It’s the Multiversity Summer TV Binge! Although I’ve never been deeply into anime, I’m totally in love with 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 fourth episode.
1. Meeting The Whole 104th
The episode opens with Sergeant Shadis taking notes on all of the main cadets in the class as they train. This episode plays pretty fast and loose with the timeline. By the end of the episode, it’s almost five years after the start of the first one. There’s a lot to take in, but Shadis’s notes are cool, as they demonstrate how well defined the whole cast is, even characters who haven’t really done anything yet. I admit I still have trouble telling Jean and Bertholt and Reiner apart, but just because they look kinda similar does not mean they are similar characters.
2. Annie Leonheart, Ninja Warrior
The character who gets the main spotlight in this episode is Annie Leonheart, who’s got a cold intensity that matches Eren’s red hot anger. She’s the best hand to hand combatant in the squad, and she teaches Eren a few tricks by kicking his ass. It’s always nice to see Eren get a little comeuppance, and despite Annie treating him like dirt, the two of them seem to bond by the end of the episode. Annie remains an intriguing mystery, more so then almost any other member of the 104th.
3. “The better you are at dropping the bad guys, the more distance the powers that be put between you and them.”
Eren’s friction with Annie, and then Jean, reveals a really interesting dynamic in the world of Attack on Titan. The Scout Regiment is the most dangerous assignment, but the most talented recruits get to choose where they serve, and almost all of them want to join the Military Police, which keeps them well fed and far from the fighting. Eren is frustrated by this, but the show doesn’t really cast aspersions on the other recruits who are working hard for their personal safety. You’d think it would make more sense to send your best soldiers on the most difficult missions, but that’s not the way this army is set up. Eren’s frustration with this policy reads as really true to life, where bureaucratic policies don’t always make a lot of sense.
4. The Top Ten
By the end of the episode, we have an established top ten, who were alluded to in the intro, and most of whom are planning to take on cushy those assignments. Mikasa is number one, and is stoically good at everything. Reiner and Bertholt are considered numbers two and three, which makes sense, they’re a bit bigger and older, and are driven by the terrible things they have seen. Annie is number four, and, with her cool demeanor and her top tier combat skills, is probably the scariest member of the top ten. Our ostensible hero Eren makes number five, mostly through sheer intensity. Eren’s rival Jean is number six, and is totally frustrated in coming in a lower place than him. Beautiful Marco is number seven, and I’m glad to hear it, because he has so much heart. “Cue Ball” Connie Springer is number eight, motivated by the big chip on his shoulder, and his frenetic speed. “Potato Girl” Sasha is number nine, mostly because she’s weird and unpredictable and irrepressible.
Coming in tenth place is Krista, who hasn’t made much of an impression yet as a soldier, but she’s super nice. Missing entirely from the top ten is my boy Armin, who’s too academic and timid to really excel as a soldier. The top ten is a really fun plot device, it’s video gamey in the best possible way and gives us another way to distinguish between the rather large cast of characters.
5. Return of the Colossal Titan
The final moments bring Eren and his friends face to face with the Colossal Titan, who shows up to kick down the walls again. Frankly, this development is so sudden that I thought it was a nightmare sequence, but it’s not, it’s totally happening. Sasha immediately stands out, leaping off the wall, running down it, and spearing her falling comrade through the leg with a grappling hook! That’s hardcore Potato Girl. After a relatively pleasant stint in boot camp, the guys and ladies of the 104th are about to face their first real battle, and it’s scary as hell.
