The GENIUS Annie's Laugh & Erwin's Plan Explained - Overanalyzing Attack on Titan & Retrospective

[@witchofengineering]

18:20 One argument I would make for the realism of that scene is that most people they were trying to pass that fake Eren off too didn't actually knew how Eren looked. There was no photography. They had a description or a drawing at best. So passing someone who doesn't really look like Eren as Eren isn't that far-fetched.

[@harry3461]

Beat me to it man 😭😭

[@abhijithcpreej]

Was just about to comment this

[@fgregerfeaxcwfeffece]

Exactly! Remember that they don't have pictures of them to compare side by side and are not very familiar with either of them. Especially if they where just working from descriptions this sort of thing can easily work in reality. We are only this good at telling apart people know rather well. Not having the internet and Smartphones is a big deal here.

[@cathygrandstaff1957]

Yeah all they really needed was someone with short black kinda messy hair with Eren’s build. Also the people attacking are seeing him from a distance and Jean was intentionally trying to keep his face hidden to make it harder for people to realize he wasn’t Eren.

[@candyfloss462]

I do wonder if Annie’s laugh and blushing is partly to do with her realising she failed her whole plan due to having feelings for Armin. The irony of something like a crush causing her to fail after the amount of effort she’s put in to shutting out her emotions…

[@D14MBK]

Oh yeah good point!

[@user-59559]

A more interesting detail: Annie's laughter and blush are seen only by Armin, and for Eren and Mikasa it is an unnatural pose with hidden eyes.

[@Daore05]

@@user-59559why? Was Armin just located closer or smth?

[@user-59559]

​@@Daore05A romantic representation of the character. Isayama said that Mikasa looks more beautiful in Eren's eyes at particularly emotional moments. This rule applies to all canonical pairs IH and AA.

[@ignotaskatkus7685]

According to Isayama, the laughter scene is meant to humanize Annie. Beneath all the bulshit, gaslighting and murdering; she is just a simple girl roughened up by her environment. In this scene, she no longer needs to lie, to feel conflicted, or to emotionally shut herself off: she just lets it all out.

[@notyourdad9548]

Links please

[@lunarluxe9832]

@@Gamfluent neither is eren or mikasa or armin or levi

[@chonkycat841]

@@lunarluxe9832 Honestly they all committed hideous crimes (some even much worse crimes than Annie) but Annie is the only one who actually played with people she was killing. That I feel really contradicts her character. There's a scene in the first expedition where Annie grabs a soldier's ODM grappling hook and starts spinning him and walking slowly, before flinging him in the air. It was most likely made this way so she would feel frightening and scary, but looking back now it really doesn't make any sense because Annie isn't someone who would do that. It's such an, as the other guy said, inhuman thing to do

[@q_q123]

@@chonkycat841 I feel that was just careless writing Isayama added for the sake of shock value. So many people hate her just for that spinning scene

[@darthzackariusnickthenamethede]

@@q_q123 It was way out of character for her, too. Like she's normally just trying to suppress her feelings because she doesn't actually want to hurt anyone. Don't know where that Yoyo scene came from.

[@annieleonhart.4937]

On a serious note. As warriors, the trio (also Pieck & Galliad) never had the luxury of an education or upbringing that did not include the rather imperialistic goals of the Marleyan government. In Annie's and Reiner's case (we don't know because Berthold's parents died early and Pieck's father was sick since she was very young) they were even indoctrinated by their parents. They could never develop as a person, just as weapons. Trying to make friends outside of the warrior unit, looking for meaningful connections, was hard, since they are Eldians. The only authority figure who showed them maybe an ounce of care was Commander Magath (we also only see that later on, so Annie and Berthold likely never experienced that). So, aside from Pieck always trying to be a good friend to everyone, the first time our trio experienced something akin to actual, accepting love from outsiders was on Paradis. From the very people they would have to betray. With so many scars, and an integral part of their personalities dedicated to the mission, how could they not break down. Either as Reiner did, or as Annie eventually does. For her it is even worse because she never hated the "devils of Paradis" anyway.

[@KOcrybaby]

Hello Annie

[@veronica-mew]

Not only that, but they are indoctrinated to *vehemently hate* the people of Paradis. We see this a lot with Grisha in season 3 and obviously with Gabi and Falco in season 4, but Eldians living in Marley are forced into a perpetual state of self-hatred. They curse the "devils of Paradis" and (some of them) truly believe that there is not a single good person on the island. Of course, there's no guarantee that the Marley trio actually believes this stuff, but they were definitely taught it adnosium. To be immediately cared for and accepted by these "evil devils" must have made them that much more conflicted even before they got to the Scouts.

[@raiden_from_metal_gear]

Hello Annie

[@juchecatgirl]

Haven't you heard? It's General now!

[@Peoplearefood]

I love Annie's laugh. At that moment the weight of the world was lifted and Annie didn't have to hide her true self.

[@abhijithcpreej]

This. It's not thirst... It's relief... a release

[@tx6723]

It’s not just that but we the viewer feel the weight of the world she feels

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Marlow was the only MP that took his job seriously.

[@yaboiluke8608]

Nile turned out to be a cool dude though

[@faxenmacher4633]

If Marlow had the founding titan than AOT would have had a happy ending. Or he would have got ate by someone like Erren... Either way Marlboro is a real one.

