#snk wank

[salad-juice-enjoyer]

"Crypto is for cryptography" but it's "SNK is for Shin Nihon Kikaku"

[nuri148]

Happy Birthday, Onigiri darling!!!! 🥳😘🎂

Gosh, yes! I just reread that chapter 2 days ago! And Mikasa literally thinks "he's getting weak? I could take it from him by force" BUT SHE DOESN'T!!!

And when Eren starts to defend Armin, she actually tries to shut him up, like she's afraid he'll blow it... (or like it's not about you, idiot... just the captain and me 🤭)

... and looks genuinely surprised when Eren's words turn to be, you know, not stupid.

Needless to say, this scene is gold both as a rivamika and arumika shipper!!! 😆😆😆

Rewatching Midnight Sun and lmao at Levi punching Eren at full force, making him fly in the air almost off the roof, losing teeth — right before he’s supposedly “weak” and “not strong enough” to push Mikasa off of him

My delulu self is saying he was pretending to be weak/just barely strong enough to counter Mikasa’s strength 1) because he doesn’t want to hurt Mikasa and 2) he likes being pinned down by her idk

Also Mikasa saying “Please give it to me” while atop Levi I cannot

[bettrdays]

Hanji herself told Armin that he’d need to take on more responsibility now that Erwin is dead, but when it looks like that is actually the case in the interviews people get up in arms....pls chill, Hanji isn’t going anywhere.  It always irks me that people disguise their dislike of Armin by assuming the worst based on barely translated spoilers that they then treat as though it’s fact when it really isn’t as complicated as y’all are making it out to be.  The SC is greatly changed since we last saw it- now that the 104th has been in the army for nearly five years, that also makes them veterans does it not? 

Hanji is commander, but passing the torch is essential especially in a situation as dangerous and unpredictable as the one the walldians live in.  The reason why Erwin groomed Armin for leadership one day even though Hanji was his successor is because they always need someone to carry the torch after one leader dies.  I really doubt Hanji will die or Armin will become commander post timeskip - actually, I would prefer that he didn’t, but he has undoubtedly taken on more duties within the military.  It really makes you think that no matter how valuable he proves himself to the SC, some people will just downplay all of his achievements to prop up their favorites, who they perceive to be, I don’t know, competing with him somehow? That’s really not how it works, but okay.

[harrowscore]

Mikasa Ackermann, Levi Ackermann, Amane Misa, Aeron Greyjoy for the charactet ask :3

SOMEONE HEARD MY PRAYERS AND NOW MY TIME HAS COME, tysm!!!!! <3

okay, let's start with levi (my beloved):

general opinion: fall in a hole and die | don’t like them | eh | they’re fine I guess | like them! | love them | actual love of my life (THEE little feral anime man after my heart)

hotness level: get away from me | meh | neutral | theoretically hot but not my type | pretty hot | gorgeous! | 10/10 would bang (Dark, Tall and Snarky + piercing grey-blue eyes and chronic insomnia? clearly my type ❤)

hogwarts house: gryffindor (maybe....?) | slytherin | ravenclaw | hufflepuff

ugh, the hp sorting house system is way too reductive. he has qualities of gryffindor, slytherin, and hufflepuff - brave, astute, loyal to a fault, etc. so it's a hard choice. but if i really have to choose, i'd go for gryffindor. i know that his Bad Boy facade shouts slytherin, but while he has larger goals (killing all the titans, then saving the world etc.), he's got no actual ambition for himself. hufflepuff would also be a good option.

daemon (from the his dark materials series): (because i've just decided that's just way more accurate than the hp method) some kind of big feline. maybe a panther - a black panther would be the ideal - aloof, predatory, dangerous, fiercely independent.

best quality: besides his obvious strenghts as a leader and warrior, the way he cares for his comrades-in-arms. it's very hard to gain his trust and respect, but once you have it, it's forever. he's pragmatic and ruthless, yes, but he also has a huge capacity for compassion and friendship. not that he would be effusive about his affections, of course.

