Would you please tell me - did Kishimoto write the Naruto official data books? 😅
I can't say anything for sure. Because his name was credited in the Databooks and hence it's official. But Did he really spent his time to write every pages of his Databooks???
I doubt it and People in Naruto fan forums also says the same. Like it must have been compiled and wrote by his Assistants because there's no way he had all the time to write a Databook provided that he has to draw and release every chapters on a weekly basis.
And as far as I know, the facts in the Databooks are not 100% accurate. I mean, atleast when it comes to 'Romance & Feelings'. Like in one of the Databooks, it was mentioned that, "The Feelings Sakura have for Naruto is something she herself can't explain"... OR something along those lines. I was like, "This girl was rabidly obsessed about Sasuke and I never saw any sign of her leaning towards Naruto... What kind of shit fact is this??"
And then this popular SS thing, In Sasuke's profile it was mentioned that "Sakura... The one who filled my lonely existence with emotions called Love and Affection"....
Bwahahahahaha
Since when did this shit happened in the Manga that I have no knowledge of???
So, You see... Romance part is totally unreliable.
But If you want any other accurate information about History and a description about an important panel or a scene or a Character, Jutsu profile, Character Strength profile... They are very much reliable.
A month ago I saw the last episode of GoT's seventh season. Looking at the episode I noticed similarities between Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow with Levi and Mikasa, from the family standpoint and who are the last of their own. So I got an idea... and if the mark that Mikasa has in the right arm regarding the eastern population was really a dragon and Mikasa had a power she did not even Levi, who has nothing to do with Ackerman's blood but just an eastern one, so that he can win the war?
Game of Thrones spoilers!
Hi nonnie! Love the parallels (last Targaryens=last Ackermans and Controlling Dragons=Ackerpowers). Even more so knowing Isayama is a big fan of Game of Thrones and gets inspiration from it. But Isayama got the idea for Mikasa’s tattoo and the Ackerpowers way before even knowing what was Game of Thrones, so I’m not sure he’d change his mind about these things. (You should definitely check out @falcon94ssy‘s tumblr though as she’s the queen of SNK/GOT/East Sea Clan theories!)
My personal bet is that Mikasa’s tattoo is a clan symbol from Hiizuru just like Kiyomi’s Azumabito one. It might even be the Azumabito symbol assuming the ones who escaped to Paradis changed their name to East Sea Clan (Touyou) for safety measures, so Mikasa could be related to Kiyomi!
Another thing I’m betting on is the East Sea Clan bearing a special, hidden power just like you said. Ever since the ANSWERS datebook came out and the Ackerman/East Sea Clan family tree was revealed, I’ve been suspecting the latter might’ve been special for reasons other than their appearance. That’s because the datebook revealed that they served King Fritz alongside the Ackermans! That, and they were also immune to the King’s memory manipulation power, as told by Grandpa Ackerman in chapter 65. Grandpa did say the East Sea Clan had status and turned its back to the crown when King Fritz proposed his forced peace, but he never said they served the King directly. And that changes everything.
So yes, I think Mikasa has another card up her sleeve that has nothing to do with the Ackerpowers she shares with Levi.
A little over two years since I posted Part 2... here it is! The long awaited Rivamika Timeline - Part 3. The Uprising Arc might be long over in the manga, but the Rivamika hype has not faded... far from it.
This post covers chapters 71, 72, 74, 78, 83, 84, 85 & 89 from the Return to Shiganshina arc and chapter 93 of the Truth of Marley arc, as well as the new ANSWERS databook and anime Season 2′s episodes 28, 30 & 33.
[Part 1] - Everything up to the Clash of Titans arc, anime Season 1, INSIDE KOU databook (2009~2013)
[Part 2] - Uprising Arc (2014~2015)
[07/09/15] Chapter 71
Chapter 60′s (Trust) cover art, featuring Levi and Mikasa, is again pictured on the cover of Bessatsu Shonen Magazine.
[08/09/15] Chapter 72
Unlike during Eren’s trial in chapter 19, Mikasa didn’t stop Eren and Jean’s fight, and when Levi steps in to discipline them with his usual method of violence, she lets him do it anyway!
