Shingeki no Kyojin – 09
Today, on Cooking with Titans, we make a delightful Eren stew.
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It may seem like I’ve abandoned RDG for Attack on Titan, but that is not true! I had planned on combining 2 episodes together to cause me less stress and scrambling after Anime North. In the end I gave myself too much time and now I’m just posting Attack on Titan again. Ah well. I like RDG but we all know Attck on Titan is my true favourite of the season~ |
Now that a good portion of the cast has been eaten, it’s time to introduce new characters! The recon corps. are proving to be an…interesting group of people. They’re praised as being the military’s strongest and bravest warriors – the cream of the crop – when really they’re just a bunch of misfits. You have to be a little bit crazy to leave the city’s safety and enter Titan territory all the time. If you aren’t already a bit off, then a few missions of going out and seeing 30% of your comrades die will certainly do the trick.
The ruthless recon corps, featuring Four Eyes and the Mighty Mushroom Cut
Okay, so not all of them are weird, but it seems like all the talented fighters have a screw or two loose. It’s also really amusing to think that the honourable recon corps. is secretly just a big group of nerds who are amazing on the battlefield but the most awkward of conversation partners in normal situations. Hanji Zoe is a bit like Sasha in that she’s carefree and simple-minded. However, instead of liking something normal like food, she drools over abnormal Titans and finding out more about them. Hanji also seems to think of fighting these behemoths as more of a joyride. Almost all the top fighters in Eren’s group were grim and deadly serious, so it’s interesting to see someone having fun killing these things. That just shows how insanely strong she is, to afford being able to be cocky in the middle of a fight.
Rivaille/Levi (I see his name spelled differently everywhere I go) is another one of those prodigious fighters with a quirk. He’s a neat freak. Whether this scales up to OCD-level cleanliness, I can’t tell, but he certainly gets pissy when blood splatters on his swords. He’s very curt and intimidating, but he seems like a good leader. When I saw him approaching his dying comrade, I knew this scene would completely cement my opinion on him forever. Would he be a typical jerk or a good leader? Levi chose to comfort his comrade and hold his bloodied hand, even though just a second ago we saw him cringe at getting dirty. I expected him to be one of those badasses who doesn’t show emotions to others, but he’s surprisingly devoted to his cause. He’s kinda like a chill version of Eren that doesn’t scream every line at the top of his lungs.
I really liked seeing some new faces, despite the fact that a nail-biting cliffhanger was waiting to be resolved. We’ve heard so little about the recon corps. that they’ve just been a big question mark this entire time. Eren originally wanted to join them, so maybe they can compromise by just sending him out to the wild and hoping he wrecks the shit out of Titans beyond the walls. From there he could help the recon corps., who seem offbeat enough to potentially support someone like him.
However, that may not happen because they just seem to want Eren dead. That isn’t open for debate. Eren wakes up to a bunch of swords in his face and no explanation. It’s one of those annoying situations where there’s a big misunderstanding, and the characters just don’t say the right things to clear it up. I really hate that sort of thing. I know Eren was suffering from memory loss, but how hard would it have been for Armin to summarize the events for Eren and then rationally argue back? I’m not saying they could have persuaded them, but it would have been infinitely less frustrating then watching the 3 of them stare slack-jawed at all the swords pointed at them, incredulous at why doing absolutely nothing wasn’t getting anything accomplished. That scene was wayyyy too long. I only felt the right kind of tension when they fired the cannon and everything was moving in slow-motion. That was the right way to draw out a decisive moment. It was only then that I began to lean forward in my seat expectantly, waiting to see what would happen.
So metal.
What happened was…well…we certainly didn’t get any answers this week. Just more questions. It turns out Eren didn’t take over the Santa Titan and change that beard into J-rocker hair. Eren actually transformed into a Titan while being digested and busted out. He has no memories of his time as a Titan because the extent of his control over his body was “KILL ALL TITANS.” That’s why he didn’t react to Mikasa or his teammates – he was in a frenzy. Being a smart boy, Eren eventually pieces it all together (also, they tell him “dude, you were inside a Titan”) and realizes the truth. Then he turns into a were-Titan.
