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It's official: humanity has hit rock bottom.

Full Review

Prior to this episode, I wonder how many people thought things couldn't get worse in Shingeki no Kyojin.  We've already witnessed the main character getting swallowed after vowing a life of vengeance, the second coming of the titans just as the new cadets graduate and a rising death toll.  That's not enough.  At least, not for Shingeki no Kyojin.

Rock bottom is where this episode aimed to end up, with the mental breakdown of Mikasa.  The situation was grim enough with people dropping like flies left, right and centre but there was at least a little hope.  A ray of light that could have led humanity to survival, but ended up disappearing as fast Mikasa's mental fortitude.  Disappointing to see her backtrack from having an individual identity to being nothing without Eren.  She's been shown to have her vulnerabilities and it's fine that she feels extremely sad but it comes off as, "I can't live without him."  Not dwelling too much on Mikasa's own breakdown, this was also rock bottom for humanity.  Their finest new soldier can't go on, and that's it.

As the phrase "rock bottom" implies, there's a good side to this; nowhere to go but up.  Humanity has been truly cornered with no conceivable hope of winning, so it was time for things to develop in Shingeki no Kyojin.  With that comes the appearance of the mystery titan who has a fondness for killing his own.  Whatever he/she may be, it's given humanity a second chance at fighting back.  Humanity's new ally has started off the comeback with some ferocious hits against the less intelligent of his kind.

This development is bound to shake things up in Shingeki no Kyojin.  After seven episodes with nothing but despair, the one-sided fight has a chance to shift.  Humans have to start fighting back at some point, and this might be what they need to get it going.

Shingeki no Kyojin Episode 08 Preview

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