Reviews

I wonder I wonder what it's like to live in a world of ever-perpetuating conflict. I wonder what it's like to live in a world with an unstoppable entity, one that will ensure the destruction and misery of billions of lives, sometimes for selfish unexplainable reasons, sometimes for no reason whatsoever. I wonder what it's like to feel powerless, faced with this *entity* knowing that it *is* there, but not knowing what it is.

The truth is, this is not me insinuating the similarities between a world that is ours and a world that is Attack on Titans', but rather, I'd argue that AOT's is happier. They got a happy ending- or did they?

When I first started watching this show, I was mesmerized by not only the story-telling techniques used but also the perfect telling of symbolism whatever it was. But, I never really got down to actually structuring my interpretations of the show, in some sort of one big chunk of text. So, here I am, doing just that.

The show starts showing us the smaller picture, 3 friends (Eren, Mikasa, and Armin), Mikasa living with Eren's parents. They're happy a bit- leading simple lives in a village surrounded by walls.

Eren represents a natural entity, like a weather pattern, that forces conflict upon the world, in pursuit of some sort of equilibrium that this very entity does not comprehend.

Armin represents the idealism, the pursuit of the beyond and of the better, that creates an imbalance in the first place. Idealism is necessary for a search for equilibrium.

Mikasa is the embodiment of the power that enables any fruition of the equilibrium. Conflict will not be realised without this power.

But, they're happy. They're ignorant, and I'd argue that it is quite possible ignorance was the correct path for this epic of a storyline, but for the sake of realism, I'll leave that in the basement for now (see what I did there?).

Now this is a technique that's always on my mind whilst watching this show; the idea that Isayama starts from a magnified version of the world. 3 friends are given complexity, family, and trauma, and then they are multiplied. They meet other children with similar traumas, complexity, and background, but with some differences.

It's a small circle, that expands to engulf more details, each detail slightly more different than the one before, totally eliminating the need to start over. Hence, we don't need to see the backstory of Connie and Sasha to be able to tell what they went through, we don't need many flashbacks into their lives to tell how deep their friendship and connection are. It's already been established with Eren, Mikasa and Armin. We already understand that everyone went through some sort of trauma, and was brought up in similar environments. Of course, some variables change, but then the equation is the same.

We are then introduced to the scout regiment, an older generation, with countless healed wounds, and possibly many more unhealed. They have the mature rage that the kids don't. They're the dead skin, ready to fall off as the new skin takes its place. The circle is getting bigger, as we're introduced to significant characters such as Erwin, Levi, and Hange.

Erwin is an idealist, the difference between him and Armin is that he has a closer horizon, for his will to continue whatever he started, will disappear as he reaches the horizon. Armin's however is more abstract, for it will continue as long as he lives. Abstract idealism is very unlikely to fade away instantly when a certain goal is reached. Erwin also happens to be more able to let go of his emotions when it comes to sacrificing for the greater goal, which is why it was much easier for him to forgo human lives when it was necessary when it possibly wouldn't have been the case for someone like Armin. Erwin's idealism was needed up to a certain point, and then it was either him or Armin, and that's when Levi made his choice, and it was the correct choice. Erwin's idealism was to take him no further than the basement. The moment he finds the truth is going to be the moment he is lost for the first time in his life, for the last was before his father was killed for having forbidden information, and he pledges to find the truth. His story started somewhere and ended just before the end. And, that, was the right choice.

Levi is.. humanity's strongest warrior.

Hange is the sense of wonder, the exploratory idealism. She does care about humanity, and about titans and all that is happening, but to her, what she wanted to achieve is to learn, and to know.

If you haven't noticed, leading the scout regiment, humanity's way out of the world, or maybe into the world, requires idealism, which I believe is a main theme of the show.

More characters are introduced, more titans are introduced, we are told of a world beyond the world, we are told of a parallel world, with parallel characters, but they do converge don't they? We don't have to learn about this new world, for now, we should have gotten used to the pattern of a growing circle. The world of Marley, is just as complex as that of Eldia, possibly much more.

