In Light Of Today’s Bird App News, I’m Glad We Can Be An Inspiration To Those Less Fortunate Than

from @/pamatlas on twitter

I need as many people as possible to watch this video from the official Angry Birds tiktok or else I'll get a fucking hemorrhage

thank you to a twitter post in my feed saying how lost is like sdr2 by a user with a reigen pfp for making me watch lost

this is a beautiful analysis

Okay, buckle up, we're gonna talk Jean and Floch (and Eren) ((and Reijean again because getting emotional about them is like my second job now – seriously, I’m putting as much Reijean into this as possible, it’s not a joke)).

But mostly Jean and Floch, yeah.

As I’ve said before, Jean Kirschtein is a masterpiece of a character and I’ll most probably never shut up about him, the way he is written, developed and, just in general, Jean is the man, okay? As one of Isayama’s favorites, he is allowed to evolve in many delicious ways. He is also allowed to have some nice, eye-opening moments.

One of them is connected to Floch. Because Floch is very similar to Jean and yet exists to be his polar opposite in the areas that matter the most. He is, in a way, an extreme and radicalized version of Jean, if you will. And I think Jean knows that. Not only knows, but perhaps even wonders, whether Floch is what Jean himself could have become (to some extent) if Marco hadn’t died, if he had gone along with his initial plan and joined the MPs, and if he had been a tad more obsessive.

At the beginning of the story Jean does his best to come off as a self-obsessed coward and a jerk who never intends to step a foot outside of the Walls or use his honed skills to help humanity. He is lazy and focused on one goal only – staying safe in the Interior. However, the moment the Titans appear in Trost, is the moment we learn Jean is in fact not a simple coward – and far from it. Dropping the façade, he reveals himself to be one of the most dependable people around and, just like Marco prophesized, a natural born leader at heart. His friend’s death is of course the final straw, leading to his eventual involvement with the Scout Regiment instead of the Military Police. And it’s not just a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing for him. He’s not inspired by some higher force (or Eren). He makes a conscious decision to sacrifice whatever comfortable, easy life he could have, to stay true to himself and to do what he believes to be right. Sure, guilt and self-loathing are involved, but once Jean makes up his mind, everything is settled. He won’t back down from the challenge.

Needless to say, Jean’s not as OP as Levi or a genius strategist like Armin – even though he’s a Shadis-approved master of the ODM gear and smart in his own right. He’s definitely not as driven and intense as Eren. He's pragmatic and doesn’t intend to just throw his life away. Basically, compared to the main characters, he is just some guy who knows what fear and despair taste like, who allows himself to consider choosing the easy way out, acknowledges it and then – pushes forward to do what needs to be done. That’s why he is a good leader – he’s not a superhero, but a fellow human being who’s scared and yet fights on. And don’t get me wrong, he can still be a dramatic asshole, eager to antagonize others (Eren) and definitely not someone flawless. But that’s what makes him so relatable.

Jean facing his own humanity is probably one of the most reoccurring motifs in the series. He is aware of his shortcomings. He knows when to rely on others rather than let his ambition rule him and endanger those he’s supposed to lead (like when he takes command of the operation in Shiganshina at Armin’s request, but counts on him to come up with the final plan). He is also very well aware of the sacrifices that need to be made in their line of work. That’s why he’s able to face the harsh truth and take a step forward. But he’s far from okay.

One of my favorite moments to illustrate that is during the battle with the Armored Titan in Shiganshina, when the gang thinks they actually managed to kill Reiner. Jean is trying to be in charge and keep everyone in line while, well, crying himself. We’re the ones who killed him.

Enter Floch.

A self-proclaimed and pretty much self-obsessed coward who doesn’t want to fight the Titans, but does face them when the time comes. At the beginning he’s pretty carefree and very ignorant about what fighting the Titans actually entails. Whether we can consider him brave for his engagement in the Battle of Shiganshina, or whether we should see him as simply pressured into following the herd into the arms of death is up for discussion, but the fact is he does listen to Erwin and fulfill his duty when ordered to.