[@jagnestormskull3178]

​@@yaboiluke8608 Nah nah, Nile was an asshole (except that *one time* he stood up for Historia) who always assumed the worst in a man who was supposedly his friend (Erwin), and thought that disassembling humanity's spear (the Survey Corps) was a good idea, or at least didn't have the guts to protest it. He also let notorious serial killer Kenny the Ripper into the ranks of the MPs (and yes, I know that was an irregular unit, but the Garrison and Scout Regiments have no such irregular units because their Commanders know the value of trust and loyalty). Evil flourishes when good men do nothing, and thus by not fighting the censorship of the actions of the First Interior or the decision to make Kenny an MP, he was inherently complicit in those decisions.

[@jagnestormskull3178]

@@faxenmacher4633 AoT's best possible choice (the Fifty-Year Plan) is also horribly unethical. Not as unethical as cleansing the planet, or cleansing all Eldians, but still repeating the cycle of royal children eating their parents.

[@joripien]

Marlow, the MVP MP

[@SephirothsBIade]

18:11 Eldia doesnt have photographs... Of the MPs only a few of them have ever seen Erin. A wig and general bodyshape is more than enough to convince 99% of them at a glance

[@reachthroughreality]

Eren laughing at Sasha's death was actually perfect. "She asked if it was time to eat yet." OFC she did. I laughed.

[@canonogic]

Isayama needs some kind of global award for his unbelievably brilliant writing on AoT. Dude manages to cover all aspects of what makes a story great, whilst also getting us as the the reader to seriously introspect.

[@Jayjay_07]

I think Annie breaking out in laughter when she reaches her breaking point was a fantastic addition in the anime. As you pointed out we see similar scenes with Eren and I wanted to add that Connie has at least two of those scenes as well. One is in the RtS arc when the Colossal appears and wrecks the town (iirc) where he makes a stupid joke and laughs until Sasha hits him. The other one is related to Annie when they meet her where they get food in S4P2. I have seen a lot of people hating the fact that Connie laughs at her stuffing her face with pie because of the very serious situation they are in, but I think this scene is very in character for Connie and like with Annie and Eren is just a very common human reaction to not being able to deal with depressing chaos anymore. Thank you for coming to my ted talk :D

[@s0meRand0m129]

bro is coping so hard he make jokes at the girl who murdered most of his comrades

[@lemmonboy6459]

@@s0meRand0m129 In her defense, he has also been responsible for some of her comrade’s deaths War sucks! :D

[@IrkenProperty]

It is truly an insult how you're not at 100k+ subs and gaining millions of views on these... You put in so much work, and you clearly love what you do, as it shines through in every video.

[@Koroto]

Thank you 😭

[@decafjava8565]

Yes yes!!

[@ToriDiazz]

i think the same exact thing!!

[@flonny1340]

I mean considering he has shown, in brief moments but moments nonetheless, some questionable beliefs/values, 🤔 I'd say it's not actually an insult he hasn't gained over 100k subs. Trust me it is much better to grow at a steady pace then have exponential growth all of a sudden

[@decafjava8565]

@@flonny1340 such as?

[@mahpell7173]

I usually despise when people overthink characters and plot in any other stories, but AoT is exclusively the only one I believe it can be this deep. Goddamit, Isayama.

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Fun fact: In a Lost Girls manga, Mikasa found and returned Annie her ring.

[@matthiaskooij2712]

Is there a way to read the Manga for free?

[@matthiaskooij2712]

And if not, where is the best place to read manga?

[@iltwrrmbro]

27:28 isayama is a fucking genius, man. it feels like he wrote and storyboarded the entire series before he even drew the first panel

[@mirandpeglel189]

bro wrote it from end to beginning

[@spookydonutghosthouse]

Not trying to start anything but given his views Isayama and genius are not words that go together

[@mirandpeglel189]

@@spookydonutghosthouse What kind of views are they?

[@spookydonutghosthouse]

@@mirandpeglel189 Isayama is a nationalist and a war crime denier Dont get me wrong I love AOT but Isayama is a garbage human being

[@raiden_from_metal_gear]

@@spookydonutghosthouse and then they never ever elaborated... blatant bait

[@ForeverTraitor]

I always thought Marlo was more reminiscent of Marco, who wanted to join the MP out of a genuine sense of honour. Also another parallel to draw is Jean and Reiner taking on characteristics of Marco and Marcel respectively after their deaths. And in a show about people eating each other and gaining their memories, I think it's very much intentional. Isayama really likes killing people with Mar in their name, even as far back as Wall Maria in episode 1.

[@dalkent3417]

28:38 in my opinion it is the other way around. Eren adopted this exact same method with his father because he knew he would convince his father the same way Mikasa conviced him. For me, the girl inspired the man, the man didn't pushed the girl to act like this

[@mimi101]

Lol I didn't even notice Mikasa's glare and Eren's were identical until I watched this video. I think the glare Mikasa gives Eren conveys her rage that Eren still considers Annie as a friend even though she just transformed in front of them. I think her feelings for Eren are part of it, but I think knowing it was Annie, who whas their classmate and friend, was the one who killed so many of their comrades infuriates her. And Eren's sympathy for Annie is unconceivable to Mikasa. I think the fact we see the flashback of her as a girl looking at that prey mantis going to town on that butterfly so often in the series is meant to show how she sees the world. Mikasa lived a simple life and that's also ultimately the life she wants. But she knows life is creul and she is strong. She fights to protect what's hers and I think that makes it easy for her to be decisive and again why Eren hesitating out of compassion for Annie at the same time Annie is killing Scouts all around them is unacceptable to her. Mikasa moved on the moment she drew her sword; she was ready to kill Annie to keep as many of her people safe. I think Eren took notes from her lol. This episode is the only time I can think of where it is Mikasa and Armin who both leave him behind while they rush into danger, when usually we see the theme of them running after Eren while he runs headfirst into trouble. Great video as always!

