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sparda3g · 5 years

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Attack on Titan Chapter 119 Review

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The craze fest of the anime is over for now, but the manga keeps on going. If the last season garnered new manga readers and caught up to this recent chapter, then what a hell of a time to witness the extravaganza. Isayama has said that this chapter was a rushed work due to his busy schedule. I believe 21 pages were needed to be done under a short period of time; needless to say, that’s pretty tough. Despite that one notable inconsistency and not the cleanest, this chapter was everything that the series is well known for in its highest degree. It was thrilling, shocking, suspenseful, and mind-blowing.

Right from the very start, the tension is incredibly high. Every possible setup is planted. Zeke is down, Eren must be stopped, Survey Corps veterans are on their way, and Falco’s life depends on Zeke’s feelings. The fate of the war relies on the brothers. One contact and it’s all over. It’s mind-numbing to even consider how a simple touch of the two is all it takes; like reaching for a touchdown. The last chapter was nothing but chaos, but this one lead everyone to throw everything they got. Whatever it takes. It’s downright enticing to the very end.

After a reminder on what I just explained, the action resume with the thrills and chills of Eren reaching for Zeke. Never thought a simple contact can be this exciting. They might as well pull an E.T. finger touch for the hell of it. Porco tries to slow Eren down, but good God, he gets pummeled really badly. It’s the worst beating I have seen in a while, and it only took two hits. Thankfully for Pieck, she’s back as Cart Titan and Magath takes a clean shot to Eren’s head. This is what, third head shot? The man is a true marksman.

I was hoping for Armin and Mikasa to reach for Eren, but unfortunately, Marley soliders are everywhere, including inside the buildings. This forced them to change the direction and take on Marley Army first before going to Eren. Judging by the end, that could be a fatal mistake, but we’ll get to that later. Basically, Isayama is preventing them to have a true (and hopefully) fateful reunion. Everyone else like Pixis and Nile is doing their part, so their plan is in process. It was going well, until Zeke finally wakes up.

Immediately, I begin to shake nervously for a possible end. The anime did announce the final season begins next year Fall. If you do the math, theoretically, the manga could end in next year Summer. Granted, there have been series that has ended in the middle of the final season, so it’s possible for this one to be the case. After all, Isayama is in behind the scene, but time will tell. With all that said, I don’t know where the story is heading, so Zeke and Eren making a contact has a good chance of happening. In short, I buy into anything what this story can dish out.

Although Porco got the beating of a lifetime, which says something since he has been pummeled a lot, he does receive a warranted truth of his brother’s last night. It’s worth mentioning that the reason why Porco was able to see it was due to Reiner’s hand causing a glitch of Paths. This was exclusive to anime with the recent change to have Historia explore Ymir’s life and near death in under 10 seconds. Isayama does work with the anime behind the scene. This is all nice because Porco can finally understand his brother’s love; letting out his burden in tears. As a little brother, this speaks to me.

Aside from world changing, the next worst case scenario is here: the call for the titans. Part of me want to believe Eren didn’t want this to happen, based on his expression. Actually, he looks like he was reaching his hand to tell him don’t. It’s likely he tried to keep the damage incredibly minimum, but everything as of late has come crashing down. Now that Zeke wakes up and about to call the titans, more people will die and suffer. If true, then I really pity him. No matter how well he planned out, the cost will always vary.

The scene with the huge gamble pleading from Colt is bone-chilling and quite saddening. This is all or nothing for Falco and Colt let Zeke know about everything, including his demand. All he wants is to save his little brother from becoming a titan. He only wish for Zeke to put it on hold and wait until Falco is far away. This is convincing. As selfish it is in a sense, it would have been a decent way to not kill off Falco and still roar to kill off others. Granted, it will still suck big time for Nile and Pixis, but Falco doesn’t deserve any of it. It’s damn suspenseful, and watching Colt’s expression was beginning to hurt me. The result: no good.

I should mention that this chapter is very worthy for live reaction. I couldn’t tell you how much I was furious when Zeke calls for titans. I only remember shouting, “**** you! What the ****!!” After cooling down, it is true that Zeke does feel the pain for doing so, but he’s a man on a mission. He will do whatever it takes to fulfill his destiny. It still pisses me off, but karma sure makes up for it down the line.

Clearly, Isayama has some hate on brotherhood. I guess Full Metal Alchemist is his most hated series. Joking aside, it pains the hell out of me when Colt refuses to leave, stand by to Falco’s side to the very end. Dammit to hell, this was gut-wrenching. Gabi, after growing up, now have to lose another friend or even a potential lover. Falco, Nile, Pixis, and the rest all transform to titans. This was a low blow. Those three didn’t deserve this. Granted, Pixis was seen controversial, but he wasn’t much of a bad figure by this point. At least he got to drink one last time.

I’m not sure if Zeke is aware of how much Reiner cherished these kids, but it’s messed up for him to send Falco to attack. Living as Reiner is pure hell. He stops Eren from escaping, but Falco aims for his nape. You could tell Reiner doesn’t want to kill Falco at all. If anything, the situation gives him an opportunity; more on it later. I was cheery when Magath takes a shot at Zeke; yeah, I was still mad at this point. Sadly, Pieck has to go against Armin and Mikasa. Guys, I like you two and all, but don’t make me hate you if you kill her. Just saying. Unbelievable that Floch is once again the sole survivor. Isayama, you better give him a satisfying death for all of us.

