Forum - View topicAttack on Titan (TV) (all seasons).
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2877 |
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Plenty of action scenes to keep fans happy this episode. Hopefully there's still plenty of budget for the rest of the series. Viewers know Levi is good, but to learn he's THAT good because a serial killer taught him to be so changes perspective. They didn't pull off what they sought to accomplish, but Armin's monologue seems to encapsulate what the rest of the team (particularly Jean) are going through internally after that little episode.
There's torture, and there's hitting your enemy in the psychological weak spot to get them to spill the beans. I don't know if they were desperate or lucky, but the stunt involving the other prisoner worked a charm. That's quite a secret the military police and the rest of the court are hiding. Regardless of who sings the ED, the accompanying animation looks a notch above what they did for previous seasons. The lyrics sound familiar, but everyone's been hammering home the theme about offering hearts for the good of humanity in this franchise that it'll sound familiar in a different context regardless. |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15499 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Season 3, Episode 2 (Episode 39)
Got a certain satisfaction from Levi impaling the enemy with his maneuverer gear, after they had killed members of his team. And a moment of it being cool when he ended up in the bar and they had the whole western thing with Kenny. Who would guess that between Armin and Jean, the more merciless was Armin, regardless of what he said he is still the nicest person in the show. |
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Dessa
 Posts: 4438 |
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I only vaguely remember this part of the manga, so I definitely think it was a weaker section, because what I remembered was that it dragged on too long.
And they need to swap the OP and ED. I like the song for the OP, but a ballad just doesn't fit the series. |
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Stark700
 Posts: 11762 Location: Earth |
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Based on the first two episodes, it seems season 3 is going to focus more on the human side and more political drama than the usual Titan horror and bloodshed we're used to seeing from the previous seasons.
I'm pretty impressed by the budget especially during action scenes involving Levi from episode 2. Also, there seems to be even more secrets that are slowly being unraveled. Starting to also really get used to the OP song now. I know it feels different compared to the first two seasons but I think it fits. |
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Dessa
Posts: 4438 |
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I think I figured out what bothers me most about the OP. An OP is supposed to get you ready to watch the show. This OP makes me want to fall asleep.
A lot of infodumps this week. Being (mostly) caught up in the manga, I already knew all of it, but at least the anime has better pacing than the manga did. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2877 |
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#3
For the non-manga readers, the episode is very useful in illustrating what drives Erwin and why Historia Reiss is such an important piece to the plans of both opposing factions. Historia's mother isn't exactly described in great detail in this episode, most likely a high-ranking courtesan who got pregnant without planning for it. One question which isn't answered is how the current dynasty took power and why Reiss as the true bloodline is content with playing second fiddle as a high-ranking noble and scheming behind the scenes. Erwin's piece on the other hand is a surprising one. Non-manga readers would not have guessed he was just the son of a schoolteacher, as well as one who was killed by the government for knowing too much. Moving away from real-world parallels where certain information is too dangerous for political reasons, it explains a great deal why Erwin was denounced as a gambler in the previous episode when the stakes riding on the success or failure of this gamble are so high. No action this week (which is a little disappointing given what came immediately before), but it's a trend which fits this adaptation in particular since it's useful for keeping the story going and helping to keep costs down for the animators at the same time. If the second season is anything to go by, there'll be a set piece coming up next week. |
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A Mystery
 Posts: 1887 Location: Netherlands |
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I am loving this season so far. The OP is okay, but I do think that sad children memories don't necessarily need a soft song. A strong, tough and sad rock song would've worked too. Think 'Wake me up when september ends' from Green Day.
Watching the first season, I started to wonder what would be needed for humanity's 'victory'. When a big threat is coming that you cannot fight against, you have to build a wall in some way to protect yourself if nobody else does. Think about child abuse, for example. Especially when your own parents are guilty, there's not much else to be done as a vulnerable kid. But if you build your walls too high and strong, you cannot get out yourself when the threat is gone. You feel like being held prisoner. Insecure too. Furthermore - every person outside the walls may seem like a threat even when you're an adult. It's hard to escape it. What is needed then? Everybody has some holes, doors or gates in their walls, though in a few, worst cases, they're permanently sealed. Probably with good reasons. When growing up, there's always the chance that a warm loving person comes up and proves you that some people can be trusted. That way you may overcome that wall. However, you need to be able to welcome that person too and realize they're not perfect either. Sometimes they only arrive when you're old and jaded. And can you actually see the other perspectives (others bring) and look at your inner demons, created through earlier damage? And when is the good time to change? If there are great real dangers, isn't it better to keep your walls closed temporarily instead of loosening your security? Armin's thoughts on tossing away your humanity somehow don't fit into my view. Facing your emotions is probably harder but more necessary IMO. The way the Titans busted through the gates wasn't a good case of therapy. However, humanity may have to trust some of the seemingly frightening Titans someday and be able to look inside. That is probably why the Recon Corps have the most ability to look differently at things - they actually venture outside the walls to look for different perspectives. I like the inner wall chaos represented in the newest seasons. It seems to be the safest place every soldier wants to be assigned to, but meanwhile... |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2877 |
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#4
