#chapter reaction

[blvcklizard]

When I said the ADA and Hunting Dogs were polar opposites to me, narratively, this definitely wasn't how I expected things to play out

[silver-d-nastja]

Chapter 1141 reaction

[proceed for full-on spoilers]

Before I dive into the chapter, the cover for volume 111 was released and I need to share it. I personally really love it.

I like the simple composition here and that color reveals! Loki rocks that pink hair (I was hoping it’d be pink or purple) but I think I’m too dumb to get what his tattoos are supposed to resemble. Maybe wings? Seen other people mention flames ‘cause of the red, but I’m rly lost here. Ragnir seems to be a metallic blue here and I hope that color will stay and not turn into normal grey. Seeing the straw hats in their signature colors for this arc makes me happy. I love how Oda plays around with fashion, his designs are cool and diverse, and I think it elevates the world-building and characters that they change outfits so often and aren’t bound to one style/color. Yet, I feel like we rarely see them wearing their signature colors outside of merch or advertisements, so I appreciate having them all wear them at the same time(at least till they change outfits again). I’m wondering if the rest of the straw hats are doing the same.

Usopp stands out tho. Not only because he’s not wearing his yellows, but also ‘cause his color pallet is crazy. I think putting purple, pink/salmon, red, and orange next to each other without a gradient is such an eyesore, I actually don’t get the vision here. However, I do get the Obelix reference with the orange beard and striped pants, and think that’s lovely<3 I like that Chopper’s helmet is in the color of his original hat and lol those antler extensions xD I vibe with the general style of the outfits, especially those boots and gloves. I like the brown/earthy tones, especially on Luffy. It’s nice to see him in colors we usually associate with pirates for once. The gold on his helmet is very striking, probably to invoke a crown or the straw hat. Can’t wait to see these in the anime and fan art (low-key motivates me to draw too).

On to the chapter!

The sequence of titles recently - “Mountain-Eater”, “Scopper Gaban”, and now “An older woman”? Damn, Oda, you’re serving me. I’ve got some ideas already but I’ll voice my speculations afterwards.

Nami is so real here. I’d be frustrated too. And I feel sorry for Rodo for still trying to cover for them.

Yippie! More of Franky and Ripley! Every page dedicated to Franky is a good page<3 The last time we saw him, he was shocked at the Harley mural and wanted to get Robin asap but he’s chill now, which leads me to believe that he either memorized or copied it and will show it to her later. In general, sending Franky on this excursion and making him the first one to see it wasn’t arbitrary. He is probably the only other person on the crew (besides maybe Jimbe) who understands what a huge deal this is. On Water 7, Franky and Robin were both persecuted for their knowledge from the void century. Franky only destroyed the plans for the Anti-Pluton after seeing that the straw hats would protect Robin, including her knowledge of the real Pluton, and supported her from that point on.

But you know what? Fuck that sus-looking branch and interesting world-building for now, ‘cause I’M BUZZING.

LIGHTNING? You mention LIGHTNING? TWICE? GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! I SENSE THE ENEL STOCKS RISING. OH MY GOD I THINK I’M GOING CRAZY. Like, yes, I know I need to calm down ‘cause this doesn’t have to be about Enel. He’s by far not the only one who could set this tree on fire, but you have no idea. YOU HAVE NO IDEA I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR HIS RETURN AND HOW MUCH COPIUM I’VE BEEN SNIFFING. PLEASE LET ME HAVE THIS FOR NOW AT LEAST BEFORE MY HOPES ARE SHATTERED. LET ME ENJOY THE DELULU-LAND FOR A GLORIOUS MOMENT. I’m gonna think about him and stay crazy till proven wrong. I’m a fake-god believer. *takes a deep breath* Moving on…

First of all, BASED. Jarul is so real for this. And yeah it’s a good joke. He’s the oldest giant and humanoid on the planet, so good luck finding someone older. But I can’t help but think that, since they’re talking about tastes, this doesn’t have to mean someone who’s older than him, he could just mean someone closer to him in age in general. We also don’t know if he’s only into giants or if a human 50+ woman would count too. These interpretations would allow him to still find someone. I’m rooting for him.

Second, Usopp gassing up Nami is so sweet. Her being happy for him is great, too, because she was the one with him on Little Garden when he formed this dream. I love their dynamic. (note how she changed her mind here and stayed because she understood this was important to him)

I appreciate Rodo for being the only one who gives a flying fuck about Scamrock. And I would’ve loved if the scene just ended here:

Poor Loki. Imagine bleeding to death and hearing someone arguing for letting you die. But do you see what I see?

:3

Oh my god what am I witnessing. ZORO, WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK???

