Shingeki no Kyojin - The Final Season - Episode 71 - 10 Second Anime

Insurgents loyal to Eren attack the Paradis government. Hange investigates their links to Zeke’s volunteers.

#71 – “Guides”

Meh.

I will refrain from criticizing Shingeki no Kyojin’s terrible storytelling going forward. I have questions about whether the poor narrative choices and execution existed in the manga before the time skip and it was Wit Studio’s anime production team who adapted the mess into a coherent viewing experience. It can’t be that after writing so many chapters for a monthly manga that Isayama suddenly forgot how to present foreshadowing, emphasis, plot building, and character development. Perhaps creating an entire world subjugated by Marley for the time skip was more taxing than weaving all the little stories of a people trapped together behind tall walls. More likely, Wit Studios cleaned up after him.

Hmm.

The tension that Shingeki no Kyojin tries to build between the military and Eren is not credible at all. It’s fine to sow doubt about Zeke and Yelena’s intentions. That’s good suspense and foreshadowing about betrayal in several directions. Keep the audience guessing until the final revelation! However, the idea that the Military believes Zeke is manipulating Eren is laughable. It’s as if we hadn’t seen this kid grow up, become a Titan, and save so many lives in the past. I can see a fake out coming where Zeke manipulated the Military into driving a wedge between Eren and themselves. That could fit in with Zeke or Yelena playing the long con.

Heh.

Yay! Hitch is still Annie’s roommate. From a certain point of view. No touching, only looking, mister. Do not people remember how reliable Armin is either? Those newspaper guys bothering Hange last episode have been busy. The public likes Eren, not the Military. They’re mad that they imprisoned him after coming back from Marley. Hitch is still lazy.

Pyxis’s interrogation of Yelena is odd. That’s okay because Pyxis is odd too. They’re making a big deal out of Yelena secretly meeting Eren, like that’s how Eren suddenly decided to infiltrate Marley. Yelena is a Jaeger Titan fangirl. First Zeke, now Eren. Eren’s targeting of the Marley military brass, where Willy seated them all together, was a nice plan, but who set that up? Zeke is a cypher who needs decrypting.

Yelena claimed the other volunteers don’t know she met with Eren and Onyankopon confirmed that to Hange. He describes Yelena like a gang enforcer. Armin and Mikasa want to see Eren, but Premier Zachary won’t permit it. All these people claim Yelena meeting Eren resulted in his raid on Marley. That’s too far a leap from what we’ve seen so far, but they keep repeating it, so fine, it must be true. Why does he have his shit-eating torture device in his office? And why would Scout recruits deliver it? Hinky! Um, has this guy met Eren? Has anyone ever manipulated that guy into doing anything? And why does Armin and Mikasa believe it? It’s like these people are brand new characters with the same names from the other story.

Boom! There goes half a Premier flying. The mob created a slogan for Eren loyalists. "Give your hearts!" Har. They called Premier Zachary’s chair “special.” That’s where the bomb was. Eren escaped! Time to take this shitty story into another shitty direction.

Oh, it’s Floch. That explains everything. Zealot’s gotta be zealous. He glommed onto Eren after Erwin died. There went Mappa’s hand-drawn animation budget for the season. I hope Eren likes that coat because they can’t draw it again. The Military Police want to call the insurgents “Jaegerists” so they can tie Eren and Zeke together. Uh, why are the different branches of the military discussing any of this in front of a visiting ambassador? What the hell is going on in this story? Oh, Pyxis is aware that this is a stupid scene. He proposes they surrender to Eren because it’s too late. The Military have been trying to get a Titan they can control from the moment Eren showed himself nine years ago, so that part makes sense. Everything else? No. Shock faces all around. Frustrated faces all around. This is bad. This is such bad directing.

Kiyomi was only there to have a scene with Mikasa. Kiyomi is self-aware of the Azumbito reputation of money-grubbing but they’ve just been adapting their weapons to their circumstances. Money and industry can be weapons. Who the hell are these guys wearing Conny and Jean’s faces? The real ones would know whose side Mikasa sides with. Eren, and only Eren. Such weird amnesia happening on this side of the time skip. Hange wants to find out why Yelena placed Marleyan volunteers in odd workplaces. Don’t drink that wine!

Oh yeah, Falco and Gabi. They’ll meet Nicolo here. And zoom! There’s Pieck! Someone else did some infiltrating. Holy moly, that was difficult to watch. The previews show how sketchy is the wine. Sasha’s parents discover who killed their daughter.