#ask teetan

[lyonsdenprojects]

I 've read your theories about Kenny and Levi and I found them interesting. I hope you will find a time to answer my question. Did Kenny care about his squad? I thought he didn't, but in the ch. 66 and 69 we can see him being worried about them; he didn't want them to be killed by the falling rocks and (in the anime only) he probably was upset after Bianca's death. That why I believe that he cared and was attached to them. How do you think?

Oh, Kenny Kenny Kenny.

Did Kenny care about his Anti-Personnel Vertical Maneuvering Squad?

I think so. It’s funny, as I was doing a little research for this ask, I realize I talked about chapter 69 before. Like I said there, if we’re looking at Kenny as a sociopath (which I am, y’all are welcome to your own interpretations), then he’s not inherently evil or unfeeling. It is simply a matter that, in his mind, the people he surrounds himself are a reflection of his power and success.

And Kenny is ultimately obsessed with the concept of power. We see this when he decides Levi has what he needs to make it in this world on his own. Levi has the power to protect himself.

It is one of the major motivations that he continues serving the Reiss line after Uri’s death.

“...even...me?”

It is even what he is reflecting upon while sitting in the forest waiting to die at the end of Chapter 69 while thinking about the death of his squad.

His squad was a reflection of his power. In a way, they were what gave him power because they enabled his “grand dream”. They followed him with reverence and awe the same way people followed the power of the First Titan in the Reiss family.

So, if you want to get pathological, the underlying reasons why Kenny had an attachment to his squad are certainly different than say the reasons why Levi was attached to his original squad or Erwin.

But that said, losing his squad (and definitely Bianca), was upsetting to Kenny and he certainly did have an attachment to them.

[lyonsdenprojects]

Hello! I'm a big fan of your Psychology of Fruits Basket works! I would personally LOVE to read your analysis specifically on Shigure and Tohru!! Are you excited for Season 2? I KNOW I AM! :D

Oh gosh, this must be a little old so I apologize!

YES I AM SO HAPPY FOR SEASON 2 WE'RE GETTING INTO THE MEAT OF THE STORY NOW!

I have thought writing a post about Shigure and Tohru specifically. I had been putting off writing about Shigure because it would be a spoiler heavy post by necessity. I was trying to minimize spoilers as much as possible.

A little bird has told me that there is a Shigure hate train going around on tumblr tho so that might change my mind.

We don’t tolerate any dog hate in this house.

[lyonsdenprojects]

correct me if i'm wrong ...but if levi's very observant and can read people very well, doesn't that mean that he could be good in manipulating ppl? I just thought about it bc while he was talking to dimo reeves he found out who reeves truely is. He found out two big traits reeves has: his pride and humanity and was appealing to that (just like momtaku said lol). So i wondered would levi be able to smartly manipulate ppl?

A good question! Yes, Levi is surprisingly good at reading people and situations. It's one of the skills that has kept him alive this long certainly.

That's only half the equation when it comes to manipulating people, however. Manipulation requires a social finesse as well. To manipulate someone, you must see the opening, and then know the exact words and tone to use to goad the reaction you want. Erwin is masterful at this.

Levi, bless him, does not have that skill. We have witnessed his social awkwardness on many an occasion (the King of Toilet humor here).

Honestly I don't think Levi would really have the social acumen required to manipulate people. And, he's a pretty altruistic character. Remember how in ACWNR he just wanted to walk in, kill Erwin, and take the paper they needed? Farlan was the one with the social skills there who attempted to keep up fronts for them. Levi seems to prefer to get straight to the point.

[lyonsdenprojects]

Hello! Was Hange’s lost eye supposed to symbolize something? Impart thy wisdom to us lowly mortals, o great one! :D

LOL! Oh believe me, I am just as lowly! Nothing great here! (Thank you tho! 😉)

You know I'm not sure if Isayama intended for the eye loss to be symbolic or not. It might be one of those things where the author just put it in there because it suited the story and then the readers attached more meaning to it (did you ever feel that way in literature classes in high school?).

Or...

Losing half their vision would mean a loss of depth perception, which is vitally important in the Scouts' line of work. Sure, Hange can learn to compensate but still, it is a major sensory loss.