[@grace4535]

Attack on Titan is so big on visual symbolism, at least in the Anime. The message of said symbolism is never ONLY on a grand scale. It’s either personal or both, at least most of the time. In my opinion, it really drives home how this show is character focused and character driven, even with the nature and grand scale of the main conflict. TLDR: In scenes or moments where the stakes are very personal, the animation team flexes like hell. and it’s so great

[@grace4535]

a couple examples, just regarding the eren vs annie fight (y’all can feel free to argue w me or add more from other scenes): -eren transforming to fight annie: the camera follows eren’s lightning and flips the (his) world upside down -annie (a representative of marley) destroying that church of the walls (as eren throws her into it, technically his fault there, manga readers will know the spoilers) -and oh honey don’t even get me STARTED on the OPENING

[@KarateKarotte]

34:05 Might I add that the German lyrics of the songs translate to „is that the destroyer (or the creator of a new world)“ which is literally a reference to eren who will be destroying the whole word with his hatred… and the dichotomy between the Jägerists(Yeagerists) who say he’s the creator of a new world while everyone else’s sees him as the „destroyer“

[@woolflower8316]

It was awkward (and funny at the same time) watching with my German bf as he thought all the "German" songs were Japanese because he couldn't understand a single word. Same thing when we were watching Better Call Saul, and "In Stiller Nacht" played. The pronunciation is so bad that he couldn't understand it was German.

[@KarateKarotte]

@@woolflower8316 yeah, i think there is only one song that has an actual German native „singing“(more like speaking) the lyrics and it’s the extended version of the season 1 op…

[@ChaosN0110]

@@woolflower8316 It IS very difficult to understand without lyrics

[@rubixman7x7]

18:18 It would work very well since most people don't actually know what Eren looks like and only have a verbal description of him. And most MP's who have seen him have only done so once or twice. Plus, why should they bother remembering his face if they were just planning on killing him.

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Here's a weird fact: In the Manga, Annie gave Eren a wicked smile. In the Anime, she just laughed.

[@imLourelin]

It's interesting to see these differences since Isayama said that the anime is the "definitive" version of AOT (As far as I know)

[@kingmac6638]

She gave a weird smile in both

[@faxenmacher4633]

I mean, drawing laughter is basically a smile, while animating it is quite different. I don't doubt you, I just feel the need to reinforce the natural differences between mediums.

[@Eh.........]

​@@faxenmacher4633I agree

[@SusieBlup]

I remember him saying he didn't like how he drew it, so it makes sense

[@tulip135]

10:48 What you pointed out about Annie standing against the flow of the river stood out to me big time; great observation. She's not walking along with the flow like the other MP's, but she's also not forcing her way against it as someone like Eren would do. She never bought into Marley’s bullshit indoctrination, and she never cared about the mission. But she did care about getting everything over with so that she can get back to her father; someone whose last-minute affection gave her all the motivation she needed, with hope that she would go back and peacefully live out the rest of her years with him (side note: it still boggles my mind how people brand her strictly as a cold-hearted bitch, when desiring love was always the entire premise of her character, but I digress). This puts her in a much more morally gray position than someone like Reiner, who was most definitely brainwashed by Marley, and thus seemed to have suffered worse cognitive dissonance during his time on Paradis, leading to his split-personality. That conversation she had with Marlow is actually cut short in the anime. In the manga, her philosophical perspective on this is explored in more depth. She tells him something along the lines of "People like you who go against the flow are rare; they get called special. So what should we call people who put their own interests ahead of others? They get called 'worthless,' or 'evil.' So from what I saw in the Training Corps, it was mostly made up of 'worthless' and 'evil' people who wanted to be in the Military Police." Marlo then responds, "So you're just trying to say that you guys aren't *really* that bad, right?" And Annie says, "No, I do think we're worthless and we're definitely evil. You certainly can't call us upright but... doesn't that just make us regular people?" She then continues, "So even if I'm the weak kind of person who gets swept along with the flow, I just want you to think of me as human, that's all." Annie was literally the first to highlight one of AOT's biggest philosophical themes: none of the characters are inherently good, nor are they inherently bad. She's incredible, and criminally underrated.

[@user-59559]

Oh, yeah. And in the same episode, Armin's words: "a good person is someone who is convenient for you personally."

[@Kadoshiun]

I just wanna add one thing: The moment Eren transforms and the lightning strikes and the music climaxes the lyrics of the song DURING the lightning strike are "Ist das der Zerstörer?" (that´s german) which literally means "Is this the destroyer?". Two things there: For once, for random people in Stohess seeing a SECOND Titan appear out of nowhere, yes that is a pretty valid question but anyways. More importantly we obviously know now that oh boi YES HE IS!

[@Malachiteinferno]

I think the craziest part of annie's training scene is it's literally showing us the world outside the walls, right under our very noses.

