#rowan watches attack on titan

[skinnyscottishbloke]

Some housekeeping of shows I want to watch over the winter. More below the cut.

SHOWS TO FINISH

1. Black Sails (2/4)

2. Peaky Blinders (5/6)

3. Brooklyn 99 (5/8)

4. The Mentalist (4/7)

5. Justified (3/6)

6. The West Wing (3/7)

7. Sex Education (3/4)

8. Cold Case (4/7)

9. OUAT (6/7)

10. MI-5/Spooks (4/10)

11. ANTM (22/24)

12. Outlander (6/8)

13. Grace and Frankie (5/7)

SHOWS TO WATCH FOR THE FIRST TIME

1. Ted Lasso

2. Our Flag Means Death

3. Foundation

4. Staged

5. Young Royals

6. *continue DT’s filmography*

7. Love Victor

SHOWS I’VE STARTED BUT WILL (PROBABLY) NEVER FINISH

1. Reign

2. Agents of Shield

3. The 100

4. Friends

5. House

6. Arrow

7. Queer As Folk (US)

8. Weeds

9. How to Get Away with Murder

10. Attack on Titan

SHOWS I’M CURRENTLY WATCHING/ RE-WATCHING

1. Buffy (via reaction)

2. Leverage (w/ Rowan)

3. Fellow Travelers (currently airing)

4. Good Omens (via reaction)

5. DW (13’s seasons)

6. catching up on Taskmaster (s08-11, s13-16)

7. catching up on Drag Race (Mexico s01, Brazil s01, UK s05, Germany s01)

SHOWS I HAVE SEEN ALL OF THAT ARE DONE

1. The Tudors (4/4)

2. The White Queen/The White Princess/The Spanish Queen/The Serpent Queen (all 1/1)

3. Buffy (7/7)

4. Angel (5/5)

5. Pillars of the Earth (1/1)

6. HIMYM (9/9)

7. Psych (8/8 + movies)

8. Bones (11/11)

9. Broadchurch (3/3)

10. North and South (1/1)

11. BBC Merlin (5/5)

12. BBC Robin Hood (3/3)

13. Downton Abbey (6/6 + movies)

14. Sense8 (2/2 + special)

15. Jessica Jones (2/2)

16. Daredevil (3/3)

17. The Defenders (1/1)

18. Luke Cage (2/2)

19. Iron Fist (2/2)

20. Game of Thrones (8/8)

21. BBC Sherlock (yes it’s done LOL) (4/4)

22. ATLA (3/3)

23. LOK (5/5)

24. Vicar of Dibley (3/3)

25. OG Gossip Girl (6/6)

26. Leverage (5/5)

27. Versailles (3/3)

28. Veronica Mars (3/3 + movie + reboot)

29. Firefly (1/1 + movie)

30. Castle (8/8)

31. 1995 P&P (1/1)

32. Glee (6/6)

33. Agent Carter (2/2)

SHOWS I’M CURRENT ON BUT ARE STILL ONGOING

1. Heartstopper (2/?)

2. Good Omens (2/ prob 3)

3. Wheel of Time (2/?)

4. Rings of Power (1/?)

5. Drag Race US (15/?)

6. Drag Race All Stars (8/?)

7. Leverage: Redemption (2/?)

8. Queer Eye (7/?)

SHOWS I’VE HEARD OF BUT NEVER WATCHED MORE THAN AN EP OR 2 (AND PROBABLY WON’T)

1. Supernatural

2. any of the Star Treks

3. Breaking Bad

4. NCIS

5. JAG

6. Dexter

7. Chuck

8. Grey’s Anatomy

9. Community

10. The Office (UK or US)

11. Parks and Rec

12. Orange is the New Black

13. Black Mirror

14. Sons of Anarchy

15. One Piece

16. Dragon Ball Z

17. Full Metal Alchemist

18. The Vampire Diaries

19. The OC

20. Dawson’s Creek

21. Gilmore Girls

22. Teen Wolf

23. 24

24. Emily in Paris

25. CSI

26. 911 or any spin offs

27. Scrubs

28. Family Guy

29. The Simpsons

[aheckinmess]

