I agree! I had said earlier that I did not like the manga scene, while I wouldn’t say it’s badly written it just didn’t exactly… I didn’t like it. I thought this scene emphasized Historia’s growth (and also foreshadowed how it’s not necessarily a purely good decision, the ramifications of which we’re seeing in the current manga arc), while showing again the stark foiling of Levi to Kenny. Levi loves his squad and is learning to communicate that without violence. The original manga scene of Levi choking Historia emphasized again how Levi would move away from communicating via violence, but I also think the anime conveyed that without us needing to see Levi choking Historia, which I think is better written for the story as a whole.
Tag: snk anime
Looking for your opinion on this because I’m in a discord where quite a few people are discussing it. Do you think Historia’s character has been built up enough in the anime for her development in the cave to pay off? Even without the wall scene, her talk with Eren, and Levi intimidating her into becoming queen? Or do you think it’ll just fall on death ears for anime onlies not really understanding her character and the meaning of her decision in the cave? Would love to hear your thoughts!
Thank you for the ask! My answer is probably not what you wanted, but I hope it’s okay?
So, the short version is that I think there’s not much of a point in discussing it before we actually get there, and it depends on what anime onlys think–which manga readers simple won’t be able to predict. So, we’ll see what they think.
Watching a manga you love be adapted is fundamentally a different experience than watching an anime first, and I think manga-readers can project their experiences onto anime onlys (and I think that’s likely what’s happening here). I prefer manga as a medium to anime the majority of the time, but it’s not like, inherently a lesser medium or a lesser way to tell the story; it’s just a different medium to convey the same themes/characters, etc. Of course bad adaptations do exist (looking at you, Tokyo Ghoul :re), but also Tokyo Ghoul and hell, Root A got me into the manga in the first place and yes, I did pick up on a lot of the themes the manga was conveying even if it was actually adapted poorly.
All that to say, manga readers fretting over whether anime onlys will get something is something we can’t predict. It’s not as if manga readers have one coherent opinion on all the scenes. A story told well will definitely lessen the risk that someone would blatantly misread, but telling a story well via anime does have fundamental differences to telling a story well in a manga.
For SnK specifically, I remember all the manga ppl nitpicking things in Annie’s arc, so I’m sure it’ll be the same with Historia’s cave scene even if it is well adapted… like “anime onlys will never understand this important nuance to her character without those three panels exactly adapted!” and like, I watched the anime before I read the manga and I did, in fact, get that nuance about Annie from the anime, because they found a different way to convey that nuance that better fit the medium. But because certain things are emphasized in the manga that aren’t in the anime, to a manga-reader watching it might feel like it’s been cheapened–because we’re used to looking for that moment in the manga, that wasn’t necessary for the anime medium.
I’m sorry that this is kind of a non-answer! I hope it makes sense. But in short, we will see, and even if the anime doesn’t do it for many manga readers, it may not be because it’s a bad adaptation inherently but because we’re approaching with a different perspective.
So uh. I’m just gonna go ahead and address the elephant in the room when it comes to the next episode Snk. There’s no way in hell they’re gonna show the shit machine or even allude at it imo! However I feel like the anime needs to do something to show how sick Zackly is. They cut out the line of him saying he’d spent decades thinking of how he could degrade the nobles. I really want the anime to show that despite overthrowing the corrupt monarch having Zackly in charge isn’t much better.
I hope they don’t lol! XD I don’t think it was necessary for the story especially since it doesn’t seeeeem like Zackley has any big villainous role to play (maybe a little bit of one in this arc but idk), and if so, it’s just really stomach-turning seemingly for the sake of being sickening. I think they already have alluded to Zackley’s shadier side in his conversation with Erwin last episode, where he compared the two of them (which was not a fair comparison, poor Erwin) and I suspect, or what I’d do, is show more of that dynamic with Erwin and Zackley leading up to Shiganshina and show that Zackley is not a good person in terms of that.
Hey ik this is a weird question to ask but do you think we’re gonna get the scene of Levi choking Historia to take on her role as queen in the anime? The way the last episode ended pretty much made it impossible since they only found out she’s royal after she’s already been already kidnapped but idk. I guess I’ve still got a shred of hope. + Historia defying Levi on the wall to fight Rod, + her punching Levi to get back at him like Reeves told her to.
It’s not weird!