I’m right with Luffy and I can’t remember the last time Luffy said smth like this to a friend. I get that Zoro thinks he has to be the voice of reason. I get that he respects ancient giants because multiple crew mates nearly died during their fight with Oars, and then his encounter with Kuma happened. I find it low-key cute that Zoro uses kicks like Sanji when Sanji’s absent. But he’s being quite the opposite of reasonable. As Luffy said, a man is dying, and basically torturing him even more is beyond cruel. Why would he kick his wounds first and THEN check the blood? Wouldn’t checking the blood be enough? Is Luffy an idiot? Yes. But Zoro’s line of thinking here is crazy. Because he already knows Luffy’s going to free him anyway. And Zoro is the one who unlocks the cuffs. He was like “I’m rly scared of this giant crashing out so I’ll just kick him real hard and then free him. Should be right.” Bro what??? If Loki didn’t plan to crash out before, now he will for sure and Zoro will be his first target. And I want to point out the irony that Zoro was in the exact same situation when Luffy found him. He was tied up, starving, with an insanely exaggerated bad reputation, and if Luffy had listened to other people’s warnings Zoro wouldn’t be alive. I know Zoro cares a lot about his reputation but by now he really should have learned that most of the time what they hear about someone isn’t true. Maybe Zoro thinks this is another Whiskey Peak situation, but I think in reality he’s just looking for a fight. Perhaps that’s why he didn’t relax and get drunk during the feast. But this isn’t Whiskey Peak. This isn’t about a bad guy luring them in by pretending to be good. The giants are confirmed allies, everyone was warned about Loki, and not even Loki put on a nice act. He simply offered a deal. In fact, he was confused by Luffy’s antics and displayed anger. And if the words of his “online friend” are anything to go by,

he’s acting tough to hide a soft core - like Law, like Zoro. In Wano, Zoro and Luffy were really close and on the same wavelength, but now it’s the opposite, and I need to see them overcome this - and I hope it’ll be cathartic.

Chopper got promoted from emergency ration! It’s cute how Luffy bonded with Loki’s buddies like during his training arc. I’m sorry I’m sounding like a Loki apologist before anything was confirmed at all. I just can’t help but think that these two idiots would be besties. Loki, don’t mess this up. Oh, look, another idiot’s falling from the sky! And my princess finally joins the mess!

Naww this is cute :3

I’m split here. Hajrudin is a trustworthy guy for sure, but on the other hand, Loki didn’t try to befriend Luffy yet. It’s possible that his information about Shanks isn’t true, but his offer to destroy a crew of Luffy’s choice was genuine for sure, and that’s it. He didn’t try anything else to convince him. I can’t help but root for someone who was tortured and left to die by government fuckers. Loki surely did bad things in his life but I doubt he’s gonna be Elbaf’s final villain. I think his role will be very complicated.

Yippiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieee, my babygirl finally runs freeeeeeeeeeeeeee~

Sorry. Damn. What a glorious panel. I’m awestruck. The perspective and foreshortening are [I’ve tried to come up with a word for too long now, you catch my drift]. Chef’s kiss. I guess Ragnarök is finally coming. I’m so hyped for this. Ragnir as a blend of Ragnarök and Mjölnir is a classic Oda masterstroke. Love the name. We're really combining Loki and Thor again, are we. I can’t believe how it must feel to get up after sitting for six years straight. I honestly believe next chapter Loki is just gonna fall like a tree. Bro can barely breathe and probably needs to get used to having legs. Maybe he takes one swing at Zoro for revenge or to break his last cuff(if he even needs to - more on this later), but that’s it. If he actually starts full-on rampaging I’ll be very surprised.

Anyway, it’s convenient to have Gerd here - Zoro had just mentioned her. Is Sanji here to cook, to provide some brain cells, or ‘cause we need the monster trio together? Or… to have the monster trio away from the others? I hope it’s not the latter… I can’t handle the other straw hats going through shit right now *sweats* I know the god’s knights are up to some shit, but if the library gets burned down or Robin gets kidnapped again, I’ll sit there like :|

details corner:

just wanna highlight the funny :)

also, adding Excalibur to the list of suspicious references to our world’s stories…

ma man, what are you doing? XD T-T I don’t know which thought is funnier: that he put his head in his crotch on purpose or that it was an accident.

Sanji noticing Gerd’s absence was expected but now I’m wondering why his women-senses didn’t notice Nami’s absence. Is he that lost in the sauce or did she just not give him a reason to worry? I’m probably over-thinking this.

speculation corner:

Let me say it here before I read the next chapter and I’ll be proven wrong. I believe Elbaf’s legendary devil fruit is in the hammer. When they explained that it gets passed down from generation to generation, with the information we have so far, it could only be through cannibalism or by having the fruit in a weapon. I’d like to see the cannibalism route too, but Hajrudin being scared of the hammer tells me that’s what we should focus on, especially in a fight. Loki could still be a devil fruit user, but I think the royal fruit is in the hammer and that’s why they were chained up together with sea stone. Of course, Oda could just make up a new rule, or this fruit is just this special, but these are the two options I immediately thought of.