List of Characters I Can Write

My Hero Academia (Current Hyperfocus, Fan for 3 Years)

Pro Heroes

Shouta Aizawa (Eraserhead) - Enji Todoroki (Endeavor) - Hizashi Yamada (Present Mic) - Keigo Takami (Hawks) - Oboro Shirakumo (Loud Cloud) - Toshinori Yagi (All Might) - Rumi Usagiyama (Mirko) - Snipe (Choku Dan)^ - Sekijiro Kan (Vlad King) - Nemuri Kayama (Midnight) - Kugo Sakamata (Gang Orca) - Mirai Sasaki (Sir Nighteye) - Ryuko Tatsuma (Ryukyu) - Taishiro Toyomitsu (Fat Gum) - Ectoplasm

^ "Choku Dan" is a placeholder name that I've given Snipe since it hasn't been revealed in the manga/show to my knowledge.

Adults

Natsuo Todoroki - Fuyumi Todoroki - Toya Todoroki - Inko Midoriya - Tensei Iida

Villains/Anti-Heroes

Dabi - Tomura Shigaraki - Himiko Toga - Jin Bubaigawara (Twice) - Atsuhiro Sako (Mr. Compress) - Danjuro Tobita (Gentle Criminal) - Manami Aiba (La Brava)

Class 1-A

Izuku Midoriya (Deku) - Katsuki Bakugo (Great Explosion Murder God Dynamight) - Shoto Todoroki (Shoto) - Eijiro Kirishima (Red Riot) - Denki Kaminari (Chargebolt) - Mezo Shoji (Tentacole) - Kyoka Jiro (Earphone Jack) - Tenya Iida (Ingenium) - Mina Ashido (Pinky) - Momo Yaoyorozu (Creati) - Yuga Aoyama (Can't Stop Twinkling) - Tsuyu Asui (Froppy) - Ochaco Uraraka (Uravity) - Mashirao Ojiro (Tailman) - Koji Koda (Anima) - Rikido Sato (Sugarman) - Hanta Sero (Cellophane) - Fumikage Tokyami (Tsukuyomi) - Toru Hagakure (Invisible Girl) - Minoru Mineta (Grape Rush) - Hitoshi Shinsou

The Big Three

Mirio Togata (Lemillion) - Tamaki Amajiki (Suneater) - Nejire Hato (Nejire)

Jujutsu Kaisen (Active, Fan for 1 Year)

Jujutsu Sorcerers (Adults)

Satoru Gojo - Suguru Geto - Kento Nanami - Choso - Ryomen Sukuna - Toji Fushiguro

Jujutsu Sorcerers (Teens)

Yuta Okkotsu - Toge Inumaki - Panda - Maki Zenin - Yuji Itadori - Megumi Fushiguro - Nobara Kugisaki

Attack on Titan (Active, Recently Discovered)

Scouts

Levi Ackerman - Erwin Smith - Jean Kirstein - Eren Yeager - Armin Arlert - Mikasa Ackerman

(More will be added, but I've only just watched the show and need time to get to know the characters.)

Pokémon (Semi-active, Fan for 22 Years)

Pokémon Emerald (Ruby/Sapphire)

May/Brendan - Wally - Steven - Scott - Professor Birch - Roxanne - Brawly - Wattson - Flannery - Norman - Winona - Tate & Liza - Wallace - Juan

Pokémon Platinum (Diamond/Pearl)

Dawn/Lucas - Barry - Cynthia - Professor Rowan - Roark - Gardenia - Fantina - Maylene - Crasher Wake - Byron - Candice - Volkner

Pokémon Black (Black/White)

Hilda/Hilbert - Bianca - Cheren - Alder - Professor Jupiter - N - Ghetsis - Colress - Chili - Cilan - Cress - Lenora - Burgh - Elesa - Clay - Skyla - Brycen - Drayden - Iris

Pokémon Black 2 (Black/White 2)

Rosa/Nate - Bianca - Hugh - Iris - Professor Jupiter - N - Ghetsis - Colress - Cheren - Roxie - Burgh - Elesa - Clay - Skyla - Drayden - Marlon

Pokémon X (X/Y)

I didn't have the money for a 3DS when this first came out, got behind on Pokémon games until I got one since Pokémon Moon was my first Pokémon game on the 3DS. My hubby just recently bought X for me so I can finish my timeline of Pokémon games available (aside from Alpha Sapphire/Omega Ruby). When I'm finished playing it, I'll add it.

