Attack on Titan 3x22 "The Other Side of the Wall" reaction & review

Hmmm!!!!!!! I will have to go back and listen to the wording again to examine it more carefully!!!

Melissa Moore

it's all here folks, Kruger introducing the attack titan with the perfect use of words...

Meia-noite

I have read the manga, and I've never considered this. I think I always assumed Uri was naturally old by that point, which given the maximum amount of time that could have passed between the scene where Uri pleads with his father (where him and Rod are adolescents) and taking the power from him, it's clear that isn't the case. Even Kruger, while not looking as bad as Uri, certainly looks older than his years when talking with Grisha. Good catch.

Derrick C. Shields

Something else to consider concerning the burden weighing on Eren, is that he also seems to be aging faster than a normal person. If you recall Uri Reiss, looked like a tired old man by the time he met Kenny, & passed on the founding titan to Frieda, but Rod's flashbacks show Uri, as a child trying to change their fathers mind about titans. I'm sure that the burden on Eren, is mostly the information & emotions withing the memories, but he may be physically way older. Anyway, I never read the manga, so it's just something I've noticed & wondered about:)

TheMoonKingdom

MD - I can't see your comment anymore but I got the email about it, I think you bring up some interesting points about Floch's point of view! What makes the argument of saving Smith vs. Armin so interesting, in my opinion, is that there is a ton of validity to the idea of saving Smith instead, even though we the audience want to see Armin live. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!! Sorry your comment got deleted - let me know if you want to paste it back in, I have it in my email :D

Melissa Moore

Very true about Floch!!! We the audience know that Armin definitely has the brains and skills to help/save/guide many, but to be fair, Floch wouldn't necessarily know that and/or understand why Armin would be revived instead of Smith. What a great analysis of the two characters!!!! So true that Smith operated more on the basis of sacrificing others for his dream whereas Armin used his dream to help/empower others to survive. You're probably right that Smith would be able to go on even after achieving his dream, but as a person, would have been totally destroyed and that's why Levi let him die so that he could have peace. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!!!!!!

Melissa Moore

This is such a good idea, in fact I've been kind of doing this as I edit the past episodes for YouTube!! Unfortunately I haven't been filming it, but I have been able to go through and relive some of the moments in earlier episodes that I have SO much more context for now, it's been a real treat!!!!!!!!!

Melissa Moore

Very true, Armin had nothing to do with the decision and even agrees with Floch!!! Hmm, maybe they were just saving Titan Armin for the series instead of giving it away in the trailer?? Not sure! Poor Eren, I feel so bad for him that he's consumed by those memories and couldn't even enjoy the moment!

Melissa Moore

I can definitely see his side of things! I'd be questioning things too if I had no idea who any of our characters were, for sure. His directness is refreshing in a way, and although what he said to Hitch was very blunt, it's true that she now has the possibility of believing that Marlo really did care for her. He also had some very fair points about recruitment!!! He really does speak an "inconvenient" truth like you said, even if we the audience have different feelings on the Armin situation, Floch's arguments are definitely valid especially from his perspective. It's why it made it hard for me to straight out hate him even though he was attacking the people I love lol. The end scene was so tragically perfect! So interesting about the symbolism of Armin's seashell....so sad that Eren can't see past his father's memories and is totally unable to enjoy this moment they've all waited so long for. LOL I think we've all been there at least once and can relate to Eren in that scene, being that person in the room to make it totally awkward and ruin the moment!!!!!!!!!! :P

Melissa Moore

Awww thanks so much James!!!!!!!! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed this journey!!! That last scene is heartbreaking for sure - definitely not the scene/tone we all thought we'd be having at the ocean (and neither did they)!!! Can't wait for season 4, I'm so glad it won't be an extremely long wait and I hope you'll join me for those adventures as well!!! ^_^

Melissa Moore

Ohhhh such a good point. This is confirmation that the memories were real! It does make sense that he can't enjoy it now that he knows what lies ahead. Heavy stuff!!!

Melissa Moore

That's a good point! He does take it very personally, so it would make sense that he feels the scouts have sort of ripped away his reason for being the sole survivor (subconsciously, anyway). Thanks for sharing!