There are so many options for who the ‘older woman’ title could be referring to. It could indicate Big Mom’s return since she has huge ties to Elbaf, and I hope we’ll see a flashback from the situation with Lola. Jarul could also be talking about Mother Carmel because he might have had a crush on her or just misses her. If you think Imu is a woman this could also be a teaser for that, but I doubt Oda would hint at it in this way unless we get the reveal within the next couple chapters. It might be simply teasing a character we haven’t met yet (a giant or holy knight) and thinking too hard about it right now is futile. I am thinking about it anyway because giving “just a joke” this much attention would be weird. But hey, maybe Oda just found it very, very funny.

Now, I wanna entertain the idea that the hollow tree branches might become important, not because they’re flammable but because they’re hollow. I suspect that we’re going to find something in at least one of them. Be it treasure or a poneglyph, people, prisoners, King Harald’s grave or Harald himself who might be alive and in hiding. Just something.

I returned from Delulu-land to discuss the super flammable tree. Besides Enel, there are plenty of characters with fire or lightning powers and motives to set the Adam tree on fire. Big Mom if she returns, Loki with his devil fruit powers and/or “Mjölnir”, or the god’s knights who are probably aware of Elbaf’s weak spot. Even the straw hats could do it on accident for example in self-defense. Loki is most likely I think since Ragnarök starts with him in Norse mythology (but imagine it’s Enel I’ll fucking cry).

simp corner:

not much else to say on this front except that Luffy's cute red nose is super cute and Zoro looks really handsome (and fluffy!) this chapter

I don’t know how this turned out so long again. I didn’t think I’d have this much to say. Thanks for reading my insanity. I’ll be off reading 1142 right away (and see my hopes and dreams be crushed). I can’t wait, I’m still buzzing. Oh and I miss Gaban.

*I wish I'd know a way to scale down images somehow so they're not full-screen every time, but ig I have to live with this *I read the not official release of the chapter first to gather first impressions and have time to think on it, then I reread the official translation and edit if needed. I'm not posting these before the official release to avoid spoilers and mistranslations.

[latenightsonrooftops]

I promise…

———————-

Can i just say that whenever @minteayoongimakesmewoozi makes fluffy soft scenes like these, there is a tiny inkling voice in the back of my mind that says

“hehe…enjoy it while it lasts…hehe”

😰 and then i go a little freak out mode and am like you guys better. keep. ure promise!! *hiss hiss*

I havent done one of these in awhile buttttt i love the random moments Ayame goes through, never a dull day in her life especially as a hashira.

HAPPY EARLY EARLY SUPER EARLY BIRTHDAY AYAME!! 🎉 🎊 *wheezes. hacks. dry heaves* *clears throat*… im ok just have a cold but that was worth it 😊

[catboyyukineapologist]

NORAGAMI CH 100 THOUGHTS

guys I'm crying I'm genuinely crying actual tears. I was gonna make a "surprise, bitch. I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me" joke but it's no time to jokE. TOO MUCH IS HAPPENING.

And as a lot of people saw coming this appears to be the final arc🥲 it's sad but I'm glad that the story seems to have been allowed to run its natural course and adachitoka got to tell the story they wanted to tell (and boy, what a story). Bittersweet, but let's all enjoy this final arc together! I'm terrified!! What on earth is going to happen!!! How do all the loose ends get tied up????

anyway we're here and I am back on my bullshit under the cut...! Be warned: This is a long one.

(I went off about Father and his children again please someone take the keyboard away from me)

-

Sakura is the tree of spring, huh?

as you may imagine I AM UNWELL

fast-moon dropped this one while I was on a date and when I saw that notification I had to stop, process it and explain to my date what was going on because that is how much despair it caused me. (And I hadn't even read the damn thing yet)

Why is it only now clicking for me that there is a CLEAR OBVIOUS MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIP between the names Yuki / Haru / Sakura.

Smarter people than I probably have and will speak more (and better) on everything going on with names and wordplay and Yato fighting and being nearly killed by Yuuki on the same hill where he buried his body and letters, but I will just say that it hurts and it made me cry ambiguous, confusing, sad-happy tears.

That entire section looked so pretty and Yato and Yuki looked so tiny and I'm just🥺

Yato with the GRAVE TALK. He is dangerously close to fucking around and finding out. (O como decimos en mi rancho, a dos de acabar muerto por jugarle al vergas)

SHIIGUN IS BACK BABY BOY IS HERE I LOVE HIM LOOK AT HIM GO

why are those dragon ayakashi so cute i want to keep the tiny one as a pet.

