Attack on titans 4 × 18: «Sneak attack»
Attack the titans come back this week with a fast paced episode. After a start to the season that seemed to lack a bit of salt, “Sneak Attack” is a hectic episode, one of those that as a spectator put you on your feet and that, in short, becomes a clear example of the essence of Attack the titans.
Unlike last week, Crunchyroll has left behind the problems in its servers to be punctual to the appointment with the simulcast in the original version with subtitles in Spanish. In this new installment, the plot jumps from one front to another and does not allow the viewer to blink even for a single moment. Therefore, in this review we are going to try order the events to be able to get all the juice out of them (which is not little), but not before reminding you that the following lines contain spoilers for the episode’s plot.
© Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / «Shingeki no Kyojin» The Final Season Production Committee
The episode begins with their conversation Armin and company after Onyankopon released them from their cell. As we commented in the previous review, Armin believe that what They were is actually doing is going with the flow Yelena Y Zeke.
In that instant, Armin remember the moment of their first time in the sea all together, when They were He points to the horizon and wonders if they will be free if they kill the enemies across the ocean. And that’s when Armin realizes which They were is actually planning. He does not want to carry out the euthanasia plan, but wants to kill everyone. Nevertheless, Armin seems to convince himself otherwise, saying to himself that it’s not possible, being unable to accept that his best friend could be planning something like that.
So Armin insists that They were he just wants to protect the island. At first, he thinks his words haven’t made an impression on his friends. But soon we see that it is quite the opposite. Jean is the first who wants They were live. In the previous part of the season I already commented that I love how much the relationship has evolved Jean Y They were, how the two of them have always been at each other’s throats, but deep down, they are very fond of each other. So, as much as it annoys him and They were take him out of his boxes, Jean he doesn’t want the boy to die.
© Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / «Shingeki no Kyojin» The Final Season Production Committee
Then the whole group sets off. The only one that still does not seem to be completely convinced of the intention of They were is Mikasa. The girl was deeply hurt by his words and he doesn’t understand why They were he said he hated her. Armin is convinced that They were took advantage of the usual headaches he suffers Mikasa to make his lie about the Ackerman. And surely Armin you’re right, but without a doubt, that conversation has served to change something inside Mikasa. We see him later in the episode, when he is preparing to go into combat. Mikasa leaves the scarf that he gave her They were behind.
This gesture saves much more than it seems and it has become one of my favorite moments of Attack the titans. Mikasa I always wore the scarf because They were she put it on at the moment when she was most vulnerable. The scarf symbolized for her the warmth of a family and her bond with They were. In previous seasons, we saw Mikasa commit stupid things, putting herself and her companions at risk to save him. Leaving the scarf behind does not mean that now she is going to move away from They were, but symbolizes that she’s finally going to start fending for herself without being insanely dependent on him.
© Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / «Shingeki no Kyojin» The Final Season Production Committee
Meanwhile, They were keep fighting against Reiner Y Galliardwho end up succumbing. The peak moment of this fight occurs when Zeke appears on the wall. It is precisely here that I refer back to the review of the previous episode, in which I said that I did not understand why MAP I had made the decision not to animate the end of chapter 117 and instead introduce a scene from 118. And here’s why. The figure of the Beast Titan watching everyone from above is a very powerful image and it would have been a perfect cliffhanger in my opinion.
Back to the episode itself, Zeke does what he does best: stone throws as if they were baseballs to finish off their enemies. If initially things looked favorable for Marley, the situation changes drastically with Zeke, who has also arrived accompanied by numerous Jaegers. The two brothers Jaeger they are closer than ever and it is vitally important to prevent them from coming into contact to activate the power of the Founding Titan. The tension crosses the screen and the heartbeat accelerates, all seasoned with what for me is one of the best songs that Hiroyuki Sawano created for the soundtrack of Attack the titans, «APETITAN».
© Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / «Shingeki no Kyojin» The Final Season Production Committee
On the other hand, the plot also shows us Falco and the rest of the soldiers locked up for having ingested the spinal fluid of Zeke, among whom is also a badly injured instructor Shadis. They all end up being released by Armin and the rest, ready to fight and help They were. At the exit of the barracks, Falco intercepts his brother already Gabiwho have gone looking for him. Nile Doc, the commander of the Military Police, accompanies him to them so that he can return home.
Both this gesture and everything that happened previously in the restaurant with Nicolo and the family of Sasha son vital to the evolution of Gabi. Gabi I was completely brainwashed by the politics of Marley, but experiencing the war first-hand and meeting the people of Paradis has ended up making him understand that his enemies were not demons, but human beings like her. So I love to see how he rips the bracelet off Falco for all the meaning it contains. The bracelet represents more than just those infected by the wine in this scene. It represents all the reasons why the Eldians are rejected and considered demons.
© Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / «Shingeki no Kyojin» The Final Season Production Committee
returning to Armin and company, everyone is surprised to see that, in reality, victory is more on the side of Paradis that of the Marley right now. In fact, what surprises them most is that Zeke is on the wall because that means that Hange Y Levi They have lost to him. Armin, knowing the hard blow that this can have on the morale of his friends, he decides to encourage them to help They were so you can get in touch with Zeke, occurring one of the scariest moments what we have seen in Attack the titans. Yelena, with a menacing face and twisted expression, living image of his fanaticism for the Jaeger, whom he considers gods, turns to Armin, surely because he believed that the blonde would oppose the brothers’ plan.
Fortunately, Marley he hadn’t put all his cards on the table yet, thus offering us a spectacular ending for the episode. Zeke believes that Floch and company have managed to beat the Titan Freighter. However, it is a trap. Pieck comes out of the body of the titan and the soldiers of Marley They take advantage of the steam to deceive the Jaegeristas. Magath, who had remained in the cannon, fires, hitting Zeke and knocking him out. Even if it’s only for a few minutes. The transformation isn’t undoing, which means they need to shoot again. Must avoid at any cost Zeke yell.
© Hajime Isayama, Kodansha / «Shingeki no Kyojin» The Final Season Production Committee
In “Sneak Attack” MAP has fully animated the 118th chapter of the manga Attack the titans, which reinforces my theory from last week that they won’t fully adapt the ending of the play in 12 episodes. The end of 118 means the closure of volume 29, so next week the adaptation of volume 30 begins, my favorite of this story, with the episode entitled “Brothers”. You can imagine how excited I am to see the next installments of Attack the titans. Fasten your seatbelts, because curves are coming.