Melissa Moore

It really does feel like a finale, in more than just a season finale....we are really ending this chapter of the entire series. Thanks for the info on the mid-episode text! That does make sense with him being the sort of narrator of the series. You're so right about the symbolism of the seashell, too....Armin wants more than proof, he wants to explore and experience. And since poor Eren can't enjoy the moment, Armin literally clings to the seashell to hold on to his dreams and hopes. I can definitely tell the memories are changing Eren, you're right! HAHAHAHA Sasha, omg, so true that she wasn't even conscious for most of it! Like dang dude.....lol. OMG, remember way back when when I wanted the beach episode???? I got it.....and it was most depressing lol!!!!!!!! So hard to believe this whole thing was just the prelude! Can't wait to see what happens next!!! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!!!!!!!

Melissa Moore

Oh no! It's playing okay on my end! Can you try clearing your history, trying a different browser, and/or trying it on a different device to see what happens? If it persists, I'll upload a separate copy of the file and leave the link in the description! Also if anyone else is having this issue let me know! Sorry about that >.<

Melissa Moore

I'm not sure why but the video won't play anymore it says it has exceeded the number of maximum playbacks

Sirghostfreak

Floch is an interesting side character, whether I like him or not, he put everyone in their place there by telling the truth, even if he is a coward that should not have survived like he said. He was right that Erwin should have been the one revived. But we know Armin is the brains that kept many from dying. He saved many. A rewatch with that in mind makes it very, very obvious that Armin was always on top of things and helped many survive. Deducing that Reiner's scream was a sign and noticing Bertholdt flying in the barrel above saved our group. Using and luring the Attack Titan to save everyone at the supply depot in the battle of Trost. Then, Armin snapped Eren out his trance to control the Attack Titan and seal the hole with the boulder. On and on, many more examples throughout the show. Erwin, however, for the sake of humanity inside the Walls, sacrificed many lives, it haunted him, he stood upon a mountain of corpses as we saw. All that mattered was his own dream. Erwin was a slave to his dream. But in the end he sacrificed himself to save humanity and tragically he gave up his purpose in life. Armin on the other hand was empowered by his own dream and passed it on to Eren as Bertholdt burned him to a crisp. Levi let Erwin die because Erwin was a slave to a dream that turned him into a "devil" and foisted an insurmountable amount of grief and guilt with many more dying by his orders and like he said, "lies and cons." Erwin most DEFINITIVELY would have been able to go on leading, but just adding on to his grief and guilt, and Levi took compassion on him, while Armin was always empowered by his own goals and dreams

David Caine

Hey either after s4 comes out or before you should do reaction videos of rewatching the series from the beginning. There are *many* more things you’ll notice that completely go over everyone’s head the first time. It’s great! :)

Ren Jaecks

Floch was ''right'' but Armin is the last person he should be angry with.. he was more then half dead :DD like what was he supposed to do ?? :/ also i cant wait for Armin as a titan.. but as i watched the trailer i feel like we will not see Armin testing the titan form.. :/ hopefully i am wrong :D aslo Eren so sad to see the sea.. :/ mostly because he already saw it in memories with all other bad memories :((

Dethrox

I gotta agree with Floch. If any of us read about the situation without knowing the characters and having an emotional attachment to them then we would’ve all asked why a teenager was chosen over the Commander. Like Eren and Mikasa, it’s because of our personal connection to Armin that we are drawn to him. Floch is acting as the outside perspective, pointing out that Eren and Mikasa only wanted to save Armin because he was their friend and that Levi ultimately chose Armin because of his own feelings of wanting to let Erwin rest. It was an irrational decision even though we obviously love Armin. I like Floch’s character because he does speak the truth, even when it’s not the easiest or nicest thing to do. When speaking to Hitch, he told her straight that although Marlo was brave, he died wishing he wasn’t there. Jean criticised him for saying that and would rather Floch painted Marlo out as a hero charging to his death without any regrets but that would’ve been unfair and untrue. And Hitch did seem to appreciate the honesty. She was feeling down because she felt like Marlo didn’t care about her and never listened to her. The fact he regretted being there opens up the possibility that he did wish he was back with her (which we as the audience know to be true). Floch told her the truth. Floch’s comments about the recruitment process are also true. He’s demanding that the scouts start telling the truth rather than promising young naive soldiers that they’ll be heroes bravely saving the world and tricking them into joining. He’s saying that people should be told the truth so that they can choose for themselves rather than being fooled or coerced into making a decision. So he comes across as a jerk but he’s really just speaking the truth, even if it’s inconvenient. And that end scene gets me every time. I read an interview with the creator who explained that the sea shell Armin is holding is symbolic. Armin tried to show it to Eren but Eren didn’t even bother looking at it. And that’s the moment the two were divided. Eren isn’t shocked or happy to see the ocean because he’s already seen it through his father’s memories. He’s lost the childish wonder and excitement. And now comes the question of what next. If the people of the island go out and kill everyone else in the whole world to be free, are they still the heroes of the story or the devils the world sees them as? It’s a pretty hopeless situation and Eren is so consumed by it that he can’t even be happy that they finally reached the ocean. And poor Armin had his excitement and happiness cut short. On a more light-hearted note, does anyone else relate to Eren in the final scene? He’s basically that one guy who manages to make any social situation uncomfortably awkward by ruining the mood.