BISHA

SHE

WHEN SHE AT THE

WHEN SHE

Nyappy's Kuraha theory is gnawing at the edges of my sanity again it would seem (please will someone bully me into finishing that damn ficlet wip before the manga literally ends)

"The same as me not wanting to use Kazuma" Oh boy. Oh man. Oh honey you got a big storm coming.

OH NO NOT IMMEDIATELY

Kinuha beloved I missed her<3

Kitty cat. Kuraha prefers to be a lion than a human confirmed.

Ah yes, finally some good, old-fashioned, straightforward punches directly to the gut. (also that panel is just beautiful, man)

Oh don't come now with the "you'we impowtant two me" shut the FUCK up, old man. Boo fucking hoo your child you abused doesn't love you:( too bad so sad suck it up worstie<3

Ok now that that's out of the way. He makes a valid point- from his point of view, at least. From what we have seen of his backstory, Yato was created by a wish born of his deep feelings of injustice, of being left behind to die by the world and the gods ("You were my prayer"). TO him, Yato has always been a tool he had a right to, he deserved, to "cull the herd", to take back the power he believed was for him and taken away. Yato was Father's lifeline in a similar fashion as Father was his. He was his precious means of justice until he wasn't anymore. And he loved him in the same sick and twisted way he loves Mizuchi for very similar reasons. Again from what we know up until now, I fear it might be all he knows, love for someone as a means to an end; but I'm afraid we just won't know that until we learn more about his relationship to Kaya (vibrating with excitement As We Speak).

Oh no. Ohhh no. There is so much to unpack from Nora and Kazuma at the end oh NO.

Hey yeah remember that old theory I had that got debunked a bunch in the last couple of years where I talked about hafuri being immune to GGS and roped Kazuma into my examples? well lookie here guess we'll find out sooner rather than later won't we? :)

I mean, Kazu is like double-sealed though so it should be fine, right?

Right, guys?

Nora baby honey child PLEASE I'm so sorry you have been made to feel this way. It hurts my heart that it's all she knows as well. She only knows how to be a tool, and that's the entire meaning of her life- the only way she understands love, just like Father. Her father gave her a name and a purpose, and that is the most important thing to her; she will go to the ends of the earth and betray everyone and everything else because that's her father. He basically made her. But child, please, that's not it:( I want her to go back to Hiyori and learn what unconditional care and love is please:(( Get yourself an older sister like Yuki did I prommy there's more to existing than just being used and thrown away every time:(((

So yeah! i leave you with your monthly(!) reminder that trash dad is uh. huh. maybe leave father and son be for the time being actually they seem to have some issues to figure out.

[zackfairy]

HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT SOME ONE DO SOMETHIN IM LODING MY GODDAM MIND WHAT THE FUCK

What the hell is 1045 even oh my god this is the best I'm livin'

I am literally crying right now because I'm so overwhelmed.

Oda you genius.

Holy freaking frack what the hell

Where do I eject all the feels WHERE

Bro, I was mad about the timing of the break but I take it back Oda knows what he's doing. Or whoever plans the breaks.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[hanyoyokai]

Everyone checking out the latest update of One moment 🤣🤣🤣

@lenbarboza and I

[hunnyb-san]

"Nnt chapter 323: I Am Here" reaction

Ahhahah I'm going to kill Suzuki right away!!!

Finally he decided to develop Meliodas and Zeldris' brotherly relationship.

The way he screamed hin name to awake him, the way Zeldris looked at his brother when he said he wanted to dave him. He's starting to trust Meliodas again and this is so freaking beautiful.

When that peace of a Demon King was bites by Gelda I was laughing SO hard.

But when he cut off her head and she was for a moment throw on the lake and he called her bitch... my gosh, that made my desire to kill him grow up instantly.

Gelda is such a badass, even if we didn't see her that much. Look at her face when she explained the reason why she bited him (and I already knew it). Look at her EYES. HER SMIRK. When she let her hair down, GORGEOUS!!

[erenthecoordinate]

Hello. Please share your thoughts about the latest couple of chapters/Zeke's backstory.

Not gonna lie, this probably one of the most emotional chapters I’ve read in a while.  I’ve been asking for a Zeke-centric chapter that would explain his motives and we got it in the classical heartbreaking fashion that this series is known to dish out.  AND it includes an explosive cliffhanger that Michael Bay would be proud of and make a good portion of the fandom look at a panel at 200% zoom and contrast change for 3 days.