His strong and very twisted sense of devotion starts to shine through the moment he has a near-death experience and when Erwin’s life is on the line as well. He mostly loses his mind right there and then. As a result, where Jean’s devoted and still open to discussion, Floch’s obsessed (also traumatized beyond belief, I’ll give him that, but Jean sure isn’t any less traumatized at that stage). He doesn’t want to listen to anyone’s arguments. He’s fixated on one goal and he’s not letting go – therefore, inspiring another devil to raise (more on that later).

Just like Jean, he’s very blunt – not afraid to tell Armin he should have been the one to die in Erwin’s place or tell Hitch that Marlo regretted going to the battlefield right before his death. Whereas Jean’s bluntness can be seen (not always, but usually) as coming from a good place, Floch is a herald of very brutal and controversial truth – of what he obsessively believes to be the truth – that won’t change anything, but will hurt those around him. Jean, especially post-Trost, is not one to hurt others just for the sake of hurting them. Floch doesn’t really have that kind of filter.

Floch eventually becomes a leader too, as he starts gathering the Yeagerists, but at the same time remains a blind follower of whatever he believes in. His behavior is more akin to that of a cult leader — in stark contrast to Jean’s leadership and his constant questioning of whether what he does is right.

Then there is some very obvious physical resemblance, especially in the anime.

So, a similar story, similar character traits, similar looks even, but a completely different outcome?

Why?

Because of compassion. And because Isayama likes Jean a lot, so he gives him juicy (and very meaningful) storylines even if at first they seem to be of secondary importance.

Whereas Floch appears to lack compassion in general, Jean has it in abundance. We see it well when he interacts with Gabi or when he tries to find justification for Eren’s terrifying behavior, but both these moments are pretty fresh in our memory, so let’s go back in time and use another Reiner/Jean moment as an example (because I’m a f*cking sap, alright).

After the battle with Reiner in Shiganshina, and while being treated for the injuries Reiner himself has dealt to him, Jean overhears him talk about Ymir’s letter to Krista.

Well, I never interpreted Jean’s desperate suggestion to steal Reiner’s Titan power just as his sudden need to propel Hange’s research or to gain them an upper hand over their enemies. Sure, this is the argument he uses to persuade Hange of all people, because it’s Hange who has just lost their entire squad (beloved Moblit included) to the Colossal Titan. It’s obvious that at this specific moment Hange will not respond well to Jean’s begging for Reiner’s life. But they do respond to a logical argument that corresponds with their mission.

If you disagree with that interpretation, think about it this way: one of the most important things about Jean’s character is that he’s very good at reading the situation and understanding other people’s struggles. That’s exactly what Marco saw in him from the very beginning.

(because you care, baby, because you care just oh-so much)

Jean can no longer keep up the façade – he could devise the attack plan and attempt to kill Reiner in cold blood when there was no other choice. But, once Reiner is left broken on the ground, still loyal enough to protect Ymir’s letter, and even has balls to ask them to deliver it to Krista… Well, that’s what breaks Jean’s resolve. Because Reiner is no longer just an enemy. He is, once again, an old comrade and a friend.

So, Jean tries to delay the inevitable. Does he hope Reiner will start talking? Does he think it might be possible to take away one’s full Titan power without taking away their life? Or maybe he’s simply not ready to see Reiner beheaded again? Anyway, he cares more than he thought he would.

(Well, me and Jean have that in common, apparently – we’re both f*cking saps for Reiner)

Enter Eren.

(please forgive me for using that pretty much unrelated panel, it’s just… so evil and cool)

Okay, Jean and Eren’s dynamic is one of my favorites in the series. Jean has zero tolerance to Eren’s idealistic bullshit and keeps calling him out on it both fairly and unfairly throughout the story. He is not phased in the least when he meets the freshly shifted Eren after the Battle of Trost. He doesn’t pull any punches as he explains what exactly is expected of him. In a way, he helps Eren see the situation through the eyes of a mere mortal.

