I do! I think Falco constantly chasing Gabi to his own detriment is definitely a parallel to Mikasa. I also think Falco parallels Armin (intelligence over brawn), Jean (morality), and Historia as well (wanting to die for a loved one).
1) Historia Reiss. Her arc means so much to me. Her martyr complex, her lack of self-worth, her suicidal tendencies are all highly relatable. The scene in the cave is still one of my favorites, and I am deeply invested in her arc and how it turns out. Her relationship with Ymir is also one of the best lesbian representation examples I can think of.
2) Annie Leonhart. I love her kind heart masked by a life that hasn’t allowed her to be kind at all. She isolates herself, but she also reaches out and helps Eren train, saves Connie, protects Armin, etc. She cares deeply about people but has never been allowed to show it.
3) Mikasa Ackerman. Her arc is really lovely, and I’m looking forward to what seems to be set up for more Mikasa focus. Her comforting Gabi and saving her is exactly what she needs to be doing to overcome her flaw of clinging too hard to Eren.
4) Gabi Braun. I know the fandom hates her but in terms of pacing and overall direction, I genuinely think her arc is one of the best written ones in the entire story. She’s getting redemption right now I think. I love that she’s facing consequences for what she’s done to Sasha, but she’s also a child.
5) Ymir. Her story was so beautiful and her relationship with Historia inspiring. Her death still leaves me grumpy, but I do think that her memories will come into play for Historia’s sake via Porco.
It’s hard to give one without the full translation! But judging by the framing, Nicolo is clearly in the wrong here. He almost killed two kids, encouraged Kaya to become a murderer, and may have poisoned Falco. I am hoping that was blood and not wine dripping into his mouth.
I loved Mikasa. In contrast to Eren killing kids, she protects an Eren parallel, stopping Kaya from turning into a murderer like she wasn’t able to stop Louise and Eren from joining this new uprising, and comforting a traumatized child who murdered in her trauma (oh look, a parallel to her own childhood self). She’s making steps in her arc and I am here for this.
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.
Another thing that excited me about the last chapter was seeing Louise and the callback to an event I’ve talked about very recently concerning Mikasa’s development.
I’ve referred to her salute here as the beginnings of her development into a proud soldier and defender of the peace. What is especially significant about this development is that it is wholly separate to her love for Eren. So, seeing Louise give the same salute here in trying to convince her to help Eren ignites a certain cognitive dissonance within her.
She’s seeing, in an image, her duties as a soldier combined with her desire to help Eren.
I LOVED this chapter. A really powerful, thematic chapter with lots of character moments. (This isn’t a proper meta but is more my ramblings.)
It really gets at the issues between two groups of people who have been taught to hate each other, and to self-hate as well in the case of Gabi and Falco. It is not easy to just nod and say “I get it now.” Brainwashing is really hard to overcome, and especially when you’ve been pushed to such limits, are only 12, have killed for this cause you believe in–what if that cause was wrong after all? Gabi just wants to believe she matters, that all she’s been through hasn’t been in vain. It’s a childlike coping mechanism, but it’s relatable.
The thing is, Isayama isn’t even issuing that challenge to Gabi yet. He’s just asking her, as Kaya is asking her about her mother, to see Sasha as a person. Because that’s actually the best way to overcome that kind of brainwashing: to see a person. To empathize. Kaya’s kindness I hope touches her. Gabi must have heard Sasha’s name on the airship, so I’m hoping the name drop rattles her to the bones and causes her to rethink. But it won’t be easy, but I think she can do it.
As @harostar was saying last night, the story really comes down to Gabi and Falco. Will they break the cycle? Falco is perhaps willing to. But Gabi needs to be willing to as well. Or will they repeat the cycle that everyone seems to be repeating right now? Hange having to arrest people for information (she’s very sympathetic and I’ll fight people coming for her), Floche becoming exactly what he once criticized (yelling at Eren and Mikasa for trying to save Armin and not following orders, and now he’s the one not following orders–I don’t like the guy but I see what Isayama’s doing with him), Mikasa remembering that for all the beauty of her relationship with Eren, that incident that taught her to live also introduced her to violence, and seeing that Louise has been introduced to insubordination and violence as well… (like the comment about Mikasa having been in that cell or not wasn’t subtle), the reminder that Historia is unhappily pregnant just liker her mother, etc.
