“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”
An SnK Chapter 70 Review
What a difference two months can make. Night has turned to day in a literal sense. Rod's colossal cavern implosion resulted in an abundance of shining stones that allow people to see at night. Industrialists can keep their shops open late and the Survey Corps can finally use the darkness to their advantage as they clear the path to Shiganshina.
What's more, the children of darkness have a place in the sun as Historia and Levi’s first order of business was to provide a home for the orphans of the underground. The average citizen no doubt has a smile on their face and a skip in their step at these improvements. Even the average soldier is feeling the joy.
snkception has done a marvelous job conveying the tone of this chapter, the gulf between the mood of the average citizen and that of our beloved veterans.
In fact, many of the meta greats have already weighed in, so I’m going to focus on the points that I haven’t seen well covered.
Hange is Feeling the Joy!
Levi and the 104th are traumatized over the knowledge that Titans were once human. That knowledge is not being shared with the rank and file soldiers. It’s responsible for a large part of the dark cloud that separates our kids from the rest of the recruits.
Only Hange seems impervious to the sadness. I don’t think this reflects badly on her as a person. “Goggles Up Hange” is a person of emotion. “Goggles Down” is all business. There are serums to explore, mysterious military equipment to dissect, guillotines to create, and press junkets to attend. Hange is getting to science like never before.
I don't think she is deliberately leading the charge in the propaganda machine, but it was interesting to me that our favorite jounalists, Peaure and Roy, are there to witness the success. She urges that it be reported to the masses.
Aha! So what’s what Orvud meant!
Remember back in Chapter 67 when we were questioning the name Orvud? We learned it was Estonian for “Orphan”. We knew Historia would become a literal orphan with Rod’s death. Some theorized that they Survey Corps would become figurative orphans if Erwin was killed. But no one could have guessed that it tied to Historia’s dream. In our defense, maybe Historia didn’t know either. But once again - sneaky Isayama!!!
Remember this panel from chapter 68?
Many of us thought Historia’s lack of uniform and desire to move of her own accord spelled trouble for the Survey Corps. We were wrong. Historia is Queen in name only. The military is running the show, freeing her to fulfill her dream of championing the poor. I direct you to leviskinnyjean’s gorgeous meta on this topic.
Tying up a few loose ends
Just recently I began seeing posts questioning the fate of Ralph and Sannes. Speculation was that they were left to rot in the abandoned cell where they eventually starved to death.
Not so. The new regime is somewhat humane*. Detention facilities have been set up so Sannes can spend his days wistfully remembering his beloved King and waiting for his fingernails to grow back. He too is enjoying the sun. Hopefully there is a budget for dental care as well.
* Insert loud warning bells. It would be a mistake to label any regime headed by Zackly as “humane”
My Pet Panel
I’ve been talking about this man in the glasses for more than a year. I’ve long speculated he’s Hange’s father or someone of importance. Maybe he’s not. But I was excited that the secret technology room of the interior MPs bore a striking resemblance to the bespectacled mystery man’s workshop.
Go Talk to Shadis
Speaking of long waits, it’s taken eight long months for Eren to realize that Shadis is important! It was Chapter 62 when he appeared in Grisha’s flashback. I am not a patient person. Please EREN! Go quickly! I suspect we’re going to find out that the stress of training teenagers in the art of war isn’t the only cause of his rapid hair loss.
A Word About the Serums
It seems obvious to me that the serums will be used. I’ve talked about that here. It would be a foolish to inject someone unless the purpose is to eat a shifter. The serum Levi holds is the “mindless titan”. Injecting someone just so they get stuck as a mindless titan doesn't seem to make sense. Until we know more, it's hard not to suspect that the serum will be used for the injected person to absorb the power of a shifter.
Isayama appears to be laying the groundwork so someone, somewhere, sometime will be eaten. Annie, Reiner, Ymir, Bertholt and Eren are the candidates. I suppose Mr. Key is too, but it’s more likely defeating him is what will necessitate the eating.
And Levi will be the one doing the injecting.
I’m also interested in the point that, according to Hange, the technology to create and investigate the serums does not exist in the walled world. This fuels my belief that Rod’s treasure trove of serums was obtained through nefarious means.
More Meta Done Right
Hange isn’t the only one smiling. This chapter was a gift to the meta writers. These are a few of the posts I enjoyed.
Erwin and Levi’s truly bizarre conversation ( snkception)
The Beast Titan Battle ( leviskinnyjeans )
The Tragic Breakup Marlow and Hitch ( go to snapdreygon and cellostargalactica‘s “hilow” tags and cry salty tears of disappointment)
The thoughts of gnipswanderlust, erens-jaeger-bombs, teetanjaeger, aotopmha and ghostmartyr
Reminder: These badass soldiers are really just teenagers
I think this chapter was well needed in terms of solidifying all the character development stemming from all the chaotic battles and trials that the squad has had to endure throughout the uprising arc.