Sometimes I wonder what goes on in Jean's head. The eternally reluctant Scout who has nary a good word to say of his colleagues, yet he's the one who volunteers to see if Marlo and Hitch are trustworthy enough to rely on. Maybe it's because the other big series airs on the same day, but a quick look at the credits confirms Sakata Gintoki's VA had a guest appearance this week as Marlo. Almost no difference between the two in the way they're portrayed. Not sure anything in this episode qualifies as a budget-busting action spectacle, just the quick skirmish involving Jean and the guards, Hange's bailing of Flegel Reeves and the aftermath of the confession scene. The reporters (particularly the senior one) might not be the most trustworthy witnesses given the influence of the Military Police within the walls, but there's nothing they can do if the common folk rise up in sufficient numbers. Next week's episode seems to indicate that's going to be the case. Kenny Ackermann? Isn't that the same last name as a certain Scout who was adopted at a young age? I wonder what that's about. Maybe viewers will find out more over the coming weeks. I wonder what Commander Pyxis is going to do next week. He has free reign at court and has put in his lot with Erwin Smith. As always with the Scout commander, he's betting big for huge stakes so despite his physical condition he hasn't lost any hope of getting out of his predicament. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2877 |
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#5
Erwin's big gamble paid off. He makes use of the greed and self-preservation of the leading nobles to turn the tables. With the knowledge of the false king and the confession extracted last week from the unwitting guards, he and the rest of the military have done enough to overturn one government in favour of an interim military dictatorship. He's obviously not done yet and is well aware that his choice might actually worsen things, but he's gone through with it and survived. I'm more concerned about the new Premier, he seems to have been in it for his own ego and self interest and it so happens he had a common goal with Erwin and the others. The audience knows how Eren acquired his Titan powers, but Arwin and the others are still at the stage where they can only speculate with the information at hand. If next week's trailer is any indication, there might be some light on the big secret that has been sitting in Eren's former home since the invasion from five years ago. As for the Reiss clan's big secret, I'm guessing it's something to do with the eldest daughter and her ability to transform. If your family is deliberately hiding its true status, it was probably only given because of something special in the bloodline. That strange scene with Eren's hallucination suggests the Reiss clan not only has the ability to transform, but they were made royalty because they had natural command over wild Titans in addition to the ability to transform. Pure speculation of course, but next week may prove or disprove the above for non-manga readers. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2877 |
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#6
Animators laid it on thick the last week, but my guess was confirmed. Not only the ability to control Titans, but even memory manipulation of 90+% of the remaining surviving humans within the walls. With that kind of power, no wonder the Reiss clan was the royal family. The narrative surprises for this week are Eren's transformation (so the shot from his father was of the father's own bloodstream after the cannibalism) and the Ackermann clan secret. Does that mean Mikasa might be able to transform as well considering she's the offspring of the two rebel clans who turned their back on the Reiss royal family? The power boost the Ackermanns enjoy sounds very much like what the undercover Titans were benefiting from in their human shells. Next week's set piece needs to be a good one, since this week marks two weeks in a row without any major actions scenes whatsoever. Hopefully they've saved enough powder for a big bang when the bounty hunters take on Levi and the scouts. Speaking of Levi, what's his heritage? A street kid who was briefly taken in by Kenny the Ripper yet rose through to the scouts with the reputation as its best soldier. Even if he can't transform, he already has the one-up over most mortals thanks to his heritage. Even after this arc ends, is there enough left to cover the identity of the Beast Titan and what he's after? Or is he being put aside for a future animated adaptation? |
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Tuor_of_Gondolin
 Posts: 3524 Location: Bellevue, WA |
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Frankly, I don't trust Historia's father... at all. How can we tell that the "memories" that Eren and Historia recalled are genuine? The way his family died seems awfully convenient. And I dunno if it's me, but the woman he claims is his daughter looked somewhat like Eren's mom. I also recall, at the very beginning, that Eren woke up outside the walls, and that he had had some sort of dream... At any rate, at this point I don't trust the memories Eren had of his past, nor do I trust those of Historia.
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DuskyPredator
Posts: 15499 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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We probably should not trust his recollection, right? Chances are he is really good at manipulation. His painting of Eren's father did seem especially vague as being like a man he knew nothing about, while seeming that it may specifically be a lie in knowing more than he is saying.
It does make it look like not a coincidence that Eren's father was not by chance doing check ups on the Ackermans. |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2877 |
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Eren would have recognised his mother in last week's brief vision, but he clearly didn't. Historia should not be subject to memory manipulation since she's her father's (illegitimate) daughter. I don't know if Historia saw the same thing Eren saw. |
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vonPeterhof
Posts: 729 |
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Harleyquin
Posts: 2877 |
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#7
Three weeks since a big action spectacle and the animators don't disappoint. Although it doesn't quite hit the heights of this season's episode 2, it's still something to behold as the Scouts and Kenny's underlings have it out with each other. Both sides are now mentally prepared to kill each other as that little shot with Jean showed. Good thing the Scouts have Armin on their side, with just one encounter he figured out a weakness against the AP ODM and it's been exploited to brilliant effect. Unfortunately for them Kenny's Assistant managed to get Hange so they've bought time to delay the Scouts and devise counter-measures. The big flaw in Rod Reiss's big push is laid to bare this episode. Good of Historia to realise it at the very last moment. Unfortunately it looks like viewers won't know why the inheritor chose not to sally out from the walls since Rod Reiss isn't exactly going to have his spine ripped out and eaten anytime soon. Despite his well-planned scheme, neglecting Historia for so long has worked against him as she's acquired a mind of her own and is no longer an easy mark for old-fashioned manipulation. Another thing I've found odd is how the Reiss family lose their wits the first time they transform and always eat the first human in front of them; is this supposed to be genetically ingrained in them since all of the inheritors like Eren still have considerable control of themselves after they've transformed more than once? Looks like Kenny is still around to play a decisive role in all of this. Despite his ambition, it looks like he's not going to get what he wanted because of the hereditary nature behind the ritual. Since he's soldiered on to live life to the full, no way he's going to just stand back and watch while Rod Reiss gets all of the fun. What he will do despite his injury is up in the air though. |
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