Even more shocking is the fact that this time Mikasa doesn’t become even a little bit angry at Levi for kicking Eren, since he asked for it... even the poor boy can’t believe it.
At the end of the chapter, in a clear parallel between Levi’s past Special Ops’ squad and his new squad, Mikasa replaces Petra behind Eren in the squad formation pictured on the cover of Volume 5.
[10/09/15] Chapter 74
After Hange leaves, Eren is left with Levi and Mikasa to protect him from the Warriors.
Later, when the Captain swoops down to strike Reiner, Mikasa uses her arm to keep Eren from going after him, knowing that Levi has it covered.
[02/09/16] & [06/09/14] Chapter 78 & Chapter 58
Somehow Mikasa has learned how to throw blades at the enemy, just like... you guessed it right.
[07/09/16] CHAPTER 83
The following page marks the beginning of the biggest shitstorm the SNK fandom will ever experience. Levi tells Eren and Mikasa that he’ll use the serum on Armin to save him, but changes his mind in the blink of an eye when he discovers Commander Erwin needs it just as much.
The shock of it makes Mikasa throw caution to the wind, draw her blade and advance menacingly towards Levi.
Levi quickly looks back and sees Mikasa’s tearful, panicked face as she approaches him, blade in hand, much to his shock. Despite the camaraderie they built during the Uprising arc, the tension that has built all this time between these two reaches its boiling point. The lives of their loved ones are at stake, and despite the good intentions from both sides, their clash seems inevitable.
[08/09/16] CHAPTER 84
After an excruciating month of waiting, the most intense chapter in SNK’s recent history hits the web. Ladies and gentlemen, the long-awaited Ackerbowl is here! This is the most significant Rivamika interaction ever since chapter 63′s Ackertalk, as well as the longest.
Mikasa creeps closer to the Captain while he glances warily at her... but when Eren tries to grab the serum box from him, Levi violently punches him.
... and that’s all Mikasa needs to snap and charge at Levi, who looks alarmed.
Mikasa ackerjumps Levi, toppling him over. It’s an iconic scene that marks the true start of the Ackerbowl!
They hit the ground and he manages to grasp her sword arm, but she forces it back, positioning her blade against his exposed neck to lock him in place. [Ackerstraddle panel count: 1.]
Panicked and tearful, Mikasa grasps Levi’s wrist tightly and pins down his lower body with her shin, but instead of fighting back, Levi still tries to reason with her. [Ackerstraddle panel count: 2.]
Levi could’ve perfectly used force to drive her away, but he doesn’t. He lessens his struggling, but doesn’t let go of the serum box yet. At the same time, Mikasa is taken by surprise, wondering why Levi would do that. Despite her desperation, she hesitates to take the box from him by force.
While she hesitates, Levi tells Mikasa that humanity needs Erwin’s strength. [Ackerstraddle panel count: 3.]
It seems Mikasa doesn’t have an answer to that. Flocke also tries to reason with her, but one look from her enraged face is enough to make him back down. [Ackerstraddle panel count: 4.]
Mikasa doesn’t move from her position on top of Levi. [Ackerstraddle panel count: 5.]
Eren is back in the game, and tries to change Levi’s mind again. [Ackerstraddle panel count: 6.]
Eren’s speech leaves both Levi and Mikasa shocked. [Ackerstraddle panel count: 7.]
Mikasa tries to wring the serum box from the Captain’s hand, but he doesn’t let go so easily. Then, despite the situation they’re in, she asks for it... nicely. Clearly she also wants to stop their struggle at once after Eren’s words.
Flocke tries to butt in in the Ackerbowl again, and Mikasa tells him to shut up. Levi doesn’t move or say another word. [Ackerstraddle panel count: 8.]
Flocke’s words finally reach them, and it seems to make something snap in Levi’s mind.
When Flocke tries to separate Levi and Mikasa, Mikasa quickly turns the blade on its blunt edge and is ready to drive him away. On the other hand, Levi, now free of the blade against his neck, desperately tells her to stop instead of overpowering her... [Ackerstraddle panel count: 9.]
