One last drink.
Warning: The following review contains spoilers for the episode.
Utgard Castle was the home of Episode 29, as our heroes struggled to survive against impossible odds. Focusing in on just a few people and telling their woeful tale helped make this week more compelling, while also letting us learn more about some of the side characters who up until now were just anonymous faces and names.
The team’s condensed quarters made for a lot of unique fights, but more importantly helped show off just how helpless things can be when our heroes don’t have access to their usual gear. Seeing them ram a canon into a titan, or lift one up and throw it out a window displayed how resourceful people can be in a bind. Their desperation was almost palpable and easily visible as they tried incredibly risky things just to take down the smallest of enemies. Not only do these moments make me sympathize and worry for those who are fighting for their lives, but they are essential to balancing out the more bombastic scenes that occur later on.
We also got to see several great intimate moments thanks to the isolated nature of our heroes. Ymir and Reiner were both standouts, having several scenes throughout the episode to showcase their personalities while also foreshadowing future events. I enjoyed their coded conversations that hinted at the strangeness of Ymir’s character and the secrets she was keeping. Even separately, we got to see how Ymir would go to any length to protect Christa, while at the same time Reiner was slowly falling in love with her. It made for an interesting triangle and it’s one I look forward to seeing resolved in the next episode.
My favorite scenes from this week's episode revolved around Gelgar. He fought and killed a lot of titans while defending Utgard, clearly showing off his skill with the blade, but it was the moments before his death that were most impactful. Gelgar, for all he had done to survive, was prepared to die but lamented over the fact he couldn’t go out with one last drink. Through the actions of his ally, he ends up finding a bottle of alcohol, and sadly, it’s empty. Of all fighting and pain in this episode, seeing Gelgar have his final moment of peace denied to him really hammered home the pain, cruelty, and sadness Attack on Titan invokes on its characters.
If there’s one thing Attack on Titan likes aside from pain, it’s foreshadowing. It constantly hints and teases about the future and this episode is no exception. It’s a fine line to walk, though. Sometimes it can go too far, as the payoff is so far in the future or so small that it’s not worth caring about anymore. Episode 29 is a great example of it done right as events are lightly hinted at and then come to fruition in the very same episode, while also leaving something dangling just in front of us for next time. It’s one of my favorite parts of Attack on Titan and keeps me excited for each new episode.
The Verdict
Attack on Titan is at it’s best when a handful of characters have their backs against the wall and have to get creative in order to survive. This week showcased that perfectly, as we watched our heroes try to fight an onslaught of titans in the dilapidated Utgard Castle. Featuring several great combat scenes on both a large and small scale, and many more personal and intimate moments, Episode 29 was able to deliver an exciting episode.
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire