Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan (Manga Discussion)

Ya know in my efforts to catch up I have to say I like how there’s a theme of you can be free & do what you desire but that doesn’t mean you are exempt from any consequences or risks.

Ymir could have went back with the crew but she chose to help the Shifters in the end even if it meant her death, Historia decided to be Queen even though being queen was never gonna be a pleasant experience, & Eren decided he’ll win at any cost even if it meant becoming a monster & absolutly destroying his bonds with his friends & friends.

I like that, do what your heart truly desires but know that life is gonna beat you down every single step of the way. All you can do is accept it & keep moving forward.

Heh fun first post is a page-topper.

Edited by slimcoder on Aug 7th 2018 at 10:28:11 AM

Wow, fuck Gabi. Kind of a shame that she got derailed from "Eren 2.0" to a freaking psychopath.

Edited by JRads47 on Aug 7th 2018 at 10:32:27 AM

What did she do?

attempted murder of someone wholly innocent.

What, again?!

I'm honestly not sure if Eren was ever this bad. Even considering the propaganda, yeah that's going way too far.

Eren wasn't ever this bad. Gabi is just rabid.

Yeah, Eren was never this bad. Until Grim Remider II, the only people he ever killed were sex traffickers, Titans, and Central MP/Secret Police, all of which were defense of self and others.

EDIT: Umm I don't think that's just some random innocent person. I think that's the same girl Sasha saved way back when.

Edited by TheAirman on Aug 7th 2018 at 2:41:19 PM

Seriously? Cause if that's the case, then come on Ishiyama! It's bad enough Sasha was killed by the girl she chose to spare, but to have that same girl run across someone else Sasha rescued and try and kill her? I'm beginning to think he wants us to dislike Gabi.

I'm also beginning to think Falco is supposed to save Gabi from herself. I'm just not sure if it's worth it.

Falco doesn't have what it takes. Not yet, at least. And I believe many people want Gabi to at least get decked in the face, so guess Isayama can stop trying already.

Edited by KusaMigeru on Aug 7th 2018 at 5:37:24 AM

Remember when someone stopped them from throwing the little psychopath to her well deserved death?

Live and learn huh?

That is, unless you're Sasha....

<Bricked Into Oblivion>

...I deserved that. I admit it.

I bite my thumb at thee

Edited by TheAirman on Aug 7th 2018 at 5:00:41 AM

Dang it. I actually kind've like Gabi, but seeing as the story makes it harder and harder to do so, I'm wondering if the intended effect is hating her.

Gabi kind've reminds me of another character from Tokyo Ghoul, Hajime Hazuki. In the way they're meant to be darker reflections of the main character, but more murdery and also children. And well, Hajime got his face bitten off, and that *kind* of upset me because he was in a lot of ways the epitome of everything wrong in TG's society, but his character never got utilized to it's potential. So I want something interesting to be done with Gabi's character.

I guess Hild from Vinland Saga is also close to fitting the "darker reflection of main character," only she's actually likable and a lot more sympathetic. So I guess there's at least one of this type of character that's done justice.

Edited by SilverWinds on Aug 7th 2018 at 6:35:31 AM

I keep remembering Hild's big character flaw is wanting to kill the guy who helped slaughter her family, and even then she gives him a chance to show he's changed.

Korean raws are out, so basic jist:

• Meeting up higher ups in the Military Police, including Nile. They bitch about Historia, who is just a puppet ruler and has screwed up their plan by "having a selfish love affair" and getting pregnant before she could inherit the Beast Titan. They suspect that Yelena was involved in Historia's decision to defy them.
• Nikolo meets their waiter outside, and gives him a new bottle of wine.
• 104th have a tense conversation, and flashback to the time when they were helping build the railroad. Eren had sworn he didn't want any of them to inherit his Titan from him. In the present, everyone is upset and angry.
• Eren and Zeke, both imprisoned — one in a cell, the other in the forest of Giant trees.
• Gabi and Falco rest in the forest, and he rips off her armband. They briefly argue, with her on the verge of tears and Falco looking shocked. The girl adopted by the Braus family interrupts them. They both panic at being discovered, with Gabi reaching for a rock. She hesitates and Falco knocks the rock away before they follow the girl.
• Cleanup in Liberio, with the dead being mourned and the Warhammer's remains fused with pieces of crystal. The Warriors gather with Magath, examining the new gear taken from a dead soldier. They argue, with Reiner demanding they take action immediately.

So my view on the latest controversy is not in line with everyone else. c_c

I think the problem is that line between Audience knowledge and Character knowledge/perception. Gabi is a traumatized child soldier who has just been through hell, and has a strong Fight response. I mean, look at her knowledge of Paradis in comparison to what Falco knows but isn't telling her. She only knows the propaganda, what she experienced during the battle, and the fact her cousin is a broken Sole Survivor of that place.