...and finally, Hange enters the fray, forcefully extracts Mikasa from Levi and puts an end to the Ackerbowl! [Ackerstraddle panel count: 10.]
Ten. That’s how many times Isayama has drawn Mikasa straddling Levi in this chapter alone. Despite the possibly disastrous effect it could have on their relationship, the Ackerbowl far surpasses anything the Rivamika fans could’ve asked for in the manga!
I’ll say it again. Levi and Mikasa fight and struggle on top of each other for the most part of chapter 84.
[08/09/16] ANSWERS Databook
On the very same day Chapter 84 is released in Japan, Kodansha releases the newest SNK databook, titled ANSWERS. While the first glimpses of the databook would take more than three weeks to surface on Tumblr, when they do they take the Rivamika fandom by storm...
In an interview with Isayama, he explains the Ackerman ‘liege’ mechanism shared between Levi and Mikasa towards Erwin and Eren respectively, stating that Levi and Mikasa have guardian roles that match their personalities / nature.
Isayama also states that Levi recognizes that he’s “tethered to his own strength”, that Mikasa is the same and that Ackermans can unleash extraordinary power when they devote themselves to their respective ‘lieges’.
...and he also gives a name to Mikasa’s clan, or “asian” bloodline - the East Sea Clan.
Lastly, the page that put an end to the “Rivamika is incest” argument. The fundamental bond between Levi and Mikasa. The Ackerman and East Sea Clan family tree!
It confirms the information Grandpa Ackerman shared with Kenny in chapter 65 and the fandom’s assumption that Levi and Mikasa are third cousins at the closest, and probably much less related.
This page also has an interesting revelation: The East Sea Clan - not just the Ackerman Clan - also served the King of the walls long ago. Back in chapter 65, Grandpa Ackerman had only mentioned that they were a separate bloodline immune to memory manipulation just like the Ackermans, and they had some sort of status that they gave up when they turned their backs on the monarchy. What makes the East Sea Clan so special, then, besides their physical appearance...?
[09/09/16] Chapter 85
Levi lightly kicks Eren for not telling everything about the Serumbowl to Armin, but Mikasa doesn’t react.
She seems very nervous this time, because she knows she overdid it when she confronted Levi during the Ackerbowl. While Levi’s comment is a jab at both Mikasa and Eren for their insubordination, it’s also a reminder that clearly both of them really cherished their friend, and it’s meant to comfort Armin.
After a tense month of waiting, fans were expecting Levi and Mikasa’s relationship to face a very bumpy ride because of the Ackerbowl. However, Levi proves once again how soft-hearted he is by forgiving Mikasa and Eren for doing everything in their power to save Armin, complete with head ruffles and a flustered, sweating Mikasa! Not only that, he comforts them, telling them to not regret their decision (his special No Regrets™ speech), with ultimately means he respected the outcome of their fight and in a way forgives them for the unfortunate things that happened (Even though Eren and Mikasa wouldn’t come out of this without being punished...).
This is the very first time we see Mikasa a little intimidated by the Captain, since she knows she went overboard by attacking him. Rivamika fans were blessed with a cute yet bittersweet scene, and while things between these two might be a little more complicated from now on, it looks a lot less worse than what everyone was expecting.
Shortly after that, Mikasa and Levi are seen working together to lift up wooden beams.
After being forgiven and having her hair ruffled by Levi, Mikasa starts to react nervously to his actions, just like Eren. She’s quick to obey him despite the Captain calling them brats.
[12/08/16] Chapter 88
Levi and Mikasa are featured together with Hange and Eren on the cover of Bessatsu Shonen Magazine that month.
[01/09/17] Chapter 89
Levi interrupts Mikasa’s small talk with Eren as soon as they’re reunited out of jail, and while she doesn’t look very pleased she’s not angry either.
[04/15/17] Episode 28
The anime team splits the carriage scene from chapter 37, “Southwestward”, into multiple parts and alters Levi’s dialogue towards Mikasa.
While his “I don’t know why you’re so attached to Eren” and “use all your skills to protect Eren” lines stay, his last line - “control yourself, don’t make another blunder” - is now directed at Eren, and not Mikasa.
