Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan (Manga Discussion)

Pretty sure the birds are just symbolism. That's a thing art does. Wings of Freedom or something like that.

Yeah, that Reiner is some shit. lmao

I'm hoping that it's just mistranslations.

I mean yes, it's probably symbolism but it's funnier to think Eren turned into a bird.

Edited by MadSkillz on Apr 7th 2021 at 9:46:02 AM

Yeah, until/unless otherwise translated in the official release, I'm just gonna headcanon that what Eren meant to say about Ymir is she had hella learned helplessness and stockholm syndrome, and seeing Mikasa fucking decapitate him is what she needed to see to be able to break out of it.

Reiner simping for Historia is raw cringe, especially considering he literally only ever knew her as Krista, but I will accept his snarking at Jean with the horse comment.

Edited by TheAirman on Apr 7th 2021 at 11:52:55 AM

You can definitely tell this was a rewritten ending in a lot areas.

Just too many things that don't match up with what was built up, and just plot points that are dropped on us out of nowhere.

The "Mikasa was the one Ymir was looking for" is the most blatant one.

Edited by BlackYakuzu94 on Apr 7th 2021 at 12:49:42 PM

Okay this Reiner stuff reminds me a lot of what happened with Rhodey in the last Iron Man run.

Reiner became my favorite during the Marley Arc. I guess since it was impossible to kill him, Isayama settled for killing his character and his beard.

edit: I get the feeling that even in the original ending, Eren was gonna die.

Edited by Zabilac on Apr 7th 2021 at 9:52:23 AM

Definitely something went down behind the scenes. Doubtful we'll ever get to find out what though, sadly.

@The Airman: I mean there’s symbolism, and then there’s a bird that shares his last name coming to touch Mikasas scarf that Eren gave her which just reaffirms her obsession with him which is too convenient for this story that you can’t really take it as just symbolism.

As for Ymir, it still reads pretty uncomfortably because it just means she could still be obsessively in love with Fritz and still let them go, which is what happens with Mikasa and it’s pretty much the only other way to read it.

Edited by OmegaRadiance on Apr 7th 2021 at 9:58:49 AM

I mean, this story has always been pretty unsubtle even with symbolism, so even that doesn't mean it's supposed to be taken literally.

This is a story with a magic worm that just magically disappears the chapter after it pops out so taking something as literally and symbolically can both work.

Edited by OmegaRadiance on Apr 7th 2021 at 10:02:10 AM

I actually think Eren being a colossal failure is where Isayama wanted to take the ending the entire time. I think his original ending likely would have been the Alliance killing Eren at the cost of their lives and Mikasa wandering the world alone and then the world destroys Paradis.

It seems to me that the more GOTG-like peaceful approach that he went with is the Alliance actually surviving and trying to bridge the gap between Paradis and the world.

I think the stuff that Isayama didn't have a good grasp on is the stuff that feels inspired by GOT in the last arc so basically all the stuff involving Paths and Ymir. It feels like that was all a plot device to turn Eren insane and in a meta-way become the plot's pawn because Isayama really loved the Hodor moment in season 6 lol and King Fritz and Ymir is just a worse done Drogo x Daenerys

Eren being pathetic has been built up fine enough though

Edited by MadSkillz on Apr 7th 2021 at 10:05:48 AM

I don't know. Eren pretty much did accomplish what he wanted so I wouldn't really call him a "colossal failure". Unless you mean him as a character. Did Eren really say he didn't know why he started the Rumbling? Did we really go SAO there?

Edited by Zabilac on Apr 7th 2021 at 10:09:57 AM

Huh, that certainly was an ending. It’s just... there.

I'm a bit confused - when exactly did Eren have this conversation with them and make them forget it all? Or are we not supposed to know at what point this happened?

Edited by LSBK on Apr 7th 2021 at 12:23:16 PM

@LSBK: He had the conversations before their final fight. They only remembered it after he died because Eren willed it.

That's just it, it could have been at any time thanks to Eren's apparent ability to communicate across time.

Edited by Rojixus on Apr 7th 2021 at 12:32:54 PM

With Armin at least he had the conversation back in 131, when we briefly see the two of them in PATHS before Armin has his chat with Annie on the boat.

Given how time is all wibbly wobbly in PATHS, he could've effectively talked with all of them within a minute of each other on the boat, or otherwise just did it one-on-one whenever, but I'm gonna guess probably the former since its easier than trying to guess when each individual conversation would've been, and Armin's is effectively the only one that actually matters.

Edited by TheAirman on Apr 7th 2021 at 12:38:41 PM

This reeks of editor/publisher meddling. There's no way that Historia, Ymir, and the truth about the Ackermans meant absolutely nothing.

You think the editors wanted Isayama to make Eren look as pathetic as possible?

I guess the Ymir stuff is partially this.

Edited by MadSkillz on Apr 7th 2021 at 10:57:39 AM

It honestly feels like a poor attempt to justify something added in last minute honestly. Which shouldnt be the case, but thats what it ends up coming across as. Especially as Mikasa is still obsessed even after killing Eren.

Edited by OmegaRadiance on Apr 7th 2021 at 10:58:03 AM

I think some of the details are definitely last minute but the broad strokes of the ending have definitely been built up at least like titan powers ending, Mikasa slashing off Eren's head, Armin saving humanity, the last convo between Armin-Eren etc.

The Ymir and Paths stuff looks all shaky though

The mechanics behind Paths, the Founding, the Centipede, Ymir is all rather unclear still

Edited by MadSkillz on Apr 7th 2021 at 11:03:41 AM

I mean sure but its the Ymir stuff that ends up feeling last minute. Because everything up to that point felt like she was longing for someone to love her and her anger at being a slave, but the rest doesnt.

Eren dying does fit with him saying its their right for being "Free" since Ymir supported him even there, so killing him to end the threat would fit with Ymir respecting his wish.

Just read the ending. It did not resolve everything as well as I have hoped. Not gonna lie though, I actually like the part of Eren being an insane incel lmao. I say most people comparing this to GOT's ending are just salty Eren actually has never been this idealized character they see him to be. Not really happy my man Reiner of all people getting character assassinated out of nowhere and the giant centipede thing disappearing into thin air just because of Ymir.

I personally am not disappointed about Eren, I am disappointed about everyone else.

Especially with the Ymir thing, that was not a direction I felt her story should of gone at all and it feels so disconnected from her entire character arc.

I like to think during the four years, Eren visited each of his friends, Annie, and Reiner and talked to them about his goals. Plus, I have this headcanon that Eren already saw Reiner break down and that's why he didn't seem at all surprised when it happened again (in his perspective). And in the first time, he actually was offering Reiner his hand and consoled him before erasing his memories instead of transform into a Titan to declare war.

edit: Same honestly. I'm still a little confused over Eren's characterization, but I can accept it. The one character I can say I had a problem with in the last chapter was Reiner and that's because Isayama decided to write his last moment being a creeper.

Edited by Zabilac on Apr 7th 2021 at 11:38:54 AM