I usually don't really post on tumblr — I'm more of a reader/stalker lmao — but I decided to do so today because a great chapter of my life ended :)
I want to talk about the final chapter of AOT, put some of my thoughts down here and eventually discuss the chapter with everyone that is willing to do so ;))
Everything down there is full spoilers so beware!!
SPOILER ATTACK ON TITAN CHAPTER 139
Okay I will first talk about the eremin talk (I'll talk about the other stuff later) :
- I really loved the way Isayama planned this conversation; the fact that it progresses from toddler armin and eren to pre-adults really shows that their mutual understanding of each other is extremely consistant and constantly evolving. Let's not forget that, until the very end, armin knew deep down that eren had an ulterior motive, he really trusted his friend till the end. It makes me think that I'm glad that armin lived instead of erwin; i don't think that mikasa could have handled this kind of conversation with eren the way that armin did (once again, the nature of theit relationship being sensibly different) so talking to armin and going through everything with him like that really helped both eren AND the reader to understand more Eren's logic and point of view.
Many of us are actually dissapointed in eren's sudden change of tone or in his "unexpected" actions and sayings. I was too at first, it really did not feel like seeing eren... especially since we hadn't seen the real eren in a long time (since S3 pt2...). But I believe that the eren that we saw was the realest eren we'd seen in a long time...
I think that what happened to eren overall is extremely tragic; he really is the martyr of this story. He got embedded in all of this mess at such a young age and had to take responsibility for something as big as mankind's future at the snall age of 14... He never really thought about making friends, focusing on his own feelings and emotions (towards mikasa for example) or just have the time to sit down with himself and think about who he really is, what he really wants...
He always had to think about concrete and immediate action during most of his life. He was extremely hurt in his ego when he realised that his power (the attack titan) didn't make him "special" and that his dreams were far out of reach.
Eren spent an enormous amount of time in Paths, where he could see all of his life unfold before of him,and thus, managed to kind of sort out his feelings.
I feel like the character that is presented to us in chapter 139 really managed to get a hold of himself and gain understanding of his feelings towards his friends and loved ones.
Offering the world to armin. That's what eren did during this encounter. You can see it in the way that he looks at him... Eren sees freedom in Armin's eyes, more than he could ever possess, but it feels like he is okay with not being the one who experiences the joy of true freedom.
I see that many people are upset with how eren suddenly confessed his love for Mikasa. I really do understand that... But I like to think that over the time that eren spent in paths, he learnt to love her and her sacrifices properly. It leaves me with a really bitter taste, especially since it is very obvious that what stopped eren from showing any kind of affection towards mikasa before was simply the cruelty of their world...
"You must not forget" is something that has been repeated many times in the manga.
It's actually been applied to this chapter; even though eren made everyone forget about his words after his encounter with them, he restitued all of their memories so that they don't forget about the meaning of his fight.
I'm just happy that he got a chance to be understood and loved... his conversation with armin really broke my heart on so many levels... it was almost like they were trying to act like the subject of their conversation wasn't the future of their world and eren's death..
Armin's little attempts at joking, eren breaking down like a regualr teenager... it was a very genuine and intimate moment between two friends who never got to experience the presence of each other without the weigh of the world on their shoulders.
Eren isn't a strong willed hero, he is no saviour and no allegoric figure : he is what everyone made him.
I'm glad that he is resting in peace and happy that he shows regret and emotion in the end.
I still wonder though... what about eren is really free?
titsay
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