Attack on Titan 3x11 "Bystander" reaction & review

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on the anime and manga! You worded it so profoundly about the importance of Carla's words!!! Thanks for clearing that up about Keith, I don't think I said this in my reaction, but I took at as him not wanting to see Eren get hurt, perhaps seeing him as an innocent in the whole thing despite how he felt about Grisha. But now that you mention it, it makes way more sense that he didn't want Eren to go against Carla's wishes because of what Carla meant to him! I appreciate all the info!!!!!!

Melissa Moore

Bystander is one of the most thematically relevant episodes/chapters in the entire series! Eren's whole character arc in this arc has been about him learning and accepting the fact that he's not some special destined savior for humanity he had been lead to believe when he first discovered his powers and is instead more of a victim of circumstance who could be argued has actually been a detriment to humanity within the walls at times. We see him fall into this little depression over the past few episodes after everything that happened in the Reiss cave which is why him meeting Keith and hearing his story is so important for his character! Seeing the exact same struggle Eren is going through reflected through Keith who wanted to be a special chosen person (ironically also because of Grisha and what he said to him). And we see this desperate struggle to try and be a special person end up crushing Shadis just like it's currently crushing Eren. Which is why Carla's words to Keith at the end are some of the most important in the entire manga. Her saying that you don't need to be special or need peoples recognition, you don't need to be better than anyone else, you're already great simply for being born into the world. These are words she was directing at Eren so it's so impactful to see him hear this after him emotionally and physically beating himself up over these insecurities in this arc. And towards the end of the episode we see his face genuinely happy and at peace for the first time in a very long time, showing how hearing his mothers words dragged him out of this pit of self loathing and depression he had been in recently. Finally I also want to add that the reason Keith broke Eren's gear was because he believed Eren wasn't being his true self and was only trying to do what his father wanted him to. Just like Keith did himself after Grisha told him he was a special chosen one. Also because as you remember in the first episode Carla was strongly against Eren joining the Survey Corps so Keith didn't want Eren to go against her wishes and rush to an early death outside the walls. I think that detail is where the anime episode fumbles a bit since I've seen so many anime watchers misinterpret Keith's actions as him being petty and doing it to spite Eren for being special since the anime cuts out the lines where Keith says why he's doing it. (Anyways just wanted to share some of my thoughts. I may be repeating some of what people above me here have already said but I still wanted to post this.)

Doccyy

Nice!!! Yes, it's a powerful ep.....including Carla's speech!!!! I loved it and absolutely loved that Eren got to hear it. XD

Melissa Moore

This episode always stands out to me no matter how many times i watch it. Keith found meaning in his own life from an off handed comment Grisha makes about the scouts. Clara's speech is also just *chief's kiss*

Aadit Doshi

Yes!!!! I love how they brought everything so full circle from season 1 in this ep! I didn't even catch that about the instructor! Thanks for confirming that about Keith's words about Grisha and Eren! So true that Grisha was trying to honor Carla in preventing Eren from going outside the walls, and I do remember that he was even able to stay upright for a little bit with the broken gear!!!!!! What a great callback. Awwww that makes a lot more sense about Mikasa's choosing of words there, thanks for pointing it out and for the link! Ohhhhh that makes much more sense about Eren and Historia!!!!! I was like, whoa what did I miss?! Is Mikasa gonna have to lay the smack down on the new queen?! LOL!!!! Thank you :D

Melissa Moore

Oh wow, I can totally see how that's a little meta haha!

Melissa Moore

Ahh okay! Thank you for clearing that up, that makes sense!

Melissa Moore

Thanks for clearing that up about Keith's wording with "The Chosen One"! I'm so glad I was spot on with Carla's words!!! It's such an important message for anyone to hear really, and I'm glad Eren got to hear it! I had a feeling Keith's lashing out was because he liked Carla and she ended up with Grisha! Good point that he was so broken by that point, that he just snapped when she confronted him. I loved how those two tiny facts from season 1 got brought full circle in this one!!!!!! Thank you so much for your thoughts!!!