At the same time, Erwin also dies. Hands down Erwin possesses the best foresight of any of the veterans. Erwin was a chess player and knew the political games so well he was able to orchestrate the coup of the government. Don't forget he also was the creator of the Scouts' riding formation which decreased the number of soldier deaths during expeditions.

Hange, as much as I adore them and as brilliant as they are, does not have the same acuity in this skill. Hange collects and analyzes data, follows patterns and rationale, but typically left the long term planning to Erwin. Now he's gone, Hange's in his place and (without giving away anything in case you aren't reading the manga) definitely feels out of their depth.

I'm still not caught up on the anime (it's been a busy week) but as I understand it the studio used the cracking of Hange's google to also illustrate Moblit's death.

So, if the loss of Hange's eye were to symbolize anything, I would say it symbolizes the loss of the people and things Hange relied on most to succeed in their work. Hange now both literally and figuratively needs to find a way to refocus to continue leading everyone forward but has a very real handicap in doing so.

Hange is very much a walking allegory of the Survey Corps at this moment in time.

[lyonsdenprojects]

since you shigure is your fave character what did you think of the ship of him and akito?

I really like Shigure and Akito! Their story is definitely sordid, for sure. But I love how, ultimately, Shigure loves Akito for herself, not because she’s the God. Shigure’s got an awful jealousy streak and definitely deserved to be put in the doghouse for his actions before the manga started. That said, Akito’s certainly no angel either. Honestly, they’re both so conniving, they really suit each other!

Shigure remains so loyal to her throughout, though. He says everything he does is to serve himself, but…I just don’t believe him. Helping free Akito from a Curse that literally screwed up her entire life and sense of self, which also resulted in healing for multiple damaged family members… I mean he witnessed much of the abuse first hand. I just find it hard to believe that the act was completely selfish.

They’re just so sweet at the end….

[lyonsdenprojects]

I’m sorry I feel like this question was asked before but I can’t remember where but do you figure the Levi and Erwin relationship is intended to be romantic in canon or more a strong comradeship? And do you think there is some suggestion that Erwin was a bit like a mentor to Levi and Hanji?

I'm so sorry, anon! I've started writing an answer to you several times and kept getting distracted.

The ask you are referring to is here. TL;DR Correct, I find their canon relationship to be more of a close comradeship.

As for the mentorship question: Yes! I absolutely do think there is an element of mentorship between Erwin and his subordinates Levi and Hange. Honestly I think we really see that in the absence left by Erwin following his death.

Hange and Levi have long been depicted as capable and well respected leaders in their own rights. The Uprising Arc highlighted this especially as they largely acted on their own. They are both smart in their own ways and excellent at varying types of strategy. They really compliment each other very well. Combined with Erwin's skill at strategically understanding the playing field at a high level, they were an amazingly balanced team.

But as frequently happens when mentees lose their mentors, Hange and Levi appear to feel out of their depths. We keep seeing glimpses of Hange quietly panicking about potentially not giving the correct response and Levi being even more grouchy then we used to (if possible). This doesn't mean they are incapable, rather it implies that they were so comfortable leaning on Erwin to handle some of these interactions that they (especially dear Hange) have anxiety over flying without a proverbial net.

Now Hange and Levi always rise to the occasion. I think that, specifically, may be one of the biggest impacts Erwin made on them. So I look forward to when we finally get to see them again in the current manga arc and to see what their plan is.

[lyonsdenprojects]

Actually, I agree with you that Erwin is a prideful personality, but I disagree that it’s not a negative trait. I like him despite it, but the idea that he followed his own convictions and code while stepping over people and making sacrifices because he thought himself right is pure hubris. He was convinced of his own deduction, and he clung to it his entire life in wanting to prove it. But he also involved many others who didn’t share the same idea because they didn’t even know it existed.

We can certainly agree to disagree! "Pride" itself as a term is not necessarily negative however certain can become a hubris when not tempered by humility.

