Shingeki no Kyojin – 18
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It’s a little bit comforting to know that even the characters in the show don’t know what’s going on anymore. Everyone is left in the dark about Erwin’s true plan and therefore confused and terrified. It’s fun to see how many ways they can make Titan attacks get more tense and frightening. The music didn’t help my pounding heart one bit. That slow-mo, screechy violin thing gets me every time. |
The mission continues despite the massive amount of casualties and the near-invincible Female Titan that’s hot on their heels. These are not ideal conditions for continuing an extremely difficult and important mission, but Erwin orders everyone to keep going. In fact, he orders a lot of very suspicious things. No one knows what’s going on inside his head, but it’s clear that he didn’t “misread the map” or anything of the sort. He’s got all of this planned out perfectly – but he had to leave out all the details of his plan because he suspected a mole amongst his troops. Assuming the Female Titan is somehow one of his soldiers, then I’d say his plan worked well to keep her away from Eren for at least a little while.
Girls just wanna have fun~
Unfortunately, his lack of communication leaves everyone in a state of near-petrification. Even the elite soldiers have a look that says DEATH etched firmly onto their faces as they grimly ride through the forest. The soldiers have no choice but to blindly follow orders. To their credit, they’re all quite obedient. Jean complains about being Titan bait, but he still does the job regardless of how sketchy it all seems. Only a few people figure out why they chose the forest of all places to isolate the group with Eren (the most important person for the mission) and leave everyone else outside. Armin and Levi figure out that it’s the perfect place to fight Titans, and therefore it gives them the highest chances of taking down the Female Titan. They wanted to lead the Female Titan into the forest to take it down.
The preview for episode 19 leads me to believe that there’s actually more to Erwin’s plan than this. It also seems a bit too obvious that the big secret is “we went into a forest because it has big trees.” I’ll feel a little insulted if that was the big secret. Levi freezes up at a time where he should, by all means, be flinging himself off of his horse and slicing things up like a high speed blender. Instead, he hesitates and fires a flare. He either knows the true plan, or is just obeying orders blindly like the rest and has no clue what’s going on. Could that flare be a marker for something else Erwin has set up? The fact that we see a lot of embers in the preview makes me think they decide to just burn down the entire forest. That seems kind of like a bad move with all the important soldiers being there, but it’s definitely an option. As it stands now, I don’t think they have a chance at beating the Female Titan. It would be far too soon to take it down, because then we’d see who is controlling the Titan.
This whole “secret plan” thing really added a lot of tension to the Female Titan hunt. I loved seeing the isolated units question their orders and start to doubt everything. It all built up extremely well to the Female Titan’s appearance in the forest, which was absolutely terrifying even though we’ve already seen her do her thing before. There’s something eerie about seeing a Titan this intelligent after seeing hordes of brainless manbabies tottering about and mindlessly trying to eat people. It’s weird, because I feel like not much happened this week, but it still kept me thoroughly entertained.
There’s also the mystery of the Female Titan and who she is. Her crazed look when she finally saw Eren was terrifying, and she’s been continuing to destroy every soldier who tries to kill her with impossibly smart battle tactics. It’s not too hard to win a fight when you’re that big and have the ability to jump, defend, run, and swing a guy around like a propellor. The way she kills people is especially brutal, and I love it. Now, who is behind this killing machine? We’ve seen just about every female in the Recon corps I can think of riding their horse and getting along just swell as they carry out their mission. Everyone is accounted for. Unless it’s a girl from another military group, like Annie, then this mystery has me stumped. I like that though! It’s more fun when you don’t know what’s going to happen next. Let’s pray to the anime Gods that I don’t accidentally find a spoiler on Tumblr and have it all ruined.
Preview: The fight continues, and I don’t think it goes well considering that Eren might have to go into TITAN MODE. Another Titan vs Titan battle? I hope so. Come on Eren, bite your hand and show us whatcha got!
I’ve given up on hoping for smiles or any sort of happiness in episode previews
About Overcooled
A neuroscience graduate, black belt, and all-around nerd. You'll either find me in my lab or curled up in my rilakkuma kigurumi watching anime.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Yep, as if the toughest Titan yet wasn’t enough, you have to layer on the “secret plan” to crank up the tension.
