As always the nightmare continues for the many lives in Attack On Titan. Mikasa searches for her brother as the fighting and death rages on all around her. Does she find him or at least what has happened to him? Well your just gonna have to hit the link to find out.
The episode begins with a brief exposition once again explaining the war between humanity against the Titan’s with nothing new added. We are also given a brief recap via a video clips of the past 6 episodes to get those caught up that are just now tuning in I guess. The episode actually starts off in the town’s HQ were a series of cadets confront their superior officers trying to make their retreat to the safety of the inner wall. The commander of the officers tries to spout off rules and regulations so the cadets will step aside, however the cadets call him out on his B.S. and he’s forced to have them move at sword point saying he’ll bring up on treason charges and act accordingly.
We then cut to Mikasa still in search of Eren and still unaware of her brothers demise wondering why no one has climbed the wall to safety despite the evacuation being long over. Her answer comes quickly to her as she sees the HQ swarmed by Titans of various size swarming all over it. Next we are given what is going inside one of the rooms of the HQ as several students are trapped in study or library. The are huddled in makeshift barricades peering out only to have titans look back in at them. This is probably the most chilling portion of the episode, but we’ll get into that down in the thoughts section. The students sit there and are cowering in the middle of their desk fort save for one. This cadet is sitting there patiently loading a rifle, when asked what he’s done once he’s done packing the powder he merely answers by placing it his mouth and pulling the trigger.
Several miles away Jean and Connie talk about what their next move should be, but Jean is well being Jean and says it doesn’t matter as everyone has lost the will to fight and everything they do will end in their death. Connie suggests that they should rush the HQ, so that they can replenish their dwindling gas supply to scale the wall to safety. And while Jean admits to Connie that it’s a good plan in his own way. Jean then makes mention that the HQ’s interior is probably crawling with smaller Titans by now and their 3d gear is useless in enclosed spaces, once again leading to their death.
Sasha, God bless that girl, tries to raise the morale of her squad saying she’ll even take point if they help in the purposed rush of the HQ. Unfortunately all she is met with is doom, despair, and shell shock. She then turns her attention to Armin off in the corner and tries to recruit him, but he like everyone else is still in a state of shock and Sasha finally yields in her recruitment drive. Strangely though we see Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt having a odd conversation with Annie asking what they should do now with Reiner responding that now isn’t the time they need to regroup first. In that little group is Marco who is stating it’s hopeless, but he doesn’t mind death as he’s been prepared for it. He just wonders what he’ll be dying for.
Mikasa finally arrives to the group of recruits and quickly seeks out some one knowing Eren’s location. She first questions Annie, but Annie merely responds that she should go ask Armin. The moment Mikasa says his name Armin is snapped out of his haze and tenses up dreading what he has to do next. Wishing he had died along with his squad rather than face her and have to tell her of her brothers fate, a fate that should have been his. Though Mikasa first asks how he is and if he is alright the fated question is asked. Armin finally looking her in the eyes with tears streaming is all Mikasa needs to know Erens fate, never the less Armin names off his squad name by name ending in Eren’s stating they died bravely in the field of battle. While Mikasa only needed a look everyone else is physically shocked to hear of Eren’s demise.
Mikasa who appears to be seemingly unfazed, rallies the remaining troops oddly enough by insulting them. She does this by saying she’s strong the strongest one their is and recites Eren’s mantra of fighting, winning, and losing and that she will personally lead the assault on the HQ for the gas. The mission is then launched accompanied with some really great music as the group races forward with Mikasa leading the charge killing a Titan in mere passing and slaying a second soon after. Connie makes the comment how amazing she is and just how fast she’s going. Armin then makes the realization that she’s going to fast and Mikasa will deplete her gas and with out it even some one as good as her will become titan food.
