Attack on Titan 2 – Episode 9

REACTION – As Erwin and the entirety of the Scouts and Military Police go ahead to pursue the two traitors who have kidnapped Ymir and Eren, Hanji tries to get to Connie’s village to investigate the Titan that flattened his home. However, her assistant goes to do it for her as she is too injured to move at all.

Meanwhile, Eren realizes that both of his arms are severed but attempts to Titan shift anyway, much to the displeasure of Ymir. She explains their current situation and shifting to a Titan doesn’t help out at all as they are deep in Titan territory and would be too weak to outrun the encroaching Titans.

If he were to slip away as he is now, there is zero chance of success considering that Reiner and Berholdt would just swoop him with them since they are the only ones with equipment.

Reiner is then asked by Eren what they intend to do with them. He, then, explains that they are taking them to their hometown, but Eren remains unconvinced. Ymir reminds Reiner that Titans are still able to move even if night falls.

Reiner suddenly blabbers around being a soldier and doing his duty; getting promoted for his service and whatnot. This confuses Eren and Ymir until they realize that Reiner has gone slightly insane as he is mixing both personas of being an enemy and a soldier. Who can blame the guy since he’s been with them for years and has probably grown sympathetic to their woes?

Eren throws a hissy fit and goes on about how his mother died when Reiner and Berholdt took down the wall as Titans. He calls them murderers, insane and the like. Ymir is more concerned about the Beast Titan which goes to show that she may or may not have valuable information after all.

This leaves Eren in a very confusing state as he pieces together who is the real enemy. Is it Reiner and Berholdt? This ape-like Titan? Ymir? It is really confusing.

Reiner then tries to create distrust between Ymir and Eren as he offers Ymir that Christa will be able to live and have a future. This puts Ymir in a pickle and honestly, as a viewer, I am not sure why Christa is so important. Is it because of her nobility status? Or is Christa involved in something far more twisted that even she, herself, doesn’t know at all?

All this discussion gets interrupted as the Scouts fire their flare guns and head for the forest where the four are trapped in.

Honestly, this episode was a really confusing thing to watch. First off, we have Reiner apparently slowly losing his mind because of his moral compass: is he sympathetic to humanity? Or does he want to see humanity dead?

Secondly, we have Ymir who may or may not be Eren’s ally. What is Christa’s importance to Ymir? Her nobility? If so, what does her nobility mean? Is she unknowingly involved with the Titans which is why she was disowned by her family?

Thirdly, who is the real enemy? Clearly Reiner and Berholdt are pawns to the grand scheme of things – someone else bigger has to be in-charge. Is it the Beast Titan? What is he? Is he a shifter which is why he’s capable of speech? How does he control the Titans? Is he the reason why Titans exist?

There are so many questions yet no answer in sight. I hope that the anime series doesn’t end at the point where these questions are unanswered because that is a clear dick move.

Also I have to note that Eren was wonderful this episode considering that he is thinking properly. He has decided to put practicality rather than raw emotions into his decision-making, which means we won’t have the entire season pulling our hairs out as Eren makes every stupid decision possible in the series.