[@elijahhakobian1060]

I know this is late but i think Marlo is a character made to show what would happen if Eren was a crazy soldier without his titan ability and determination and how he would've died in the end without his abilities similar to Marlow. This showed that people blessed with power are the only ones that can truly make a change in the story via titan abilities, royal blood, or status

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

I felt bad for all the people who that caught Annie. They got caught in the blast when Annie transforms.

[@qinyima5693]

you're a better person than I am then

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Fun fact: Annie managed to escape Kenny Ackerman unscathed.

[@vorpalweapon4814]

youre true to your name i will give you that

[@matthiaskooij2712]

Wait what? Please elaborate

[@miralirica3238]

​@@matthiaskooij2712 chapter 97 i think!!! Annie was investigating the interior (she figured out the interior people were keeping their eyes on Krista/Historia). She followed Kenny around to get some info but he spotted her, so she claimed she was his child LOL

[@xdj2a2]

15:44 Vinland Sage and Attack on Titan are two sides of the same coin I LOVE IT!!!

[@TommySkywalker11]

Something to note about the Jean stand in for Eren, the only MPs that ever saw Eren were at the tribunal and seeing him from about 20 feet away, so it wouldn't matter how similar they looked as long as the basic description of hair and body build were accurate

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

There are two different versions of Annie's dad crying and apologizing to Annie. - There's Wit Studios version - There's Mappa Studio's version

[@BuzzabeelYT]

WIT corrected their original version in the Lost Girls OVA.

[@ari_peacock26]

I hadn't put the parallels of Mikasa's stare versus later Eren's! That's a great point! I just thought Mikasa was hella jealous, thinking Eren had feelings for Annie. 😂

[@noor.alyateem]

I think the Annie said she was scared to enter the tunnel not just because she randomly chose that time to doubt them, but because at that moment she knew more clearly that they were very much likely on to her. Leading her underground into the tunnel meant she’d have trouble becoming a titan underground. She likely picked up on this and hence why that being the moment it all happened

[@maxwelldespisesyou704]

The episode title could also be a reference to Annie in her titan form when Armin first saw her. When she spared him, she was looking down at him and smiling. One of the biggest factors leading to suspicion of Annie was how her titan had an uncanny resemblance to her, and I think Armin realized it in that moment.

[@user-59559]

The first time he is too scared, and after that he is surprised to make out something, and in the second, the emphasis is on the eyes of the Titan Woman, while the rest of the face is in shadow, so that we understand that Armin recognized her by her eyes.The first time he is too scared, and after that he is surprised to make out something, and in the second, the emphasis is on the eyes of the Female Titan, while the rest of the face is in shadow, so that we understand that Armin recognized her by her eyes. Sorry for my poor English.

[@AoAstar]

when Armin asked Annie why she let him live she asks herself the same thing- and then she blushes and laughs now that we know what happens later, I always saw this as Annie realizing that even though she doesn't care about anything on the world but recently only cared for her father, her understanding that she somehow caught emotions for an enemy, out of anything or anywhere on the planet that she hates so much, she realizes she has feelings for Armin, who just trapped her. Who figured it all out because she let him live. And she let him live because she somehow choice *him* to care about, even though she recently discovered she *does* care and It's too ridiculous even for her tldr; i feel like the blushing laughing moment is annie realizing she likes armin, which is crazy to her

[@Thechomp1eman]

Shipped them since s1 ending

[@AoAstar]

@@Thechomp1eman you are a patience being my friend

[@user-59559]

Compare her laughing face from Armin's pow and from Eren and Mikasa's pow.

[@somewhereatvinland]

I love the way you over analyze AoT, I do exactly the same, but cannot share it with my couple/friends because it's too much for them.

[@MattsCoolDog]

I would like to add since I just noticed it, that the frame where the lightning strikes down on Erin's transformation is staged in a way that very much looks like the eye of a predatory animal, like a big cat or alligator, with the way that the bridge and buildings curve around the column of light ( 35:57 ).

[@woolflower8316]

20:31 I remember my younger sister waiting for me to read this chapter in the manga because she wanted to talk about it. This was before there was an anime, we didn't even know there was online discussion of it (our internet at our old house was so slow at the time), this was when we thought titans were an experiment lol. It's just the two of us discussing the manga. We both knew it was Annie before it was revealed. Sawney and Bean getting killed. Armin's face as he looked at "Annie's" ODM gear. Armin was spared, Reiner got out unscathed, AND THEN the female titan knowing exactly where to go. The female titan's fighting style. That chapter just brings me back to our old house years ago, we were so young. When the anime dropped, we tried watching it on the tablet, but our internet was so slow it buffered forever lol. Good times.

[@sor3999]

In the early days of the manga, I also thought the titans were an experiment gone wrong. Like some zombie apocalypse sort of thing except with titans. I am so glad it didn't turn out as basic as that lol.

[@nobodysbusiness5186]

I think the blush is a way of reacting to being caught. I don’t know about everyone, but when you’re caught in a lie, your body starts to heat up and you blush

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

I laughed when Eren called Jean "Horse face."

[@sonew2785]

I enjoy armin being able to pick out that is wasnt annie's odm gear. I feel i reinforces that hes really smart, i enjoy him being smarter than us and being able to pick up on minute stuff that we cant.