Honestly, I don’t know. I do think Historia defying Levi will be in the anime–it better be–but definitely rearranged in terms of structure, and I’m not sure if it will have that precise scene.
I’ll state that I really, really, really don’t like that scene in the manga for personal reasons, though it does have an important character and thematic purpose. It’s good writing and important for Historia, but I don’t like it at all. It was triggering. That being said I do hope they bring out those themes and development in Historia through some other means, because they better not be skipping that lol.
What do you think about SnK’s OP ss3?
I adore it. It’s my favorite one visually and symbolically. It brought me to tears. Musically it’s nice but not my fave.
For my very brief, rushed analysis of it (I’m not gonna cover every shot I don’t have time but):
We open with Eren with his eyes closed.
And then Eren awake, with his eyes open, jumping into action.
The camera then pulls back, symbolic of how his world is going to open up this season with the discovery of Marley. It’s also a part of growing up and maturation, a major theme in the Uprising and Shiganshina arc: learning to expand your worldview.
They cast larger shadows, symbolizing among other things, again, groiwng up, and also what they have to overcome:
The still images are fascinating, because they are of them as children, because they can’t change their past no matter what happens in the future.
We then have adorable baby Levi stumbling around between street walls #symbolism.
Levi flipping a knife and looking at an angle that appears to match Kenny’s angle next, showing again, that Kenny is his father figure.
And also Kenny’s original shot of him with his face covered and then flipping his hat up so we see his face: a literal unmasking.
If this Erwin shot of him watching his father and his child self does not break your heart I don’t know if you have one. Erwin’s face is also resolute, signifying how he was driven by his childhood trauma to the very end.
Baby Historia, initially appearing alone, only then to be revealed to be with Frieda, opening her hands and releasing into the wider world.
Eren appears and then we see his hand reaching for himself, but he can’t grab hold. He also then reaches for Mikasa, who stares away from him up at the sky, clutching her scarf (a symbol of something that saved her during her moment of trauma, and of her love for Eren that anchors her).
The hand then reaches for Armin, looking down, and Armin vanishes and hte hand is left with blood, and if you’ve read the manga you’ll know what this is referring to. It’s also interesting that Eren, Mikasa, and Armin are all looking in different directions, which is again symbolic of growing up and forming your own individual place in the world.
More still images of Carla and Grisha and baby Eren, and then we see Shiganshina again, the childhood home, and Eren then gets to his feet to look out at the larger world, but with his back turned towards the audience. I don’t want to speculate too much but you can clearly see this as a reference to what’s going on in the manga right now, with Eren going rogue from everyone who cares about him, and not even listening to his child self who keeps trying to get his attention before giving up. This is my favorite part, and I cry.
Then we see them running as kids, but not the destination. We see the Warrior babies trying to find their way through a dark, confusing forest with a lamp, looking lost.
Historia at the fence, refusing to looking out and away, rocking as if she can’t decide whether to step forward or not, Erwin and Levi passing each other and Levi watching Erwin.
The Shinganshina trio are running and they lose a shoe, and it’s left behind, the key and then a still shot of them laughing together. The key of course is the thing that will unlock the larger world they’re a part of, a world that they all need to find their way in, and they have to keep running forward, keep fighting for that beauty in the middle of a cruel world. It doesn’t lessen the beauty of the relationships they’ve shared, but it does make it impossible for them to go back to those days. Their love for each other will never lessen, that I believe, but they won’t be able to return to the simplicity of those childhood days, and their dreams will be realized but with a cost.
What do you think of the change in plot/structure in SNK season 3?
The Uprising is definitely my second favorite arc in SnK, though I know that isn’t a popular opinion (when have I ever had a popular opinion help), so seeing it adapted well really, really matters to me. Historia’s character is one of my favorites, and her journey is deeply meaningful for me.
Suffice to say, I do not have a problem with what the anime is doing so far. It seemed like they’re just rearranging things, which is fine because I will admit Isayama’s story while a fantastic story has some really… iffy pacing. The Uprising (like the Marlay arc) works as a whole in the story, but if I were to read it monthly I can see there being issues in the pacing. I don’t think the changes are much different than what the anime has been doing so far: in season 1, it rearranged the 104 training arc to fit better with the pacing, and in season 2 we got more of Ymir’s backstory when it was actually relevant instead of showing up five hours late with a letter.