Kudos to the staff for pacing this thing very well, even adding in a another “prissy running” Titan for kicks. Seriously, what the heck is up with that?!
My money is on the Female being Annie (it cannot be Krista…no one wants to marry a girl that treats fellow solider like a flingy toy), the blond hair, the eyes, and even the improv during battle (for what the battles were worth with her). And while we are at it, is Reiner suspicious or what? If Erwin’s plan is to flush out Titans in their midst, he may be getting more than he bargained for…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I was rather annoyed at the possible dig with respect to the running of that titan. I thought it was in very poor taste.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Not sure I follow….
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Maybe it’s me being too PC, but I thought it was an uncalled for dig at homosexuals. That was my gut reaction on seeing it, it just struck me entirely the wrong way.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Ah, now I am following. When I read “running in your reply” I just instantly thought of the Female Titan, and then I thought “What dig is in poor taste”? But, get my head on the right target and I’m with you….
You may be to PC, you may not be. I’m not going to judge. I’ve never seen in that light, and have always seen it as an oddity. This is, what, the second time, a Titan has run around like that? So, I cannot say one thing or the other about it. Just something odd.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 28 comments
😛 It most definitely isn’t, no more than that other one creepy aberrant was a dig at lobsters and crabs.
Just because two things might (big might) share a similar characteristic is in no way indicative of any intent to link those two things together. I’m sure Sasha being hungry isn’t a dig at white girls and I’m sure Levi being a neat-freak isn’t a dig at white guys.
The weird titan was just weiiiiird
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I’m sure Levi is a dig at Snow White, at least that is what the Internet is trying to tell me.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Holy Crap! I just noticed I passed 3000 comments! Now, I hope Spammy doesn’t eat this post.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I noticed that you were at 2999 yesterday. Congrats!
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
Reiner was SO suspicious, I can’t help it! I’ve argued with my friends about it countless times, and they don’t believe anything seemed off in that situation, from the previous episode.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I could go either way.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
It annoys me that *all* of the deaths credited to the female titan are essentially self-inflicted. Did we *ever* see her attack anyone who didn’t attack her first? Yet these boneheads kept throwing themselves at her like a meat grinder. Hey, guess what, the guys outside your position didn’t take her down, and now they’re not there. Maybe it would be better to punt and not fight the unbeatable?
Just seems like a waste of lives, based on poor thinking.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Soldiers have different mind sets. Most of us would have acted on impulse during the run at the end of the episode, but, to crank the tension they made us aware of the discipline these guys have in these situations, and to only act as ordered and when. How high on the way up?
As for the ones she fought outside the forest on all occasions….these are independent actions. And man, they get some big heads when it comes to action….”I am not going to be that guy, I’m gonna be THE GUY”…..
So, yes, poor thinking…
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 28 comments
Aren’t the soldiers’ orders to eliminate all aberrants they can’t avoid?
I’m sure many of them didn’t realize that the female titan was anything besides another aberrant, and the usual aberrants can be killed..
I feel like all of their deaths were due to NOT independently thinking and just following their orders ^^
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
The soldiers are just doing their job. Plus, most of them don’t see first-hand how utterly impossible engaging would be since all of the units are isolated. Maybe if they knew it was futile they’d stop, but most of the time they can take out an abnormal Titan in this situation. They’re just doing their job the best they can.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
That means she doesn’t intend to kill anyone. That’s plainly self-defense, nothing more.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
I have to disagree that she’s playing only self-defense. The entire Recon Corp aren’t special ops forces, only Team Levi. Also, she’s a Titan, that more than evens the odds. You’re telling me this lady couldn’t have found a better way to deal with soldiers other than smashing them into trees, treating them like slingshots, and kicking them like soccer balls.