Eldians on Marleyan soil are second-class citizens. Treated in the worst ways possible, forced to wear an armband to identify them from the others. We then learn about how they're being punished for what their ancestors did ages ago, and how the Eldians are actually devils, having to live a hell of a life as revenge for what they did not do- How ironic. Now, the control of information and propaganda portrayed in the show, is honestly realistic, well explained, and well developed, showing that it is plausible to fall for the lies and to believe in certain ideals, that, for a neutral observer may seem absurd, but that's exactly the point.

Sonder is the realisation that all bypassers on the street have their own complex lives and aren't just faces that serve our own perspectives. Their world is as big as ours. What this show should make people realise is that our enemies, countries and nations, are as complex as ours. They are as right as we are, and just as wrong as we are.

It is also hard to hate any of them. It just makes sense what they all feel and yet it's so wrong. The way this is executed is taken way further in every single episode and it's not the hype and excitement induced by fights and battles that make this a good show, it's how we "feel" the characters and apply our own moral stances to situations we are never gonna experience and yet finding them relatable and understandable.

This is why I think the growing circle is perfect. The shift of perspective is not sudden, but rather, gradual.

Think about this. Let's say that Attack on Titan is a closed system. Compared to the real world, AOT's world is simple enough to understand because it's just a show. The question is, what did any of us wish for when we had Eren's perspective, and what did any of us wish for in the end? The show does shift our very own image of idealism when it comes to a very simple world. What if, this was applied to the real world? One is incapable of such a change of perspective, or at least it's much seen, and even harder to believe.

The perspective changes, and now everyone is trying to save the world, what's left of it, at least. The friends who become enemies, are once again, friends, fighting alongside one another for the right cause. But, what is the right cause? Why is Eren doing what he's doing in the first place? I don't think it matters. In fact, I think it's better that he's portrayed as just a plot device, rather than a proper character, for that IS exactly what is. He's just a once in a 2000 years lighter that just so happens to be the one to light all the matches. Before it was Ymir, and in 2000 years it's the kid in the finale. This makes me want to shed the light on something though. Attack on Titan is not a story, but rather, a formula, one that shows how human conflict, how human though progresses, and falls, and then progresses, and then falls. It describes a cycle. But then, many shows, many books do that right? I don't think that they do in the same way. I think that AOT is not reflection of reality but rather a proof of reality. It shows one cycle of many, one that does indeed differ than the one we have, but does it really?

I appreciate that it offers no solution, I appreciate that it shows how insignificant one cycle is, for 3 minutes in the credits when it's a show we've been watching for a decade. It just so shows how insignificant our circle is, furthering not only the radius of the story's circle but also it's temporality. The circle is now infinite, with nothing really of what we've seen making that big of a difference. Had it not happened, it would've been the same, for it is a never ending circle. Who knows, maybe 4000 years ago was the kid who died leaving something for Ymir. We'll never know, and it'll never matter, as that was never the point.

It is only possible for one to form an acceptable theory, to reach a conclusion when all external factors are extracted from the equation when the definitions of the universe are written down on a single sheet of paper. Even then, the room for doubt will undoubtedly be almost as big as the universe where the problem exists.

Our protagonist, Eren, has been traumatized in so many ways, has been impulsive and knew nothing about the world he grew up to discover. It may sound counter-intuitive, but he didn't have that many decisions to make throughout the story. Unlike many characters, his main objective never changed as his driving idea was the freedom of his people, which he fights for till the very end. Levi once told him, 'Choose for yourself whichever decision you'll regret least', and it was something he obviously learned. He only made decisions that got him closer to his target, throwing aside any personal desires he may have had. He ruined his relationship with his best friends, killing as many people as he had to, disobeyed as many orders as he had to. He let go of his humanity for what he believed was the 'greater good'.

