Shingeki No Kyojin/Attack On Titan

[SoulFang]

I looked around a bit, and didn't find any other topics on this yet. If I just missed it and am making a duplicate, please let me know.

 

To be honest I was rather surprised that nothing came up in my search, considering the series sudden growth in popularity. Shingeki No Kyojin, also known as Attack on Titan is an anime that only recently came out- Just earlier this year. My friend found a few trailers online and convinced me to watch it, which was probably one of the best decisions I've made. The series takes place after humanity was nearly wiped out by a new, terrifying force- titans. These beings range anywhere from three to fifteen meters tall, and for no known reason, eat humans. This sudden threat caused the few surviving humans to build a giant, fifty meter wall to act as a barrier from the dangerous outside world. After one hundred years of peace, people seem to be rather comfortable- perhaps too comfortable...

 

For those who have seen the show already, chat away! I would love to be able to talk to other members of the fandom.

 

For those who haven't, I highly recommend watching it. While I must warn you that it has a fair amount of death, blood, and swearing, the series displays an incredible soundtrack, highly realistic and lovable characters, and absolutely breathtaking artwork and animation.

[senyi]

I just watched the first two episodes already. The spoken part in the opening song is German, correct?

[Lythe]

How strange, you would think there would be something on this, it's so popular.

 

Anyway, I am loving the anime. I'm not to far in yet, I think I'm on episode 5 or something, but the music is amazing, and the animation is super cool. I've read the manga already, so I think i have the gist of where it's going...

 

Does anyone else just laugh when they see a titan prancing around gnawing on humans? I'm sorry, but they all look so weird that i cant help laughing.

[senyi]

I agree. Also, I have a question. Why didn't one of the bigger Titans eat the people from the ships? I mean seriously, that's like a huge humans-on-a-log for them. If I were that colossal Titan that charged through the gate, I wouldn't do that. I'll just either scoop up the waiting humans or picked up one of the boats and run away.

[Syaoransbear]

Just started watching this, only on episode 3 so far. It is just too interesting. I probably won't even leave my room until I finish all the episodes.

[TheDarkCynder]

I suddenly keep seeing this everywhere. Might check it out.

[Syaoransbear]

Finished watching the most current episode, then I ruined it for myself by reading to the most current manga. I should really not bother with animes or mangas until they are completed. I am incapable of patience.

 

But I'm tired of all of these events and unnecessary missions popping up when getting to Eren's basement should be top priority. It's not like they need to claim back the entire area, they could just have a bunch of humans standing on the walls to attract the titans somewhere else while they go and retrieve everything in the basement. Doesn't seem hard.

Edited September 8, 2013 by Syaoransbear

[Lythe]

....you were on episode 3 yesterday...just...how...

You are now officially the "spree-master" in my mind. I just can't wrap my head around how you can watch all the way up to the current episode in little over 24 hours. o.o I just can't spree like that.

 

SPOILERS, maybe. I don't know, don't read this part if you still have to watch/read it. Or read it and just let me leave you hanging, ya know. Up to you.

So I have this theory about the titans. It's probably not true at all, and I'm probably forgetting a lot of stuff that would change my theory, but I'm gonna say it anyways. Titans don't have reproductive organs, or any ways to reproduce that humans know of. So I think that titans eat humans not only to eat, but to make more. Like, i dunno, they digest humans, and a Titan is made...somehow. What other way would there be so many? And for the humans that can transform into titans (or the other way around), they were given a drug (the needle flashback of Eren's dad giving it to him) that gives them that ability. And, since I'm thinking aloud, Eren's father knows all about the titans and the 'drug', as it was passed down from generation to generation in his family. You know what, im even gonna say that titans were made by Eren's ancestors. And the secrets are in his basement, which NOBODY seems to want to get to anytime soon, from what I've seen. <_< I haven't seen the giant ape looking Titan in the anime yet, still not that far, but what's up with him? He's obviously intelligent, and a leader. I wanna see where it goes. :3

 

So yeah. Just my wild, out of nowhere theories. Rip them up, I wanna see what everyone else thinks.