[@Catmouflage]

I think Marco's ODM gear was basically used as an in-universe reason for the CHARACTERS to suspect Annie, and was unnecessary for the viewer because frankly if you couldn't connect Annie to the female titan by their appearances alone I'd be concerned. It's like what you said about Jean and Eren only looking alike to us the viewers. The female titan OBVIOUSLY looks like Annie to us, but the characters would need more evidence

[@jonathanferguson7791]

I posted another comment about it but, former soldier here, you kinda DO know what all you and at least your squad's gear looks like pretty well. You have to use it, clean it, etc. I received my m4 and it looked a little scratched right off the get-go a buddy of mine (in my team actually) had his m4 actually discolored and looked pretty fuckin' old. I don't think it's as bit of a stretch IRL to know somebody's gear. Especially if you've helped them do maintenance/clean it. You know what i mean? IRL it's way more obvious especially if gear GETS used.

[@jonathanferguson7791]

(meaning not all your gear is brand-new and if it is and you use it, it immediately bc scratched and used etc)

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

I think Annie cried when Levi and Mikasa took Eren was because Annie didn't want to kill all those Scouts.

[@PrinceYamiUchihaCosplay]

I think it's because she knows that if she went back to Marley empty handed then her adopted father will be killed by the Marley government, something Reiner explains in Season 4 to Annie that if they went home to Marley then not only will the three be called failures and be stripped of their Titans, they will be stripped of being Marlean Citizens and they along with their families will be killed

[@Eh.........]

​@@PrinceYamiUchihaCosplayif they are stripped of their titan forms, that basically literally means they will die. Don't know why you had to include 'citizenship' after 'titans'

[@hessiankyojin]

Nah, she has no remorse for killing them all just to return to her father, as confirmed in "Night of the End". She cried because she failed, and she is still far away from going back home.

[@PrinceYamiUchihaCosplay]

@Eh? 一人一 season 4 explains more about the Eldians who live in Marley, if you watch the episode with Annie, Reiner and Bertholdt as kids before they reach Eren's hometown, Annie says that they should cut their losses and head back to Marley because of how they lost the Jaw Titan to a pure Titan who we found out was Ymir, Reiner attacks Annie and explains why they can't go back and what would happen if they did go back to Marley. So I brought citizenship into my reply because when Pieck was given the cart Titan for passing the military training, her father got medical treatment from Marley, something he wouldn't have gotten if Pieck didn't pass so of Annie, Reiner and Bertholdt went back to Marley then their families would pay the price and be stripped of their rightfully obtained Marlean citizenship

[@Martinyonko]

@@Eh......... bc stripping their citizenship has more implications, that being that their family is affected too

[@mangojelly23]

Annie's laugh makes sense to me because there are times where something is so absurd (positively or negatively) that i simply laugh... just because of the absurdity of the situation, that's a way to react too

[@rafaellucadetena9355]

Nah, I think Eren just took inspiration from Mikasa that moment when he did the same thing to his father. Like, he was improvising. He saw his father doubting and remembered what happened with Annie and how Mikasa pushed him to fight. Avocado.

[@arceuslegend4605]

Regarding Eren's transformation, I think it's also worth pointing out the lyrics in the song, as we hear them quite often when Eren's titan shows up, particularly the first line: "Ist das der Zerstörer oder der Schöpfer?" This, in German, translates to "Is that the destroyer, or the creator?", obviously referring to Burrito and the Colossal titan at the time, but this also applies very neatly to Eren, something that the show also seemed to think. Because yeah, as the current holder of the Founder, Eren has the ability to destroy the world, but he can also shape a new one. A neat example of the latter is later down the line when we learn that the Founder was once used to make Eldians immune to a plague that was ravaging the rest of the world. It all boils down to the fact that Eren literally has the power of a god at his hands, so it's very fitting to ask what his true intentions really are, especially this early in the series. Another line in that song that comes soon after that also holds a much deeper meaning now is "Was finden wir jenseits dieses Horizontes?", which translates to, what will we find beyond the horizon. Again, this at the time was meant to provoke the question of "what really is out there" after the initial attack on Shiganshina, but it becomes so much darker when you realize that this also applies to Marley as well. As far everyone across the sea is concerned, Paradis is full of evil demons, waiting to slaughter us. When the warriors departed for their mission, they too had no idea what they'll find beyond the horizon. And it becomes even darker when you hear it play at the end of S4P2 as Marleyan soldiers flee their positions, and see Eren's founder towering over the rumbling while this exact line is played in the background. Obviously a lot of this is very irrelevant at this point in the story, but in the spirit of overanalyzing every minute detail I think it's great to look back now and realize how masterfully Wit was able to foreshadow the end of the series just through music. It's a part that I really wish this series on KZbin would about a bit more imo.

[@luda.chrisotzz]

One thing I always wondered was why were the titan wielders kids, like Zeke was the only teenager in the new generation of titan wielders. Weren’t there more capable honorary Marleyans around Zeke’s training class that could have wielded & went on the mission instead? Avocado

[@AIMalek]

Children are the easiest to manipulate

[@luda.chrisotzz]

@@AIMalek no I understand that Warrior training is mandatory to start when they are young kids because of that fact, but my question is why not give it to a probably more capable warrior who’s older & been in training longer, like Zeke who looked like he ended up getting it by the time he was a teenager

[@AIMalek]

My guess is there's always one who is a bit older and is the leader. Either that or the age just doesn't matter that much, as long as there are children they'll use them. If there isn't they'll just use older soldiers. Tom ksaver wasn't that young when he was the beast titan.