Her only experiences with Paradis are:

• Killed her cousin's 3 comrades
• Traumatized her cousin
• Destroyed her home
• Killed her friends in front of her
• Killed two people trying to protect her, that she's likely known her whole life
• Got Zeke to betray them all
• Beat her up and took her prisoner

Falco is.....honestly kind of a saintly kid, in that he's able to step back from things and care about everyone. But he's also incredibly naive and reckless about it. In comparison, Gabi is jaded and doesn't trust people. The two of them kind of honestly need to figure out how to balance each other out properly. <_<

I don't think Gabi is a psychopath for considering attacking a stranger when she's on the run in enemy territory. It's paranoid, but not a monstrous act when framed as a military capture-evasion kind of situation. Marley seems to train their soldiers to be ruthless, so taking down a civilian to avoid capture seems in line with their standards.

I personally am hoping for a nice, juicy dose of My God, What Have I Done? trauma. Everything seems to be neatly aligning for Gabi to get smashed in the face with how wrong everything she knows actually is.

I admit, what you're saying makes sense. Especially with them about to actually spend time with people on the Island. If she's still doing the same thing after that, there's no hope for her though.

Yeah I pretty much agree with this. But as an audience I also find it disappointing how a lot of these moments make it somewhat harder to sympathize, there had to have been a better way I think to sympathize, if that was the intention. I still like Gabi so I hope, I *hope*, it's all leading up to something other than a character we're meant to hate. Cause you know I also dislike the whole Good Victims, Bad Victims thing I see in a lot of stories.

Edited by SilverWinds on Aug 7th 2018 at 7:31:17 AM

Oh, no doubt she's a little asshole at the moment. And Isayama's been a little awkward in terms of handling the Marley cast and making them sympathetic.

But it really does seem like Gabi is headed directly for a huge dose of reality. She's never had her worldview challenged, not really. And now everything is falling into place, with many indications she's about to get a lesson in "Everything you know is a lie" and "You're an asshole, Charlie Brown".

I think it's important to remember she's at the very beginning of her Character Arc. This is her asshole moments, before everything hits her and she's got to readjust to having her world shattered. (IE: Jean at Trost, Eren in the crystal cave, ect)

ETA: Someone did a typeset translation.

• Military Police are assholes, as usual. They were intending to go behind everyone's backs by having Historia eat Zeke right away, but since she's pregnant their plan was ruined. They've also enslaved the captured Marleyans, and seem to favor a return to the old empire. Nile is accused of being a "Marleyan Sympathizer" for arguing against them, and defending Historia.
• Connie and the others debate what to do about Eren, who he no longer trusts. If he sides with Zeke, Connie advocates killing him themselves. They recall the past, when they discussed inheriting Eren's titan. He refused to let any of them take it, because he loves them all. Mikasa argues in the present that he's acting to protect them all. Connie is furious, telling her how Eren LAUGHED when Sasha died. How he put them all in danger, and won't talk to them. Armin stops the argument, and advocates that they have a meeting with Eren. The way the Founding Titan's power works suggests that /Eren/ is in control, and Zeke's plans will only work if he agrees to them. But they don't know what Eren and Zeke have agreed on. Armin says that they will try to understand Eren, but if necessary they have the Titan Serum and will take the Founding Titan from him by force.
• In flashback, Hange and the others discussed infiltrating Marley in order to get to know the world. They suspect that Lady Kiyomi has lied to them, as Hizuru has failed in their promise to bridge meetings with the other nations. Hange suspects Hizuru wants to monopolize their resources, and is making things worse so Paradis cannot trade with anyone else.
• Falco and Gabi rest. She wants to confront Zeke about his betrayal, but freaks out when Falco rips off her armband. She's hysterical about how she has to be a "good eldian" and different from everyone else. Falco wonders if she's gone crazy, but Gabi cries and asks why he came because only she needs to die. They're interrupted by the girl from the Braus family — they improvise a story about running away from home. Gabi grabs a rock, and says she can't go back....but hesitates when the girl simply agrees with her. She asks them if they want breakfast, and Falco knocks the rock away before they follow.
• Magath explains how body parts were found inside the Beast Titan, but Zeke likely faked his death. According to Pieck's theory, he's been conspiring for 4 years against Marley. The gear retrieved from a corpse shows evidence of Marleyan technology. Their forces will be prepared to attack in 6 months, for a "Scorched Earth" operation. Reiner argues they should act /now/, because Zeke won't be anticipating a surprise attack after suffering a major blow.

Edited by harostar on Aug 7th 2018 at 9:08:03 AM

I sympathize a lot with how Eren must feel. He's to do everything to save his friends because he loves them but a lot of them have turned against him. At least that must be how it feels from Eren's perpspective. But I don't truly fault people like say Connie for how they feel betrayed by him. Mikasa is more in the middle between believing in Eren and finding fault with what he's done. I find it to be very compelling character dynamic.

Edited by SilverWinds on Aug 7th 2018 at 8:49:11 AM

I find the idea that someone shut down Mikasa of all people with a Death Glare to be incredible. Connie must be in a really dark place if he can intimidate her now.

Also tons of political intrigue going on, with the suspicion that Lady Kiyomi and Zeke are Playing Both Sides to their own advantages. No one trusts each other right now.

And man, the Braun family needs a ton of therapy. Gabi's got some serious Death Seeker vibes going on, with how she keeps talking about or trying to get herself killed. I suspect we're going to find she's as deeply fucked up as Reiner, in terms of destructive self-loathing.

Edited by harostar on Aug 7th 2018 at 9:47:39 AM

No, it isn't.