Levi also looks a lot more stern than in the manga when he scolds Eren.
[04/29/17] & [06/29/13] Episode 30 & Episode 13
The anime team makes a series of small changes to the scene where Mikasa saves Historia, turning it even more into an almost exact parallel of the Episode 13 scene where Levi saves the EMA trio.
[04/08/17] Chapter 92
Mikasa, Levi, Armin and Eren are featured in a meme pose on the cover of Bessatsu Shonen Magazine.
[05/09/17] Chapter 93
Acker-revelations. Nine months after the Ackerbowl, Isayama drops a new bomb: the Ackermans - who are actually the stuff of legends told by the royal family - seem to be byproducts of titan science, which would explain their extraordinary power. Zeke is deathly afraid of Levi and Mikasa. But how did he know Levi’s identity? That’s a whole ‘nother mystery...
... and it seems it’s not just Zeke who’s afraid of these two - the Ackerduo also appears haunting Reiner’s dreams after his close encounters with swift Ackerdeath.
[05/20/2017] Episode 33
The anime team adds flashback scenes from episode 22′s battle between Rivamika and the Female Titan during Mikasa’s tearful conversation with Armin on top of the wall.
[08/09/2017] Chapter 96
Levi and Mikasa are featured yet again together with Eren and Armin doing a meme pose on the cover of Bessatsu Magazine.
Another Rivamika timeline comes to an end, and our ship is bigger and stronger than ever - it’s one of the few surviving SNK ships ever since the Uprising and Return to Shiganshina Acs ended. As we head to the series’ finale, the waters will be as dangerous as ever. Will the next Rivamika timeline be the last? Tune in as we stick with Rivamika... to the very end!
Hi there. First of all my i say that i LOVE your blog SO MUCH. So, as you can see mikasa sometimes had a headache whenever she's stress or too devastated. So, in your opinion does her headache will endanger her health like cancer or else? thank you very much :)
Hi @mikasacantabile, thank you sooo much! ( ˘ ³˘)♥ Love ya!
Mikasa’s headaches are one of the SNK mysteries I’m most looking forward to see revealed. Barely anyone in the fandom talks about them, though… I really hope they aren’t anything like a terminal disease, since we have too many characters in death row already.
Notice how the headache SFX is the same in every panel (”zuki, zukin…” or throb). Last time Mikasa had one of these was in chapter 83 after seeing Armin’s burned body.
This is an excellent post about the headaches. It was written before the ANSWERS databook was released (and thus before the Ackerman liege theory was confirmed), but since Levi didn’t show any similar symptoms when he went through very stressful times (Isabel and Farlan’s deaths, his squad’s massacre and the whole battle of Shiganshina / serum bowl), I’m inclined to agree with the post that they have to do with Mikasa’s East Sea Clan heritage and some special power that we don’t know of.
The East Sea Clan used to serve the Fritz King long ago together with the Ackerman Clan, so either they must’ve been extraordinarily powerful like the Ackermans or at least useful for some other purpose!
I’ve exhausted my salt supply because of the Season 2 cour drama already, (the one thing WIT Studio couldn’t have fucked up but did it anyway...) so I tried to be positive in my replies!
Anonymous said:
I m deceived of how they made the rivamika scene :(
I feel you, anon! But honestly, after almost being scared to death while watching the raw stream because someone whose stream was ahead said they’d skipped the carriage scene again (@suniuz I’M LOOKING AT YOU LOL), I’m just relieved they did not skip that scene entirely.
@noatchka said:
I watched the 3rd episode of season 2, and Levi didnt say 'dont make a mistake', or something to Mikasa, but Towards Eren. I like that tho xD
Nevermind, i saw your post xD
Despite popular opinion, I also don’t really mind, as long as they do justice to Mikasa’s character development during the Uprising Arc, whenever it airs. Apparently they changed Levi’s scolding to be directed at Eren because of the butterfly effect that came with radically changing season 1′s last episode (rage mode Eren).
