I Am Going To Miss Them So Much

SO PRECIOUS

you are blond now

SNK is absolutely still the story it has always been and the one that I’ve loved from day 1, with characters that live up to who they are, and a message that means something. Contrary to so many opinions about it disappointing out there, I can’t disagree more.

I love that SNK has always been about the fact that we don’t have to do anything grand or have any specific purpose in life to live a life worth living. From “he’s already special because he was born into this world” to Eren always chasing after freedom “because I was born into this world” to this chapter where Armin voices how he thinks he was born to live those simple, trivial moments where he enjoyed things/his friends, they may not seem like anything spectacular but it’s precious to him and then finally, having even Zeke who still wants to euthanize Eldians, realize that life is worth living for the one moment he enjoyed–this message has always been clearly repeated in this story and it’s beautiful.

Despite how cruel the world is, despite all the pain, suffering and actual hell they live through, there is beauty. Beauty in the small moments, beauty in people most important to you and spending it with them even doing something as simple as walking together or playing ball–it’s not significant, it doesn’t always have to be something major or even something that changed the world, but it can still be precious. And THAT right there is why this story is so powerful, so beautiful. A message that gives hope, that shows that hope exists even when the world is ending, just like how Armin says his friends are still trying to fight and haven’t given up because in spite of everyone that has died, there’s still those that haven’t.

Life is worth living because they are born into this world, because there are things they enjoyed that they still remember even if it’s trivial. Even Zeke admits that he wouldn’t mind being born again and he wishes he realized that there was beauty in the day earlier. And I think that realization gave Zeke a well ended death (I never even liked him personally, but he died well and it was meaningful).

Speaking about the characters, I feel they are absolutely who they have always been. They all play their role, they all did what they had to do. Armin. Jean. Reiner. Etc. And yes, Levi, too. I’ve seen so much criticism about Levi not making the correct “face/expression” or how he killed Zeke without hesitation, but his shock features make perfect sense to me.

This is not Levi killing the “monster” he’s always been going after time and time again, this is not the “beast” that tried to kill Levi. In these last moments of Zeke waving him over, this is Levi killing a human being. *Another* human, not a monster. This isn’t a fight the way it was all the times before, this is purely one-sided Zeke inviting Levi to kill him and simply Levi doing what he has always had to do. Zeke is truly just another sad human that Levi has to kill (one of many he has killed time and time before), and when Levi kills him it’s not a “I finally killed the monster” reaction, but a “this is another sad human I have to kill to end this war” and it’s fitting.

They are quite literally in the middle of the end of the world, rumbling and all happening around them, so even IF it’s obvious to Levi that this isn’t a battle, that this is Zeke letting him kill him without putting up a fight, Levi knows what he has to do, so he does so. Their world has always been about split second decisions, no hesitation, no regretting the choices you make but making them on the spot because it can literally be between life and death as we have seen over and over. In this case, they’ve literally said in the previous chapters that the beast titan is their goal, that “maybe if we kill Zeke, it will stop the rumbling”.

So yes, when Zeke appears, of course he’s just going to kill him without hesitation. They don’t have time to hesitate and they surely don’t have time to “talk” to Zeke. It’s not even about just fulfilling a promise or what people like to say “Levi only cares about killing the beast titan now”, it’s about the fact that they’re trying to stop the rumbling here. What he did makes sense narratively and it’s who he’s always been. Also I completely disagree with those saying Levi has lost his purpose now because Zeke is dead, so he can die. Death is not freedom. Death is not happiness. They did not all fight so that they can die.

Anyways, there’s so much more about this chapter and the characters that I love and so much more to take in. (Also yes, even Eren, I think post-time skip Eren is who he’s always been and I absolutely am and have always been still in love with his characterization. I can’t wait to see his final thoughts.) I don’t usually say anything on SNK chapters because this fandom is literally one toxic or disrespectful to Isayama opinion I disagree with after another. But I’m feeling a lot for this story ending and I am in love with it as I have always been. It’s a masterpiece and so are it’s characters. Anyways here’s my shit take into the void with it. That’s all.

happy eating and drinking junhoe is my religion

dark academia: stem + medicine

math: solving problems in the middle of the night, equations are written on the windowpane, quick calculations in your head, seeing mathematics as a secret language and barrier from the rest of the world, using probability theory to present a person’s life before their very eyes, understanding the algorithms governing every single step of „fate“ and how to manipulate them for your favor, cryptic notebooks, and lost alleyways

engineering: the power to create something that surpasses that is more than humans will ever be, governing and shaping the future of a whole civilization, late-night philosophizing on the nature and difference between humans and machines, crammed study sessions and tired blood-shot eyes

biology: extensive knowledge about herbology and toxicology, knowing almost every plant-based toxin and toxic mushroom in the local area, midnight at the lab with lowlights on and the dark hallways shrouded in mystery, glancing white lab-coats from the corner of your eye