worst quality: none, he's absolutely perfect ❤ jklsdfhjk jokes aside, he really struggles to open up (a serious understatement), idt he ever talked about his traumatic past with anyone. i mean, maybe he mentioned it to hange and erwin (erwin knew him when he was still an undergound thug, so...), but... he's not great with feelings. despite his apathetic, intimidating mask, he feels and cares deeply, but he has a long history with losing the people he loves, so he tries to not personally care about his squadmates, which can be both a strenght and a weakness. of course, he spectacularly fails at this.

ship them with: well, it's not a secret that i'm a huge rivamika fan, this ship is almost literally consuming my waking thoughts lmao. imo they're perfectly compatible: very similar personalities (stoic, the strongest warriors, absolutely terrifying on the battlefield but with a soft underbelly), very similar pasts/experiences, so many parallels that it's actually ridiculous, etc. i love how they're both each other's equals and likeness (yes, i took it from jane eyre. no, i don't regret anything lmao). a lot of tropes i love, too: Terrible First Impression (the Pride and Prejudice vibes are so strong with these two, you have no idea), Kindred Spirits/Mirror Images, Veteran/Young Prodigy, The Last of Their Kind, even Height Difference lmao. i could write a whole rivamika manifesto, but this is already too long. (maybe for some other time 👀) i would've loved for their dynamic to be more explored in canon but alas, isayama clearly didn't give a shit about the ackerman legacy, he just used it as a plot shortcut to give them conveniently unique powers, since they never really talked about it 🙄 (and before some troll comes into my askbox shouting "you iNcEsT fReAk!!!!1!!", they're only very distantly related. we know shit about the ackermans but we know for sure that they've got at least several generations between them. biologically their shared DNA is 0%, obviously they don't see each other as family, all the eldians have a dead ass common ancestor from 2000 years ago so they're all basically ⁓related anyway. if you really wanna scream about i.ncest, go watch got/dark/the borgias and shut the fuck up please. or alternatively go outside and touch some grass) sorry for the rant, uh. anyway, i can also see levi/erwin. idk if i'd ever care enough to read a fic about them (i'm usually a huge multishipper, but for some weird reason not when it comes to rivamika? same with braime and kastle tbh), but still, i can see it.

brotp them with: hange and erwin, obv. veteran trio >>> ema trio, sorry not sorry (at least h. and e. died before yams had the chance to ruin their character arcs)

needs to stay away from: ...uh, filth, i guess? lmao

misc. thoughts: besides the stupid teenage fangirl crush i have on him, i'm genuinely fascinated by the man himself. he's a huge mess of a contradictions, and yet somehow it works: he's violent and brash and kind of an asshole, but also has a strong moral code and integrity; he's obv very skilled at all the killing/torturing stuff and yet he has a huge respect for life; he's got a potty mouth to say the least, and yet some very aristocratic manners/tastes (the way he sits, his preference for tea and usually refined clothes); he comes from what's supposed to be an illustrous bloodline, he's methodical and very precise, and yet he was born and raised in the underground, he's been used to filth and blood and poverty since he was a child, kenny of all people was his father figure, and probably has known no other life than a perennial survival mode existence. he's "humanity's strongest soldier", but while well-built he's also small, the david to the titans' goliah, and probably not what people would assume a born warrior looks like. he's also one of the few characters who stayed true to himself and his original characterization until the end, bless you smol king ❤

(okay, this is getting long!)

mikasa:

general opinion: fall in a hole and die | don’t like them | eh | they’re fine I guess | like them! | love them (so much. she deserved better ❤️) | actual love of my life 

hotness level: get away from me | meh | neutral | theoretically hot but not my type | pretty hot | gorgeous! (stunning lady ❤) | 10/10 would bang

hogwarts house: gryffindor | slytherin | ravenclaw | hufflepuff

this is actually easy: mikasa belongs to hufflepuff and no, i won't take criticism (just joking lol). enough with this "hufflepuffs are fluffy puppies/Cinnamon Rolls <3" thing: mikasa values loyalty and duty more than anything else. she's also hardworking... and fierce, strong, lethal. yes, hufflepuff and lethal are not mutually exclusive concepts.

daemon: (finally the better option) a she-wolf, fiercely protective of her pack.

best quality: loyal, brave, incredibly strong (alongside her more fragile qualities). practical and level-headed on the battlefield, at least when eren is not included in the picture.