 

[KageSora]

I started watching it when it was... 13 episodes? I watched all of them in one sitting because I couldn't stop.

 

I love the show. I have read the entire manga and I'M SO MAD BECAUSE WHERE IT LEFT OFF IS NOT AN OKAY PLACE TO LEAVE OFF.

 

Though I'm actually 3 episodes behind in the anime--due to some very unfortunate happenings, I haven't been emotionally stable enough for the show.

 

It's something I'm really invested in, and it really kicks me in the heart, and I just have NOT been in a good enough place to handle how dark it gets. Thank god I read ahead in the manga, or my friend and I would have not handled it well when we tried watching it again after some... Very unfortunate, very tragic happenings.

 

I actually ended up getting into it because I saw it so much on Tumblr that I dreamed about it. I was like "Okay, I'm dreaming about a show I'm not even watching, time to get into it".

 

 

With the show, I love how the animation is. It's amazing. The music is great, too. I also love how one of the strongest characters is a female and she's badass and not sexualized. I love how everybody is treated pretty much solely based on ability with no regards to their sex, and how the uniform isn't like weird for the girls.

 

I love the casual treatment of gay characters, too, in the manga (unless the translations I've seen are 100% incorrect, that is).

 

I love the plot, I love the character development, I like the art in the manga too.

 

Everything about it is amazing.

 

I've heard that the anime will get another season, though, which I hope is true--because otherwise it'll have to end strangely. From what I hear, the most recent episode is the only one where they really had a decent bit of filler (which wasn't even totally pointless filler either, like some shows do), other than that it's been fairly true to the manga (like, holy crap they anime exact scenes from the manga almost exactly like they're shown in the manga with beautiful accuracy). And the manga is WAY far ahead of where it is, and it's coming up on the 25th (and, if there's not another season, final) episode in a few weeks...

 

 

 

...Actually, I like the show/manga enough that I'm probably gonna pre-order some merch that I really shouldn't be spending money on, lol.

[Plant]

I'm so emotionally invested in this show, its ridiculous.

And I like how we still don't know what the hell's going on, even in the manga.

[KageSora]

I'm so emotionally invested in this show, its ridiculous.

And I like how we still don't know what the hell's going on, even in the manga.

Ugh, same--I'm actually so emotionally invested in the characters I love that it's reached unhealthy levels, honestly.

 

...I actually have my OTP for the show in my sig, I love it that much.

[Plant]

Ugh, same--I'm actually so emotionally invested in the characters I love that it's reached unhealthy levels, honestly.

 

...I actually have my OTP for the show in my sig, I love it that much. 

I'm afraid to watch episode 22 because?? Because I saw a gif of Eren crying on Tumblr and I just can't. ;__;

Eren and Armin, huh? Hm...Yes. Good ship. I approve.

I don't have a specific pairing that I take a liking to...I just think everyone should love each other A-AND KISS AND HOLD HANDS...

[Lythiaren]

Hanji/Levi is my otp

 

I don't even care if Hanji is male or female or a hermaphrodite they're absolutely perfect.

 

Also if you read the manga you get to anticipate when the anime-only crowd crumbles into a wibbling pile of feels and it's absolutely great.

[KageSora]

I'm afraid to watch episode 22 because?? Because I saw a gif of Eren crying on Tumblr and I just can't. ;__;

Eren and Armin, huh? Hm...Yes. Good ship. I approve.

I don't have a specific pairing that I take a liking to...I just think everyone should love each other A-AND KISS AND HOLD HANDS...

All I know is the last two episodes were apparently BRUTAL, and all things considered I just don't feel like I can emotionally handle that right now.

 

I just... Eren and Armin... I just ship them with such a burning passion. I love their characters so much, and it just feels like Eren needs Armin so much... Because of how I interpret their relationship, I actually literally cannot handle any ships of Armin/anybody but Eren.