chemistry: spending hours upon hours alone in the lab, perfecting formulas and conducting research because you just know the breakthrough is so close, sudden heureka moments in the middle of the night, inhaling new substances at secret meetings in old buildings to reach a state no human has reached before, prolonged shared eye contact and knowing smiles, the sound of a pen hastingly scribbling chemical formulas into a notebook

physics: „after all, murder is just the redistribution of matter, and matter is my specialty“, pointing out constellations in the sky, seeing patterns no one has seen before, wearing black turtlenecks and long coats while discussing quantum mechanics, hushed whispers, the melancholy of the endless search for another inhabitable planet, coffee cups left on the window sill

comp sci: the sound of typing at lightning speed, a lone screen glowing the absolute dark, losing track of time as you completely lose yourself in your code, trying again and again and again until it finally works, absolute dedication, crafting algorithms that can be used for good – but also for evil, code marathons isolating you from the rest of the world, being able to change lives at the press of a button

medicine: death looms always an inch too close, becoming as natural as life, white coats looming over the dissection table, staring at Rembrandt’s „the anatomy lessons of dr. nicholaes tulp“ in absolute awe, gloves covered in blood, syringes and needles in hand, hollowed laughter, being the last one in the library, knowing too well what sacrifice means

no wonder i love yuna so much, we literally share one personality type

Ghost of Tsushima MBTI

i know it’s fantasy and all but how do they know the words like “genetic”? it really doesn’t suit the middle ages theme the show and story have

TPN s02e05

Ha! I can finally say that I was right! THEY WERE SPEEDRUNNING FOR NORMAN. Am I happy about it? Of course not! But let’s start from the beginning. 

Basically, this episode was the last turning point - they could either go for something amazing or fall into 6/10 at most. I don’t think you will be surprised how it went, in my opinion. 

- So, we didn’t have major timeskip in the last episode, but in this one… oh, boy! Remember how I was hoping that they would show us how they survive after losing everything? How we might get new stuff? Well, I was wrong. But that’s not the for thing. We were lied about getting anime original. What we are indeed getting is “The Promised Neverland: The Abridged Series”. They are getting scenes that will go manga readers go “Ah, I remember! It was an amazing moment”, but all we are getting is an image without context and emotional bearing.

- Farm have been attacked - cool, but do you remember that anime onlies don’t know about mass produced farms? Because that’s an important detail. Well, at least that told me that Norman is indeed alive.

- The scene between Emma and Ray would be sweet… if it had any meaning. We didn’t seem them grow as friends. We didn’t see them travelling and fighting in Goldy Pond. We didn’t see them gain more respect for each other. So why should I feel anything about it? Look at the picture below. It’s still, it has no colours, you don’t hear anything, and yet it tells you a lot about their wonderful relationship. Anime failed miserably here

- You know what people who are running away do? Light up buildings that haven’t been used for ages because, yeah, nobody will catch them, right?

- And that just make me ask: where is Isabella? Why they gave her that amazing scene in the last episode if it doesn’t seem like she became a major threat. They have been on the go for almost a year, for heavens’ sake!

- Again, the scene with the old demon would be amazing if we got more from Emma in this season. All we got is: she is kind for everybody. THAT”S WHY GOLDY POND IS IMPORTANT! Because she needs to come out of her comfort zone! Because she realizes that sometimes kindness isn’t enough. That’s why her later acts of selflessness are so impactful - because despite everything she is stil herself.

- x2 Again, the scene with demons trying to save their siblings would be amazing if it was done better. Don’t expect the viewers to become invested because you show them suffering children. That’s not enough. That’s why worldbuilding is so important. To be clear, manga also wasn’t perfect in that sense. BUT! I think that attack on the capitol, killing of those who drunk cursed blood and Ayshe backstory are well written and make it all better. I’m just greedy and want more. 

- Remember how this anime actually had good chase scenes? I’m waiting more Ray is Sasuke memes because it looked Naruto parody, not gonna lie.

- And now for the big one. Remember how in the manga you suddenly find out that William Minerwa is actually alive and is planning to destroy the farms? Children are taken to a secret hideout that became home to many cattle children. Emma decides to meet the big boss herself and then

Easily one of the best wholesome moments in the manga. But it keeps going!

So! Surely anime will give us something similar amazing, right? Right? Or, you know, you can just turn Norman into Robin Hood and make him take off his mask in the middle of a town filled with demons. But that would be silly because he is the smartest child from Grace Field, right? RIGHT?

Guys, I tried to stay optimistic, I really did… but this episode broke me on so many levels. It’s not just that they are changing things up. It’s that they take things away and don’t offer anything in return. 

Anyway, I won’t drop this series because I appreciate interacting with this lovely community. I think that TPN fandom is really amazing and I adore talking to all of you. Fortunately, we still have manga, fanarts and fanfictions! On the topic of that, since I’m about to graduate, I will soon come back to my own post-canon fanfic. I honestly can’t wait because I didn’t have time to write anything in months.

So, in conclusion, TPN deserves more than that. It’s not a perfect manga, but that doesn’t stop me from loving it. And as for the anime… if season 1 is Empire Strikes Back, season 2 is Rise of the Skywalker