worst quality: struggles to let go of the past (understandable, considering her trauma). tunnel-vision when it comes to eren, obv. extreme levels of delusions ("if only i spoke openly about my romantic feelings for him - as if i didn't made them abundantly clear in ⁓6 years - he wouldn't kill 80% of humanity :(((" lmao okay. just. okay), but that's more on the writing. she's sadly more static than any other main character throughtout the whole series.

ship them with: see above :) but recently i've also started to be intrigued by mikasa/annie and mikasa/sasha. also, i'm sympathetic to jeankasa fans, though i don't actually care for the ship.

brotp them with: EMA trio, especially armin+mikasa. their friendship is so beautiful and special. also sasha.

needs to stay away from: ...... eren, at least romantically. again, that's more on the writing than anything else, but e.remika unfortunately encompasses many tropes i loathe with all the strength of my old shriveled heart: childhood friends-to lovers where the (male) childhood friend doesn't acknolewdge/is completely indifferent to the other (female) friend's romantic feelings, she hopelessly pines for him for years without anything more than a cold shoulder... until in the last chapter it's revealed that he loved her all along and doesn't "want other men to have her!!! :((" (then why did you have no reaction whatsoever to jean's years-long crush on her while she was jealous of any vaguely female-shaped human being you were friendly to, including hange? are you that dumb, man?); the female character's development and entire arc 100% revolves around the male protagonist - she has no goals, no dreams of her own except staying with him forever and ever; the romance is based on an idealized childhood dream, therefore reaffirming those childish illusions would make the character regress, not actually grow up (and nope, epilogue!jk doesn’t count; that also lacks build-up - i would’ve said the same about rm as well, so it’s not about shipping, guys, it really isn’t - and mikasa needed an inner change; getting married to another man but still praying to eren’s shrine is not substitute to actual development lol). post-time skip she's never really frustrated/angry with him, they never get a confrontation about him becoming a, y'know, mass-murderer of gigantic (pun intended) proportions; she puts him on a pedestal, and never stops idealizing him/never sees him for what he actually is (the narrative framing him as some kind of tragic martyr/saint eren from paradis with zero agency and basically... no clear motivation for the abovementioned mass murder, and not the actual complex tragic anti-hero/villain motivated by revenge and righteous fury he deserved to be, does not help). it lacks a good or even decent build-up - it's basically all tell and not show. now, if they'd actually been childhood friends to enemies to lovers/mutually co-dependent... it could have been interesting. sadly, it's not my cup of tea. of course this is just my personal preference, no hard feelings to the shippers.

misc. thoughts: enormous potential. she's been my fav female character since s1 - and ah, i miss s1!mikasa, when she had actually other stuff to do besides mothering eren. i love that she's the strongest warrior (second only to levi, obv), that her skills are never called into questions despite her gender, i love how she stands up for herself and the people she loves, that she may seem cold and stoic and yet has a such a huge heart, that she's not perfect but also sometimes awe-inspiring. sadly, she never really gets out of eren's shadow; what she lacks is an arc focused on herself. that's why imo getting deeper into the ackerman lore would've helped (also, you cannot make the main female character and the most popular male character descend from the same Unique Bloodline or whatever, and never really make them acknowledge it out loud; as a writer, you just can't lol). my spite is so strong that i'm currently writing a ridiculously pretentious fic that's 70% development for her character, to give her a voice, and 30% ackerthirsting. (yes, that's the fic i'm always vagueblogging about lmao, rip @ my brain). if any other rivamika fan is interested… mind you, it’s in italian tho, and idt i have the skills to translate into english.

misa:

general opinion: fall in a hole and die | don’t like them | eh | they’re fine I guess | like them! | love them | actual love of my life 

hotness level: get away from me | meh | neutral | theoretically hot but not my type | pretty hot | gorgeous! | 10/10 would bang

hogwarts house: gryffindor | slytherin | ravenclaw | hufflepuff

daemon: mmh, maybe some kind of butterfly? beautiful, colorful, and short-lived.

best quality: glorious fashion sense, more inventive and ingenious than fans actually give her credit for.

worst quality: shallow, impulsive, and obv her dependence on/obsession with light (which stems from trauma btw, but still… the very opposite of a relationship between equals).