 

I said I was unhealthily emotionally invested in this show, and I think actually legit having physical reactions to emotional stress from shipping counts. ._.'

 

Also if you read the manga you get to anticipate when the anime-only crowd crumbles into a wibbling pile of feels and it's absolutely great.

Yesssss. It's also a great way to know if you'll be emotionally able to handle the upcoming episode. Which is what I've been doing lately.

Edited September 8, 2013 by KageSora

[Plant]

Also if you read the manga you get to anticipate when the anime-only crowd crumbles into a wibbling pile of feels and it's absolutely great.

omfg evil EVIL. YOU ARE EVIL.

[Lythe]

NO. DON'T USE THAT GIF. THAT'S UNFAIR.

 

I ship Levi/Eren, Annie/Eren, Levi/Hanji... I just love Levi, he's my favorite in the series besides maybe Annie.

 

I can't spree. I give up. I will watch the shows in a timely manner, like the loser I am. I will let the professionals watch 15+ shows in a row, I'm stopping at 5...

 

The opening song is amazing while I'm thinking about it. Usually I will skip the intro becuase the opening songs will get old and/or annoying, but this one is really cool. I don't think I will get tired of it anytime soon.

[KageSora]

The opening song is amazing while I'm thinking about it. Usually I will skip the intro becuase the opening songs will get old and/or annoying, but this one is really cool. I don't think I will get tired of it anytime soon.

I love the opening. It just is like, impossible to not feel pumped when you listen to it.

[Syaoransbear]

....you were on episode 3 yesterday...just...how...

You are now officially the "spree-master" in my mind. I just can't wrap my head around how you can watch all the way up to the current episode in little over 24 hours. o.o I just can't spree like that.

LOL, thank you! I was actually done much sooner than when I posted because I went on to read the manga after I finished the anime and didn't post until after I finished the manga. I literally did nothing but watch and read this show friday night and part of the day on saturday . Although I did take a little break just before bed to watch a few episodes of Ouran High School Host Club to try to prevent nightmares. I have a zombie phobia and sometimes the titans resemble zombies a little too much and it completely terrifies me.

 

It's something I'm really invested in, and it really kicks me in the heart, and I just have NOT been in a good enough place to handle how dark it gets.  Thank god I read ahead in the manga, or my friend and I would have not handled it well when we tried watching it again after some...  Very unfortunate, very tragic happenings.

I can totally relate to that feeling, but not with this anime for some reason. I find the plot so interesting that characters have become very secondary to me. As long as I get to find out what the titans are and how they came to be, all the characters are completely expendable.

 

But mostly I haven't felt bonded to any of the characters so I'm not very emotionally invested in any of the characters. I think I would feel disappointed if Levi, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin died because I love stoic characters and I love characters that are blood thirsty for noble reasons(like protecting people), I too love strong badass females that don't depend on their sex appeal, and I don't want Armin to die because he's so pathetic and useless half the time that logically it seems like he should die, so I feel like he shouldn't. If that makes sense.

 

But I do relate to how you are feeling because when I watched Code Geass I felt a huge fascination and bond with Lelouch. For me, the story was secondary and Lelouch's character was first. At the end of that anime I bawled my eyes out. I was in such a depression and I felt like I was in mourning for about a week. I've felt less sad about real relatives dying.

[Lythiaren]

I love the opening.  It just is like, impossible to not feel pumped when you listen to it.

SIE SIND DAS ESSEN UND WIR SIND DIE JÄGER

 

 

All of you are now playing Guren no Yumiya in your head. No exceptions.

 

 

 

 

Here, have a youtube video of the full song so you can actually listen to it.

Edited September 8, 2013 by Lythiaren

[KageSora]

I can totally relate to that feeling, but not with this anime for some reason. I find the plot so interesting that characters have become very secondary to me. As long as I get to find out what the titans are and how they came to be, all the characters are completely expendable.