It’s an insane scene. The visuals of Eren’s half-dissolved body sheltering his friends is horrifying and striking. I did not expect Eren to be able to change back into a Titan at will. I guess the big answer to having monsters as strong as Titans is a creature like Eren who can become something that can match them. You gotta fight fire with fire, I suppose. I’m just not so sure how to take this. It’s a bit of a ridiculous turn, even for a show like this. How will they continue to have him changing back and forth when it’s clearly taboo?
More than ever, Eren needs to get to that basement. Not for his own good, but for my good. I need to know what the hell his dad did and what Eren has become! It seems like Eren can become a Titan at will, but his injuries remain in tact. While in human form, all injuries obtained in Titan form slowly heal. That’s my guess as to why he’s just a skeleton with a few strings of meat on him. That will limit his use of Titan mode, therefore making him not TOO overpowered. If he loses any more limbs in human mode though, I imagine Titan mode would fix all that again.
All in all, nothing was answered this week. There are mysteries on top of mysteries now. Eren, what is going on with you? Now no one is going to trust you ever except your closest friends. Bravo. I wonder what direction the show will go in now that the main character can turn into the one thing he wants to exterminate? I can only guess. It’s a whacky turn, but I’m still here to enjoy the ride.
Preview: Everybody STILL hates Eren.
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: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
“WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” *reeeeeereeeeereeeeee*
😉
Who knows what they’ll come up with next week. I thought it pretty rich that that craven sunken-eyed commander who abandoned his troops on the other side of the wall was the one who deemed himself worth to pass judgment on Eren.
I was waiting for someone to point out that Eren-Titan didn’t attack any humans, even given the chance. All he did was attack other Titans. And other Titans attacked him, which they didn’t do with any other Titan. So *they* obviously realize he’s not one of them, he realizes whose side he’s on, but REMF wannabe can’t figure it out.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
And I personally think ‘Rivaille’/’Revaille’ is a stupid spelling, and not really a given name. I’ve never seen it, although it looks like there are some folks who have it as a family name (where I bet it’s pronounced “Re-vale”) Everyone else in the show’s world has some sort of normal human name. And ‘Levi’ is a normal human name.
Plus, apparently Levi is the ‘official’ romanization (according to MAL).
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I think Rivaille is a really cool way to spell it, but I’m going with what the subs/MAL say to be safe.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Rivaille would be a cool French name, but I agree in that you’re right that it doesn’t really fit into the world as everyone else seems to have real names. Levi is probably a better choice and links up nicely with the name “Eren”.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I thought the drama was rather well played. We have the benefit of enjoying the tension as audience as can see it as such. The character don’t see the layers of the story from top down. They see a monster, and one that isn’t as clear cut as the rest of the monsters they hunt and are hunted by.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Isn’t there anyone else with a higher ranking position there to make those kind of decisions? He’s the last guy I’d want to decide anything even remotely important. At that point everyone was so worked up I don’t know if any amount of explanation would calm them down. Maybe if they had a commander who was on their side there at that moment things could have gone…better.
POWUH: 500-599 with 543 comments
I was angry with Armin as well. He really should have said something about how Titan!Eren didn’t attack humans, and explained to Eren what had happened really quickly. Just standing there was boooring. I’m letting Mikasa off the hook, she had to have her swords ready.
Hanji feels like Sasha’s big sister or something- they’re really similar with their intense enthusiasm for something either odd or normal. I was interested to see what the Recon Corps were like, I suppose it only makes sense that they all have a screw loose. Levi is not only a clean freak but a freak about making sure he deems everyone useful at their deathbeds on the pavement. He certainly has a goal we’ve heard before, killing all the Titans.
Oh well, no answers. That’s why you should keep posting RDG- it just gave quite a few answers out. Not to mention the spectacular music episode 7 used.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
He would have saved so much time if he just told Eren what was up -_-
I can totally feel those big sister vibes. She even looks like her. I hope they meet up later on and fight a Titan together.
Yeah, I just caught up and now I’m trying to find time to write my thoughts down. This week has been unexpectedly busy!