[@EleanorRea]

I think Annie has to be one of the all time sympathetic villains of anime rivaled only by avocado

[@CeramicSerpent]

avocado?

[@s0meRand0m129]

​@@CeramicSerpentnicocado avocado

[@ReleaseZeKrakken]

I was so glad with the anime changing his last S1 transformation. In the manga he doesn't have the moment of not being able to transform he just kinda does it.

[@PrinceYamiUchihaCosplay]

I mean the line Armin said to Annie that good and bad is subjective makes a lot of sense in real life that no one is born good or evils and that anyone has the capacity of being good or evil, I mean when we are born, we are all natural and we learn about good and bad growing up which shapes us into either being a good person or bad person. Unless certain groups out there will put good people in the category of bad people because they had that crammed into their minds, kinda like the Warriors experienced that when the Marley government said that every Eldian including them are all evil especially the ones on Paradis just like how in real life when a lot of people will put good people from a race or culture in a label saying they are all bad people just because of a few bad people, if that makes sense

[@featherskaijay3060]

21:00 In my view, 3dmg is assigned to the specific individual in order to account for the user's weight, depth, and height. From straps to their devices we can assume that their equipment isnt random but rather tailored to each soldier.

[@GRIMLOCK07]

Pause @32:11, back when Zoe was happier being herself before becoming Commander of the Scouts.

[@terryjackson-chubick2506]

I am LOVING the long videos. I'd take one of these every other day. I love the re-examination as I watch with my kiddo.

[@dalkent3417]

Am i the only one to realized Annie looks more beautiful when she laughs, as she is seen from Armin"s POV ? Does she appear prettier to his eyes ?

[@remphz3321]

bro.....what?

[@Lauren_12695]

@@remphz3321ok the way he worded it was weird but Hajime Isayama said that for example Mikasa was drawn to be more “pretty” if the story was being told from Eren’s POV to show his feelings towards her. So I think, OP was wondering if the same was done with Armin and Annie. (That’s how I chose to interpret it lol 😂)

[@s0meRand0m129]

​@@remphz3321nah , he just has "I can fix her" fetish

[@user-59559]

Yes it is. Note that all three of them have different reactions to her laughter: Mikasa looks with anger, Eren is scared or does not believe what is happening. Armin is literally fascinated by her.

[@user-59559]

In the second meeting of Armin and the female Titan, from Armin's pow, we are shown a completely different face of the female Titan - sweet, gentle and even a little beautiful, while everyone else sees a monster.

[@HoiPolloiNtertains]

Yaaassssssss! I’ve been waiting for this very episode for you to review. So excited to see you continue this series.

[@oJaymey]

Still too this day Erens transformation at the end of episode 24 still gets me hyped and gives me goosebump down to the scream going from human to bestial and the fade into the music playing absolute perfection. Another great analysis video looking forward to the one on episode 25 your doing amazing work on these

[@oJaymey]

Also I think Annie’s laugh and smile is done perfectly to show how she has truly snapped her two sides have hit a breaking point she dosent want to kill them but she has to fight to see her father again

[@Soundwave1900]

Not to be that guy but I always found that stupid. Because in the manga Eren turned right in the tunnel, right after Mikasa made him understand its all real and there's no room for Anie to be an ally anymore. In the anime, however, he was unable to transform even when his comrades started dying, for some reason. It was later fixed in the recap btw, together with this flaming titan bs which makes 0 sense because we know fire doesn't harm titans, it basically makes the flaming aspect of his titan a purely cosmetical ability.

[@calvinwright2214]

I’m binging these, I’ve noticed you keep saying the episodes turned out longer than expected, meanwhile I’m here wanting longer eps lol

[@amihar_nohara3183]

Attack on peak never disappoint, every single minute is a masterpiece

[@יוסףמאירגוס]

He asked why Marlo exists . He exists to die in season 3 and get his dreams crushed

[@codeviper8665]

This whole series is some serious avocadoes, you should be proud :)

[@elevate07]

Can i just point out that as insightful as your analysis is, you also have a great sense of humor

[@jonathanferguson7791]

Anyone in the actual army that's had to do weapon's maintenance knows you can kinda tell whos gear is whos. You receive gear, lots and lots of gear, and you're responsible whether you're 18 or 45 for that gear within a hierarchy. So your rifle may have scratches or dents, the gear that goes on that, everything from pq15's etc, all can develop things like marks and stains (you do your best to keep it all uniform) but trust me, of ALL THE CRAZY STUFF in AOT the most believable part to me, as a former infantryman, is knowing your gear and your buddy's gear no matter how GI your supposed to make it after every training and operation. You just get used to every little deformity etc

[@songfei501]

I think that Jean playing Eren would work because most people have never sean him. Most of the MP have just got a description of Eren So the it's not that far fetch. Love youre vidieos❤❤

[@s.p.1434]

The idea of future Eren and Ymir manipulating Mikasa is an interesting one, but I also think he missed a key implication by her tone and stare: it's implied that Mikasa's obsession with Eren is also making her irrational. That stare is irrational jealousy. Girl is upset he's so fixated and worrying about Annie. It also explains why she's so cold to her the rest of the fight. Classic yandere energy.