ship them with: rem, kinda (monster/human ftw!). also weirdly enough mogi, a little bit? she deserves someone who actually respects her… though she’s far from being a perfect angel. she may actually be crazier than light on some aspects. but in this house we stan evil ladies anyway, so i have no problem with that <3

brotp them with: uh, idk, maybe matsuda?

needs to stay away from: obv light. also takada.

misc. thoughts: a tragic victim of sexist writing. she may be… unhinged to say the least, but she didn’t deserve the abuse she got from light (and from the fans). the female characters’ writing in dn is so bad that idk if it’s on purpose, to kinda mirror the reality of women in a patriarchal society (dependent on men, housewives whose life entirely revolves around their husband/boyfriend etc.), or just casual misogyny lol. it’s even more baffling since we don’t know the author’s gender (they may be a man, a woman, nb, anything really). i tend for the latter option tho.

aegon greyjoy (now, i wasn’t expecting him lol):

general opinion: fall in a hole and die | don’t like them | eh | they’re fine I guess | like them! | love them | actual love of my life 

hotness level: get away from me | meh | neutral | theoretically hot but not my type | pretty hot | gorgeous! | 10/10 would bang

hogwarts house: gryffindor | slytherin | ravenclaw | hufflepuff

i’m so sorry, i haven’t the slightest idea lmao. maybe gryffindor? mind you, it’s been a long time since i’ve re-read the books, so i don’t have many thoughts about him.

daemon: maybe it’s cliché, but some kind of fish/squid lmao

best quality: ugh, i really can’t remember much from his chapters :(( he’s not a coward, i guess? (lame answer, sorry!)

worst quality: definitely his religious fanaticism.

ship them with: no one.

brotp them with: uh… his family, ig? except euron.

needs to stay away from: obv euron. brr ://

misc. thoughts: i genuinely like the greyjoys chapters, though i vastly prefer the martells (with the exception of theon and asha, bcs i love them). yes, they’re deranged. yes, victarion is… well, victarion lol. but the drowned god religion is actually interesting, grrm knows how to write trauma - every time aeron mentions euron and that freaking door i’m like… :// - and the tragedy of it all… just great writing all around.

okay, that’s the end lmao. thank you so much, love!!! ❤❤

[goodguyjean]

Some mild wank from me regarding volume 22′s fake previews xD Sorry! I’ve put it under a cut now though :)

So, I truly do want to get into this high school AU but I’m really not sure about it’s portrayal of Jean xD. I get that it’s a parody, but parodies are usually funniest when they’re close to reality: the only thing I can think of is that Isayama’s poking fun at fan depictions of Jean? Or how Eren and co initially see Jean? I’m gonna give Isayama the benefit of the doubt and assume he meant the fake preview for volume 22 to contain a Jean x Armin moment in addition to the Eren x Jean, Eren x Mikasa, and Eren x Armin, but the way he chose to portray it seemed to go way more against canon than how he presented the other ships--is this the dynamic he thinks Jearmin fans are into? If so, maybe I’m Jearmin-ing wrong lol. I thought the point of Jean and Armin’s relationship is that everyone thinks Jean’s an aloof asshole but he actually has a soft spot for Armin and respects him for his intelligence. And isn’t Jean supposed to be nicer to Armin than most other people? And that’s supposed to be surprising? He pretty much never fights with him or picks on him (besides a few teasing lines; nothing like he does to Eren or even Marco), but decides they’re going to be best buddies in the Survey Corps (like seriously: dude follows Armin around and is like “Okay, now that I’ve decided to dedicate my heart to humanity I’ve picked you to bro things up with because you’re smart. So what’s the plan?” and Armin’s like “Um . . .”). 

So if the canon relationship looks like this:

Why does the AU reinterpretation look like this?: 

It’s just not satisfying for me as a shipper. I think he’s going for “Jean doesn’t know how to make friends and is picking on Armin because he likes him” but that just doesn’t . . . feel nice? For me at least. Maybe it’ll get better if he keeps writing this AU xD Otherwise I really enjoy the AU and the fact that he’s based parts of it on Life is Strange.