 

But mostly I haven't felt bonded to any of the characters so I'm not very emotionally invested in any of the characters. I think I would feel disappointed if Levi, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin died because I love stoic characters and I love characters that are blood thirsty for noble reasons(like protecting people), I too love strong badass females that don't depend on their sex appeal, and I don't want Armin to die because he's so pathetic and useless half the time that logically it seems like he should die, so I feel like he shouldn't. If that makes sense.

 

But I do relate to how you are feeling because when I watched Code Geass I felt a huge fascination and bond with Lelouch. For me, the story was secondary and Lelouch's character was first. At the end of that anime I bawled my eyes out. I was in such a depression and I felt like I was in mourning for about a week. I've felt less sad about real relatives dying.

I really love the plot, but to me it feels like the plot and the characters are very intertwined. I personally generally couldn't care less if humanity were wiped out--the plot is interesting, and I want answers, but I want answers because of what it means for the characters. Because of how important it is to Eren to stop the Titans, because of what they've all lost, that's why I'm invested in the plot.

 

Otherwise, it's just another "mankind faces a powerful, mysterious enemy that threatens to completely destroy the human race" story to me.

 

 

I will, though, fiercely argue about Armin being pathetic and useless quite that much SPOILERS: He is a brilliant little guy who can be manipulative as hell and is getting very good at slamming verbal daggers into his enemies' hearts to play their emotions how he needs them to be played. He's a tactician, he's a strategist, and his words are his best weapon. He's not the most physically capable, but his mind is razor sharp and he's getting very good at putting those words of his to dangerous use.

 

And he's always had a way with words, and a sharp mind capable of grasping and expressing concepts some adults struggle with--even as a kid, we see a point where he talks about how the bullies beating him up are resorting to force because they know that they can't prove him wrong. He's always been smart and capable--he just never had the self-esteem to realize it. He was always too down on himself for his being less useful in the physical capability department. But even Eren recognized his worth when it comes to his mental abilities--back before they joined a group, he tried to get Armin to join the Military Police because... Well, obviously to keep Armin safe, but also he pointed out that Armin is brilliant with tactics and that his mind would be put to excellent use there. He knew that Armin could be of better use using his mind than his body.

 

He's also incredibly useful in dealing with Eren--who is very important to the survival of mankind. Mikasa failed to make him snap out of it when he attacked her when he transformed to seal the hole in Trost. Armin, though... Armin was able to get through to him, Armin was the one who was able to get him to come back to his senses. Armin is the one who gave Eren the dream of seeing the world outside, who fed that fire--and who, with his words, fanned the flames until it burned away the illusion-dream that had taken hold of Eren's mind.

 

Armin is like my favorite, and I get very wordy when it comes to him.

Edited September 8, 2013 by KageSora

[Lythiaren]

After the latest manga chapter literally no one can say that the only thing to Armin is "whiny shota".

 

Absolute badass.

 

Obviously not going to say what happens beyond that.

Edited September 8, 2013 by Lythiaren

[KageSora]

After the latest manga chapter literally no one can say that the only thing to Armin is "whiny shota".

 

Absolute badass.

 

Obviously not going to say what happens beyond that.

Agreed.

 

And the seeds of it have been there all along.

 

Armin is my precious badass blond baby for a reason.

[Syaoransbear]

I find Armin useless because he is terrible at battling and that's what they have him doing most of the time. Yes he's smart and a strategist, but those people should be planning and giving orders, not engaging in battle. After he makes the plans for a battle, I see no need for him to actually be in the battle. It's just suicide. I also think that for the line of work they are in, being physically weak is such a huge disadvantage that his smarts don't make up for it when he's actually in battle. You'd have hard time verbally manipulating a normal titan to not eat you.

 

I think he's in the wrong line of work. Commander Pixis's job would probably be more fitting for Armin, and then he could excel. Maybe he'll get killed and Armin will magically be given his job.