Pokémon Moon (Sun/Moon)

Selene/Elio - Hau - Professor Kukui - Ilima - Lana - Kiawe - Mallow - Sophocles - Acerola - Mina

Pokémon Shield (Sword/Shield)

Gloria/Victor - Marnie - Hop - Bede - Leon - Professor Magnolia - Milo - Nessa - Kabu - Allister - Opal - Piers - Raihan

Pokémon Scarlet (Scarlet/Violet)

I haven't finished playing this one yet - maybe I'll finish it soon!

Batman (Inactive, Fan for 12 Years - Have Only Recently Found WFA)

Batman: The Dark Knight

Bruce Wayne (The Batman) - Joker - Harvey Dent (Two-Face) - Rachel Dawes - Jim Gordon - Alfred Pennyworth - Lucius Fox - Salvatore Maroni

Wayne Family Adventures

Bruce Wayne (The Batman) - Richard Grayson (Nightwing) - Jason Todd (Red Hood) - Tim Drake (Red Robin) - Damian Wayne (Robin) - Duke Thomas (The Signal) - Cassandra Cain (Orphan) - Barbara Gordon (Oracle) - Stephanie Brown (Spoiler)

Marvel Cinematic Universe (Inactive, Fan for 14 Years)

Captain America

Steve Rogers (Captain America) - Peggy Carter - James "Bucky" Barnes

Iron Man

Tony Stark (Iron Man) - James "Rhodey" Rhodes (Iron Patriot) - Happy Hogan

The Avengers

Tony Stark (Iron Man) - Captain America (Steve Rogers) - Natasha Romanoff (Black Widow) - Clint Barton (Hawkeye) - Thor Odinson (Thor) - Bruce Banner (The Hulk) - Nick Fury - Agent Phil Coulson - Agent Maria Hill

Thor (Asgardians)

Thor - Loki - Odin - Frigga - Heimdall - Fandral - Lady Sif - Volstagg - Hogun

Guardians of the Galaxy

Peter Quill (Star Lord) - Rocket Racoon - Groot - Gamora - Drax the Destroyer - Nebula - Yondu

Age of Ultron

Pietro Maximoff (Quicksilver) - Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch) - Vision (J.A.R.V.I.S.)

Ant-Man

Scott Lang (Ant-Man)

Spider-Man (Homecoming)

Peter Parker (Spider-Man) - Mary Jane - Ned Leeds

Doctor Strange

Stephen Strange (Dr. Strange) - Wong - Christine Palmer

(There are many more, but it's been a while since I've watched anything MCU since End Game because OW)

The Phantom of the Opera (Inactive, Fan for 14 Years)

Phantom (Erik Destler) - Christine Daae - Raoul de Chagny - Meg Giry - Madame Giry

[I have seen the musical, yes, but I got started on the 2004 movie musical and it stole my heart the moment I saw it.]

If you do not see a character listed, feel free to send me a request and I'll let you know if I can write them!

[mybrotherisacursedvault]

Just another day at Hogwarts *cue in Seinfeld theme song*

[rowenawarden]

When researching for Aurora’s fighting technique, I watched a lot of marvel movies with Black widow in as she is the closest in size and body shape to my head canon for Aurora.

Aurora’s style is aggressive yet elegant, almost raw due to how her emotions fuel her and is scary to watch, due to her unnatural strength and agility she is able to incapacitate attackers who are far heavier than her. Also due to her grandfather’s training and the additional training of ODM gear, she is incredibly flexible and is able to perform quick almost acrobatic style manoeuvres like we see when she fights Reiner in hand to hand combat.

