UwU,, Now I Want To Play Otome Game For AOT…..

This was great! It was really well written and it really makes me appreciate both relationships more, so thanks. One thing I'd like to add concerning your point on cause and effect is how in chapter 122, Eren eventually sees himself and probably Historia as wellin Ymir and uses that same dialectic to free her. It's really cool how it all comes full circle, Freckles Ymir is guven her name through the legacy of OG Ymir and through the overcoming of her weakness she frees Historia who frees Eren who eventually frees the OG.

Yumihisu and Erehisu - how do these ships compliment each other?

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve written a longer post. Recently, I’ve been feeling a bit more inspired, though - and, once again, my thoughts are occupied by my two favorite ships from SnK. Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to think that shipping both is impossible, or that shipping one of them authomatically means that you’re against the other. I think it’s ridiculous - even more, I think that shipping both is quite logical.

Today, I’m going to write about how Yumihisu and Erehisu are, in my opinion, tied to each other. (As always, a short disclaimer: there will be spoilers, and the pictures/gifs used in this post don’t belong to me. Have fun reading!)

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Eren’s Founder and Jung’s Archetypes

The appearance of Eren’s Founding Titan form, its shape and symmetry, seems very esoteric somehow. One is called to mind Jung’s theory of Archetypes, the base symbols that are shared in the collective unconscious of all human psyches. These symbols are then used in the religions and mythologies of cultures across the world.

The eery artistic power of Eren’s Founder perhaps comes from its Archetypal resemblance to figures such as the Hanged Man in the occult practice of Tarot cards. Eren’s torso looks as though it is hanging downwards in the manner of the Hanged Man.

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Destruction versus change

The world of AoT is entrapped within a vicious, bloody conflict. What began as a violence committed by monster with no reason behind it, has been revealed to be something much more complex and difficult. The world and its characters have been imprisoned inside a cycle of hate. This hate generates revenge and thus by the attacked person striking back, the cycle is continued into the end of eternity. The origin point of this hate that generates revenge, can be found from a bloodstained history. What makes this especially dangerous is that within this context, hate has a wide range. A painful memory or an event can be from something that happened 3 years ago, or a terrifying time period, which occurred during an almost mythological past. People draw from this past and thus are unable, or simply unwilling to forgive and look ahead.

What can the characters then do? Are they forever trapped within this bloody cycle, or is there a way for them to break free? The series presents two solutions to this problem, one shown by Eren and one shown by the Allied forces of the Survey Corps and Marley. In this post I`d like to inspect these two methods and ponder what they mean. Eren`s solution could be viewed as destruction, and the Allied forces method is change. I will start by focusing on Eren`s solution as the first section, and then in the second section inspecting the one proposed by the Allied forces. 

Two quick side notes are in order before we dive into the heart of the analysis. I am aware that the manga has concluded, but I am still behind two volumes/9 chapters. I do not know how the story ends. This post has been made with the information, that has been revealed up to chapter 130/volume 32. I would also like to thank @aspoonofsugar​​ for giving me feedback and helping with the post! 

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I think he sacrificed both in some way. He was able to experience the sight of freedom at the expense of most of humanity, a grave act of injustice, but in the end he also gave up his liberty and his life to rid the world of Titans and open an avenue for peace with the remaining civilisation, an act of justice in keeping with his desire to be judged referenced in chapter 99.

Eren and his Id: Some Further Observations

Since publishing my meta on the idea of the ‘id’ in SNK, I’ve noticed some more examples of it manifesting throughout the series.

Mikasa

What Eren attributes to Ackerman mind control is really just the nature of Mikasa’s id. She acts without seeming to realise she does so, with vacant eyes in the first panel and confusion in the last. This is just like Eren’s experience in defending Ramzi: not being mentally present in the moment, his id takes over his body like an alien and controlling force.

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Consistent themes and elments in Attack on Titan

During these few weeks I have been re-reading past SNK volumes, and I have noticed how coherent and overlaying some of the elements and themes of the series are. The ideas and problems presented in the beginning, connect and resonate to the post-basement reveal world. In this post I`d like to talk about some of these consistent things.

As a side note, I have read up till volume 26/chapter 106, so I will construct this post within that context. In here I ramble about the elements that I noticed during the re-reading of past volumes, so it is likely that I have missed some. The structure of this post will be the following one: 

-  Images of monsters 

-  Good or evil - How people are viewed? 