[@ZabavaThePower]

Have you seen the finale? Apparently Ymir was actually messing with Mikasa's mind

[@MiliEiko]

@@ZabavaThePower But she's also in love with Eren and very possessive, that's not Ymir. OP is right, that's obvious jealousy

[@ZabavaThePower]

@@MiliEiko It does make sense now that I think about it!

[@jacobhobbs7714]

I wish I found this series of yours later on in life. I could binge it that way! 😂 Great work as always ❤

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

I think Annie had a crush on Armin. That's why she didn't kill him.

[@PrinceYamiUchihaCosplay]

I mean Armin does have a small crush on her, not as big as Bertholdt but in Season 4 we can see that Armin does care about Annie, plus Armin really didn't wanna believe that the Titan who spared him twice on the battlefield was Annie because he grew to class her as a friend but knew that if it was true then that friendship would be broken

[@miguelmackay4851]

Annie shows like 5 different emotions in the span of like 20 seconda in anime time where she never showed one in the span of 22 episodes

[@adolfodef]

11:30 [ " Avocado " ]

[@mariaeduardaribeiro4786]

cant wait for you to start overanalyzing season 4!!

[@V4-Vane]

Currently rewatching this series along with AoT. Thank you for giving me a deeper insight into this entire journey; I didn't think rewatching AoT could be better, until I accidentally stumbled upon your videos while trying to overanalyze it myself... Best coincidence ever! All of your content is pure quality. Oh, and, P.S.: Totally off topic, apologies, but I don't think you're ugly at all; I find you very cute and intellectually interesting :).

[@lucasm9761]

Keep it up chief, I love these videos

[@Koroto]

Will do 🙌

[@ligmalul]

​@@Korotoseriously, please don't stop this is some of the best content I've ever seen. Don't wanna throw you off your groove but if you only made these to expedite the process I wouldn't be mad hehe. Thank you though, makes me have a greater appreciation for the show.

[@rafaeldasilva2119]

I think marlo existed to justapose annie's forced complacency to Marley She respects erens insane ideas of revolt and freedoom. Id even go as far as to say she wanted to be that person in her world, but she would not Take the first step When marlo is beaten and points his gun at the sênior, annie says "if u are going to do this, i got your back" or something to that effect I think annie always wanted to be free, but was always tied down by her father existence IF she had a little push from one of the other shifters, as if in revolt agains Marley, she would've prolly been an ally from start

[@haiderandazola6772]

This is probably one of the best series of videos I've seen on KZbin. I'm hooked.

[@Koroto]

Thank you 😭 Plenty more on the way soon™! 🙌

[@Na-ris-a]

I think the ODM gear angle being a clue is kinda like lets say you got issued a gun in training and you’ve spent 3 years living with this gun cleaning it using it you would know your gun when you see because of its marks and scratches etc. + armin being very observant = a possibility he could of known Marco’s ODM

[@BeanBeans-gf5ic]

These scenes are even more heartbreaking when you have an in-depth analysis of the sheer freaking amount of effort into each emotion

[@NvrchFotia]

Swapping Eren with Jean would have worked fine because there were no cameras on Paradis at the time. The kidnappers said Jean matched the description and they were right. This was the first time they had seen Jean and they had never seen Eren.

[@crewsco07]

i really love these videos, i love over analyzing this show

[@Abraham_the_pierra]

this episode really was an avocado.

[@ciboria1]

The feeling of whatching Annie laugh is the same as when Batman laughs in The Killing Joke

[@islayyourhoyo]

6:10 Personally I believe Rod Reiss knew Eren had the founding titan as he was there when Grisha took it from Freida. Once they knew the attack titan was back after 5+ years it would only go hand in hand imo.

[@s0meRand0m129]

I don't think he know it until the news about a kid named Eren Yeager being a titan spread because who else within the walls has the knowledge about the titan other than the royal family?

[@islayyourhoyo]

@@s0meRand0m129 Yeah that’s what I mean brother. Like rod seen Greisha eat the founder as the attack Titan. So once word got out he definitely had to think the attack Titan has both founder and attack Titan. All in all what a crazy plot. Sad it’s over

[@oizaklives4996]

I always understood that Annie new that underground tunnels and titan transformation doesn't mix and at this very point, she new she was being tricked.

[@semihdulger2040]

Cant wait for Season 2 🥑

[@GippyHappy]

I enjoy listening to someone fangirl over this show the way I do

[@gabrielnascimento7718]

Man, thank u for the videos, u are amazing. Please, keep going till the end of S4. Best aot videos ever

[@hessiankyojin]

ARUMIHH~

[@roguelionproductions3030]

One thing I always questioned when it came to Annie: was she forgiven… too easily? She wiped out a good portion of Levi and Hanji’s old squad mates. Suddenly she gets thawed out and everyone’s like: “Yo! Annie! Good to see ya!” With the lives she was responsible for taking, you’d think she’d get a bit of a cold shoulder from the ones who didn’t visit her prison for the last couple of years.