Reiner’s scene almost had me convinced me that this is the end for him. He wasn’t as suicidal as before, but the floor map made it possible for him to sacrifice his life for the one he cared the most. Case in point, Falco is close to devouring the Armored Titan, but that’s fine for Reiner. It’s his chance to make it right. It lined-up perfectly with his old intention to pass it to him anyway, so the setup was perfect. But of course, not everything goes accordingly.

I don’t have much opinion on Porco as a character, but his last action is pretty enlightening; a proper sendoff when all things considered. It is him that’ll take the fall. He could have simply just die, but instead, he prefers to pass the Jaw Titan to Falco in order to save him. That’s a nice twist; didn’t think of that somehow. I like his last standing moment; reflecting that he has no more regrets. He felt the brotherly love, and know that he’ll always be better than Reiner. Falco devours, but we don’t see him change back to human. The point is, he’s now the Jaw Titan. This was a really nice moment all in all. You did fine, Porco. You did fine.

The whole make or break scene is amazingly breathtaking.

The tension was already high; now, it surpasses the heaven’s sky. Eren hardening the titan to trap Reiner, so he can break off and run in person to Zeke, who is now in person but can’t walk. It doesn’t matter; all they need to do is make contact and it is game over. The suspense level is running wild. Reiner is a man on a mission; a mission that he will complete at all cost. Gone with Reiner the sad man; here comes the beast! The intensity is just crazy; I forgot what page I was on.

I was actually pretty upset when Jean and Connie interfere and shoots down Reiner. He’s stopped. Pieck is stopped. Falco is stopped. Everyone that is a threat is stopped. Yelena, Floch, and everyone in the Yeagerists’ dream will come true. Then, there’s the one with a rifle. The one that is called Gabi. I lost track in time, I don’t know who’s available to stop her. The answer: no one. The build-up to the suspense felt like time has stopped; it’s unnerving as hell. Then, the ending happens and as God as my witness, the final two double-page spread shook the shit out of me. Eren’s head flies off and Zeke’s dream dies right before his eyes.

Oh, how I wished I recorded my reactions.

Before I theorize, I want to express my thoughts on Zeke, starting with the bad me. This is what he deserved for calling out the titans. Falco was pure, and although he will return as Jaw Titan, the thought on his action was unacceptable. If this isn’t the perfect example of “Karma is a bitch,” I don’t know what is. Now the good me. It’s pretty sad that his dream has died, right when he was so close to make it happen. It is bad enough to see it die, it is worse that his little brother is the one to go out. Let’s not forget the amount of sacrifices and sufferings he has gone through. All of his hard work died in vain in a matter of second. Also, his time as Beast Titan is almost up. His chance to make his dream come true is gone.

The big question is, is Eren dead?

I do believe he’s not dead, but it is tough to figure out what he will do to escape death in that situation. I have heard the theory on manipulating the memories or creating an illusion based on Eren’s clothes. Recently, Isayama noted that he had to rush to reach deadline, so it’s likely the pants sleeve that was supposed to be ripped off was a mistake. I know some would argue that’s not possible, but I recalled other series having a similar mistake. In Naruto, a past character reflects his wish to be Hokage, only in the background, the timeline don’t add up. It was corrected in the volume release. Plus, it’s been a while since we’ve last seen Eren in person, so a mistake is likely.

I would guess that maybe Eren is pulling the same trick as Reiner back in the last arc with transferring the consciousness to the titan. The only part that confuses me is the fact Eren’s neck is wiped out. It was a clean cut; almost like the artist simply use an eraser to erase the neck region. Maybe the Warhammer Titan has a trick that he learned to do but kept it quiet in front of everyone. I honestly don’t know. For all I know, the pants could be a huge clue. If, and it’s a huge if, he dies, well, let the meltdown begin.

Whether he is dead or not, I do think it’s best to end it like this and call it a day. The plan is meant to be the end all be all, so it might as well call this day a great fail. We are due for intermission. It would be a good time to change the scenery, especially since Levi’s life is still in pending. I’m not saying it should change immediately; it should show us the conclusion first. That said, I would expect plenty of reactions. Yelena will most likely lose her mind. Floch will probably follow as well. I’m curious on Armin and Mikasa. For Armin’s sake, run away from Yelena. Gabi, start running.

This chapter was jaw-dropping. Despite not at its best quality, the sequences, the atmosphere, and the adrenaline rush were all top notch. The chapter’s title truly focus on the very concept. It’s disheartening on how it was addressed however, but it was felt, well-executed, and captured the spirit of brotherhood in its saddest time. This was an emotional roller coaster. The cliffhanger threw me off big time. I joked about Season 3 Part 2 as the true Game of Thrones Season 8; you didn’t need to kill the main character like one. In all seriousness, I don’t believe he’s dead, but the answer will have to wait and that itself is unbearable. Undoubtedly, the worst cliffhanger in the series. The wait is the true killer of them all.

#attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #chapter 119 #review #spoilers

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