I think the last time I talked about Zeke on this blog, I mentioned that I believe there is a chance Zeke is being genuine with working on Eldia’s side, but it wasn’t yet clear how much he wanted to include Paradis in the fruits of his potential “free the people” plan.  Yeah, so, things have changed obviously.  But not as drastically as I was led to believe after chapter 112.  By ch113, I figured there was more to the story with Zeke, since it seemed that his intentions for escaping was based on a time restraint and the fact he couldn’t trust Levi in the end.  Fortunately for his fans and unfortunately for Zeke, Levi’s plot armor saved him this time.  Only for fate to be teased once more!  Ugh!

I’m going to give a few super brief hot takes that I posted before but Tumblr decided to throw it into the abyss the first time.  This is going to be the least analytical and organized list I’ve ever written so be kind:

Finally, a flashback chapter of the most mysterious guy in this series

…AND HE’S CUTE!?

Oh my god.

Grisha and Dina are not the worst parents nor bad people but hell if they aren’t misguided, radical, and negligent of their only son.

This gives me middle school flashbacks.

I didn’t expect Zeke to suck at military training, to be honest.  They really did just call him a child prodigy for his miracle abilities and the fact he betrayed his parents.

Which I don’t entirely blame him anymore…if it wasn’t his free decision, he was influenced by a replacement nurturing parental figure to do it.  Ouch.

I was mad when these spoilers came out but now it makes sense why this is Zeke’s motive.

I’m pretty confident Eren is double crossing Zeke now.

Zeke is not dead.  Levi is not dead.  Splash text is clickbait.

I don’t even think Levi lost any arms, but we won’t know until 2 or 3 chapters from now.  Hope he knows how to swim!

For wordy rambling, please read on--

As most of the fandom assumed, this chapter was going to be primarily a flashback containing Zeke’s childhood.  And it’s a heavy reveal that spirals into his present-day motives.  It opens up with another scene that illustrates exactly how mistreated and disrespected Eldians are, the janitor going so far as to question why they are “breeding” for more devils.  This is unsurprisingly traumatizing to Zeke and those words are the seeds that flourish the plant of self-hatred soon to wreak havoc.  On the other hand, Grisha vents his frustrations and feeds the idea that their only salvation is to be free from their internment.  They have barely enough freedom to leave their residence and to do so require legal permission.  At this point, we’re familiar enough with how Marley reacts to Eldians both in the past and present day and those views haven’t changed no matter the year.  The story makes us aware that other nations prefer the race to be eradicated whereas Marley’s action is to keep them controlled, though of course there are people who support the former option.  It’s demeaning enough to be ostracized but threatened with genocidal wishes from the general public induces a lot of paranoia and, in the Restorationists’ case, rage.

Zeke is considerably mellow though.  There is no contempt because he’s too busy appeasing his parents.  He struggles with his training and falls far too short from the other warrior candidates.  But he is nothing but loyal to Grisha and Dina, even lying to his grandparents about how his father lectures him about their history.  Zeke uniquely gets two different teachings, but interestingly we don’t see him doubting either of them.  He seems to absorb more of what Grisha is saying, but doesn’t confess that to his grandparents, and simply nods and follows along to whatever is being read to him.  Most of his anxiety is reaching the expectation of becoming a warrior like his parents wanted.

His parents don’t make it a mystery to Zeke that him becoming a warrior is part of their restoration plan.  It’s not out of glory or that they want to best for him, but he is already exposed to the group as the one to save them all, a beacon of hope that the whole of the Eldian race depends on.

Of course, with the pressure on, Zeke cannot make the cut.  A mix of physical weakness and mental turmoil has Magath questioning Zeke’s integrity.  This brings him trailing behind his comrades, defeated, only to run into one of the current warriors playing catch with himself.  This is where we get a first glimpse of Zeke’s hidden pitching talent.  Tom Xaver, the current Beast Titan whose main job is a titan science researcher, is impressed and Zeke illuminates.

I know he murdered hundreds in very unkind ways, but it is a canon fact he is adorable.

Afterwards, Grisha, Dina, and their restorationist friend Grice become stressed with the fact Zeke isn’t performing to acceptable standards to even qualify to be a candidate of the warrior program, let alone having the chance to harness one of the titans.  Zeke overhears this and is taken back by the urgency. Grisha takes notice and attempts to encourage his son by saying he is special and therefore he can succeed.

Immediately follows probably one of the most depressing, soul-crushing pages that doesn’t include death (unless you count the death of Grisha and Dina’s faith in their son).  You don’t have to like Zeke to feel a twinge of relatability when he nearly breaks down from watching his parents turn away in disappointment.  It’s the worst kind of rejection because there is no improving something you simply cannot do and don’t truly have a passion for, even if you fight tooth and nail for it.