[@dominox19]

Ok, I love doing mental gymnastics because Annie is one of my favorite characters, so let's try it. It's all from anime only by the way. Connie - everything is quite simple here. He sobbed in grief when they "killed" Reiner even though he knew he was an enemy, so he never truly hated Warriors. For him, everything just went back to the good old days. And yes, he owes his life to her. Mikasa - well, she was pretty cold until the moment when Annie lost her hope. The thing is, since they are basically almost mental twins, I guess Mikasa just really understands what it means to do anything for the sake of someone you love. Perhaps in this matter she understands Annie even better than Armin. And understanding is already a step forward from hatred. Jean is pretty cold too. To be honest, I didn’t see anything warm from him towards Annie, and in the scene around the fire, he only attacked Reiner simply because he was the one who pissed Jean off. The icing on the cake is, of course, Levi. To begin with, he simply does not contact her. I mean, he just took note that now she's part of the team and that's it. I think it's right that he avoided cheap threats simply because he can barely stand. There is not a drop of warmth in it, and this is right too. And there is another small but interesting detail: the first emotion from Annie that he saw were her tears, and he was kinda shocked because of it. On the other hand, the first emotion he saw from Zeke was "cheerful monke perfect game jpg". I'll be honest, I would hate Zeke more. And finally, Hange. For me, this is the most difficult, and basically all I can say is that Hange is Hange. Her whole character boils down to her wanting to end the cycle of hate, and she started with herself.

[@sor3999]

I mean they have a whole campfire scene for them to work out their feelings. Of course, not everyone speaks up, but the purpose of the scene is that not everyone is cool with letting things go. Even then they don't have a choice but to get along since Armin is the one who recruited her and they need her titan. An alliance of convenience.

[@prestonarmer277]

It would have been so much better if armin had asked Annie why didn’t you kill me after you pulled back my hood? Instead of the whole Marco odm gear stuff

[@user-59559]

It was probably to hint at their special relationship to each other.

[@hessiankyojin]

28:28 I think it's the reverse. Future Eren became like that because of how Mikasa did it here.

[@vinsanity3510]

It’s funny cuz you get human moments in this show so well I was surprised you got a tinfoil for the Mikasa scene. It’s not Ymir, it’s “Mikasa’s Strength”. It’s been alluded to since the beginning. From the early episodes, Eren straight up states he wants to be strong like Mikasa. Strength in muscles, strength to make the tough decisions. She was the first to move after Eren “died” to the old man Titan. Once she unlocked her Ackerman power, she never stopped moving forward like Eren wants to. She just influenced him so deeply, he saw himself in his father and probably hated himself for being so WEAK.

[@Challengeofchip]

In the manga, I think Annie simply smiles, and the anime took it a bit farther with her whole laughter fit. Also, in the manga, Eren is able to transform after Miakasa reminds him that “the world is a cruel place.” But I prefer the anime’s take where he still struggles for a while longer to transform, making the final moment when he does all the more avocado, I mean epic.

[@trevortorbeck2910]

Watching this series of videos after the show has completed and knowing how it ends and everything makes me want to see the first 3 season from the eyes of the Warriors and Marley. I think it would be cool to hear there internal thoughts though out the story

[@Ahrieffect]

i realize im a bit late on this vid, but I think the tinfoil at 28:30 is a bit off base, and I think this was actually them building mikasa's light yandere vibes. I think she was always not very fond of annie since they are similar, and mikasa seems the jealous type. I think she's eager for eren to want nothing to do with her

[@Koroto]

For sure haha, I was 95% joking there. 😅 Mikasa's an Ackerman, so she's immune from Eren's influence by default. The only thing there could be Ymir peeking in, but even that is a huge huge stretch.

[@maulaahmad2542]

I have a theory of the reason eren couldn't turn into his titan form in some cases and it just because he's not allowed to by his future self. He has the power to control all of attack titan's owner's behaviour and he himself is not off the limits. For example, if eren had transformed right after annie did, annie wouldn't be pushed to the walls and be finished off in the center of the city and in turn wouldn't break a part of the wall, wouldn't reveal the secrets of the wall, wouldn't introduce us to the pastor (I forgot his name), and historia wouldn't play a huge role later in the show. It just goes to show how careful Isayama planned out this story.

[@MysticMylesZ]

9:05 with skill and faness too

[@JalenDaniels-f4c]

All the effort you put into these videos WILL pay off, ❤

[@emg910728]

I love the analysis of the branches through the lense of my own military experience. Those who serve closer to danger are very different than REMFs

[@historyandpoliticsexplaine4876]

Also the values of a warrior a distinctly different from soldiers and civilians. The laugh was partially lust toward mikasa and armin. They cornered a warrior. When a warrior is cornered and outgunned… that is always when a warrior will blush and laugh. Its their time to shine. Against an enemy that deserves to win if they do. A warrior‘s dream

[@MohamedRamadan-qi4hl]

Lust for them? What?

[@annaaquitaine4225]

I can understand being impressed, but I wouldn’t use the word lust.

[@mgritton1]

It’s a good day when a new retrospective comes out 🎉

[@1sthename70]

I've only watched the series once, and this makes me want to watch it again

[@Steindaemon]

I just love that he alsways finds some stylistic devices I never thought about like that Annie speaks about the flow, she just wants to be a part of, infront of a literary water flow! PS: Do you now how complicated it is th include the word Avocado in a Comment about a Attack on titan Video?!

[@ZabavaThePower]

Do you put avocado in your burrito?

[@sana_saint]

I want to focus on the video essay but the memes send me everytime bruh 😭😭😭

[@alexdemaster_5796]

11:30 avocado! (took me a good 10 times to pause on the exact moment to read all the tiny text