Saturday, February 27, 2021

Shingeki no Kyojin - The Final Season - Episode 62 - 10 Second Anime

Reiner relives his past of becoming the Armored Titan and the events on Paradis Island as an infiltrator.

#62 – “The Door of Hope”

Hmm.

Shingeki no Kyojin did a better job bridging the two storylines of the Marleyans and the original story from the first episode. We saw how the Jaw Titan transferred over to Ymir. How Reiner, Bertholdt, and Annie really were 12-year-old kids like Eren and his friends at the time of the Titan attack. Best of all, we saw some markers laid down for the continuing plot on Paradis island with how Annie explored the seamy underbelly of the walled towns and met Levi’s uncle.

The current season of Shingeki no Kyojin also shows how people can be jerks like the previous seasons. The new Jaw Titan is the brother of the one Ymir ate and that guy hates Reiner and lets him know it all the time. Reiner already had a complex inferiority, uh, complex from being half Eldian. The pariah status of the “devils” didn’t even let Reiner take any pride in his half Marleyan blood.

While I didn’t appreciate the first two episodes under a new anime studio much, and I’ll always have an adverse reaction seeing newly animated flashback scenes interspersed with the original scenes from the prior seasons, the writing remains the same. The best example of how solid the writing style remains was the slow revelation of who Falco talked to at the Eldian sanitorium. The thin lines and dull colored eyes couldn’t hide those thick eyebrows and green, haunted eyes. Eren himself is in Marley! That’s how you make a cliffhanger out of a nothing scene. Excellent job from Attack on Titan.

Heh.

Reiner is half-Marleyan. Did that affect how he used his Titan Power? Doesn’t seem like it. Look at young Zeke happy to attack Paradis Island. This Galliard brother is a big jerk. Titan Powers only have a 13-year lifespan. Zeke was always aloof, warning Reiner not to cry too long or the commander will chew him out. Annie never cared about Bertholdt or Reiner either. Disturbing. She just wanted to stomp on a grasshopper.

Hahaha! Reiner talked of saving the world with a sudden cut to young Eren wishing for something to happen. Oh, something happened! Plus, nice connection to how Eldians are behind walls no matter where they are.

The invasion team includes Female Titan, Jaw Titan, Colossal Titan, and Armored Titan. The Female Titan can call Pure Titans to it, which explains what we saw Annie do previously. Marcel is the kid Ymir ate. The Beast Titan’s blood has “hidden power.” File that datum away for later. Terrible. The Cart Titan made wild-haired Pieck girl look grotesque. Fun. The Marleyans like using the Colossal Titan’s transformation as a huge bomb. Counting, the Marleyans have six Titan Powers, that Tybur family has the one Warhammer Titan, and Paradise Island has the Founding Titan and the Attacking Titan that Grisha Jaeger brought with him.

Wall Slam! Not a good one, though. Porco Galliard wasn’t happy the “weak” Reiner took a Titan Power. Will he ever become likeable? That’s right. Smug that guy up, Reiner. Ugh. Reiner learned the ugly truth about “Honorary Marleyans” still not being equal to regular Marleyans. His Marleyan dad wants nothing to do with Eldian “Devils.”

Here we go, here we go! This campfire is when Ymir ate Marcel. Eh, Marcel’s confession that he didn’t want his brother to die in 13 years and convinced the superiors to give the Armored Titan to Reiner doesn’t make sense to put this here. It’s like he needed to say this right before he died, but the writer couldn’t figure out how to set up the scene. Bizarre.

Ha. Annie says it’s the first time Reiner ever beat her in a foot race. Annie wants to collect the Jaw Titan Power and leave now, since the mission looks like a scrub. Everything Annie says about Reiner as he stomps his head is correct. Reiner decided to act like Marcel and now we’re all caught up to the end of last season. Aw, man. These original artwork flashbacks make the new season look terrible. Reiner didn’t lie to the Scout Training Officer. He does want to save humanity.

We have some quick scenes establishing the Marleyan infiltrators’ fake home village, Annie meeting with Kenny for some reason (I assume she’s tracking back to Rod Reiss and Kenny is a person of interest), Reiner and Bertholdt making friends with their Scout buddies, and debating whether to return to Marley with so little info after five years or make an attack to smoke out the Founding Titan. This is right before Eren erupts and reveals his power.

Back to present day Marley and Reiner still has issues, to put it mildly. Here’s a talkative amputee at the Eldian veterans’ hospital. Falco is a polite boy. Ah, crap. This is Eren’s voice! Has he lost his Titan mojo and can’t heal again? They’re hiding his eyes and eyebrows for a big reveal! I’m already not paying attention to this scene because I know that the Founding Titan can see the memories of the future holders too, not just the past ones. Eren already knows who Falco is and what he will do. Slowly showing this soldier’s face… And that’s Eren! “To be continued…” oh, I think so, but only after the Tybur family and Warhammer Titan subplot. Shingeki no Kyojin needs to keep teasing us with these dramatic revelations.

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