Xaver comments on Zeke’s atrocious training attempt and Zeke admits that his parents are the reason he has to become a warrior.  Xaver loosely describes the “perks” of being a warrior: harness unbelievable power, fight in wars, and die in 13 years by the teeth of your successor.  Avoiding that fate doesn’t grant much freedom, but to Zeke, staying alive for as long as possible is good enough.  To survive is fine.  He doesn’t need to fight to be free.

Naturally, cruel circumstances bombarde Zeke’s world when he overhears that his parents are in serious danger of being discovered.  He attempts to vere them to safer options so that they won’t be sent to Paradis, but Grisha and Dina immediately shut him down.  Living in an oppressed system is damaging to their self-esteem.  Revolution is necessary to change the world.  Zeke is their golden ticket.  There is a fatal risk to all this, but it is all for the name of their people.  For those who died for trying to reach beyond their boundaries.  Grisha omits his guilt over his sister’s death, saying what he wanted was simple.  Did that deserve punishment?  We already know his feelings about that, though.

Zeke on the other hand is convinced that it is all over for his family.  The power others have over them is far greater than his parents can overcome.  Xaver sees his distress and Zeke is quick to surrender any possibility of a long life, grateful he can hold onto memories of him as he eternally sleeps.  Xaver is too fond of Zeke, though, and we learn he is the one who suggests Zeke turn in his parents in order to save himself and his grandparents.  Zeke objects, of course, but it doesn’t take too long for Xaver to convince him that his parents cared more about their agenda than their child’s happiness and wellbeing.  And then that all happens.

Several years pass, and Zeke has gone from adorable to totally handsome.

Err...and he has become a successor to the Beast Titan.  He’s woven a close bond with this man to know progressions concerning his research.  A lot of it is information we already know but to them it’s a mix of theory and hearsay.  The new bit of information we gather is the theory that the Founding Titan can manipulate Eldian’s genetic makeup based on paths alone.  It’s what has saved them from plagues in the past.  Zeke recalls the janitor that harassed him and his parents years ago, and laments on the idea that the Founder can also prevent more Eldians from being born.

Xaver reacts somber over this concept.  He confesses that he used to have a family under disguise as a Marleyan.  It wasn’t until after his wife found out and killed herself and their son out of shame and disgust that he ultimately decided to become a warrior-- so he could die in the most glorified way possible, I guess?  In that time, he was dedicated to his research more than anything, but overall expressed he virtually replaced the void in his heart with Zeke’s presence, which explains why he was so important to him.  It’s kind of touching that they both found  each other to fill in roles that were empty in their lives.  Xaver still exhibits a great deal of self-hatred, something that Zeke can relate to.  At this point, he declares his motive of taking the Beast Titan, recovering the Founder, and stop the cycle of suffering by effectively ending the existence of Eldians altogether.  It’s...certainly a goal, albeit a method of giving in to their circumstances and accepting that they cannot fight against this oppression, so that the best thing to actually do is not exist.  Because no matter what they do, to exist is to suffer, and what kind of life is that?

The flashback closes with Levi overhearing Zeke mutter that the only salvation for Eldia is their euthanasia, and that all the deaths he is responsible for was a method of setting them free.  Of course, Levi doesn’t buy it and prepares for another round of Chopped.  Zeke appears to be only partially lucid when he shouts for his dead mentor to watch his next move.

In a matter of seconds, Zeke jerks the string that pulls the fuse and Levi looks to try to make a quick escape.  Zeke risks it all in an explosion that splits his body in parts, though it looks like his neck and head are still intact.  Meanwhile, Levi is blown back a distance with some blood trailing from his body due to ambiguous injuries.  And there is our cliffhanger of the volume!

I know I basically just summarized the chapter with some flavor additions, but there are a few things that drove me to a pit of emotions and questions during the spoiler drop.  Context from the fully translated chapter fixed a lot of my primary thoughts.

The Zekecrets

First big gain from this chapter is Zeke’s motive!  Finally, the zekecret is out!  And it’s rooted from a traumatic childhood and is buzzing with controversy.  I can’t say I agree with Zeke’s idea of ending the Eldian race by sterilizing them and killing those that he can.  But I will say that considering his experiences as a child and that discussion with Xaver had inspired this motive and, therefore, makes a lot of sense.  We’ve seen Zeke as a kind of chessmaster with many tricks up his sleeve yet was a shroud of mystery.  He has killed without mercy, he has betrayed his country, and he has turned that people he claimed to protect into Titans.  But to him, these deaths are convenient and align to his ultimate goal.