On the other side of this lies Gabi, a character I believe is solely made to set the contrast to Eren. It is something that Isayama does, where he focuses on an idea up close and then zooms out, showing us different variations of the same ideas, of the same theories and ideas, of the same people, of the same friendships and families, of the same towns, cities, governments and nations. "Different variations of the same devils." It is not hard to extrapolate the core beliefs of the people of a nation, as, in the end, they're all given the same start to life. It is enough to only be shown the differences and that, Isayama does really well.

Gabi's origin is a bit different, however, as she has been raised on the other side of the ocean; taught how 'the devils' on the other side deserved death and pain; taught how she herself was a descendent of the devils. She is strong, fearless, and smart. But she has come aware of the world with ideas already implanted within her personality. She was never given the choice to decide for herself. She killed a fan-favourite character, Sasha, to avenge her friends who were killed by Eren. She now saves a girl previously saved by Sasha, unaware of the reason. Many of the factors influencing her opinions about the world disappeared by this point. This makes it easier for her to be more accepting and compassionate. It makes it easier for her to be fair and yet, one can't blame her if she doesn't change what she thinks.

It is such a hard journey for someone to let go of their core beliefs, even after seeing the truth. It takes more willpower to fight oneself than to decide to exterminate the whole world.

We can only wonder what she would've done in Eren's place. After all, they're two different people who grew up in two different worlds. One could argue that she never had something to fight for, to begin with. In many cases, she was full of rage, full of desire to please her commanders and not a greater good like Eren's. But, in the end, we can only imagine...

This episode has had exciting moments, beautiful music but I believe Gabi is very critical to the story. She is used to discussing the philosophy of decision-making, and of testing the bounds of how much control we have over our personal beliefs.

There lies a fine line between philosophy and the beliefs we're taught or forcibly exposed to. This show clearly knows that line and plays around with this very idea. It is not about a decision is right or wrong, it's about the reasoning behind it, it's about the will and the factors leading to it.

I said it once and I will say it again, Gabi was never meant to be hated. No character with a will, with reason, is made to be hated. In the end, the more perspectives and angles to see this world from, the more we can decide for ourselves, the more we can realise that we don't really have to make a decision but to observe, and to observe quietly until we are enlightened beyond any of these characters that we can consider picking a side.

Aside from the usual situational quandary, the perfect utilization of the concept of perspective, of sonder, of the ideological abstraction, this had something... more? It was touching in some way. I'm not sure if this is just me reading too much into it or not but the emotional depth these characters have is impressive. It is such an effortless thing to do as is to sympathize with 2-dimensional characters and to feel and think about their motives. It felt terrible when Mikasa just decided to leave the scarf behind. A lot has happened in the episode, but this subtle detail has so much buildup behind it, so much development behind it like a 600 page novel with a sad ending only showing in the final pages, like a decade of love just slipping away. It was just sad.

There were a couple of terrible cuts in this, to be honest, not well done, Mappa.

Probably has one of the most suspenseful cliffhangers the show has and how complicated it is, is just a sign of how well designed the world is.

I really like the way they do exposition. But instead of just info, they clarify motivations and desires, and the reason why characters to do stuff. They also kept throwing hints to what time the flashback was happening in by including Sasha and mentioning Eren still has 5 years left. They also established the fact thay Paradis now has a railway line. Great episode.

More exciting episodes usually tend to get higher ratings because of the thrilling experience they give. I personally think this episode, though not exciting and lacks fight scenes, is definitely well written and well directed. It is one of a kind how the first half of the season picked up 4 years after the previous one, creating some sort of a constant cliff-hanger for 2 straight months with no explanation at all. Ofcourse, much has happened during those 4 years but would we have enjoyed watching it? Probably not. They practically summed up what happened during 4 years in 15 minutes in a way that forces the audience to build the connections between all the events speculating what might have or actually happened during this time yet not getting bored for a single moment. This is high quality storytelling happening over here and I just have to acknowledge how good it is.