The thing to consider is that they weren't only his convictions. Hange was once arrested for trying to dig a hole under the Walls. Levi also had a fierce desire for freedom. Eren, too, felt the Walls and institutions that pushed them into passive acceptance of their fates were his enemy (in addition to the Titans obviously). Armin held physical proof that something else lie beyond the Walls and knowledge of that was being repressed.

In Erwin's darkest hour he oversimplified his goal to only being about a selfish goal. But the point of my essay was that the effect of death anxiety makes him an unreliable narrator.

Keep in mind, up until this point of the story everyone believed that they were the only humans left in the world (with the mysterious RBA warriors as an outlier). The desperation to know more about the circumstances of the Walls and to find vindication in knowing something wasn't quite right was held by many in the Survey Corps, especially among our main protagonists.

Now, I can certainly understand a reticence in viewing some of the morality calls Erwin had to make during his career. War and battle calls for a different set of morals in order for the perceived greater good to prevail. I'm certainly not qualified to say if that is right or wrong. All I can say is that the context of battle changes what options are available.

I think if Erwin is guilty of these crimes of hubris, though, then we also need to accept that much of the rest of the cast is equally guilty.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts of it though! I think this sort of topic can be very much a way for us to reflect on our own worldviews. Kind of a "what would I do" exercise.

[lyonsdenprojects]

Oooh! Erwin meta! I'm so curious why you think Erwin is a prideful personality. Befriending people who normal society would disregard (Hange, Mike and Levi would be considered strange by most), listening to a 15 year old and allowing him to make leadership decisions, and using himself as bait/considering himself dispensable all seem like marks of humility. I feel like Erwin treats everyone as an equal. I guess I've always seen him as humble. I'm curious why you think the opposite?

This is a GREAT call out and I appreciate you pointing this out so much. In all honesty, I think that’s the piece I was struggling with to write when putting together the initial post.

So first and foremost, I agree with everything you’ve said about Erwin. My analysis was not intended to be negative about him at all. I made a poor choice of words. In my mind “pride” is not inherently negative. I don’t mean it in the deadly sins way, rather the Google dictionary definition:

a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.

Given that, however, I did not do a good job of explaining the paper I was drawing upon. It is a meta-analysis called “A Quiet Ego Quiets Death Anxiety: Humility as an Existential Anxiety Buffer”. (This study is up for free, you can read the whole thing if interested!)

I’m personally not sure ‘humility’ is a good term for this concept either,  but essentially this reviews 5 different studies which theorize if a person is primed with selfless, non-defensive thoughts, then they are less likely to be afraid of dying. Conversely, if a person is primed with a high sense of self or self-esteem then they are more likely to have their self-preservation instincts kick in and be afraid of death.

Back to Erwin: In his situation he started from a position where it appeared they could take the upper hand. He believed his explicit trust both in his compatriots as well as his own ability to utilize their unsung strengths were going as planned (i.e. putting Armin in charge of a squad and successfully finding Reiner). He absolutely would (and should, I think) feel a sense of pride or accomplishment in that moment. Then, within a matter of minutes, Erwin is realizing he is going to die.

I’ve always thought that this scene was tragically beautiful in a way and one of the most human moments we’ve seen from Erwin. He was so close to have the secrets he searched for his entire life in his grasp, where did he go wrong? In situations like that it is natural for the anxious mind to run wild and create self doubt. But the reality of the matter is that your assessment of Erwin is absolutely correct. That is what makes Levi’s response to him so deep and precious, Levi reminds Erwin of who he really is. Another quote from the study:

“Specifically, humility has been related to forgiveness, generosity, helpfulness, better social relationships, and excellence in leadership…. A humble person is first and foremost capable of tolerating an honest look at the self and non-defensively accepting weaknesses alongside strengths (Exline, 2008).”

I think that describes Erwin quite well.

Erwin’s thoughts are not an admittance that he fooled us the entire story, that he was secretly a terrible person all along. They are natural fear that is not reflective of his true self. Yes, I do think Erwin is prideful but not negatively. Rather, Erwin typically displays a high sense of self-assuredness which got him this far. The story would never have been able to progress to this point without him initiating most of the major plot developments, something I’ve also been thinking about making a post on.