It’s summer, and that means that pretty much every show worth watching is coming to an end. So we’re binge watching some old classics and favorites in the Multiversity Summer TV Binge. Although I’ve never been deeply into anime, the one exception has been Attack on Titan. Having already watched the first season with subtitles, I thought it would be cool to return to the dubbed version of the series. Be warned, here be spoilers for the third episode.
1. “Through stress and denigration we revert them to blank slates”
After the soul-crushing death and despair of the last two episodes, we shift to a time-honored genre convention: the tough drill sergeant who begrudgingly learns to accept the heroes. Moving to a somewhat familiar setting is a good change of pace; it lets us take the time to explore our main cast and their relationships, and sets up the first truly interesting conflict that Eren must overcome. Also, drill sergeant Keith Shadis has an epic case of the crazy eyes.
2. Potato Girl
This episode introduces us to the comic relief, everyone’s favorite character Sasha Blouse (or Sasha Braus as they call her in the dub). Sasha is introduced inappropriately eating a potato, and when Sergeant Shadis questions her on it, she offers him a piece. From her first seconds on screen, she’s a perfect blend of ballsy and clueless. After being punished to a day-long run without food or water, she’s offered a crust of bread by the angelic Krista. Sasha’s eyes literally glow red, and she basically turns into a wolf. It’s hilarious and weird and the best moment of animation in the series thus far. Plus, the English dub has Sasha voiced by Ashly Burch, star of the video games Life is Strange, and Horizon Zero Dawn and the YouTube series “Hey Ash, Whatcha Playin’?” She’s a delight.
3. Beautiful, Perfect Marco
We also meet freckled cinnamon roll Marco. He spends the episode being really nice to everyone, and drinking the Kool Aid that the military is offering. He wants to make everyone proud and for none of the cadets to fight, and to serve the king. Everyone else is politically jaded but not sweet, sweet Marco. He’s a big softy, so you just know he comes with an expiration date. Guys this nice don’t last long in wars against unfeeling super-sized zombies.
4. “It doesn’t matter how determined you are”
The meat of this episode is all about Eren’s drive and dedication to kill all the titans. It’s a naive and childish goal, but that’s Eren, and he’s really determined to do it. Unfortunately, he can’t even pass the most basic training exercise, one that the bookish Armin has no trouble with. Mikasa basically tells him that his feelings don’t matter if he has no talent, but then softens the blow by telling him that if he gets booted out of the military, she’d follow him, because she promised his mom she would never leave his side. It’s pathological of her, but sweet I guess. In the end, Eren is able to complete the exercise- for a few seconds before failing again. Of course, then Sergeant Shadis notices that his equipment is busted, and that actually it was only his intense drive to succeed that led him to do as well as he did. It’s a great moment for Eren, who’s got more willpower than Batman and Green Lantern combined.
5. Bertholt and Reiner
Finally, we meet Bertholt and Reiner, two older boys who also witnessed the titans’s destruction first hand. They instantly bond with the main trio, brought together by their shared PTSD. They’re serious and damaged and almost as driven as Eren is, agreeing to help him practice, figuring that anyone who’s seen what he’s seen will fight the titans with their whole being. Still, Eren manages to one up them when they ask why he decided to join the army. Their concerned faces at Eren’s intensity when he swears to kill all the titans are priceless.
