Quote:
Originally Posted by Jan-Poo
I can agree that this story is full of situations that challenge the reader/watcher on whether war crimes are necessary evils or just evils, but I think there's a very predominant theme going on since the very start of the manga that ultimately if these crimes end up being committed is due to the human's petty and gritty nature.
I personally see a very harsh judgement on the evil that humans commit because of how their weak minds, driven by their own fears, work. Just think for example at how people reacted when they first realized that Eren could change into a Titan. You just could see how much effort Isayama put in showing the fear in the man that ordered Eren's immediate execution. And nothing really has changed now, since Willy Tybur's plan pretty much hinged in terrorizing all the ambassadors so that they could give Marley their support against Paradis.
Even if this story ultimately told us that it was all inevitable, I would still argue that it's because of the author's pessimistic and fatalistic view on humanity, not hawkism which actually sees war as something positive in the end.
According to some article I found when asked what he would if he lived in the world of AoT, Isayama said:
That sounds like what a dove would say not a hawk.
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That's neither here nor there for me. There are plenty of people with hawkish attitudes who wouldn't want to be soldiers themselves. "Chickenhawk" would be an uncharitable term for those in positions of power but as far as I can see, it's actually very common to have such views in general.
However you do make a point that Isayama could actually just be portraying a fatalistic view of humanity in general and that humanity cannot help but devolve into evil regardless of whether they are hawks or doves. In that sense, Isayama isn't portraying necessary evil but rather inevitable evil. I (mostly) like that idea actually, and I'll keep that in mind. I do wish it didn't have to go "both-sides"ism with allegorical Nazis to do that, but I'm pretty much used to seeing that shit with Gundam so whatever. But putting all that aside for a bit...
Episode 66
Daaaaaaaaayum.
Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayum.
That was just an amazing episode. So much thrilling action and development. Zeke went down in a surprisingly anticlimactic manner but everything else was epic as hell. Armin's play and the takedown on Pieck were great but the standout moment for me was definitely Eren brutally using the Jaw Titan as a tool to break and eat Warhammer. But it was kinda bullshit that he stopped before eating the Jaw Titan...