Sorry for the shipper wank lol. Sometimes you just gotta let it out xD

[kyojuuros]

i am a bit confused. why does the fandom consider mikasa as eren's slave but not levi as erwin's slave? justifing it by saying levi resisted erwin's orders and mikasa didn't. levi also followed through erwin's orders even if he didn't agree to them in the entire series while mikasa never followed eren's orders unless she agreed to them. i mean if were mikasa to follow eren's orders she would be with the MP or working in the fields. she followed eren but not his orders.(if you can clear it up ty)

Oof, this is a bit of a sore spot for me. Basically, tldr; double standards.

This is just my observation of fandom culture in general as well as like, years of experience being around here, but Mikasa has always gotten a lot of shit from people for her attachment to Eren. And I think that’s honestly the root of the bigger issue.

Erwin and Levi’s relationship isn’t typically seen as equal to Eren and Mikasa’s, and is generally elevated into something a lot more positive due the more mature nature of their relationship to each other, and the characters as individuals.

Mikasa and Eren admittedly have a much more complicated and muddied relationship due to Eren’s self-focused pursuit of freedom and Mikasa’s lingering feelings for Eren. I won’t deny that they have had a lot more issues than anything we’ve seen between Levi and Erwin. Mikasa and Eren are both developing characters who are still growing and maturing into the people they’re meant to become, whereas Levi and Erwin are already mature and have their “final” personalities defined, with a side of narrative development to push their personal arcs forward. 

Mikasa’s arc isn’t solely defined by her relationship with Eren, but due to her portrayal in the anime, as well as her primary narrative motivation for fighting being rooted in her desire to be by Eren’s side and protect him always, she often is reduced to this singular character trait by many in the fandom. A lot of people don’t find this endearing, but rather tragic instead… some just find it annoying.

Eren’s words to her in 112 really didn’t help anything, as he called her a slave who’s driven solely by her Ackerman instincts to protect her “host” - Eren, himself. Although most of the audience have come to the conclusion that Eren’s words to her weren’t wholly honest, people will take anything and run with it. It especially doesn’t help that Eren was particularly cruel to Mikasa and that she is still struggling to reconcile what happened. Again, simplifying things down to her “Ackergenes” or her being “1-dimensional,” rather than acknowledge their long, complicated history and the special feelings she’s had for him for nearly 10 years of her life. The complicated feelings and devotion she has toward Eren is very human and relatable, and one of the reasons I heavily identify with her on a personal level. 

But, anon, it’s really just a big double standard that permeates the fandom at large. Mikasa and Levi both have their bond with Eren and Erwin highlighted quite a bit throughout the manga and supplemental material. Levi is very much praised for wanting to protect and honor Erwin, with people often romanticizing his unwavering commitment to seeing his promise to Erwin through, while a lot of people don’t have the same attitude toward Mikasa and just wish she would “get over” Eren or “dump him” and “live for herself instead.” Granted, this isn’t all necessarily rooted in people’s perception of Mikasa. A lot of it stems from a bitterness that many have started to feel toward Eren due to his recent actions in the manga.

Her desire to protect Eren is seen as a hindrance or an annoyance, a “simplification” of her character, and often people only pay attention to that aspect of her character and completely ignore her growth into an effective soldier, a caring friend to all the 104th, and her loyalty to the Survey Corps. Her commitment to her loved ones at large is reduced to her “only caring about Eren” despite her protecting the others many times throughout the story.

Her setting aside the scarf is praised as “discarding her chains” and empowering herself as a woman who “doesn’t need no man,” while people simultaneously look at Levi’s inability to move on from his vow and let go of someone he cared for deeply with endearment. 

Both of these characters have flaws and strengths. Both of them have endearing relationships with the person they are bonded with which do heavily influence their personal arcs, but don’t define them as individuals. Both of them have committed violent behavior in order to protect and honor their special person and both struggle with feelings of being unable to let go of said person, despite hurting over them. 

For me, neither Levi nor Mikasa are “slaves” to Erwin or Eren. They are their own people, who chose to follow these two individuals based on compatible ideals and personalities. There are tragic and endearing elements that apply to both of these bonds, and they each have something that they either need to fulfill on their own or move on from. I am hopeful that all of this mystery surrounding the Ackerman bloodline will be resolved and that we as a fandom can confidently say that neither of them are “slaves” to their special person. 

