Well, we don’t know that those spoilers are legit–I’ve seen no updates from the people whose leaks I do trust, so while they could be real, they could also be along the lines of “Levi is dying” spoilers from a few months ago.
Either way, if they are or aren’t real, I do expect something like this pretty soon? Mikasa has to grow away from Eren and find her own identity; that’s what her arc has to be about. It’s nothing to do with shipping. I think “it came to an end” might be a very simple summary of a far more complex situation–if it is even the case, but if it’s not, there’s almost certainly something like that coming.
I think people are probably doing what fandoms do best: overreacting. This is almost certainly going to happen at some point, and it’s necessary for both of their growths. Eren needs to face consequences for fucking up and pushing everyone away from him, so things need to get worse before they get better. And they will get worse for the trio 😦
For the people I have upset about Eremika in my inbox: I still think Eren and Mikasa will have a moment before the end; like I’ve said, I was expecting/am expecting something like this eventually, so it doesn’t affect my predictions are all. The joyous cover points to that (like, it’s absolutely giving a mutual romantic vibe). But like I’ve been saying, a happy ending isn’t happening for them 😦
Eremika, Yumikuri, and Aruani are my favorites!!! Of these, Yumikuri is canon, and I have written quite a bit about what I expect for Eremika–an acknowledgement is likely, a happy ending is definitely not happening. Aruani is probably my actual very favorite, followed by Yumikuri, then Eremika. But Aruani is not very likely to have any canon acknowledgement beyond some teasing as has happened in recent chapters–but ya never know 😉
Reibert, Marlowe/Hitch, and Galco are also ships I really love, and if Falco survives, and I still am hopeful he will, I think Galco’s chances of canonicity and a happy ending are really good.
For non-canon ships I also enjoy seeing art, etc, from Jeanmarco, Springles, Pieck/Porco, Petruo, LeviHan, Mikenana, etc. But I’m not very invested in any of these.
I guess it depends on a few things. Namely, how are we defining canon? I’ve never thought there was a chance of them ending up happy and together at the end, mostly because I think Eren’s chances of surviving, even before the 13 year limit became known, are about as low as they get. 😦 But I also consider Yumikuri canon, even though they’re not going to live happily ever after either.
I do expect an acknowledgement of Eremika, which I wrote about here. A moment, really. I think that’s pretty likely, but there isn’t going to be a long drawn out romance or much (if any) happiness–probably just a moment for them in which Eren acknowledges how much she means to him and what could have been.
I then think Eren is going to die and I do agree with you (and have been saying for awhile) that Mikasa is probably going to go to Hizuru by the end (honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked if we get a timeskip with Jean and Mikasa. I don’t really ship it but I think it’s pretty possible because if his feelings were introduced to the story, they should matter somehow).
we might get that. i mean there are so little chances of any ship actually getting together and be happy for any significant time, so an eremika moment that parallels chap 50 before everything goes to shit is quite likely.
Yeah, I agree. I think it’s very possible. I do expect an acknowledgement of Eremika before the ending, and Eren thanking her for what she’s done would fit. (maybe he will complete the kiss this time i must hope)
I’m sorry Anon, I’m not quite sure what you mean! Are you saying Eren might “sisterzone” Mikasa or that the writing is? I’ll answer both, if that’s okay.
The writing definitely is not “sisterzoning” Mikasa. Mikasa’s feelings I think are abundantly clear after chapter 50, in which it’s entirely possible she was moving to kiss him during the Clash of the Titans Arc. For the record, I didn’t ship it until chapter 50, though I did always think she had feelings for him.
I don’t think it’s a realistic reading to deny that Mikasa canonically has romantic feelings for Eren–it’s kind of blatant. Furthermore, Falco’s feelings for Gabi also clearly have a romantic component; pretending to be siblings doesn’t really change that and I just don’t think that situation is the best comparison as I doubt it’ll have further relevance.
As for how Eren sees Mikasa, that’s a different story all together, and Isayama pointing out Eren sees her as a motherly presence is not the same thing as saying Mikasa sees herself in a maternal sense (but there is some Oedipal-ness there). And it’s true–Mikasa is always trying to protect him as Carla asked her to do, but she would have done that anyways because she pretty clearly sees him as a major part of her identity, even to an unhealthy extent which I’ve talked about before, and that protectiveness is actually pushing Eren away in some sense. I do think the end goal of Mikasa’s arc has to be growing away from Eren; that being said, it’s not unrealistic to imagine that Eren would realize they could have had a happy future if, if, if.
If the circumstances of their world weren’t so cruel.
If they didn’t have to constantly fight to survive.
If Eren didn’t have a time limit on his lifespan.
If he’d decided not to go to Marlay.
Eren’s arc is tragic as hell. Even looking at the symbolism in the scene from chapter 50. Mikasa is essentially telling him she loves him, maybe wants to kiss him, and he focuses on I want to fight to save you. In doing that, he saves her, but he also loses that moment.
Eren will probably help save humanity even if Armin is the actual hero, but the cost is pretty clearly going to be his relationship with his loved ones–though I do absolutely think Mikasa and Armin will love Eren no matter how they disapprove of his actions, and I think he will love them regardless. But the closeness and the future, however short, they might have had, is probably gone.
And Mikasa knows this as she says here:
There isn’t a happy ending for them together like she’d have wanted, but she’s still clinging as we see in recent chapters wherein her clinging almost leads to her and Armin getting blown up.
To save the rest of her loved ones, Mikasa won’t be able to save Eren. I think that’s definitely where the story is going, but I do think it’s also realistic that Eren and Mikasa will have a moment wherein Eren acknowledges what could have been, and that he loves her, regardless of whether there is a romantic component.
I personally think there is likely to be (the set up is obvious, like with Touka and Kaneki in TG or Ochaco and Izuku in BNHA–it’s def a darker story with no hope for a happy ending for them, but main female character + main male character in this kind of story with a scene like chapter 50 that is clearly designed to put romance in the reader’s mind, is almost certainly intended to be romantic, plus we know Mikasa feels romantically). That being said, I also think it doesn’t actually matter whether or not Eren acknowledges romantic feelings for Mikasa. I just want him to acknowledge, and tell her, that he loves her and is grateful to her–because he does and is, regardless of whether that is familial or platonic or romantic, and the exact definition of that love doesn’t matter to the overall tragedy and beauty of their story. But acknowledging Mikasa’s personal romantic feelings would be a beautiful ending, imo, but that’s just my preference.
hamliet 