So far, every season seems to be correcting little parts of the pacing, but the issues are simply more prominent in the arc being adapted right now: hence, there are going to be more changes. My guess is the Marlay stuff is also going to be heavily altered pacing wise, and I’m okay with that (who wants to bet we get some of Reiner’s memories of Bertolt this season before Shiganshina? I’d bet a lot on them doing a significant set up for season 4′s switch to Marlay, and I think it’s clear we’re heading to at least chapter 90 + possible beyond that insofar as the Reiner memory chapters go.)
The first episode was fast, but not to the point where it felt rushed yet, depending on how the rest of the season goes. It felt like it was setting the stones for things it plans to elaborate on later, but in a different order than we were expecting. It adapted the important parts, and framed Armin’s molestation as horrifying and not for gratuitous lols which was something I was very worried about after that interview. The OP is actually my favorite OP for SnK visually/symbolically. I’m excited to see my three favorite characters shine (Eren, Armin, Historia) or really burn up in flames but hey.
Isayama Hajime Shares New Blog Post with Original Sketch of Tankobon Vol. 26 Cover Illustration
After a nearly two-month hiatus, Isayama Hajime has finally shared a new blog post, where he included the original sketch of the cover of tankobon vol. 26 (Release date August 9th, 2018)!
His blog discusses his thoughts on season 3 of the anime. Please check back here for a translated summary!
Update (July 24th, 2018): Isayama wrote some very honest and emotional words for Season 3 that you can now read below!
Translation: @suniuz; Editing: @fuku-shuu
[T/N: Isayama first apologized for the lack of updates, as he hadn’t written in his blog in about two months]
“However! SnK Season 3!!! It was indeed wonderful!!
The moments around Volume 13-16 in the manga might be a result of my personal fallout after I finished drawing Volume 12. It felt like I was in a state when my energy/fuel was totally exhausted due to nothing but my own incompetence. Back then, I managed to somehow keep turning in the manuscripts, which I reluctantly extended and made duller each month.
At least, in my self-reflection I was weak-minded. Thus, when Season 3’s anime production first started, I discussed with the staff members and expressed that I hope they could appropriately rearrange the sections and functions of storylines in Volume 13-16 from the get-go.
As a result, they delivered an idealized script for me, and this time the story has a structure that I had no way of accomplishing with my own skills!
It was already in a good shape even during the first round of proofreading. Thanks to the talents of screenwriter Kobayashi Keiko-san, she constructed a clear and succinct backbone for my messed up manga. Then, with his specialized expression of roughness and astringency, Seko Hiroshi-san turned some poorly-written plots in the original manga into more compelling forms.
In addition, thanks to Director Araki who brought together guidelines for the overall production, seiyuus who give life to the characters, as well as all members who participated in the production. This time, I can ascend to heaven right after I die!”
[T/N:
Isayama then said he is going to watch the film One Cut of the Dead (Kameru o Tomeru na!), which his sister highly recommended.]
Related News: Isayama Hajime || Photos: Isayama Sketches || Season 3 || Translations: Other
Archival News:
Do you think the wall scene from chapter 51 will be in season 3? I’ve always seen it as kinda the introduction to Historia’s character / arc. She expresses her desperation to get Ymir back. Breaks down over the fact that Ymir left her and calls her a traitor. Laughs off her Krista personality as a joke revealing it’s origin of just being a character from a book she read as a child (she thinks). It’s not the end of the world if it’s not but idk it feels a little :/ without it.
I think it might. I hope so, at least!
As an add on to that other anon’s ask what do you think about Erwin’s character in the anime? People always complain about Mikasa’s portrayal but to me it feels like they miss any chance to try and humanise Erwin and just give him the heartless commander image. Skipping his speech to Levi in No Regrets and changing it to him just being a dick and skipping his talk with Levi at the end of season 2 expressing his guilt saying he’ll pay off his debts in hell. Apart from that the animes fine imo.
I have no complaints about how the anime has adapted Erwin’s character. (
No Regrets is an OVA anyways.)
I think they did not need that scene to
show Erwin’s guilt just as they did not need the Annie scenes or the
Mikasa scenes that were also cut to establish their characters.
Animation is a different medium than manga; adapting panel by panel
rarely would make for a good story. I do understand why people who are fans of the characters might really want certain scenes adapted though, so I understand, but I think Erwin’s character has been done justice and I’m particularly hopeful for his character arc this season. Hurt me, anime. Do it.
hamliet 