Season 1 had really great pacing and storytelling techniques used. It was an actual psychological thriller with a wide target audience in sight. What they're doing at the moment is targeting little kids and turning a blind eye to teenagers and anyone older than that by turning it into a kid's show. Just a kid's show. The direction is just terrible I couldn't have thought of a worse way or moment of revealing Norman is alive. The reactions seem fake even though this is animated. It was supposed to be a cliffhanger but honestly I don't even care what happens anymore. This had so much potential in the way the world was built and could've been "shown" to the audience. You're supposed to show the audience not tell them about it. Again, the direction is terrible. The animation is beautiful as well as some of the voice actors. I don't speak Japanese so I tell if a voice actor is good or not by if I can feel the tone of their voice. Emma did not seem surprised to be honest, nor was I. This is just sad

This is a really late review, but I think it just had to be done. I don't usually write reviews for Arabic movies, but this movie is the one and the only ever Egyptian movie deserving of a 9 or even a possible 10. What it takes a movie to deserve such a rating, is being absolutely flawless, and changing the world of cinema forever. I think that this movie will be taught for future filmmakers for years to come due to the simplicity of the details yet coming up with such a beautifully curated big picture. I'll start this with talking about the excellent foreshadowing to what we all should've seen coming but probably never did. This happened a lot. It started when Hassan told his father to close the balcony's door, which explains why his mother scolded him for always leaving it open. His dad was never there for closing it in the first place. In the beach scene, he told Farida to catch a stone he threw into the air, the camera then transitions into a stone on the ground-only scene where this relays the importance of such a trivial detail. When playing Squash with his dad, Hassan was told that he was like a Squash game, he's got 2 players on the inside playing against each other. This referred to his dad, and Farida. What I'm not 100% sure about though is whether his mother was always dead or not. However, I'll assume this statement referred to his dad and Farida which means his mother was still alive at the time. Like everything else, Hassan's head always created the imaginary conversations where loopholes were always hard to find. This starts when he tells Farida that he isn't free to give her the money. She then suggests her taking his number instead of the opposite. This is important as there's no way he'd know her real number. One call to the wrong number and he's awake from his beautiful dream. There could've been some plotholes in his own dream but there wasn't any which is okay as it was well established how smart he is. A couple of details were explaining where he was as a person throughout the movie. In his lowest state, he breaks down the motorcycle's model he built as a kid. He then makes a much better on in the mental hospital. This shows that he was mentally recovering. Farida was always the person he wanted to be but never was. He said it himself when he said that she did everything that he always was afraid to do. He used her as a motive to become a better person, one that fits in the society he always hated even though we don't know if this society hated him back. She "made" him do stuff he never did but always wanted to do. It is also portrayed how he started changing with no motivation from her when they were riding his motorcycle and he was the one who told her to stand up. He was starting to change to become someone who can choose on his own what he wants to be. One really important scene in the movie was when he got her flowers. She is happy he got her flowers but refuses taking it. This is clearly shown when he offers her the flowers. This would've just a normal reaction until he asked her why she didn't take it. We all know the reason. She isn't real and if she does take them they're just gonna fall and he realises the truth. This detail shows how good the writer is. He managed to make the audience ask the question, "Why?". But still manages to let her run away from the question by answering with a personal question that hits deep, "Have you got no friends?" Why didn't she answer that. That could've been a normal reaction really, but after we all got to know the truth, we realised how well written this masterpiece of a scene was. The whole movie was a metaphorical portrayal of what a person goes through when they just keep on living in the past refusing to move forward. And how hard it is to change to become the person you want to be. This movie is full of hidden meaningful messages but I'm not gonna go deep into them. The comedy is genuine. It's simple and isn't cringy. It's just okay. The kind of comedy u expect in such a dramatic movie. The song choice was on point. Farida means unique or different or one of a kind. This is how he saw the girl he liked. She wasn't what she really was. She was what he thought she was, one of a kind. She was, however, similar cuz as she said, they always met. The acting. Man, this was perfect. Ahmed Helmy honestly deserved an Oscar for this one. If Joaquin Phoenix deserved an oscar for the joker then Helmy deserved an oscar for this. Menna Shalaby's acting was on point too. The actors got great chemistry that just works so good. The soundtracks were great. The photography was great. This is always gonna be my favourite Egyptian movie of all time.