Aurora is sure on her feet and in her fighting capabilities, in fact in my canon, she is more capable than Levi in hand to hand combat and general human on human fighting though he is the better Titan slayer. In the current book we will see how she begins to pull ahead as the one to fear as the legacy of Rowan Sparhawke comes into its own.

[danton-brothers]

“Well old friend, you’ve weathered out a bunch of years now haven’t ya?” Rowan hums as she sits atop a gigantic titan, or rather Golem, that stood easily a hundred feet tall. It sat on the very edge of the coastline, largely unnoticed from the rest of Jamestown. But the spot had become so serene in the giant’s presence. It’d become one of her favorite hideaways. The golem in question had once been active, the markings still of where magma once coursed through it internally as it moved, only now to have cooled and hardened.

“I almost can’t believe it’s already been so long since that day. When we had to fight that behemoth. When I created you and your brethern to push it back from the town... hehe it’s almost crazy huh? Even if you’re just a rock now...” Rowan sighs brushing her hand over the cold black rock she was sitting atop of. “You might be able to move anymore but you and those that watch over us still make me feel a tinsy bit safer. Silly huh? ...if only those council’s soldiers hadn’t come here for safety that Monarch wouldn’t have even looked at our sanctuary...” she sighs laying back and looking up at the sky as one leg bobbed while bent over the other.

“... nah... I shouldn’t say that. It wasn’t the soldier’s fault for it attacking them. They were just following orders.. makes me wonder though... why did it simply let it go once we drove it off? Did you have something to do with it big guy? Oh, how should I know, you’re not gonna talk back anytime soon. I’m just jabbering on to myself! Geez I must sound corny, haha!” Laughing she sits up again and looks down at the ground before deciding to start her decent. “Oh well... hopefully that particular one is still roaming around. It was a pretty one for sure. Maybe it’s navagating the sea floor for fun!”

[kuroopaisen]

not to throw my two cents /now/ but for shows like aot (I personally stopped after s2 and i havent rly considered picking it up again yet), there definitely are problematic elements and depictions that should be called out when necessary—and we need to especially listen to those whose identities were unfairly treated. anime and manga aren’t innocent of problems, as are the artists behind it :,)

I won’t lie, japan still continues to be sketchy w how they teach and treat their history, but ig we as watchers/readers these media can remain critical of what we consume ? the act of watching smth w fascist elements doesn’t mean you condone it ! and choosing not to watch or support (i find these to be different things) bc of those problematic elements is also valid.

oH and I personally don’t rly like aot either from what I’ve been seeing LMAO as a person who dedicated 2 years of high school to extensive studying of history it’s just :\\\\\\ I think all the points have been made by ppl before me, and by you!! 

hello miss yuki!! first of all, i think the idea that people can’t consume Problematic Media is. is stupid because. humans are capable of critical thinking DJLSDALKJ that’s like... our thing. and just because something’s ‘problematic’ doesn’t mean there’s nothing valuable to draw from it? and by that, i mean... sometimes i specifically seek out things i know i’ll disagree with so i can actually talk about it properly, instead of relying on heresay. 

i guess it’s like the jk r*wling thing. do i think people who enjoy harry potter are militant transphobes? no! do i think it’s a bit shifty to spend money on harry potter merch that isn’t secondhand and is therefore putting coins in miss transphobes pockets? yes! there’s difference between consuming and supporting for sure. 

people have complicated relationships with media and internet discourse tends to make things too black-and-white. where do we draw the line? does resonating with shinji’s story in neon genesis evangelion mean you now support sexualising underage girls? does enjoying harry potter mean you condone fatphobia? does enjoying my hero academia mean you hate the lower classes? 

but at the same time, if someone wants to steer clear of something because of those kinds of things, they absolutely have a right to and neither them nor their intelligence should be insulted for that. a lot of people like to throw around “oh you just don’t understand” as an insult and honestly, Shut Up. leave people be.