It’s honestly hard to believe that a character that has convinced people that his empathy level is so low that he barely even forms any attachments (as evidence with his betrayal) started off as an extremely sensitive and emotionally intelligent child.  His confidence is constantly challenged because of his blood from both sides.  His parents put him on a pedestal because his relation to them is what makes him special and therefore he must succeed.  On the other front, he is subjected to harsh ostracization from the general Marleyan public for simply being Eldian.  And at training, being the weaker of the child soldiers, he is put down by instructors and his trainee peers.  And even so, he still finds a bit of salvation in learning how to pitch while having some close conversation with a kind stranger.  Where he can’t find affection and acceptance in one area, he finds it in Xaver.

Still, the reality is that he is given these expectations that he himself simply has no strong drive to achieve nor the physical strength.  He presses on for the sake of his parents, but only his success will gain their acceptance and...he is unable to do it.  I think the most heartbreaking thing about this is that he accepts that he is somewhat of a tool for their agenda yet he sticks his neck out in hopes that he gets affectionate attention from his parents.  The fact he watches a child play ball with their father on his way home show that it’s an attention he craves because he doesn’t receive it often.  Even when he knows they are soon to get caught, Zeke’s first instinct is to say his goodbyes and surrender to whatever fate has in store for him.  To him, he is useless to carve his own path.  He has failed his parents, the Restorationists, the whole Eldian race, and himself.

Parenting Contrast: Grisha&Dina v Carla

I do briefly want to say that I don’t think Grisha and Dina were bad people, they are bad (not worst) parents and were too radicalized in their beliefs to realize that their son was emotionally struggling with self-esteem issues.  Anything they knew about Zeke was very on the surface.  Their priority was the revolution.  They manufactured a child for this due to their ignorance and anger.  But I don’t think they didn’t care about Zeke at all.  Zeke, to them, was to gain just as much of a positive outcome and life of freedom if he succeeded.  They were never aware of the pressure they put on Zeke.  Grisha later assumed that their negligence was the reason for Zeke’s betrayal and he never blames him for it.

Ironically, though, Eren is the appropriate child Grisha could have had for his revolution before it rapidly failed.  Second time’s the charm?  This is likely due to Eren’s lack of responsibility.  There were no dire expectations until later in his life.  Carla parented opposite of Dina and Grisha, believing that not everyone has to be special to be great.  Eren had more options open to him. 

Regardless, I don’t think Grisha quite parented the same way as he did with Zeke, but it may have been a bit difficult to keep reactions to certain circumstances subtle.  I don’t know if we’ll ever get more insight about why Eren used to be a weird loner kid that followed life through “the strong conquer the weak” system.  I just have a sneaking suspicion that it’s due to indirect mimicking of Grisha’s behavior.  After all, a real issue in this series are ignorant adults.  Or sometimes kids are just weird and easily influenced.  Unfortunately, in the end, Grisha does resort back to pressing responsibility on his second son, most likely because of their dire situation and Eren’s willingness to break free.  Because Eren is his son, of course.

Bit by bit, however, Zeke seems to be progressively aware of the obsession his parents have over their revolution plan.  They spend very little time with him, so he is often spending time with his grandparents, effectively keeping the cover up for his parents.  And any time they do spend with him is spent reversing the studies he has learned at school.  Zeke accepts the lessons but isn’t enthused.  I mentioned that he doesn’t really seem to question which history is correct and which isn’t; he doesn’t cast doubts on either and it’s difficult to say whether Grisha’s teachings were ones he felt were more accurate or that he was just parroting in order to gain approval.  A majority of his interactions with his parents are “yes” and nods.  

When Xaver comes into the picture and Zeke projects him as a father figure, he becomes more aware of his parents’ actions.  Which is why I don’t think it was especially a struggle for Zeke to believe Xaver when he told him that his parents don’t really care about him and that it’ll be worth selling them out if it means he and his grandparents get to live.  Zeke is very good at shutting down his emotions at this moment.  He is, however, not without heart though, because he continues to nurture that fondness for Xaver, who he is later a successor to.  In fact, he is the reason why Zeke entertains the idea that Eldians should stop reproducing.

The Plan and is Eren actually part of this?

This is where things get controversial, of course.  On one hand, technically, no longer existing means that they would no longer have to suffer.  Zeke says those on Paradis are ignorant to what the world has in store for them.  This isn’t to buy more time to properly unite with other nations, it was time to stop reproduction altogether and (probably) eliminate the Eldians on Paradis.  To Zeke it’s merciful to end this.  But it’s still genocide.  And I don’t believe this is the ultimate answer nor do I believe Eren is actually going to end up accepting this plan.

