Attack On Titan “Guides” Review
Attack On Titan “Guides” is the 71st episode of the Attack On Titan anime and covers the “War For Paradis” arc.
The episode is a direct connecter to how things are now changing. Paradis has been split into two different factions. The Yeagerists and the Military. The Yeagerists show in “Guides” that there’s no low they won’t sink to in order to get Eren and Zeke together. They are relying on the Rumbling.
That doesn’t mean that those who oppose them are angels though. Nobody knows who to trust and the tension is almost unbearable.
Overview
Yelena begins the episode with a chat outside with Pyxis. Eventually she reveals that her and Eren had a secret chat whilst he was there. The contents of which she isn’t clear on.
Meanwhile this new information puts Hanji in a real bind. She’s smart enough to know that some of the new recruits may be up to something if even Eren is keeping secrets from them. And she’s right. The public discourse has turned against the military as they aren’t able to be 100% clear as to why they’ve got Eren locked up. Meanwhile, people are angry that the only hope for Paradis is in some cell somewhere and the military won’t say why.
The proverbial crap hits the fan when a bomb goes off in Darius Zackary’s office. Killing him and 3 others who are presumed Yeagerists. Everyone becomes suspicious of everyone. But Pyxis rightfully points out that with Eren having escaped. Silly squabbles will only distract from the bigger picture.
Meanwhile it’s clear there’s a plan all along as Pieck is seen watching the scouts depart. They’re making their way to the restaurant that Hanji points out could be suspicious.
Review
I honestly love this epiosde. The whole time you get a feeling that something isn’t quite right. People are acting strange. Some furious. And it’s clear it’s only a matter of time before something irreversible happens. The moment the bomb went off I just knew. This is it. This is the start of Paradis Island at war with itself.
I love it. More to the point. I love how it builds the tension. Maybe it’s just me but if they’d just jumped in with everyone hating everyone it wouldn’t have worked. It would’ve felt lazy and unoriginal. This is genuinely tense. People who are deemed the most safe are dying and there’s spies around every corner. Episode 70 was like that too but nowhere near this level.
I cannot wait to see where the next episode takes us and how extreme Eren and his followers will get.