 - David versus Goliath 

- The prevailing current and going against it 

Images of monsters 

In the beginning of the series, one of the things that makes the Titan so scary and such a hard threat to deal with, is the massive gap of knowledge about their true nature. Humanity, or the people of Paradis, have very little knowledge about the origin of the Titans, or what kind of creatures they are. This unknown nature is a perfect breeding ground for fear. Since humanity does not know about the true nature of the Titans, and for a long while did not really possess means or tools to find out, all they had as source material, was the knowledge that Titans are the natural enemy of humanity. 

This is something similar what happens in the outside world, when it comes to the people of Ymir living in Paradis. Since they live in a island, far away from the mainland, no one living in Marley has not really seen any residents of Paradis, and does not really know what they are like. This transforms yet again into something unknown, something that is filled with Marleyan propaganda. When you do not have the means to find out what the supposed “demons of Paradis” are actually like, and you`r head has been filled with enemy propaganda since the day you were born, it is no wonder enemy images manifest themselves.

Both the Titans from Paradis perspective, and the people of Paradis from the perspective of Marley, act as examples of an wonderfully constructed, external enemy, that thrives from unknown factors and propaganda.

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This is an aspect of the Marley arc that I really loved. Throughout the arc there was a constant opposition between fighting to defeat the enemy or for some grand goal and fighting for the sake of protecting what you already have. I first noticed it with Reiner, his aspirations and the mentality of constantly moving forward with a single minded focus, land him in a depressed and suicidal state upon finally fulfilling it. He moved forward expecting to find a "hope beyond the hell" and what awaited him was yet another hell.

Eren has been through something similar, but unlike Reiner who has given up on that mentality and is now moving forward for the sake of his loved ones, Eren continues to advance for the sake of freedom and destroying the enemy, because that's all he has. He's no longer sure of the worth of the advance but the only way he knows how to bring about a change is through this attitude. There's even his talk with his grandfather where Dr Jäger says, "If you are of good heart and mind, return to your family, you don't want to be left full of regrets." Eren hears this and he's aware of the possible fruitlessness of his endeavour but he continues to press on. I wish the aspect of Eren finally getting beyond the hell and the mental gravity of what he had achieved was more focused upon. Did he regret it? How does he feel? Was it inevitable? I wish these questions were explored more in the finale.

Even with Gabi and Falco we see this attitude. Gabi is driven by revenge and the need to be accepted, she's going down the destructive path Eren and Reiner took before, but what saves her is Falco, who moves forward for the sake of protecting her.

As you said these opposing qualities are also embodied in Zeke vs Levi, but I'm happy Zeke was finally able to overcome it and act for the sake of Humanity in his final moments. Zeke is a lot like Reiner in this aspect, he relentlessly moves forward to achieve a goal, the goal collapses, he becomes depressed and questions the worth of striving in the first place, then he finally learns the worth and beauty to be protected in the lives other than himself.

The change in attitude is reflected in Isayama as well, in an interview when questioned about Reiner he talks about how he used to think that as long as he drew SnK he wouldn't have to worry about perfecting other aspects of his life such as social skills, but upon getting married he had to take responsibility for his family, chores and other things. He had to broaden his horizon and that change in perspective is very evident in the Marley arc, that's why it's one of my favourites.

Edit: Actually Eren was fighting for Historia's sake as well, so can we really say Eren was in the wrong? Maybe Eren is just peculiar in that manner. Even if he's fighting for someone, his super destructive side will manifest, it probably even manifests before his desire to protect. It's quite telling that he was prepared to do a full Rumbling even before Historia's life was at stake. But it's also interesting that he almost gave up that desire because it could put Historia's life in danger. He only picks it up again when it not only stops Historia from broodmaring, but is the only way he sees of protecting her at all.

I really love how the last two pages of chapter 102 of SnK really sets up how diametrically opposed Levi is to Zeke, not juts in the context of them apparently going to battle with one another, but philosophically in terms of how the characters view what’s going on around them.

We see each of them facing off, surrounded by their comrades, and while Zeke tells his fellow soldiers “Don’t let them escape.  Wipe them out.”, Levi tells his fellows soldiers “Don’t you die.  You have to survive.”  

This really sums up in the most eloquent, economical way just what makes these two characters so vastly different from one another.  

Zeke, as we know, is in truth, in this moment, betraying his own comrades, and is himself largely responsible for the current situation, having planned all of it out with Eren, and because of that, is the direct cause of so many of his fellow comrades and Eldian’s being killed.  He shows no concern for Pieck’s or Porco’s well being here, only tasks them with killing the enemy, all while secretly planning on letting himself be captured.  We have to remember that Zeke is seen as the leader of the Warrior Unit.  He’s their captain, someone they rely on to guide them and have their backs.