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
OMG, this episode was full of so much win I can’t believe it! Levi and the special recon troop are awesome. And I’m starting to think its a conspiracy that all the badass characters as of late have names beginning with “L” (Lelouch, Light, L, L-elf, and now Levi). I like his character very much as he seems to be a mix of the skill of Mikasa and the determination of Eren, and I will enjoy seeing him further in the future.
However, we also get to get a perspective of Eren as he becomes the Titan and the imagery of him the Titan’s stomach was both fascinating and sickening. We get to see how Eren became the Titan and that with Eren’s monologue and music was awesome to behold. However, I can see why the other soldiers are spooked, however, they should think for a second instead of relying on their fears. This is a breakthrough in knowing the enemy but, they refuse to see it. Eren himself has no knowledge of anything that happened but knows that he, Mikasa, and Armin are in danger. He then has a flashback of what really happened with him and his dad and we learn that the injection he gave Eren is responsible.
This has all given Eren special Titan abilities, which he uses to the amazement of the soldiers who have ordered Eren’s execution. This was all so awesome, and I can’t wait to see what happens next! Poor Eren, to become what he hates and not even know it. But I think he will understand if he is able to use his new powers to take down the Titans.
And OMG, I just realized something after rewatching this episode for the 4th time. That flash of yellow and green lightning that came when Eren transformed is the same as the lightning seen when the Colossal Titan appears. It can’t be coincidence! Is that why no one sees that thing coming and it disappears just as fast? Is it a human with Titan powers like Eren? If so, why is he/she with the Titans and destroying the walls? Oh this show and it’s ever present questions!
I give this episode a 9.75/10. Just pure awesome.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Good quotes.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
How do you always manage to find quotes that fit with each episode? I find myself impressed with them every time.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Thanks! Research is my specialty. I just think on the main points of the episode and go from there. You’re sure to find something somewhere. 😛
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
The Hubbard quote is especially suitable for this week’s episode!
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I’m glad they showed us that little piece of background info where Eren was in the stomach. Really cool to see that he didn’t control the Titan…he became one. Suddenly it’s not just a show about killing Titans, but about dealing with abnormals like Eren. Hmm, at least we know Hanji will be on his side then…
Now that you mention the lightning, that makes a lot of sense! I’ll bet it’s not a Titan appearing and disappearing, but a person transforming to and from a Titan. That also explains why the ones that “appear”a re so damn smart. They’ve got humans who have learned to control the Titans. The question remains why the would attack humanity though. So far that’s the best explanation I’ve heard for how the Colossal Titan keeps popping up.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 24 comments
No spoilers, don’t worry, just an appetizer to make you more ravenous.
Take it from a manga reader who just blitzed through the whole thing, everything in the story is eventually explained and makes sense, it just takes a while to do that, and new questions are asked with every one answered.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
It’s going to be a pain waiting week by week for a solid explanation so I hope it will all be worth it. It isn’t often that you find a series that you become anxious to see the next episode.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
That’s very comforting to know. It’s probably better that they explain it in bits and pieces instead of all at once in a giant monologue (especially given how intense the usual tone of this show is).
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 131 comments
So that’s why people were saying how badass Rivaille is. I wasn’t sure why the fan reaction to him was so big it could’ve been called Attack On Fangirl. But well. I guess I can see a reason to jump onto the bandwagon now. Haha. Well, kidding aside, I do agree, OC, that the moment with the dying soldier was the make-or-break for me, more than any badassery. If he was going to be a jerk about it, I was sure as hell never going to like him, but everyone likes a badass with a heart.
And agreed that Rivaille and Hanji are like older, slightly quirkier counterparts of Eren and Sasha respectively. Sasha is a little more cautious of the Titans though – I don’t see her running off to find abnormals like Hanji. She wouldn’t be lovable Potato Girl if she did. I could do with less screaming from Eren, though, like Rivaille. (But Kaji Yuki’s doing a great job at it, no question. His throat must get so raw after a session with Eren.)
On the subject of shouting, I literally railed at the screen when Bearded Supplies Dude came on. What a total bastard. I would’ve forgiven him if he wasn’t so self-serving in the previous ep (he was the one who left you for Titan food, Jean, not the dude you punched!). Honestly. If he did his job with the supplies less people would’ve died. Ugh. I actually hate him more than the Colossal Titan, at least that one actually grows on you.