ANYWAY aot 

yeah a lot of my problems with aot come down to isayama using a metaphor that isn’t even his to draw on. even if the pernicious aspects are unintentional, they’re still harmful. and also, it’s pretty obvious that isayama’s done his research? with how well the story emulates certain facts in history (and even referencing the madagascar plan hh), there’s no way isayama doesn’t know what he’s talking about. and you can’t really brush up on your knowledge of wwii without the whole antisemitism thing, so... 

but i think an issue i have with a lot of the criticism towards aot is that it comes from a very Western perspective; and i get that to a degree, but it’s also important to think about where the author comes from and who he’s writing for. that doesn’t exonerate any of the problematic aspects to any degree, but context is. well, sometimes it’s everything 

for example, i don’t think the question is so much “is isayama a nazi” as it is “is isayama trying to justify japanese expansionism” because while both are awful, one question is more relevant to what he’s likely to believe (even in the infamous twitter screenshots, he pretty staunchly seems anti-holocaust). i think ethnocentric criticisms muddy the water. 

i’m a dual major in anthropology and history, and while that absolutely doesn’t give me authority, it means i tend to focus more on this sort of thing? there’s no way isayama could’ve known that attack on titan would become so... global? and an issue with episodic things of any nature is that it’s almost impossible to analyse them in their whole until it’s finished. aaaand in most cases, that takes years.

so regardless of what isayama intended, that means there are still right-wing groups that love aot and see it as a metaphor for the great replacement, or there’s people who see it as a justification to abandon pacifism, and so on. but there are also people who see it as a staunchly anti-war story, or a narrative about the cycle of hatred. 

YEAH w the watching vs. supporting, i’ve actually been streaming aot on gogoanime because i didn’t know what i’d think of it when i started, even though i have an animelab and crunchyroll subscription. the question is, am i giving it social capital by discussing it online? some would say yes (i’ve got a platform, and just talking about it in general gives it affluence), some would say no (even if i have a platform, it’s small in the grand scheme of things, and how many people are actually reading my mini essays?)

ANYWAY this is largely incoherent i’m so sorry sdalkjfslfkdj look after yourself!!  

[kuroopaisen]

Hi hi!!! As always, I love hearing abt your take on things. And I really wanted to ask who your fave is from aot! I’m an updated manga reader, but even way before this my fave has always been Jean hehe

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it’s kacchan!!! ofc i will give you my thoughts thank you for being interested in them 

i’ll be honest, most of my non-critical thoughts on aot boil down to: levi sexy :3 

but HHHHH my fave is a tie between jean, levi & historia, tbh?  

1) levi sexy. also, i like the contrast he provides to a lot of the other characters, and how his backstory plays into that. and i’m a sucker for the “seems cold and abrasive/distant, but does actually care” type of character, but only when they’re written well. he’s also the character with the least wanky relationship with the military, i guess? which is. refreshing 

2) i always felt like jean was the audience surrogate? or maybe i just related to him the most, and he was always the most reasonable in my eyes. he’s just... a Good Dude and he cares the most about the lives and wellbeing of the civilian population (i feel like that shouldn’t be a unique trait but here we are), and i like that he’s not afraid to challenge eren? because god, someone needs to 

3) i like that she’s kind without being a pushover! at least, at the point i’m at in the story sdlkjfdlkj she embodies the idea that “kindness is a choice”; we’re not inherently ‘kind’ -- empathetic, maybe -- but doing right by other people is often an active decision you make. and being kind doesn’t mean being weak. 

[kuroopaisen]

@kacchand (i couldn't tag your main but i wanted to make sure you saw this fdlkjfdlkj) 

hello dear! i’m sorry it took me so long to respond to this dflskjfdlkfdj i decided to answer your ask in a text post so i can link my thoughts to yours more easily! also, i know i'm going to Ramble, so i wanted to be able to keep it under a cut sdlkfjd

Hi rowan!! I've just finished the final chapter of aot and I just wanted to ask your opinion on it!