On the other side, we have Levi, who’s been dragged into this fight, along with every other member of the SC, against their express will, by Eren’s independent actions, forcing them into this position of having to invade Marley in order to regain their one and only real defense against invasion.  And Levi’s instructions to his squad here are the exact opposite of Zeke’s.  He tells them, above all, and more important than anything, to stay alive.  His number one priority is keeping his comrades safe.  He orders them to survive, just like he did back in Shinganshina.  

I think this is such a brilliant moment that really encapsulates why these two character’s are so powerfully opposed to one another within the narrative.

Zeke doesn’t really care about his comrades, not enough to prioritize their safety over his goals, and not enough to be honest with or trust them.  He sees them as tools.  They trust him implicitly, and he uses that trust to manipulate them into achieving his ultimate ends, not caring who among them pays for that with their lives.

Levi is the exact opposite, prioritizing the lives of his soldiers above wiping out the enemy, instructing them to survive, no matter what, telling them they HAVE to survive.  More than anything, he wants them all to get out of there alive.  His soldiers also trust him implicitly, and Levi does anything but betray that, instead going out of his way to remind them that their lives matter, and being himself with them 100% of the way, putting trust in them, and showing they can trust him in turn.

It’s a really great and important moment, I think, really defining the opposition of these two characters.

Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season Part 2 Official Trailer

Eren and his Id: Some Further Observations

Since publishing my meta on the idea of the ‘id’ in SNK, I’ve noticed some more examples of it manifesting throughout the series.

Mikasa

What Eren attributes to Ackerman mind control is really just the nature of Mikasa’s id. She acts without seeming to realise she does so, with vacant eyes in the first panel and confusion in the last. This is just like Eren’s experience in defending Ramzi: not being mentally present in the moment, his id takes over his body like an alien and controlling force.

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“They were just there wherever I looked from the day I was born. Those miserable walls.”

I think this is the most important line we need for understanding Eren. From the moment he was born Eren felt caged no matter what he did and he longed for release.

This desire was unconscious at first, but seeing Armin dream so passionately brought about the realization that Armin was seeing and believing in something that Eren couldn’t, and this brings about the realization in him that he’s restrained/caged from doing something.

He initially believes that this indignation from a sense of being caged is because of the Titans or oppressors but as time goes on and the circumstances change, Eren realises that this is something internal and the fact that it’s something that no one else experiences is one of the sources of his tragedy: he can’t communicate/share this desire.

(There’s probably some symbolism in the fact that Eren confessed his truest desires to a child that didn’t speak the same language)

At first, Eren associated release with the “sight” of the things in Armin’s book. He believed that seeing those things will give him the release and liberty he’s been longing for, though it should be noted that Eren says he doesn’t care what the particular sights *are* just that he sees them so I think he cares much more about the feeling of liberation that those things stand for than the sights themselves.

So I think that even though Eren might say that he’s disappointed that the world wasn’t what was in Armin’s book I think what he’s really sad about is that he didn’t feel liberated by the world beyond the walls, but because he associated those feelings with the sights in Armin’s book he uses them interchangeably(I think this is supported by the fact that Eren still feels caged and empty when actually seeing those sights in 139).

The reason Eren slaughters humanity beyond the walls is because from his perspective, *they* are walls/barriers obstructing his freedom. “That Scenery” is one of the most important motifs with Eren, it’s the liberty that comes with transcending or breaking a wall, but one of the ironies in 131 is that Eren is deluding himself to think that it’s freedom. Eren’s very nature demands that he cannot see beyond the “walls” and this is testified to by Eren looking unfulfilled immediately after the freedom panel and the fact that he still needs Armin’s approval. Besides Isayama deliberately contrasts Eren and Armin by saying that Armin still believes in a world beyond the walls, with a panel of Eren’s eyes closed.

Eren’s tragedy is that of a man born with the inability to look past the repression of life(or you could say he was born with the ability to see restraints everywhere). I think this solves all the contradictions I thought I saw in Eren’s character and addresses the “Problem of being a Slave” that Isayama once brought up.

Before I go there’s one last thing I have to say about the final chapter and this motif, Eren can’t see the dream Armin enjoys and he can’t see the future that lies ahead, but his love for his friend(s) let’s him transcend that nature by putting his hopes in them at the end. He won’t ever be able to see beyond the walls, that’s just how he is, but he can be at peace with the fact that his friends will.

Edit: I made this post mainly because I was tired of people rooting Eren’s actions in trauma or an ideological mistake or lack of development. Eren has developed enough as a protagonist, especially by chapter 100, his “mistakes” in the Final Arc are a result of his nature, I think that’s what Isayama wanted to convey.