Pros: Changing Levi’s dialogue to “I dunno why you’re so attached to him, but protect him at all costs” made him seem just jealous of Mikasa and Eren, and that’s it. In the manga at least he had an excuse for what he said - he was concerned about Mikasa AND her performance. Rivamika feels!
Cons: Mikasa not being scolded takes away from her flaws and makes her character more dependent on Eren, and less on Levi (which is actually what happens in later chapters). Cue “Mikasa is a Mary-sue” and “Mikasa is just shipping fodder” comments. Plus, Levi’s scolding is one of the catalysts for almost her entire character development in the Uprising Arc, and that’s what I like best about Rivamika - Levi is the one that helps her mature in that arc.
It’s also bad for Eren’s character. While they removed his “I’ll know exactly who to point all this anger at...” line, they added his rage mode to episode 25, and now Levi’s scolding on top of it makes Eren seem even angrier and more out of control. We know he’s going to snap later this season because of Reiner and Bertholdt anyway, so what’s the point...? At this rate I don’t understand what they’re trying to get at with Eren’s character anymore.
Anonymous said:
I feel like the rivamika carriage scene got really trivialised.... my only consolation was seeing Levi's face literally soften specifically for Mikasa when he gave her orders
In the manga, while we can’t see Levi’s face when he talks to Armin, we can suppose he keeps the same expression when he’s speaking to Mikasa.
Notice above how his expression doesn’t change at all when he scolds Mikasa, after asking her why she’s so attached to Eren. In this episode, however, Levi’s expression is stern towards Armin, becomes softer towards Mikasa and turns even harsher towards Eren, because of his scolding!
That’s a big deal and something I’m eternally grateful to the anime for!
Anonymous said:
As time passes by I find myself even more disappointed and salty about how the carriage scene was handled. Mainly because of how Mikasa's character is portrayed in the anime and how all the anime-only viewers I know see her and I quote " she is a generic MC centered character with no actual purpose other than fighting and following the MC around. She lacks all the depth and development of other characters and as it is for a supposed main her presence feels insignificant " and to my dismay I can't defend her since The anime adaption does portray her that way with all the changes in season 1 and I can't reference the manga in our discussions. I'm honestly worried about her character going forward.........( two part ask. I guess having more than a 100 people bash one of your favorites while you watch helplessly does that. I'm mostly venting but I'd love to know your opinion on this if you don't mind. )
Yes, unfortunately. See the pros and cons I wrote about above. We can’t do anything right now except be patient and wait and see if they fix it this season or next (which is more likely because... Ackermans).
Anonymous said:
With these drastic changes in the latest episode (which I was looking forward to so much) it is likely that EreMika and EreRi (NOTE: I have nothing against this 2 ship whatsoever) will gain tons of fans, it just saddens me RivaMika don't even get much screen time and then the studio will just change it like that, and to top it all they had ruined Mikasa's character development. We won't even get the "How's your leg part"... Is that too much to ask?? Do they really need to do that?
I don’t think it was all that bad for the Rivamika ship relatively speaking. But which ship gets more fans because of that scene should not be the main concern here, it’s Mikasa, Levi and Eren’s character development!
As for the “how’s your leg” moment from chapter 53: Hold on, we don’t know if they’re going to cut that scene from season 3 just because of what they did to episode 28! Some time ago I even talked about how they might tie Mikasa’s missing monologue from episode 25 to that scene when it airs in season 3. Who knows, maybe Levi will scold Mikasa differently, in other circumstances!
It makes sense to postpone that part of Mikasa’s character development to season 3 since the Uprising arc is much more about these two (Levi and Mikasa) than the Clash of the Titans arc. But it doesn’t look good for Mikasa’s character in this arc - it takes away the balance that Isayama gave her from Levi’s scolding.
Anonymous said:
Hi! I know that you talked about the change in the last espisode, but I feel that they took away what Isayama himself put through several chapters: that feeling of curiosity towards Mikasa. They also eliminated the guilt of her, because first the dialogue of "the strongest man of humanity is injured because of me" was removed. And now the one of "protects to Eren but controlate" which just referred to that occasion of the fight with the woman Titán. (1/2)
I would not be surprised if they removed the part where mikasa asks for his leg if they animate the bow of insurrection. The only thing I rescued from that moment in the anime, was that in fact Levi did not even scold Mikasa, instead to Eren himself and made him rather annoying. Sorry if my English is with google translate xD (2/2)
As I said above, let’s wait and see if they include these moments this season or next. Since they emphasized his leg’s injury with the added dialogue from last episode, I think chances are low that they’ll cut the “how’s your leg” scene from season 3.