(SPOILERS THAT DEPICT MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE STORY'S MEANING AHEAD. READ ONLY IF YOU'VE FINISHED THE CHAPTER)

(FR )

(THERE'S STILL TIME TO BACK OUT)

(DO IT NOW. SPOILER ALERT)

I'd also like to ask a follow up question about it, because it seems that I've come to a different concl. from many of my friends and I'm feeling dumb abt how i feel w it.

first of all (and i say this as sincerely as possible, and if i'm coming off as condesending please let me know hh), please don't feel dumb because you've come to a different conclusion :(

we all read media at different levels (i’ve been told it’s ‘not that deep’ before fdljkfsdlkj) and identify different aspects in it, so the fact that you've had a different experience to some of your friends is absolutely not a reflection on your intelligence. and if anyone's making you feel that way, drop their @. i just want to talk :) furthermore, you’re not wrong for responding to something emotionally, especially if it really... makes you uncomfortable, you know? 

i'm from the PH & I've put off determining whether i'm comfy w the manga til the last chap,,,, but is it wrong that I can't shake the feeling that it's a justification of japanese expansionism and genocide? ik this manga has always been in the grey area, and that's what I love abt it! It often shows that no choice they make is absolutely good or bad, and does such a good job at showing you how each complex character came to that understanding (role of environment, etc...) but this last chapter felt too positive abt the rumbling? Like it was justified because paradis was able to advance and there wasn't much choice? idk.

that's totally valid! some of the best think pieces on the show i read mentioned that the concern with the narrative is less "is isayama a nazi sympathiser?" (he most likely isn't), but if he's a imperial japan apologist. and...

well, let's just say that my father is british, and when i was trying to say that colonisation was bad, using british india as an example, he said "well, we gave them railroads." it's... it's uncomfortable and gross and i think it encapsulates how countries with imperial pasts tend to talk about them; even if they don't officially endorse it, there's often a lot of talk about how "well colonialism was good for this country, actually--"

and if the manga felt like it was justifying japanese expansionism, then chances are it had elements that very much did point towards that. i've had a lot of trouble grappling with reiner, annie and bertolt, because they've existed in this grey area of 'victim of oppression' and 'war criminal'; and their existence raises the question of "do people who commit war crimes simply do what needs to be done?" and by victimising them it... it plays into the whole nuremberg defense of "i was just following orders". it's making you feel bad for the people committing said war crimes (and similarly with eren, and all the awful things he's done). but i'll get more into this point later dsfkjfd

i haven't read the last chapter yet (and don't worry about spoilers! i've been approaching aot from a very... specific perspective anyway, so i actually don't mind spoilers -- i read a bunch of analyses of the series before i'd even watched it hh), but... i think if it came off as too positive about, you know... an awful thing that happened, then it absolutely makes sense that you'd feel uncomfortable?

the modernisation narrative in general is one that always skeeves me out. it's one japanese imperialists use to justify the invasion of korea (and even those infamous tweets from the one account purported to be isayama talk about how the population of korea boomed under japanese imperial occupation, which... stop.)

it's also commonly invoked in cases of development. certain members of society (usually the poor), just 'had' to die for the good of the future. who gives a damn if they consent to that? they have to.

similarly, the 'we had no choice' narrative. that's... a concerning one that crops up time and again with history apologists, the argument that "oh if x country hadn't done y, then someone else would've!" or that acts of aggression were done as pre-emptive self-defence, which is so... ugh. i just. i just hate it.