The FemTitan is vindictive and coldblooded. Did you forget that she actually led a group of regular Titans to the rear right flank in order to purposefully destroy them? The FemTitan means to kill, and has absolutely no problem doing so.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Both the audiance and characters are in the dark about Erwin’s plan. I can’t stop applauding whoever is behind this series. They’re amazing. Erwin has been shady ever since Hanji lost her two Titan subjects so there’s no way of saying his attitude is surprising except for the detour to the forest. What I think he’s after is proving that certain Titans outside the wall are like Eren by capturing the female. If it is the case, he might want to put her in his arsenal like Eren.
A normal Titan is without a doubt terrifying but one this intelligent and playfully killing anyone that approaches is nothing short of a nightmare. I once thought if that if they aren’t able to kill her, they could think of a way to lure her off course to avoid unnecessary casualties but I later realized she could be tracking down Eren because if she’s the same as him, they’re probably sharing a similar wavelength and that might render the diversion useless.
With all this despair in the place of hope, if there are any survivors left at all, we might start seeing a collapse in respect for the higher ranked. What Erwin is doing is basically treason against his own troops, his elite soldiers no less and Armin and Jean are already having second thoughts so I can’t even begin to assume things are going to end well and Eren might be forced to do something he doesn’t want to.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
That damn woman is terrifying.
I agree, Erwin was suspicious right from that event with subjects. But it’s true that he may think that there’s a traitor amongst his troops, and that’s why he had hidden Eren’s real position. And the reason they entered the forest is obvious too. But he’s still hella suspicious. Since everyone in recon. corps is messed up in one way or another, I think we shall see Erwin’s dark side soon.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Yeah, Armin says the Titan is looking for Eren – probably because he’s the same thing that she is. There is no way to lure her away unless you make an Eren clone, because she only stops to kill people who target her. She’s super smart!
Erwin might get some negative backlash once this is over. Even if his plan works perfectly, he still got a lot of people killed. That’s not exactly his fault, but for people in search of someone to blame, he’s the easiest target.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 88 comments
I’d pay to see Levi’s OH SHIT face.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Sounds like a lot of money is about to burn. 😉
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
The result would be worth of every penny 😀
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I want to see it too!
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I expect nothing less from the Queen Sadist.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Hey, if the ice cube that is L-elf could give us one, I don’t have any doubts that eventually we’ll see Levi’s. He’s not as cold of a character as I once thought.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Hey, everyone has a breaking point. We just need to figure out where his breaking point is.
POWUH: 800-899 and Mad Scientist with 814 comments
You held on to hope and happiness from this show for this long? =O
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
I double that.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Such hope was lost from the start.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Hope? Really, and from this show? I believe I’ve used this quote before:
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
There’s clearly something wrong with me
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Fix it and everything will go back to normal. 😉
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Oh, I don’t know, there are moments in the show where they win or where they laugh and smile. Believe me, you would notice if this show decided to take all the hope and lighter moments out of it. The whole thing would be so full of despair that it would start affecting your own mindset.
I remember feeling that way in the latter half of the first FMA. I kept saying to myself, “can we have ONE funny moment, PLEASE?!!”, because the show was so bogged down in serious that I was actually getting depressed with the show. I was almost at the point of not being able to take one more scene of sadness and disappointment and the horrors of human cruelty.
I’ve never reached that point here, so the show is definitely doing its job of balancing all the emotions.
POWUH: Meta Resident and Metanorn's Hime-chan~ with 1758 comments
The droll. Why? o-o
The reason why they entered the forest was so obvious. Why didn’t they figure it out sooner?? o-o
On the ways that titan chick kills…. you’re totally right. She’s so cruel, and after seeing those giant stupid piles of flesh, seeing a titan kill someone like that is strangely satisfying to me. Imagine, being spinned around like that… and she even let go. *O*
Oh, I bet the next ep is going to be epic. I don’t know, can it really be Annie? If it is her, they’d better explain well, what the hell triggered her transformation and made her slaughter half of the recon. corps.
Plus, some more titan action, yay. Though Eren behaved quite well in this last episode and didn’t lunge towards the female titan like a maniac, I’m glad he’s still full of guts and determination. To me, he seemed a little too docile and calm for the Eren we all know, and I thought he may turn into Sasha #2…. o-o
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
She’s been getting more…flashy…with her kills too. That spinning kill was just vicious. She could have crushed him so he died instantly, but she decided to play with him instead…
I thought it MUST be Mikasa at first, but there she is…all human and stuff. My next guess is Annie because she’s the only one we don’t know the location of. I’m still very sketchy on this guess though because it seems weird since we know so little about her.