Melissa Moore

one of my favourite episodes of the season, it really recontextualises everything and shows you how even minor characters have their own lives and development. also I love how their instructor ended up being that same guy from episode 1 (remember the one who was going on about his failures and he brought the arm to the grieving mother). like other people have said, Keith wasn't talking literally when he was saying it was Grisha's fault and asking if Grisha will curse Eren all Keith could do to honour Carla's memory was try and prevent Eren from going outside the walls because he wanted Eren to live as Carla would have wanted, an ordinary boy. but then, remember back to I think it's episode 3, even with the broken gear Eren was able to remain upright for a few seconds, so Keith was struck with that sheer determination and he realised no matter what he tries to do Eren's will is too strong and he will keep trying no matter what. Also another thing, when Eren is talking about how he was a titan at one point and Mikasa tells him to finish his soup, it might look like she's nagging him but the anime left out this detail: https://s2.mangabeast01.com/manga/Shingeki-No-Kyojin/0070-036.png so the reason she wanted Eren to stop talking wasn't because he wasn't eating, it was because she didn't exactly want to think about her adoptive father being eaten alive which is what Eren was casually talking about seconds earlier haha, so that panel of him patting her on the head shows she was close to Eren's parents too. also speaking of Mikasa I'm not sure if you caught the line about Jean saying that Eren and Historia were holding hands, but it's kind of a bad translation. what it's supposed to mean is that when Eren was trying to remember who Keith was by activating the memories again they had him and Historia holding hands to try and spark the royal blood memory combination, but it wasn't working. so Jean's line was a little badly translated haha

tom

It's almost a meta joke when he says "Chosen one" he almost means "Protagonist" and Keith feels like he was cursed by Grisha encouraging him way back then.

James Simpkin

Seith said to Grisha it is your fault because Grisha said that he is special which made him think so. However, he realized he is not special, he could not achieve anything. That is why he was angry when Grisha said to Eren you need to avenge Carla instead of him doing it himself

Hussain Alghazal

Keith thought that people should strive to make a change in the world, which is why he thinks it's important that the scouts venture out. Most people around him are content with living caged within the walls. However, since Grisha told him he needs to be special, even though Keith had the heart and did his best with the scouts, he never achieved anything significant for humanity. That's when he realized he wasn't special and certain people are, so I think the meaning he puts into "chosen one" is people who actually manage to make a difference in the world, but it doesn't seem to imply some special power (Erwin, Hange, etc.). And I think you nailed what Carla meant in the end, that life is a gift, so being born intrinsicly makes you special. All those people who don't strive for greatness, let alone achieve it, even those who aren't soldiers, are just as special as anyone else, because they are all living human beings going about their own life as they want to. On another note, Keith insulting Carla was pretty harsh, but he had a thing for her and she ended up marrying Grisha. He was probably hurt by that, but when she confronted him in the end and told him he's throwing his life away, that was a blow to the other most important thing in his life, dedicating and risking his life to make a difference for humanity. So her words came in a moment when he was already in doubt of himself that he can achieve anything and that he isn't special, so he just went all out on Carla both about his resolve and his feelings for her. Not a nice thing to do at all, but it's sad how mentally broken he was at that point. This episode connects at least two loose ends from season 1. How Eren ended up with the key around his neck after his mom was eaten and how he came back to where Mikasa and Armin were after the whole ordeal with his dad, it was in fact Keith who brought him there. The second one is after changing the faulty manuever gear and passing the test, Keith said "Grisha, your son has become a soldier" and we never knew how Keith knew Grisha. So we did have some subtle foreshadowing back then for the events in this episode. :)

chavdar savov

Ahh okay! Thanks for clearing that up! I wasn't sure how much he knew.

Melissa Moore

Keith doesnt know anything about the titans things, when he say to Grisha "It was your fault" he meant he "cursed him" by saying he was a chosen one back then.

Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!! I hope you love my next reaction!!! Omg the after credits were intense....!!!!

Melissa Moore

Great reaction!! So hyped for next episode and after credits ^^

NFM NFM