I think breaking the cycle fits better with the themes, but we will see. Hange needs to break away from trying to be Erwin and try to lead as Hange, Mikasa needs to realize that fighting worked in the past but fighting may look different now, and she needs to address her feelings for Eren. Historia needs to remember what Ymir told her, and I have no hope for Floche–he’s pretty clearly going to lead a coup and it will end poorly. Gabi needs to see the Eldians, including herself, as people.
The story is asking the characters to see everyone, including themselves, as people. Because that’s the only way to break the cycle.
Today I wanna try to analyze this ending, which I think is very deep and interesting for Mikasa as a character and which we can also linked to the new OAV.
Here the english lyrics:
“
Your dream is where your heart is It’s something more fragile than life itself No matter how many times you throw it away, you still find it So rest in peace now
Your wish is violated by your pulsing urge and as much as you forget about it, you recall it again
In this beautiful and cruel world We only ask “why” we’re still alive… Ah, what are we going to protect with our strength and weakness? If reason no longer exists
That sky looks sad Ashes and mirages rise up You freeze in warm words So rest in secret now
Your grief is hidden by fantasies sticking to you and as much as it tears apart, it joins back together again
In this beautiful and cruel world We only beg for death to “wait”… Ah, we’re flightless weathercocks We don’t know if the truth is more beautiful than lies or not
If we are songs Then we’ll raise the flags to that wind and just send hope to someone without hesitation, if only…
In this beautiful and cruel world We only ask “why” we’re still alive… Ah, what are we going to protect with our strength and weakness? If reason no longer exists… “
This ending starts with stars, comets and planets until a small knife felt to the ground, where Mikasa is running through the woods. Suddendly dozens of bloodied knives lay in the ground and from now on Mikasa’s jorney starts:
The first scan is introducing us the question “where Mikasa’s heart is?”, following the fact that her heart is more fragile than her life. What does it mean? Mikasa is stronger than everyone else of the cadet corps, but she’s even more fragile than others. That’s why her life is too hard to surrender, on the other hand her heart broke long time ago. This can also be linked to her typical survival philosophy, which can’t allow Mikasa to die easily.
The ending presents a dream-like dimension where Mikasa is running through a forest, which is usually connected to tales and dreams. This forest is totally black, which introduces us to a dark atmosphere. As a matter of fact Mikasa is one of the darker characters.
The forest is where Mikasa lost her innocence, that’s why wherever she goes she can’t abandon it. Moreover the forest has a special meaning for Mikasa as a child, because it represents her outside world (like Eren’s ocean).
The main desire of Mikasa is to be by Eren’s side forever, no matter what, but this desire isn’t pure nor sane but a trauma she has to overcome. This trauma developes that “pulsing rage” which “defiles the wishes she harbors”. What could be the solution? The ending points out that (under her pov) she doesn’t carry within her body the solution, because Eren himself is the goal to achieve.
In this moment of the ending Mikasa is wrapped into a vortex of bloody knives and because of that she trasforms herself in the cadet corps we know well:
“In this beautiful and cruel world we keep on asking ourselves why it was we who survived, what we will protect with our strenght and our weakness…”: a beautiful but cruel world is Mikasa’s theme, and in the scan Mikasa sees two birds (which are she and Eren) fly beyond the walls towards light and outside world (birds are SC’s symbol). At the same time she asks to herself what (or who) she has to protect with her strenght and weakness, even if the ending presents this question as proper of a multitude of people. Mikasa sees Eren now, who is the one she thinks she has to carry about and this is confirmed by both anime and manga:
Moreover, there are three gates in that image, which maybe refer to the three main characters (E.M.A.). Eren is passing through the bigger one, because his titan power, while Mikasa and Armin are by his side passing through the smaller ones.
This scan refer to the strange truths they all discover in the series, which are out of any logic.
So… This ending refers to her narrative flaws and to Mikasa’s existential dramas. She still lives into that forest and Eren isn’t a pure dream but the one where she finds comfort. While Eren is fighting for freedom Mikasa is fighting for Eren in a selfish way, to avoid his death even at the cost of sacrificing Eren’s dream. As a matter of fact at the beginning of this ending Mikasa is running towards her dream (when her dream is where she finds comfort) until she finds Eren.