Eren doesn’t just rush into battle now, which is nice. I guess he knows he needs to stay alive so he can master his Titan skills to save everyone. …Or he’s just more scared like Sasha.
POWUH: 500-599 with 543 comments
Well, this episode pushed me to just go read the manga. And I did. I’m not going to say anything because this is the kind of story that really only hits you the first time you see it. I had so many spoilers here and there that it was getting in the way. But for sure, OC, you need to avoid tumblr until you’ve seen the next episode.
Now I’m just curious as to how far they’ll go in the story with the rest of the episodes they have. I really don’t want them to speed it up because of what comes next…
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
It’s been tough avoiding spoilers…I’ll do my best to stay clean though.
I was told the anime is catching up to the manga pretty quickly, and that this arc is also really good. I don’t know what to expect…
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
This was one of the first episodes I’ve ever watched of this show that truly had me on the edge of my seat until the end. Every moment was epic and tense as we watch the Recon Corp advance. Cmdr. Erwin has a plan supposedly to root out the traitors within his company, but to also stop the FemTitan that has been decimating his men.
The FemTitan is one vicious lady, and the worst of all the titans we have seen thus far. I am 99% sure of her identity at this point, and I’m sorry, but after her actions within this episode, there will be no happy ending for her. Either she will have a change of heart at the end of her storyline and die in a battle for a last ditch effort for redemption…or she will simply die a traitor’s death. Either way, FemTitan’s days are numbered in one way or another.
This episode was mostly setup as we prepare for what is to follow. The soldiers are following their leader’s orders for better or for worse on blind faith. No one know what’s truly going on, maybe not even Cap. Levi who is trying to be strong for his men. Eren, Mikasa, and even Armin have yet to see to full picture here, and in the end we’re left at a cliffhanger on what is to happen next.
Erwin has been a deceptive character thus far and it’s hard to really get a feel for him and what he’s really about. I hope he doesn’t betray all of those within his command, but honestly, I know so little about him that I wouldn’t be surprised. How far is willing to go to find the moles within the Corp? Does he even have the Corp’s best interests at heart? We will have to wait and see.
Simply because of the tenseness of the situation and the hard hitting violence, I’m going to give this episode an 8/10. Since I’m sure who FemTitan and pretty sure I know who Armored Titan is, this leaves Colossal Titan to try to figure out. We’re coming down to the wire now, how will this all end? You can bet I’m going to keep watching to find out.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
OMG…I just saw the Colossal Titan from another angle on a poster, and when I looked at him, he suddenly reminded me of a character in Shingeki that I had already seen. I looked even closer, and then thought about it, and with only a few inconsistencies, it just might work!
But man, if who I’m thinking of IS truly the Colossal Titan, then this thing with the Titan-hybrids goes much farther than I had originally thought. The humans might just be fighting the wrong enemy…
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
There is so much not explained in this world that is taken for granted. I’m suspicious of how the walls got built in the first place. If the Titans were at the apex, how did the manage the time, discover, fail, discover again, build, get that screwed up, finally get enough resources to build a wall, screw it up again, etc. We do things rather messy before we do them awesome.
The birdcage mentioned in the first episode, it’s more than just a poetic metaphor…I think.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Well, I don’t know, at that point, humanity should have known how to build a wall. However, you are right in that, with all the Titan attacks and destruction and chaos, how the heck DID the walls get built? Something like that with the scope we see, the thickness and height achieved, and the Renaissance level of technology available to them, it would have taken them decades of steady labor to build such walls. How did they do so with all the chaos that must have been occurring? And who exactly are these walls named after? Who are Maria, Rose, and Sina? Are they simply saints or political figures that the walls were named for, or is there more meaning to this?
There is still so much about this world we don’t know!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Oh, yes. Maria, Rose and Sina. That just drips stories doesn’t i?