It also feels really weird w the ymir and the whole loving fritz thing. i wish we got to see more of her thought process and what conclusion she came to that led her to destroying the power of the titans.

i... hate this so much. i get that abuse is complicated and victims often have multifaceted feelings towards their abusers, but... most people would focus on that in their story? the story would be about that? but instead, it's just... a thing in the history of the world and that's... icky.

also having the genesis of the titans come from a slave girl in love with her captor... there's many levels of ick to it and i highly doubt it was handled with the appropriate level of grace and sensitivity.

honestly, this might be one of the things that pissed me off the most because of how... contradictory her backstory was with That One Chapter (you know, instead of ymir crying because she wants to be free or because she’s been trapped she........ wants to see mikasa kiss eren’s decapitated head? i guess? what the fuck?) 

idk...I just think that context is sometimes everything. and i understand that media can portray incorrect things,,,, and that isayama likely didn't intend for it to become a global sensation, but i guess i'm just uncomfortable w the right wing nazis getting a comfort book ahaha.

i totally get that! even if attack on titan is meant to be anti-fascists, the fact of the matter is... a lot of fascists love it. and relate to it. which is... alarming. especially given just how popular aot is worldwide.

it’s hard because before the ending, attack on titan did feel like it was more grey; i remember saying that i wouldn’t know how to feel about it until the ending because the story was either saying “the military is corrupt and war is hell”, or it was saying “the military is corrupt and war is hell, but it is necessary.” 

still sorting out my thoughts, but yeah. I think i'm having a hard time understanding what they really accomplished with the rumbling and how they gave eren a sudden lelouch role and a lot of how they made it out to be a happy thing? perhaps I'm too biased to see it fully but to me it gives a "woah. eren was a hero. he saved us from destruction. those people needed to die for us to achieve this temporary peace and new start". i suppose the rumbling gave them a levelled playing ground?

OH MY GOOOOOD okay. i haven't finished code geass. but i really don't like lelouch. i mean... i think i just don't like characters that sacrifice other people for a purported 'greater good' (i could write an Essay about how much i hate erwin smith looking at him is enough to send me into an unhinged rage), but where i'm up to in the anime, i don't like the direction they're going with eren? i mean, i've never liked eren, but... that whole "martyr for the eldians" is just. ew. especially when you see several eldian characters disagree and resist him. 

why does this one guy get to make choices for everyone else? because he’s sPeCiAL? fuck off 

sorry for not being coherent. maybe i'm basing this too much on feelings ahaha. trust aot to finish it's scandalous run with a scandalous end.

no omg you're being perfectly coherent :( also, if anyone's making you feel bad or stupid for how you experience media, they’re... definitely not as smart as they think they are fdslskjfdlk. 

i'm of that mind that, while media consumption is in part an intellectual exercise, it is inherently very emotional; narrative media tries to make us feel as much as it makes us think. that’s what stories are for, you know? intellectual analysis is well and good but what’s the point of a story if it doesn’t make you feel anything?

that's to say, i don't believe there's such thing as basing your opinion too much on feelings :') especially since it's your personal experience with a piece of media; you don't owe anyone 'objectivity' (which is always a farce when it comes to this sort of thing) or 'logical analysis', because nobody's got any right to criticise you for engaging with media the 'wrong way'.

tl;dr I feel like the mood was too celebratory abt the rumbling, and didn't entail enough on the tragedy so much that it felt like a justification for genocide and expansionism. how do you feel abt it's ending and the message it leaves? is isayama responsible to give a morally correct answer to the cycle of hatred? you're not obligated to answer! and sorry for the rambling.

hhh yeah i guess that’s the thing at the end of the day... is isayama responsible for giving a “morally correct” answer? no, but the way the ending plays out is very telling. 

like armin thanking eren? mikasa’s e n t i r e character boiling down to being in love with a mass murderer no matter how poorly he’s treated her? and one could argue that kind of ending is supposed to be unsettling, supposed to hint that the cycle will just continue, but...

framing is everything. and it’s framed like a Good, Emotional Thing, Aren’t We So Grateful Eren Did All Those Awful Things 

YI think I would've been fine if we got to see more of Eren's or Yif you have a different perspective on how eren is being portrayed please do share! I just felt really yucky watching armin say "thanks for murdering all those people for us" with love,,, I suppose he was trying to make eren feel better. ach maybe I'm just overreacting. idk. im dumb ahaha . i'll send this in anyway cuz I'd love to hear your take!

