Are You Really Free? – Attack on Titan S4 Ep 11 Review

Check out last week’s episode review here. 

So I’ve said this before and I will say it again: I love the way MAPPA is handling things concerning this series. 

Yes, I do have my doubts and concerns about other things, but healthy critiques don’t take away from the phenomenal atmosphere, animation, and emotion they bring to each scene. Even if the animation sometimes looks off, or “crappy” to use a less harsh word from the anti-MAPPA fans.  

And yes, I have been saying this for three weeks but I want to remind you all again that the chapters they are currently adapting (ch 109 –111) are my absolute favorite in the manga.  

I was a bit worried, especially concerning how they are doing Zeke (I can’t justify my loathing for him if the anime doesn’t illustrate why I don’t like him to you anime-onlys reading this) but they handled this episode really well. 

I love how you can tell talking to Gabi is like reading a Marleyan history book.  

The same ones that Grisha was forced to read by his father, maybe even worse now in Gabi and Falco’s generation. 

Then we have Mikasa being cold as hell to Louise in that jail cell, and Louise noticing Mikasa’s scarf. Her eyeing it before they continue to talk. I’m glad they left that in – that’s going to be important later. 

And given the context of Mikasa’s headaches, the way the flash seemed made it almost…sinister. Like Eren is a monster coming to save her. But…we know this happened, right? 

So why did Mikasa look so terrified?  

(Here I will now resist my urge to talk about the wonders of this isekai anime and the alternate universe theory I’m completely invested in from Reddit. Here’s a link to read it for yourself instead. ☺) 

Just thinking while editing before I rewatch again (because this episode was just that good to me) I wonder if it had anything to do with Louise dedicating her heart that triggered it? In Mikasa’s flashback, Eren stabbed the kidnapper through his heart.  

And then we get Eren’s whole tirade later on about killing any animals who would take away his freedom. 

(Hopefully that was in the anime, and I’m not thinking of a manga flashback you guys probably won’t get until later. Either way…I’m leaving this in. I’m going rogue today, haha.) 

I’m really glad the anime is starting to introduce the major Yeagerist players. 

And to remind you all one more time, I support Eren Yeager 100% in whatever he ends up doing in the manga, and most likely anime.  

Floch Forster is my favorite character in the Attack on Titan series, and I am going to continue to defend them both throughout the remainder of this story. 

Now back to Gabi and Falco on Paradis. 

There were a few extended and anime-only scenes added, like (I think) the talk inside the stables where Gabi asks Falco why the name “Mia”. 

…I was hoping we’d get an answer to that, because I have been wondering that myself, haha. ☺ 

Then we just have Kaya Braus dropping gems and completely questioning Gabi’s life ideology. Along with everything else, this makes Gabi dissociate heavily during her time in the countryside.  

“You two were just born in Marley” 

I love that we got to see the two girls who were impacted by the scouts in our story grow up, and how they turned out. Kaya idolizes her big sister Sasha, and Louise idolizes Mikasa. 

I don’t know how Sasha felt about this, but as we can start to see here, Mikasa hates it. 

She is disgusted by Louise, and the Wings of Freedom are in frame while she shuns the younger girl whose very life she saved years ago. 

The Wings of Freedom are on Hanje, as well.  

In a room alone, miserable. The words of Pastor Nick echoing throughout her mind, filling the empty room with chatter that eventually squeezes her in and makes her crack. 

Whoops, was that a spoiler? 

Guess I’ll keep going. 

We have Floch, the coward of the Survey Corps standing up to the very organization he grew to hate after Erwin (tried to) throw his life away. 

Floch is on one side, while Hanje, The Survey Corps (or at least visibly on the surface) and the Military Police are all in the same frame.  

The window obscures the MP sigil, because even they are divided from within. 

Paradis Island is fractured, and the people want answers. 

Hanje no longer supports the free press, and turns her back on them.  

Hanje enters back into her cage, a great stone fortress with bars. 

A little bird plays by the window of the cage Hange, and the rest of the Corps are in. 

They wear the Wings of Freedom, but are they really free? 

I also just like the little touch that similar to Eren, we no longer will see Gabi or Falco in uniform again. 

The weight of the military burden is effectively striped from them, and they can be who they want to be. 

We get the chance to see their personalities shine from here, and I am so excited to witness this. 

And, if I haven’t already done so, I just wanted to thank everyone who reads these reviews and engages with me. I’m having a lot of fun with this series, and I’m sorry if I’m spamming it so much everywhere, haha.  

I swear I do still have other non-AoT content planned.  

It’s just been a while since I enjoyed an anime and manga series so much, and it makes me truly happy ☺. (and depressed too, but we won’t go there today haha) 

But, did you enjoy episode 11 as well? What were your favorite moments? 

Can Gabi Braun undo her brainwashing from Marley?

Do you like the re-appearance of Kaya Braus and Louise – two young ladies we saw saved by our older cadets now all grown up? (well, “grown up” essentially – I know they are really still just kids. All of the major players kind of are, or teenagers…) 

Why does Falco seem to sympathize with the people of Paradise while Gabi doesn’t?

Leave your thoughts in the comment section below, I’d love to hear from you! Also be sure to follow us for more weekly Attack on Titan the Final Season reviews!

We are also creating AOT-inspired merchandise for fellow fans, drop by our Redbubble store if you have a chance – you get cool gear, and it helps support the blog!   

Recommended: (spoilers) Hallucigenia – the Primordial Spinal Creature from Attack on Titan – Anime Anthology 

Recent Shingeki no Kyojin manga review: ch 137

次のエピソード: The New Eldian Empire

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