So Eren just literally turns into a Titan in a flash of lightning? I thought it’d be a little more gruesome like taking over a Titan or something. I’m not sure if I would’ve enjoyed that more or less, but it would’ve been a little more interesting.
It’s odd that he kind of turned into a less complete version of a Titan though – I don’t think he retains the Titan injuries, if the Titan body left behind in the previous ep was any indication. I think he can literally control how he transforms. I’m taking it from the fact that his dad told him to “learn how to control” his transformation. Still, I guess it’s a bit of an asspull since he couldn’t have learned that in that span of time.
Yeah. More questions asked than answered. But I love me a good mystery.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
To me, it was like Eren suddenly became a ninja. First a summoning-like change by biting his hand followed by an unfinished Titan body that looks similar to the base for the Susano’o with the skeletal frame.
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
Yeah, I see Levi fanart a LOT on Tumblr and pixiv…probably more than Mikasa or even Eren! I see why he gets all that hype though. He’s pretty cool AND he’s a nice guy underneath that condescending gaze. Having Kamiyan as his seiyuu only sweetens the deal =w=
To be entirely honest, I actually didn’t recognize who the beard dude was because I ignore any character who isn’t hot (a bad strategy for blogging, but it cannot be helped). He’s a real jerk though and I’m pissed that he had the gall to try and organize a group of soliders to kill Eren without getting approval.
So either Eren sucks at controlling his transformation or his Titan form is still recovering from when it dissolved after that fight. I wonder what sorts of things Eren can learn to control or not…such as whether he remembers events afterwards and if he can suppress his Titan-killing rage to help his friends.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Interesting episode even though I don’t like how overpowered Eren’s new powers makes him, but whatever I can get behind that if they have moments when he can’t transform whenever he wants because there has to be SOME negative about turning into a titan? I wonder if it affects his life? Aka using it to much will shorten his life?
New characters are awesome!
POWUH: 500-599 with 543 comments
The overpowered stuff is rather boring to me as well. Yawn, great, another one. I like the idea of shortening his life as a drawback.
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
Yeah the shorten life thing idea I took from the One Piece manga xD
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I really liked how weak the humans were. I thought they’d defeat the Titans by outsmarting them and not…using crazy magic powers. Even if it’s technically ~*~science~*~ it might as well be magic. It’d be cool if it shortened his life every time he used it though.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Then that would be trouble for him if he used it multiple times before the Colossal and/or Armored Titan showed up again. He’d have to learn how to maintain his power.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Well, I don’t know, I’m partial to OP characters more than others, but also, with how overpowered the Titans themselves are, the humans are really going to need an ace. There’s no way that they can defeat these things as only soldiers.
And I do think Eren will be facing some problems with not only mastering his ability but facing the stigma from his fellow humans for now being different and dangerous. I think when he transformed the first time, it was out of instinct and showed more of his potential than anything else. When he did it the second time, it was intentional and so that’s why the Titan he created was only half done. He’s going to have to work and practice to perfect his powers and what better place than with the Recon Corp?
I’m really interested to see what they are going to do with this and what his dad knew. And where has Dr. Jaeger been all this time? I need answers!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
That makes me think in a different direction now. It took six episodes for Eren to almost physically Fall into The Cockpit?
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Do I detect a sly attempt to reference Valvrave in that “Fall into The Cockpit” example?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Yes, and by extension most mecha shows. Kid accidentally gets into mech, fumbles about, turns it on, it takes off, goes on a killing rampage, comes back home, military is wary of kid even being able to pilot mech, get’s suspicious, wants to detain/kill/study kid…..
This is a mech show now…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Geez, Eren just can’t catch a break. Instead of being treated as a hero, he gets branded a monster. With so much crap going on, it’s a miracle he hasn’t lost his sanity. But fear not, dude, you’re in the capable hands of your devoted keeper (and potential murderess) Mikasa! More info is needed but I’ll go on a wild guess and say he was injected with Titan DNA and that his body was compatible and didn’t reject it. He has become what he hates. Somebody play the Linkin Park song Figure 09 for this kid.
The scene with all the slain soldiers being digested was gruesome, not to mention hearing that poor girl’s last words before she was dissolved.