[Lythiaren]

Well, given how military institutions work, he'd have to climb the ranks to reach that kind of job. And since Armin wasn't eligible for direct entry to the Military Police, his current position is about as close as he can get.

 

That aside, his presence in battle has led to quite a lot lives saved (See: the gambit at Trost, 57th Expedition before the forest of giant trees) and a wealth of new information about the titans. I'd argue that he's invaluable in the field.

 

Him and Sasha; both are great minds but not great at conventional 3DMG combat. He's better at the strategy bit, but we should remember Sasha is also great for snap decisions ("Samuel! Don't move!"), though she's obviously not perfect herself (MOE TITAN).

Edited September 8, 2013 by Lythiaren

[KageSora]

I find Armin useless because he is terrible at battling and that's what they have him doing most of the time. Yes he's smart and a strategist, but those people should be planning and giving orders, not engaging in battle. After he makes the plans for a battle, I see no need for him to actually be in the battle. It's just suicide. I also think that for the line of work they are in, being physically weak is such a huge disadvantage that his smarts don't make up for it when he's actually in battle. You'd have hard time verbally manipulating a normal titan to not eat you.

 

I think he's in the wrong line of work. Commander Pixis's job would probably be more fitting for Armin, and then he could excel. Maybe he'll get killed and Armin will magically be given his job.

Thing thing is, though... I feel like he needs to be on the front line because of it.

 

Making a plan and sitting back is... Well, it's only really useful if things go more or less according to plan. But variables like the abnormal titans--and, now, the intelligent ones--are show to be more than enough to throw a wrench in the works of a plan.

 

Being there in the battle allows for better information to be obtain in real-time, to allow for altering of plans if need be.

 

IMO, Armin being involved more directly definitely played a very large role with (SPOILERS FOR THE MANGA): the identification and capture of the female-type titan (shifter). Armin figured out pretty quickly that the titan was looking for somebody specifically. After all, she lifted his hood to see his face, and then didn't try to kill him or eat him. That alone told him that he was not her target--and, in fact, that she clearly had a target. However, the fact that she spared him when she could have simply killed him instead (which would make more sense, IMO) is likely part of what got him thinking that she might be somebody they knew. Especially if Eren was the target--clearly, the titan would have to know them.

 

I can't read Japanese, sadly, but from what I've seen of other people who've done analysis stuff, when Armin is distracting her by calling out that she killed his best friend, he supposedly refers to Eren as like "deathseeker" or something which is apparently sort of a nickname Eren earned among the 104th trainee squad because of his determination to join the scouting legion and fight titans. If that is, indeed, the case, it's likely something that would only be readily recognizable by a member of the 104th trainee squad. Which means that when she paused, she clearly understood the reference and was trying to recall if what he's saying is true. If that's what happened, it's what was a clear indicator that the female titan was a member of the 104th group.

 

He took that information, and ultimately formed his theory on the identity of the female titan, which proved to be correct.

 

If he hadn't been there himself, he may very well have never figured out who she was--and if she'd managed to escape anyway, they'd have no idea about the identity of the female titan.

 

And, again--if he hadn't been involved in combat, at Trost they may have never been able to seal the hole and Eren might not have regained himself. Armin played a key part there, as I said. His ability to take in new information and alter plans and act accordingly is very important.

 

Great mind should exist off the battlefield, yes--but I feel there's also a very important place for them ON the battlefield, to handle the exact sort of situations that crop up when the plan gets such a large wrench thrown in it so as to be unusable in current form.

 

Also for proper gathering of information to make future plans--reports can be great, but seeing it first-hand is gonna give a wealth of information and details that might prove important but would be glossed over or omitted from reports if those making them don't see how important they could be or simply don't notice them.

 

Having a strategist in the field can be helpful because any number of factors can very rapidly completely change the flow of battle.

 

 

Also, like Lythiaren said--he'd have had to work his way up, and that would have taken quite a while, I'm sure. I'm fairly certain the stationary troops that guard the walls wouldn't present as many chances for him to display his intellect as the scouting legion does.