Eren seems relieved when Jean doesn’t treat him any differently and still intends to be a real pain in the ass. He’s not like Armin who’ll offer him wise words and gentle encouragement. Not like Mikasa, who will protect him with brute force. Jean is, again, just some guy who doesn’t like beating around the bush and treating Eren like something fragile. Sure, he’ll risk his life for him and, sure, he can be protective of him in other ways (even going as far as to try to stop Connie from telling the others about Eren’s reaction to the news of Sasha’s death). But first and foremost, Eren can count on his honesty – Jean helps him stay grounded.

Eren, unfortunately, witnesses Floch’s devil rant in Shiganshina from up close. That’s why he turns to him for help later on. He knows Floch will get behind his radical reasoning and even the most brutal of ideas. Floch wants the devil to be reborn, after all. And that’s exactly what he gets.

But hey, before Eren and Floch join forces, they are pretty much at odds, aren’t they? They even get into a fight, and who has to break it up then? Ah, yes, Jean. The one who tries to beat the shit out of Eren more times than we can count (and vice versa), and who has to be forcefully separated from him even by Levi himself.

It is pretty symbolic, Jean suddenly not being the one in a fight with Eren, but instead the one trying to break it up. A telling shift in the narrative.

And isn’t it ironic that once Eren consciously descends into madness, he chooses Floch as his trusted ally? Floch, who resembles Jean in many ways, but who will also follow him blindly into hell itself? Eren knows Jean won’t agree with his plan. And he surely cannot have Mikasa or Armin at his side. So, perhaps, he finds comfort in turning to the person who reminds him of one of his old friends. His bastardized version, for sure. But still, somewhat familiar.

Maybe it’s just my interpretation, but the way Isayama draws Jean, and the way Jean looks at Floch in many of the panels make it look like he recognizes how similar they are. There’s terror in his eyes, but there is also some kind of familiarity. Because if there is an ocean between them, they are standing on two opposite, yet very similar shores.

Once the inevitable happens, Floch’s absolutely certain he’s dying for the right cause, doing the right thing. And it’s scary. I mean, you can dislike (or like) the guy all you want, I sure can appreciate a good villain (but wouldn't want to meet him in real life).

Jean fantasizes briefly about letting Eren do his thing. Because that would be the easiest way out. The least painful. Because he’s tired and hurting. When Floch offers him the option to just stop fighting, Jean wants to accept it. But he can't. Because in contrast to Floch, Jean listens to others (Hange, Marco), is aware of the consequences of his actions and, in a conversation with Reiner, is able to acknowledge his not so heroic role in the war. They are the same, after all — killers who took lives of innocent people to protect those close to them. To do the so called “right thing”. Thus, Jean has no right to judge Reiner, but rather an obligation to honor those who died, trying to win back their freedom. And he has to honor them by not allowing the world to be destroyed.

Floch isn't graced with a moment of self-reflection and dies a fanatic, an extreme example of what a man can achieve when he gives in to his darkest desires. Jean is on the other side of the spectrum, remaining the symbol of flawed, yet prevailing humanity — of what it means to have a heart. After all, what for Jean started with Marco's death, ended with him forgiving and saving Reiner.

MWAH *CHEFS KISS* beautiful, masterpiece of an analysis!

Eren and Mikasa’s Anti-Love Story

The manga of Attack on Titan begins and ends with Eren and Mikasa’s relationship. This is because the story’s themes are built on the complicated relationship between these two characters. The various complications, miscommunications and struggles for the both of them to grow up and change, is also a metaphor at large for the world to change. This is a pretty common storytelling technique, for example Katherine and Heathcliff is also about the inconquerable social divide between the classes. I am also going to use Katherine and Heathcliff as my go to example to try to elaborate why a story would spend so much time focusing on an unhealthy relationship, where neither character develops. 

No I don’t think the author took inspiration from Wuthering Heights, however comparing two literature pieces with similiar ideas at their core can help highlight some of the ideas inherent in the text. With that out of the way, let’s begin, the central conflict of the story is also the conflict between Eren and Mikasa’s love for each other, and that’s why the central theme of the story is “This cruel yet beautiful world” which is the words Mikasa uses when she’s trying to process her conflicting memories of Eren. 

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i cant even draw actual art anymore