HHHHHHH i just hate eren and i never got him. i felt bad for him in the beginning, but he's always been too... violent for me. there was a very short period of time in season 2 where i felt bad for him, but otherwise it’s just been... ugh. the main three have always been the weakest part of the series imo, so it’s really not surprising they’re part of the reason the ending was so. bad. 

and... well, that one infamous quote pretty much sums up my issue with armin. he's supposed to be the 'intelligent' one, but he's hopelessly devoted to a homicidal maniac with whom he has a very artificial, unbelievable bond with.

at the end of the day, the "thank you for becoming our monster" thing just makes it seem like attack on titan's core message is "war is horrible, but it is necessary." it feels like it's justifying massacre. and while fiction is fiction, and sometimes it's as simple as that, i think something as politically loaded as attack on titan needs to be looked at with a critical lens when discussing what it’s trying to say or what it means. 

do i think it makes someone a Bad Person for liking aot or being attached to it in some way? no, because that’s dumb, and what media someone likes =/= their Moral Goodness TM. ofc trends are a thing and certain pieces of media appeal to certain types of people, but it’s a false equivalency that misses the point. 

but by that same breath, nobody is wrong or stupid or has Less Valid Opinions just because what they took away from it makes them uncomfortable. 

i’m sorry this is So Long i have so many thoughts about this dskljfslkj 

but at the end of the day, 

levi sexy

[kuroopaisen]

if you take out the Titans in aot, it could be a historical manga. there are so many parallels in world history that it reads like it. even erwin’s past, it’s patterned after the japanese textbook controversy.

also, I don’t see it as fascists nor xenophobic? Isayama wrote aot like a literal history book (or at least drew a lot of inspo from it) and it can’t be denied that all these horrible things happen and keeps on happening.

But that’s just my two cents! People have diff opinions, who knows what’s wrong or right.

oh that’s actually a really interesting point!! because i know a lot of people like to... baby the japanese population and be like “oh, they just don’t know any better, they don’t know about the War Crimes” because of the textbook thing which is........... first of all, grossly insulting, and second of all, ignores the hard work being done by japanese people to amend the whole textbook issue? like please treat non-westerners with more respect please :) 

i think it is interesting how the show starts very straightforward “We Are Cattle Blah Blah Military Only Effective Way Of Doing Anything” to a more... nuanced??? take on the conflict and who the real enemy is and all that?? again, i need to see how it pans out. who knows, maybe i’ll write a whole essay. 

[kuroopaisen]

The way you portray aot is so good! Right now in the manga everything is so crazy. And you’re right, it can be uncomfortable to face your country’s past (as a Spaniard, everytime we have to face what we did with America, Filipinas and the Sahara... it’s really shameful).

Eren... I can’t hate him even if he’s the worst. I still see that little kid that saw how his mom was eaten alive in front of him. But at the same time, he’s so fucked up right now.

I don’t want to tell you anything because you’re still very early in the last season and I don’t want to make spoilers.

And yes I’m okay! But we have to hear things as “If I could I would kill the 27M people that voted for the left” from our military and a couple of political parties justifying it ����

I COULD BE PORTRAYING IT ALL WRONG WHO’S TO SAY 

but hh yeah... every year there’s a lot of protests about australia day (seeing as the current date is the day when the first fleet arrived, which... marks the beginning of a century of oppression that still hasn’t ended for aboriginal australians). there’s a strong sentiment to “change the date”, but a lot of conservatives push back against that and it’s just so ????? i don’t understand why they can’t just make it the day australia first signed the constitution? anyway-- 

HHHH you’re a better person than me i can’t stand eren (right now, at least). i can definitely sympathise with the whole “having his mother eaten alive in front of him” thing, but he’s just so... idk. there’s a strong contrast between him and everyone else and i think everyone else is far more reasonable. 

OH CHRIST THAT’S???? THAT’S TERRIFYING????? (not so) fun fact: when the un was drawing up the genocide convention political parties were initially included as potential victimised groups but a few countries (guess) didn’t want that because then they could be prosecuted for things they’d done :)