@dark-als replied to your post “EPISODE 28”
I get that they are adapting things to fit with season 1 ending but I must admit I'm disappointed with how they handled this scene. I always viewed this scene as an important character development moment for Mikasa where she acknowledges her mistakes and takes responsibility for them. Yet they completely downplayed the moment ... I really hope this doesn't become a trend with other important scenes
I also hope this doesn’t become a trend, but let’s just wait. They can’t ignore this aspect of her character for too long because of the Uprising Arc.
I’m still hopeful that they won’t cut the “is your leg okay” scene from chapter 53. In my opinion, the anime’s biggest fuck up was making Levi, despite his injury, use the 3DMG to stop Eren from eating Annie. But they included this line to last episode’s dialogue to remind everyone that he’s still injured and to explain why he’s not actively fighting in the Clash of the Titans arc. So you see, if they fixed their blunder with Levi’s character, there’s still hope they can fix the one with Mikasa’s.
@suniuz replied to your post “EPISODE 28”
I was a little bit disappointed but maybe this means Levi doesn't want to blame Mikasa in front of everyone else? (Idk I'm just trying to make myself feel less salty but yeah Mikasa taking responsibility for her own mistake is so important :'(
Maybe it is. But it’s the second time the anime skips over that matter (Mikasa’s blunder versus the Female Titan). While from a Rivamika shipper’s point of view that might be great since Levi seems less harsh on Mikasa (even less than he usually is, considering how lenient he was to her during the Uprising Arc!), I really hope that means they’re just postponing these scenes to season 3 so the context is easier for anime-only watchers to understand.
Lastly, I’m going to quote Isayama, because here’s a friendly reminder that he’s genuinely worried about her character development:
Isayama: Mikasa’s growth probably involves separation from Eren. By separation, I mean she might be able to return to that ordinary girl that she used to be in childhood…… I read some interesting thoughts from readers on the internet. People would say male mangaka have a tendency to reject the notion of “fate.“ On the contrary, female mangaka draw works that approve “fate.” You meet your Mr./Ms. Right, you say “This is fate!”, and you accept that the trajectory of your life is already predestined. People who interfere with that and seem to affect your serene life are portrayed as villains. Of course, I am not speaking of all mangaka, but with my mentality as a male mangaka, I think it is pitiful if Mikasa’s life is only about staying together with Eren. However to Mikasa, it is a wonderful thing to be with Eren forever. Combining what I’ve said, if I were to draw the separation of Eren and Mikasa, I feel like my portrayal likely won’t be satisfactory for readers, because Mikasa would have to endure the strain of being stuck between Eren and Armin...
If he allowed these changes there must be a very good reason, and we’ll only know it when this season ends or maybe when next season airs.
Hiiiiii. Im new to the snk fandom and I'm just wondering how legit are the databooks? Is everything in it considered as canon material?
Hey anon, the databooks are canon. Someone writes them under Isayama’s supervision. But Isayama has been known to retcon some things that he thought the writer misunderstood, such as this case. It only happened once, though!
I am reading the interview and just readed this: Mikasa - I think he is someone who can make the correct decisions. Even though his methods are weird, he at least brings results… Holy shit, doesn't this reminds of Levi and Erwin's bond? And this isn't a bad thing.
That’s right anon, we can make lots of parallels between Mikasa’s bond with Levi and Levi’s bond with Erwin. I’m going to list a few.
AU Smartpass interview:
Mikasa: …I think he is someone who can make the correct decisions. Even though his methods are weird, he at least brings results…
Chapter 57:
From the databook:
Pash! Magazine: “The bond of trust”
Chapter 28:
It’s not a bad thing at all, in fact it’s awesome! <3