I think it’s important to just keep in mind most everyone in this fandom have some kind of bias. This is the way that I see things, I know not everyone will agree with me. I think that both of these bonds are unique and special and add to the story more than hinder it. I think they add to the complexity of Levi and Mikasa as characters, and it’s fun to pick at the differences and similarities in their personalities and the bonds they share with Erwin and Eren. Everyone’s free to absorb and enjoy the series in their own way, but I heavily disagree with a lot of the harsh criticism I see thrown at Eren and Mikasa’s bond.

[commodorecliche]

at this point idgaf about the snk canon anymore lmao i'm here for the jeanmarco and eruri aus

[absolute-eruri-trash]

Shiphate and antis are so 2018.

Get ready for shipping, writing, drawing, reading and consuming whatever the hell you want in 2019!

[momtaku]

So a lot of people say that they don't like the direction the story has gone. In fact, fans' dissatisfaction dates back to the Uprising arc if I remember correctly. Why do you think this is the case? What were people expecting or hoping for and is there anything you think could have been done to make it better?

Readers are selfish people. We want what we want. And when we don’t get what we want, the target of our disappointment is the author. 

This being a monthly series exasperates things. We have roughly 29 days each month to hope and dream. Those dreams are either dashed or rewarded in the 15 minutes it takes to read the new chapter. Wash, rinse, and repeat month after month for years.

A longtime friend has assured me the story will be better in retrospect. And I think that’s true. Those I’ve met who’ve gotten into the snk late and read it in a single sitting are happier than those of us doing the monthly grind.

Fandom also breeds discontent. There exist some on tumblr who are here only to trash the series and the author. I don’t get it. Isayama is not a perfect storyteller. True. There’s a lot that could be done better. Pacing is an ongoing issue. Marley could have been introduced sooner. World building has holes. But for me, there is more that he’s doing right. His characters are some of the best I’ve read in any genre. The story is captivating and emotional. The art is gorgeous.

I won’t pass judgment until the final chapter. And maybe not for weeks or years after. I expect to be sitting in an snk anime con panel a decade from now debating the ending with other fans :) I think it has that sort of staying power.

Thank you for the ask! Some friends and I have recently been talking about fandom’s influence on our satisfaction with the series and whether it hurts more than helps. It’s an interesting conversation.

[omeinfreund]

[bettrdays]

Lmao but yeah Armin “I want to entrust my dreams, my life, everything to Eren” Arlert is totally just waiting for the opportune moment to spring and stab him in the back.

[raelis1]

Ugh, I both hate and love this because... G*ren, you fucking douchenozzle, you didn’t start the experiment, but you’re still running it now, or helping someone run it. You’re entirely complicit, so even if you’re not willing to stop, at least own up to it? (G*ren at his most insufferable is when he uses his apparently favorite tactic to get away from uncomfortable questions: he’s called upon to explain his shit, and he changes the subject to draw the attention away from himself (he did this with Shinoa twice). And the most annoiyng thing is that everyone just...falls for it?  For no reason at all? Kagami probably thinks that if he passes the Idiot Ball around from one character to the other, G*ren’s completely transparent ploy will seem like Super-Clever Evasion.)

I understand that G*ren’s intentions are...probably good, and I don’t believe he wishes harm on Yu or Mika or the others, but... God, does he have to be such an insufferable asshole all the time? His ”not-gonna-explain-myself-to-the-likes-of-you”/”leave-me-alone-plebs”/”pffft-so-above-you-all” act got old back when he was sixteen.

On the other hand, G*ren’s just pointed out Mika’s biggest flaw which I’ve been wanting the story to address for quite some time. I believe Mika’s anger with G*ren is entirely justified, but he is prone to reckless, thoughtless action (which is why I think it’s hilarious that TV Tropes descrbe him as the Blue Oni to Yu’s Red Oni which... no) and he does tend to ignore the bigger picture, the bigger threats (trying to get Yu to run away while completely ignoring Yu’s little demon problem/his own increasing thirst for blood? Not the wisest course of action, dear!) So I’m glad that someone finally told him to be smarter... I just kinda hate G*ren had to be the one to do it because the narrative always frames him as the one who’s Always Right About Everything, and I think he needs to be taken down a peg or two - like Mika constantly is - for his character to grow.