Sure enough her gas tanks empty completely and Mikasa plummets to the streets below. Seeing his friend crash Armin leaves the group in pursuit with Connie following leaving everything to Jean putting him in charge of the assault. Mikasa awakens in an alley way having been knocked out due to her fall and laments that she is once again alone in the world with Eren’s death. Jean meanwhile is forced to make a tough decision as one of the group’s 3d gear has run out of gas in the middle of a Titan field, while two other cadets try to come to his rescue they too are ultimately caught and scream for help and mercy. Jean’s decision is to save the group and forbid anyone to help or sacrifice potentially everyone in a rescue mission. Jean, heart broken wondering why this responsibility was placed on him chooses the former rather than the later and is forced to watch as the screams of his friends are heard from the streets below.
 We cut back to Mikasa who has given up on living and merely sitting there as the Titan moves into the kill. Her body despite what her mind wants has other plans and moves on instinct striking and dodging at the Titan. Coming to the realization that if she dies she have have no way to remember Eren she prepares to strike back with a broken blade, that was until a second Titan comes around the opposite corner. Just as she is about to make her counter attack the new Titan lunges forward and punches the first Titan in the jaw tearing it clean off it’s face and then proceeds to stomp a mud hole into it killing. As the second Titan finishes exterminating the first Armin comes in seeing Mikasa and makes a swooping catch dumping them both on the roof with Connie joining them soon after. A third Titan rounds the corner and the Second one confronts in front of the kids and the two Titans square off. After the Titans scream at each other for a bit which is assumed who would get the meal of on the roof. Much to the surprise of Armin and Mikasa the second Titan takes an all too familiar fighting stance and the proceeds to punch the third Titan head off…literally. The blow is so heavy and damaging that it actually destroys the seconds hand, but it quickly regenerates then simply leaves after killing the third’s body at it’s weak point.
As the Titan wonders off Connie urges Mikasa and Armin that they need to leave and rejoin the group. Armin states there’s no reason as the Titan isn’t interested in them as it’s had more than ample time to kill and eat them already, but has chosen not too. He further points out that the Titan used not only the Hand to Hand combat tactics, but used the Titan’s weakspot to kill the other two which is only know to those human military. Armin then gives Mikasa both his gas and swords saying it’s wasted on him and that she needs to go rejoin the others at the HQ assault. He takes her broken blade and verbalized he’d rather be dead anyways to which Mikasa knocks the blade from his hand stating she needs him with her. The episode comes to a close with Mikasa wondering just what that long haired Titan was and why it seemed familiar.
This was a good fall out episode to the previous two. The animation was very good in this one as you can literally see the difference in Mikasa’s eyes the moment her will to live just goes. We got some time with Jean showing his leader ship potential, though it was a bit on the light side, but at least he’s already asking the big questions all leaders eventually ask themselves. The primary focuses was back to Mikasa and her losing and gaining her will to live after Armin delivers the news. Armin….lord, this boy stays shell shocked for a while. Not to mention this is definitely taking a toll on him if he’s considering suicide already. Now on to that part I talked about earlier, honestly I wasn’t even going to write anything and just let the pictures speak for themselves. This was probably the most chilling thing that has happened as of late. I mean the situation is desperate for these kids, but he just looked so calm and gave absolutely no hesitation to pulling that trigger. And it wasn’t the act of suicide that got me it was that he was THAT calm and didn’t hesitate. He would rather die then hold out hope for rescue. On top of that he clearly wasn’t thinking about the others, because he’s probably traumatized those cadets that were with him even worse than they already were. The odd things that stood out was the conversation between Annie and Reiner, I’m not convince that she was asking about the current situation and was talking about something else. And of course the new Titan, who was probably the most vocal Titan ever displayed. I have my suspicions of who or what that thing is, but right now I can’t see how they are going to pull that off. Either way it’s debut was amazing killing two Titans in such away was spectacular. Especially the third Titan whose head was knocked completely of it’s body. But over all another good episode I can’t wait to see how the next episode treats us.
May 25, 2013 @ 1:59 am
great review