Unlike Zeke, Eren grew up with an everlasting flame that urged him to seek freedom in every format.  Freedom of his environment, freedom of his choices, etc.  He too gets weighed down by crushing expectations, becoming something of a tool for the military and government to achieve victory, but it is something that he genuinely wants.  Included, he still had the compassion of his comrades.  He wished them long lives.  He believes that people deserve to live simply by being born into the world.  Their existence gives them the right to freedom.  It gives them a chance to fight.  Sterilization is a big surrender.  Death and prevention of life, robbing that choice from others, is completely contradicting to anything Eren has ever learned, said, or believed in.  And I think his reaction to Willy’s words at the festival is a key indicator that his intention is to keep the Eldians alive.  I’m not sure how far ahead Eren is in terms of double crossing his brother, but at the very least, I think that if he knows Zeke’s true intentions, he has found or is finding a way to skirt around that option and use Zeke for his own plans.

I plan to write a progression meta theorizing Eren’s motives that edits and re-publishes with every reveal in each chapter but basically my guess is that Eren does know what Zeke wants and that he has been playing along with Zeke’s orchestrated plan, festival, Warhammer Titan, prisonbreak, etc. to earn loyalty points.  Which unfortunately included him killing innocents in the process.  But if Zeke really does believe their deaths are their true freedom, then Eren has to convince Zeke that he believe the same too.  Doesn’t mean he hasn’t internally struggled as a result.  But for now, Eren’s individual thoughts remain an enigma so it’s difficult to pinpoint his exact intentions at the moment.

Explosive (haha) End

Anyway, the other big thing was Zeke’s dramatic escape act which required an enormous explosion and the splitting of his own body.  Uh, yuck!  But I can’t help but feel a bit tickled that we actually have a panel with Zeke’s detached ass in the air.  His torso, including his neck and head, are more or less together, so he can easily pull off the Reiner trick to implant his brain to elsewhere on the nervous system so that he can regenerate from there.  So, yeah, Zeke will be fine.  And probably pantless if he can’t recover his lower half.

Levi, on the other hand, has no regenerating powers and appears pretty injured if the blood splattering off his body is anything to go by.  He wasn’t as close to the explosion, so it’s possible any injuries he sustained are because of the shooting debris and/or his sword, which he still had out in front guarding his body prior to the fuse going off.  I remember when the first grainy image of this panel came out and everyone was zooming in and tracing areas to figure out if Levi lost anything.  I think it’s consensus now that Levi has both legs intact and at the very least his left arm.  The only big question is whether his right arm is there and any other injuries on his torso or face that may exist.  If you want my personal visual analysis and theory, I think his injuries are not fatal nor crippling, meaning all his limbs are intact, but he probably has decent sized gashes on his body to have him temporarily side-lined.  I think the angle of the drawing and multiple gradients to indicate fast motion and blood direction is meant to give the reader uncertainty but in the end it’ll reveal that nothing was lost.  At least, I hope so.  It would be absolutely disheartening and irresponsible to put him out of commission for the rest of the series and the rest of his life-- I think out of all the suffering Levi has gone through, he definitely doesn’t deserve to feel completely useless to do anything,  Plus it’d be extremely underwhelming to set your strongest and most popular character on the bench before the big climax.

I will say that Levi is definitely not dead, though.  None of the notable deaths we’ve seen have been obscured by body angles.  They’ve been explicitly shown without debate on their status, Erwin and Sasha especially.  I believe the only off-screen deaths the series has had was Moblit and Ymir, and even then the scenes before then leave you no doubt to their inevitable fate.  Even Marco eventually got a scene of his death.  And neither of these deaths happened as cliffhangers.  But false death cliffhangers have always been a thing in the series.  Plus, I think Levi is far more deserving of a multi-panel, half chapter death scene if he were to die at all.

I do think he will land in the river and those injuries will prevent him from fighting effectively against the current to stay in his location.  I believe the convenient landscape was rather deliberate as it gives Zeke enough time and lonesomeness to recover and seek Eren.  Really, the explosion was an excuse to remove Levi from the scene and quickly be transported elsewhere.  But I want to bet we won’t find out Levi’s fate for another couple chapters.  Because Isayama is just that cruel!

....

Sorry this got extensive.  I’m still building up on these thoughts, so nothing is definite or without possibility of change.  But to summarize, Zeke’s childhood is sad, his plan is genocide and Eren ain’t about that life, Yeagerbros are dramatic people and forever interesting to me, and Levi is alive and battered but not handicapped.

That said, I would love to hear from everyone else about what they thought of the chapter.  Were you sympathetic to Zeke’s backstory?  Is he irredeemable?  What’s Eren’s role in all this?  Does he actually subscribe to Zeke’s scheme of eliminating all Eldians to end their suffering, or does he have other tricks up his sleeve?  Is Levi alive? How bad are his injuries?  Does he know how to swim?

Will I ever recover from the emotional rollercoaster this chapter has put me though?

Thanks for sending this ask!  I haven’t meta’d in a while and this honestly is inspiring to write again!