Chapter 126 went back to showing AoT's greatest weakness - which is getting the story, specifically plot, where it needs to be.
I think it's the weakest chapter we've had in quite a while because of how scattered it is, but I very much appreciate we're actually closer to uniting everyone in one location now, which is one part of giving the story it's final direction.
One thing I feel is that the Tumblr demographic *probably* won't like where the story is going and the other more right-leaning places will probably take the wrong message out of it in a very different direction.
The hero we've been following all this time is now the "villain" and will probably have to die.
At the very least, there will have to be massive consequences for Eren here.
He started a damn *genocide attempt* and his actions have already killed many people, no matter how understandable his fall to this place he's at right now has been.
We had an entire chapter dedicated to how his idealism was destroyed from a very empathic perspective. It's so strange to me people claim we have no perspective on Eren when we literally had an entire chapter about it. We've seen the flashback to Eren sitting in the cart with his friends for like 3 times now.
We've literally been told this is going on because he doesn't want anyone he cares about to be killed and he's seen so much hate for everyone he cares about that he just saw no other solution anymore, but is simply going too far with it.
Nothing wrong with people feeling confused about or feeling like it's not enough etc. It's never directly stated, but I personally feel like we also don't need to be spoon-fed everything.
Personally speaking it was even becoming a little too in-your-face to me. You have to be careful empathising with a character that wants a genocide.
We can't have a fairy tale ending where everything is "pure" and "okay" now and I think most of us have pretty much expected that.
Ending it in a way where Eren is forgiven would be the standard, most straight-forward dramatic solution (and, well, people like stuff in their comfort zone, which is also very understandable as to why people want this to end that way), but it's also very morally screwed up.
On the flip side, I think ending it with no understanding for Eren is also equally wrong and something AoT also probably won't do because that's not what it has ever done and would very much go against it's philosophy of showing every single character as human in some way.
Tl; dr, if you know Connie's character, Connie's just being his hyperbolic self, the story is not saying you should start seeing Eren as the villain now, which is where I think most of the complaining comes from.
Right now, we're seeing complete chaos - the victory of extremism and radicalisation, which is an extremely important element to a story about fascism.
It's the lowest point preceeding the highest and it has to be there to see how fascism and it's "excuse" of freedom could be defeated.
It's also extremely uncomfortable, heavy and chaotic.
While browsing for some other perspectives for this chapter, I saw an observation along the lines of "why can't everything just sort itself out? Everything feels so forced."
You could 100% read it as the plot just being forced to where it needs to go, but I suspected Connie would hesitate and I don't feel like his reaction was out of character, myself. He's been idealistic and talks in extremes a lot, but he's also extremely empathic. Connie's mom was addressed, but the ultimate point was to bring a bunch of fractions together again.
People are extremely irrational and this is a extremely politically complicated situation.
A extremist movement within a minority race is threatening to subjugate the whole world - along with their *own country*. The people Eren so wants to protect are suffering because of him, too.
I think that's what will probably save the Eldians, though.
We got a bunch of the 104th together again, but more importantly, we got the highest ranking officers, Hange and Magath, talking and they're both some of the (if not the only) high ranking officers of both countries that are still alive.
If nothing else, there is at least a chance Marley and Eldia can reach a truce here if both countries are still functional once this whole thing ends.
I think Levi's story possibly won't have a very happy conclusion because he seems pretty focused on his revenge and we don't have a place for that right now.
I really appreciate Hange's proactivity and Annie loosening up.
I can see Mikasa ending up pretty angry when confronting Eren again.
Another child is about to die because of Eren's indirect actions and presence. I can see Mikasa actually growing very angry with him because the Jaegerists are literally called *The Jaegerists*.
Eren is not only hurting the people he wants to protect, but also being extremely irresponsible about the position of power he has. Something Mikasa has learned not to do.
So yeah, we're heading for Eren, but I think it's 100% going to be a lot more nuanced than I see being talked about.
I think this is a pretty valuable narrative for making people examine their relationships.
When is the time to put your foot down in a relationship?
Alternatively, when is the time to forgive someone you care about?
Pride also couldn't be a more appropriate title for this chapter.
Armin was talked down from killing himself.
Connie and Levi are being extremely stubborn right now.
Mikasa is reminded of her own values in the scene with Louise - she doesn't want any more children to die.
Other than that Gabi, Falco, Mikasa, Connie, Annie, Armin and Reiner are all in one place.
Yelena, Onyakapon and Jean are also together with Hange, Pieck and Magath now.
We now have two larger groups instead of everyone being separated and a specific direction for both: Eren/Zeke.
Floch is now the only straggler from the cast.
What remains to be seen is how the story handles this and I am interested.
I think I won't be doing my more detailed chapter posts for a while for now because I'm busy with work, but I will get to them eventually. If I can write them, full chapter posts will be out once the other chapter versions are out.
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
origamiaround
blakekathryn
2087
tangentwithtanner
yousharknotpass
amandla