[goodguyjean]

@julystorms I’m glad I’m not the only one weirded out by this portrayal of Jean and his relationship with Armin! I guess I’m feeling the wank particularly hard because this moment is meant to cater to me, as a Jearmin shipper, but it just makes me incredibly uncomfortable and I start to question my original reading of their relationship. This mean jock/timid nerd dynamic does not look familiar at all to me and I’m a bit perturbed that this Isayama’s own interpretation (however tongue-in-cheek) of his own characters. Hopefully it doesn’t bleed back into canon; I’ll put it out of my mind then xD. Usually I love the fake previews and I want to enjoy Hange’s glasses and crocs but this is just disappointing :/

[kyojuuros]

Idk how to feel about AoT right now. I just read several posts about how the series condones imperialism and how it's blatantly antisemitic. I dont believe it's nazi propaganda like some claim it to be, but the undertones of eldians being persecuted under a clearly fascist regime (like the Jews in ww2) make me uncomfortable. AoT is definitely not what it used to be, and I'm afraid whatever message isayama is trying to convey is sullied by poor (and what seems to be controversial) storytelling...

I hesitate to answer this because I don’t want to open this can of worms again. But since you feel that you are struggling, I’ll bite. 

Here’s the thing. Most of the people who are making claims that SnK is nazi/imperialist propaganda are people who have not actually read the manga beyond the anime and/or only skim it enough to find the things that back up their claims because they’re petty and want others to hate SnK with them. 

Isayama takes inspiration from that era but that doesn’t mean he supports it and he’s definitely not the first mangaka, or person in general, who takes inspiration from that era to write a story. Does he have some fumbly story-telling issues? Probably a little. But ultimately he has never shown the oppression of Eldia to be okay. Quite recently he even stated that SnK is a story about liberation from oppression. 

The entire series paints war as the horrifying thing it is and Isayama has always shown realistic reactions to it, and very realistic portrayals of PTSD and so on. The undertones you speak of as they are represented via Marley’s (and the rest of the world’s) treatment of the Eldian people is never shown in a positive light. I do not believe that we are meant to empathize with the Marley military/government in any capacity. We are supposed to be horrified by the things that they do to Eldians and the way they treat them and talk to them. The story has always had us rooting for and understanding the Eldian people (Paradis and warriors both) whether it be when we only knew about their oppression via the titans, or now through their oppression from the entire world. 

The presumed endgame is for the Eldian people to achieve freedom again. Ideally, without turning around and becoming oppressors themselves.

On the flip side, the fanaticism from some of the Eldians has never been rewarded either. Grisha is the blatant example here that an imperialist mindset is also bad. He wanted to restore Eldia by oppressing his oppressors and the narrative punished him for it by taking away his family and essentially killing all of his compatriots. He lost everything. And now we have Floch falling into the same mindset and other characters (ie: Jean) are already visibly Yikes™ about it. Talk of “the rumbling” is also uncomfortable and I believe that we are supposed to feel that way. The story constantly has beat into our heads that the cycle of history has to end - somewhere the oppression from either side needs to stop. 

Basically... I just don’t see the “propaganda”. I think ultimately it’ll depend on Isayama’s ending and the message it brings but in my view, he’s been doing a good job and I have faith that the end will be satisfying and that our oppressed heroes will find a way to liberate their people, even if it’s only bittersweet in the end. At least, this is my hope. I will be really let down if the final message is a grim one. But anyway.

Taking inspiration from historical events or historical figures does not necessarily mean that one condones those people’s actions or the events that took place. It’s a very normal story-telling tactic. I don’t know why Isayama in particular has to get so much shit for doing the same thing that literally thousands of other content creators have done throughout history. 

All that being said anon, it’s up to you whether you want to keep reading it or not. If the narrative is starting to make you truly uncomfortable, then it’s okay to drop the series. But just keep all of the things I said in mind if you can. I think Isayama’s heart is in the right place in the way he’s telling his story. He started it when he was very young and some things are a little rough around the edges and his humor is really dry and tactless sometimes. But I think he’s doing his best to write something truly captivating and thought provoking and critical towards war and oppression.

This is the only ask I will answer about this topic right now. I think I’ve made my view on the discourse clear and I don’t wish to discuss it further.

[commodorecliche]

Aw jeez what did snk mess up this time?

friendship is magic, glossing over erwin, time jumps, all sorts of bs. makes me wonder why i even glance at spoilers anymore.