The most obvious scene is when the past 104th trainee members comment on how the squad has really changed, prompting them to ask “What in the world happened to you?” It’s quite the chilling line because it reminds us that these soldiers are just teenagers who have witnessed the crippling effects of war and are uncovering some of the greatest mysteries humanity has ever known. They’ve learned things that really cause them to question everything they’ve known until this point (eg: Connie’s village, the truth behind the royal family). When they all enlisted in the survey corps they were probably thinking solely about eradicating the titans, but now their mission has brought them to fighting fellow humans as well. Just remember the look of shock and horror on their faces when they saw Levi kill the soldiers working under Kenny, and of course the aftermath of Armin saving Jean by firing the rifle.
In a world ravaged by titans who have terrorized mankind for centuries, they never could have imagined that stopping these beasts would also entail killing other humans. Their battles in this arc had nothing to do with titans, and I think that took a really large toll on the squad and caused them to change the way they look and think about things.
Now that they’ve been out of action for two months, they’ve had all this time to think things over, digest what they just went through, and agonize over all the new information they’ve learned. When you’re kept busy 24/7, it’s easy to push certain thoughts to the back of your mind, but when you suddenly have all this time, it’s inevitable that troubling thoughts will pry their way back to the forefront of your mind. I think this is what’s happening to Mikasa - there's got to be a whole lot on her mind especially after all the Acker-business that went down and the appearance of Kenny Ackerman. Not only that but, a few people (assyleiko, shortie-levi) have pointed out that maybe the Ackertalk has already happened and that’s why we see Mikasa so moody and reserved in this chapter. Compared to the other members of the squad, she’s definitely having a more difficult time and it very well could be due to Levi and something he told her. Obviously, she’s under a lot of psychological stress and it’s no surprise that she’s acting like this. I just hope she finds a way to deal with this stress and that she doesn’t start to believe that being out in the battlefield is the only way for her to calm her unsettling thoughts (#ProtectMikasa2k15).
Honestly though, this chapter really reminded us of who these characters are - they’re soldiers who are enduring hell, but the way they handle everything often makes us forget that they’re really just teenagers.
Already I’ve been jossed by the official translation. In Crunchyroll’s translation, there’s no talk of Annie. There’s no “we”. It’s a much more sinister scene.
Update: Several people have told me that Crunchyroll is wrong and Annie is in the original text.
I need to know your opinion about the serum, on whom Levi will have to use it. Thank you dear Hanji to always help us!
Those pages would benefit from an official translation. Some of the dialog isn’t clear. But we can discern a few obvious things.
1. Only a select few know about the existence of the serum. This is a closed door discussion.
2. The serum needs to be kept away from anyone who would misuse it. It’s entrusted to Levi - it’s safest with him.
3. The possibility exists that the serum may someday need to be used. Erwin is vague about this, but I know what we’re all thinking.
In Chapter 69, Kenny considered using the serum to prolong his life, so that’s always a possibility. If someone was dying, and injection would “save” them. At this point, with no antidote, it wouldn’t be the smartest Hail Mary move.
The big fear, of course, is hinted at on an page.
If it becomes obvious that the only way to save mankind is for a Reiss to hold the power, there’s only one options. Inject Historia and let her eat Eren.
The Beast Titan Returns… You Won’t Believe What Happens Next!
If spoilers are to be believed, and we know they always are, Monkey Trouble is back.
It’s been 30 chapters since we last saw him. I have to ask, why now? Why is he important at this point in the story? Strap in boys and girls because the answer will blow your mind!!!!!
In chapter 69, we got Levi’s backstory. We learned of his childhood in the brothel, we met his mother and we got a glimpse of his years with Kenny.
What we didn’t learn was anything about Levi’s father. We know it’s super duper important because all parentage in SnK is critically important. Especially Hange’s. So the question remained unanswered. Who is Levi’s father? I believe we find out in Chapter 70.
My super serious theory: LEVI’S FATHER IS THE BEAST TITAN!!!!!
I present the rock solid, undeniable evidence.
1. They are both clean freaks
Levi and the Beast Titan react identically to having Titan goop on their hands. No other character has had this reaction. It’s a clear and obvious link between the two.
2. They both stole 3DMG
The Beast Titan stole Mike’s 3DMG. And remember that enthralling literary masterpiece “A Choice With No Regrets”? It was revealed that LEVI stole 3DMG too!!!! This was foreshadowing a connection between the Levi and Monkey Trouble.
3. They both have really, really dark circles under their eyes
The beast titan was able to move at night. It’s logical to conclude he doesn’t sleep either. This may point to a genetic link for Levi’s insomnia.
4. A Motive for Mike’s Murder
If the Beast Titan is Levi’s father, and I think it’s safe to say he is, it also explains his motivation for killing Mike Zacharius. Remember, Mike humiliated Levi by pushing his face into the sewer water of the underground. The Beast Titan may have been getting revenge for that act. It’s not just the Ackerman who have strong loyalties and family ties. Or maybe Levi’s father is also an Ackerman. But he could be a Reiss. I’m not sure about that yet.... but still... he put a hit on Mike for this obvious reason.
Please let me know if I missed anything. I’m really excited about this, and I think for once one of my theories will finally be right!!!!!!
Thank you kokavveci for being the inspiration for this post, and for reminding me of the 3DMG connection. And to inelegantalligator for taking a looksee before I posted and helping me make it even more convincing.
