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You must understand; watching anime of manga adaptations is quite difficult.  Especially when you write about Shingeki no Kyojin.

Full Review

What makes writing about Shingeki no Kyojin from week to week difficult is my knowledge of the plot.  It's times like these that I can't personally comment on whether the new developments in the story surprised me or not.  Since I can't do that, I suppose its best to talk about my reaction to the first time I read the relevant chapters of the manga.

The first time I saw Eren reappear, I was surprised.  At that point I was convinced no character was safe in Shingeki no Kyojin and so Eren's departure had me shocked for a little bit.  Shortly after I accepted the death of the main character, which made his return that much more surprising.  With the anime, the reaction I find on the internet is mixed; one group of people are and another isn't.  Quite a few speculated that Eren didn't actually die, so for many this wasn't the shock it was for me.  That said I digress.

Eren's return is definitely an important part of the series, but it wasn't the main attraction.  This was the first time the humans put up any sort of fight against the titans and emerged victorious.  An episode that's actually positive for a change and one in which the casualties are kept to a minimum.  Much like Eren's return is an important turning point in the story, Jean emerging as the leader also played a significant part.  Unlike Eren or Mikasa, Jean represents the more normal soldiers filled with fear hence making him the appropriate choice for leader.

Along with Jean, Armin stepped up his game.  After cowering for the past couple of episodes, this is a welcome change for his character.  Not only that, it's a good sign of developing unity between the cadets since it shows the involvement of the weaker soldiers in making a difference in this war.

Next week we'll be getting some major developments as a consequence of Eren's return.  After the emotional and heart-warming response to his return, he'll be getting a cold reception from the upper echelons.  We'll also be likely to delve deeper into the mystery surrounding him and the titans, to keep the story going.

Shingeki no Kyojin Episode 09 Preview

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