also in ch50 when she thought she was about to die, and I do associate her character development to a development in her relationship to Eren on different points (that’s why I consider that ch50 did change many things).
As for her being separated from Eren to gain some independence and development… well, that already happened to me during the Revolutionary arc, so I really don’t see the need for them to be separated from each other again. Maybe they will, but I do not think this will change Mikasa since she already lived through it during the Revolutionary arc 🙂
Eren will obviously always be a very important person for her (I think it won’t ever change, and same for Armin albeit to a slightly smaller degree) and I’m very glad their relationship changed for a better direction in ch50 (that’s why I love that chapter haha) because she couldn’t seem to manage without him and he wasn’t the nicest guy to her, but that chapter changed all that and after the Revolutionary arc, I think Mikasa grew up to be a fairly reliable character.
Now that she went through all this I’m hoping for her to get some focus about her origins since she’s both an Ackerman and Asian. I’m hoping that everything Isayama-sensei put her through and how she grew up were all because she will have a big role to play as an Ackerman + Asian and her squad will need her more than ever. :3
Ahhh, those two chapters were really emotinal and even if I was also rather certain of who would survive, I completely felt like we were saying goodbye to both Erwin and Armin until Erwin threw the syringe away, so I think Sensei did amazingly well. 🙂
Oh and since you were talking about Mikasa, I think those two chapters were a good proof too of how much she grew until now: of course she was ready to fight against Levi because of her confusion and fear to lose Armin, but it was out of grief and not out of anger, and she stopped and listened to reason when Hanji talked to her.
I don’t really have much to say about Sensei’s job on the characterizations or plot in the first place, he’s often spot on, though I wish the characters would confront one another more when we see how close they are because of all they went through (for example, Levi and Mikasa should talk about the Ackermans, Eren and Mikasa’s relationship should change yet again…).
It will probably happen later, but I really wanted for Levi to have a real talk with Eren and Mikasa after Erwin survived. Or with Hanji. Oh well, we can’t have everything, I just like to be annoying on some details haha.
I’m glad you seem to enjoy SnK, Madam Red Anon. 🙂 I hope you’re as excited as I am about the next chapter!!
There’s already debate on who will get the serum. Will it be Armin? Will it be Erwin? Either way no one seems to care that Bertolt is right there too, in the same page as Armin and Erwin, as a potential person to get the falling axe. Both the fans and the characters are treating him as some sort of tool to revive their loved one, throwing him around like a sack of meat as he lies there unconscious, clueless of what’s in store for him.
I’m personally not sure what will happen with the serum, but I believe Isayama created this situation to put the reader’s humanity to a test. Can the readers understand that everyone involved in this conflict is human? Can they sympathize with them, like a normal human should? For one, the characters themselves don’t.
Except for Jean of course, who once again showed that he’s the voice of
reason and humanity in the series, even if that worked against him in
the end.
Even after everything that happened, Jean still has sympathy for his former enemies, and that’s because he’s human, as Isayama himself says. Jean is supposed to be a relatable character who speaks the reader’s mind. So what went wrong this chapter? Because for one, the reaction I see from the readers is completely different to Jean’s. Is the fandom so attached to their favorite characters that they don’t even care if other two have to die for their sake?
Someone might bring up that the enemies don’t deserve sympathy since they’re bad people who killed innocent civilians for their evil cause, but I don’t see anyone paying attention to what their war chief said this chapter.
It looks more and more that the main characters might not be exactly the good guys in this story, but they’re clueless about what they did wrong so the readers can’t blame them for trying to fight back. Soon enough we might find out that these enemies have a good reason to want humanity to be annihilated, as Hanji speculated earlier in the series.
So what did humans do that was so unforgivable to justify the entire human race being annihilated? Is it something Grisha did? Something the First King did? Humans having their memories wiped clearly plays a big role in this.
But by all means, let’s ignore all the insight we got on the antagonists this arc so we can fight over who should get the falling axe, failing to see the bigger picture Isayama so carefully laid out for us.
There is a reason Isayama had Levi overhear Shiganshina Trio’s conversation about their dreams of going to the ocean before they set off for this battle.
The only thing I can say is that Grisha’s situation as a kid reminded me harshly of the context of WWII in Europe (because Jewish people had to attach a star on their clothes so people would know they were Jewish… until they were deported…). It really felt like Grisha was living in an equivalent of the Warsaw Ghetto.
midnight-in-town 