Mikasa always carries violence with her.
Hi!
I hope you don’t mind if I add some thoughts on this ending.
First of all this ending tells Mikasa’s story up until Trost. Moreover we can assume that it is Mikasa herself the one singing.
Let’s note that the animation presents a ring structure.
I really enjoyed this OAV and so I’d like to give you my thoughts about it.
First of all this OAV follows a circular structure, which is able to connect it with the canon anime series to develope the narrative arc of Mikasa herself.
This is the OAV premise:
Mikasa remembers of a dream made that day in Trost when she realized the loss of Eren. That day Eren sacrificed himself for Armin. The Trost arc is the one which presents the narrative flaws of almost all the characters.
And then:
Mikasa is trying to create an alternative reality to avoid Eren’s death, but there’s someone who warns her that there’s no way to stop this cruel destiny. Btw Mikasa has to learn this lesson and this dream will be able to teach her what her real spot in this story has to be.
Despite the reality where Mikasa is totally unable to control the events even if she is so strong here she does. We have many details which point out this fact: whatever she wants she gets, except to stop Eren’s death (which is the only thing she truly wants at the beginning of the series):
Eren is the one we know well, the child who always searched freedom when freedom has an high prize. This prize is what Mikasa tries to avoid controlling the events in her dream, and she is very selfish in this desire because she doesn’t even care about what Eren’s desires are:
a) she stops the wolf before they attack;
b) when she wishes for seeing Eren one more time her mother takes an infection;
c) after she said she doesn’t want that Eren joins the SC this is what happened:
In this scan we can see that whatever Mikasa does there’s nothing she can do to stop Eren’s will, because he has a dream and he carries death within his body.
I think this is a little bit sad because it means that even in a dream Mikasa can realizes her desires, but it’s also a positive message because what Mikasa desires isn’t sane at all. She needs to kill this part of herself to grow up as a person and to have a true relationship with Eren and this is what she does when she kills her reflection in the mirror (the mirror man).
In the entire OAV there’s a number which is often mentioned:
Eren beats three punches, Mikasa can give the scarf back to Eren in three days and Eren will leave the walls at the third ring of the bell. Moreover we have three walls and the story follows three protagonists.
Three is the Triad number and the number of the whole as it contains the beginning, a middle and an end. It’s also something circular which divides human as body, soul and spirit. Number three is also associated with communication skills and feelings self-expression.
It has to be a clue for something more.
Btw, we jave to analyze this moment in the OAV:
Mikasa meets the mirror guy who wants to turn her into a murder when she is running towards Eren. This guy preventing her to reach the object of her run, but who is him?
We see that he has no face, but he’s just a Mikasa reflection. That’s why because is Mikasa herself who is prevented from reaching Eren for a free choice. She is victim of her violence, which she thinks is made for Eren and is useful to be on his side, but she’s wrong.
The violence is the fact which stop Mikasa to reach the object of her desire. It’s not a concidence that the only sane moment in her relationship with Eren is in the season two when she is not able to fight anymore and then she admits to Eren her true feelings.
Mikasa becomes a murder for herself to survive and the philosophy of survival is the her flag. Btw no matter how fast or strong she is because Eren will leave her behind, and this makes Mikasa suffers but it’s also important for her grown as a character:
In this scan the man in the mirror says that Eren carries deth within his body, which seems something connected with the Ymir’s curse. This maybe means that from the beginning to this days Mikasa learns this sad truth and that’s why she has to accept it:
The man in the mirror is her because of this scan, which represents one of the narrative flaws of her character. She thinks the key is the power when the power is the one which doesn’t allow Mikasa to be happy at all, prisoner of this role in such a way. The power is the only answer to the awareness of a cruel world, but she has not to forget that this world is also very beautiful.
Btw even if she tries to creat another reality the events are reproposed under an alternative pov, and it means that without them Mikasa would not have come this far and woul never have known Eren.
On the other hand in this dream everything seems to start with Eren, when in the reality everything started with a Mikasa trauma that she has to overcome.
Because its circular structure this is the end:
This end is the same of the reality she tries to change.
And because of that Mikasa learns her lesson:
She cant’ stop him, but she can be by his side. I think this not means a total overcoming of her narrative flaws, but it’s important for her development.
hamliet 