Liam Bracken

Melissa, it's been fantastic watching these reactions each week, quite sad that we're at an end for now. Not long till the next season starts though! The ending of season 3 really ripped my heart out - Eren is just so tired and worn down by the weight of the world that he can't even enjoy the moment he's been waiting for for nearly 10 years. And the sad horror on Armin and Mikasa's faces when he almost innocently throws genocide out there as an answer.

James Simpkin

The last scene always gets to me, i always interpret the idea that Eren was hoping that his memories weren’t real, so that he could believe in hope. Although in the end everything was exactly the same, basically solidifying that it was all true, and the war is just beginning. Naturally it’d be impossible for anyone to enjoy what they once thought was freedom, but then actually just the start.

I always felt Floch had very severe survivor’s guilt, and to curb it, he looked for a reason as to why he was the sole survivor of the recruits. That reason was to rescue Erwin from the battlefield and get him to Levi so he could be revived. However, that reason was ripped away, so he lashes out about it. I could be way off base, and it is just a practical reason of ‘Erwin is a great leader,’ but he seems to take it too personally for that to be the case. In my opinion, anyways.

Fizzle

and the final episode! well... sort of. it's definitely a finale feel. the first thing I want to say about the mid episode thing written, is I'm not sure but I believe it's written by Armin. the mid episode info cards don't exist in the manga but they are sort of cool foreshadowing type things, and I like how vague they are. the reason I say it's Armin is because you know the narrator voice, like in the first episode "On that day humanity remembered..." well that is Armin's voice actor. so when the anime came out and we found out the narration of events was done by Armin's VA I'll just say that spurred on a lot of theories. so I definitely think that the long parts of text are from Armin's perspective. speaking of Armin I wanted to touch on the final scene and why I love how they ended it just like in the manga. when the episode was coming out I was worried that they would do a big teaser or something but the way they leave it is so beautiful because it's more of a subtle reflection of what we've already been through as we look at where we have to do. the final shot of the series -- I keep saying it like that because these first three seasons really are like their own story and the final season is when it ascends to something else haha -- being Armin's seashell is so perfect for so many reasons. to me the seashell symbolises of course Armin's childlike wonder at his desire to see the ocean, but it's more than that, it resembles his idea of freedom. as we know Eren shared the same dream of seeing the ocean, but it was different. for him it was about the ocean existing, he wanted proof that the outside world existed so he could have the freedom to explore it, whereas Armin cared more about its existence rather than just confirming that it exists if that makes sense. that's why I think the final scene demonstrates their differences, Eren finally reached the ocean, and he isn't even able to enjoy it because all he can think of is how it's not like how he expected. even Mikasa-the-world-is-cruel-Ackerman gets giddy at the waves of the water, but Eren can't enjoy it the same way as them so it's very tragic, and Armin's seashell symbolises how he is trying to hold onto his enjoyment of it, with him lowering his hands possibly symbolising how he might have to let go of it. I also love how the final scene they showed in the credits is also of the seashell another thing about Eren, is the memories are clearly shaking his reality up. before the ceremony started he tried to remind Armin about the ocean, the outside world, and about how there's freedom, but he remembers Grisha's little sister Faye and how she was not free in the outside world. the disillusionment of dreams is a big theme this episode to end on a more light-hearted note, I always love in Floch's rant when he looks at Jean, Sasha and Connie and goes "you guys just sat around and watched it unfold, not doing anything", meanwhile Sasha is like "bitch I was unconscious, what did you want me to do" haha but yes ah, probably a more depressing beach episode of anime. I can't wait for your S4 trailer reaction to come out and for you to see where the story goes. just like you said this whole journey, changing the world, fighting the titans... it's all just the prelude. and yet after this it only gets better

tom

Lol!!!!! I've heard there are mixed feelings in the fandom about Floch :P

Melissa Moore

Ahhh Floc, the guy who became a main charcater because everyone else died.

Aadit Doshi