It’s one of the most infuriating anime laws out there: with-holding valuable information. So much would be cleared up if some characters learned to open their mouths during situations that are really important.
The recon corps looks so overpowered I think their overconfidence is going to cost them big if they make the wrong move. Because he’s so skillful, I expected this new character Levi to be a stuck up jerk like the usual stereotypes that share his traits in effeciency but after watching him comforting his dying comrade, my opinion of him has changed. Looks like another good role for Hiroshi Kamiya. I wouldn’t completely call what he has OCD. Because his skills are so sharpened, I’d peg him as a perfectionist and getting blood on him when making a clean cut probably hurts his pride.
Eren and Levi are eventually going to cross paths and it’s going to be interesting seeing they interact with one another. I’m sure they’ll have the same ideals but will go about things in different ways.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Oh and I almost to say how familiar Eren’s transformation into a Titan was. Very Naruto. Biting his hand to get blood before changing. This kid is secretly a ninja.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
It’s hard to say that the Recon Corps is overpowered when they say they regularly lose 30% of their force on any encounter. There’s definitely a huge disparity between their effective fighters and everyone else, just as there is in the recruits.
I thought it was a good trait when Levi not only grabbed the guy’s hand after he was introduced as someone who hates to get dirty, but also didn’t do anything disdainful after the guy died, like wipe his hand off (which I was expecting).
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 77 comments
Recon corps for the win, nothing like a band of crazy cut throats to make an episode. I’d also like to see the commander with the beard fed to the titans for abandoning his men, that was just cowardly. I’m interested to see how the seris will pan out now that Eren is a titan, since that’s a game changer. And Dr Jeager, what secrets does his basement hold? A dungeon of some sort?
POWUH: Meta Team and The Mad Scientist with 5525 comments
I’m so excited for more recon corps antics later on. I’m hoping they embrace Eren’s abilities more than the main police force. Or at the very least, get more screen time doing something. Anything!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Yeah, People Stew. That’s a special kind of hell isn’t it?
Given the way all of them got introduced, and given Megane Girl’s passion for killing abnormals, I think the Elite group may be meeting up with Eren sooner rather than later.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
Being slowly digested alive has got to be agonizing torture. Oh, yeah, it’s a special kind of hell. If that were me, I’d have wished for a quick and painless death instead of a slow and painful one.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 24 comments
It gets worse. You know how Titan’s have high body temperatures? yeah, that liquid’s been inside them the whole time. It’s not boiling, but it’s not the pleasant scalding you get from to hot bath water.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
That part that gets me is how they can even breathe. There cannot be any discernible way to circulate air in that Titan Tummy. Plus they don’t need to eat anything anyway, so why do they have anything like a stomach? This implies the rest of the alimentary canal as well, and talk about getting worse.
Really, these Titans are either an anatomist’s dream or nightmare…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Don’t make me get the minibike again! I already pick on this show enough publicly, and I’ve got plenty of other facepalm things I haven’t mentioned.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Ride, HWY, Ride on your Minibike.
Actually, I quite like you poking holes in the balloon, the contrast is interesting…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Well, I think my biggest problem overall with the show is that they don’t stake out space and possible reasons for waffling. They say, for all intents and purposes, “We are on Earth in the same universe as you, but some of Earth’s and your universe’s rules don’t apply”. There’s no “Because Space” or “Because Magic” or “Because Future Tech” like Valvrave, Harry Potter, or Gargantia do. So essentially, there’s no place to offload inconsistencies with the known rules.
For instance, if one accepts that whatever injections Dr. Jaeger gave Eren have given him the ability to Titanize, to me that’s chemistry, not magic. And I can’t see a way for chemistry to deal with such large changes in mass. Magic, sure, you wave it away as ‘magic’. But I can’t do that with chemistry.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Wow, that is reeeeeally stretching chemistry to some pretty high levels. I’m thinking of the musicals of Gilbert and Sullivan there some sort of “tincture” brought on the trouble. I wouldn’t call that chemistry. But, I still think you have a fair cop.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I would think that sheer hydrostatic shock would knock you out sooner than later. But then Titans are immune to science! They run on the Rule of Gorn.