velshtein | children

I'm a bit conflicted about having things presented chronologically here. On the positive side, it's a lot easier for the viewer to follow. The manga pretty much went:

1. Child Eren's "I WILL KILL ALL TITANS."
2. SUDDENLY Everyone is graduating from basic training.
3. Everyone is thrown into a terrible situation. Violence, despair, horror.
4. Situation over, mostly.
5. SUDDENLY SEMI-LIGHTHEARTED FLASHBACKS TO BASIC TRAINING.
6. Present day story continues!

All the characters shown in this episode pretty much just get a really quick introduction at (2) as they finish up their basic training and then everyone's suddenly thrust into a dangerous situation. Which is a bit hard on the reader since that's a lot of people to suddenly keep track of. And since you don't really know them at all, other than Mikasa/Armin/Eren) there is a bit of emotional impact lost when they...do stuff during (3). It's nice being able to see all the recruits and get to know them before...stuff happens.

The sudden flashbacks in the manga are kind of a mood whiplash too, though in a way that I sort of welcomed since the start of the story is pretty much three and a half whole volumes of non-stop action. It was nice to see the same kids that we learned a bit about in (3) acting like kids with dramatic crushes and potato related crisises for a little bit at least.

I MEAN IT'S STILL KIND OF A MOOD WHIPLASH IN THE ANIME AFTER THE FIRST TWO EPISODES. But it doesn't last long (I would guess the training stuff is done before the end of next week's episode). And honestly I think I would have complained MORE if we suddenly got flashbacks around episode 11 or so anyway SO THIS IS PROBABLY FOR THE BEST.

Negative: I don't totally love breaking up the serious flow/pace that the first two episodes started, this early. But it'll probably pay off by around episode 11 when the anime can keep going on with the present day story without stopping. ALL ABOARD THE PAIN TRAIN. FULL SPEED AHEAD.

Gheugehguh looks like Horriblesubs is late ripping this SO I JUST PRINTSCREENED CAPS FROM THE CRUNCHYROLL (TY MILLIONTH FREE TRIAL):

Awww. ;;;;;;;;;

Gehgueghuh.

AWWW HE LOOKS SO HAPPY.

GHEUGEHGUH SASHA.

:(((((((((((((

Hahahah aww. Also lmao Production IG and their "lipstick." I mean they love it and I guess it's just supposed to be stylized female character lips BUT IT LOOKS LIKE LIPSTICK. And it fits fine in stuff like Psycho-Pass because it's totally normal to see lipstick in that environment BUT NOT REALLY WITH A BUNCH OF KIDS IN THE MILITARY IN THIS PSEUDO-MEDIEVAL SETTING:

GHEUGHEGUH BUT I'LL GET USED TO IT I GUESS.

This dramatic-ass kid. XD

Heeheee those ~~kinky~~ great full body harnesses.

Aww Eren's face.

SLDKFJSLDKFJSLDKFJD. :(

Awwwww this scene just filled me with nostalgia about being a little kid and just wandering around with friends at weird hours just to see a pretty field or clearing in a forest or a neat creek or a fairy ring. <3

EREN'S FAAACE. Awww. <3