Library Read // Attack on Titan; Volumes 28 - 30 by Hajime Isayama

I like this format best. It's somewhere between live-tweet, live reactions, and reading vlogs - but in text format. 

--April 8---

 Volume 28

RUTHLESS SAVIOR After years as a lonely double agent, Zeke finally returns to the good graces of his home island of Paradis. Still, the Survey Corps refuses to let him meet Eren–the other ingredient in the earth-shaking weapon– for fear the explosive duo will be impossible to control. Meanwhile, the public responds badly to the military's open distrust of their hero Eren, and the detention of the Marleyan volunteers spurs an uprising. Amid the turmoil, Eren takes matters into his own hands...

• It's an interesting parallel to see, how this discourse and division over the Yeagerists mirrors the story of the fall of the Eldian empire. An instigated rift threatening or causing in-fighting leads to a weakening of the whole. Is that, in fact, someone's plan in motion? If so, yeah for me for catching on to foreshadowing.
• Finally Gabi's being made to see the light
• So much is happening and our main cast of characters are so confused. It's great for tension building.
• This Ackermann explanation is super weird
• Armin got that last word in though,
• Awww snap. Titans in the forest!
• Levi better not die!
• Pyxis neither! But it seems he's been dosed.
• Who was Levi's host? Erwin? Does he have one? Did he have one?
• Levi said, not today Zatan! (see what I did there?
• Levi stays winnning!  I knew he was my fave for a reason!
• The general Eldian populace are militant sheeple? Maybe?
• "change the structure of the bodies?"
• how are the subjects part of the founder's body? and not that part of the body lives on?
• eugenics? tf? eradication of the Eldians is Zeke's goal? it seems like that's at odds with Eren's expected aim of Eldian domination.
• Levi laughs at the stupid mercy killing plan.
• Well. That ending was dramatic.

5 stars for this volume.

---April 10---

Volume 29

WITHIN THE HOLLOW CROWN As a Marleyan invasion dangles like a guillotine blade over the island of Paradis, allies have become enemies, and former friends are at each other's throats. The Yeagerists are in all-out revolt, fighting to dismantle military rule before the potential for world war explodes into certain doom. Meanwhile, deep in the forest, the sides' most ruthless, fanatical killers are locked in single combat, but triumph is elusive where Titans are involved...

• So the king of the wall renounced war and changed memories, as a way to save the remaining Eldians and to spare the world from Eldian tyranny, but that's not good enough for Zeke and co. because why?
• "euthanization plan." yuck.
• so it's a way to curb Marley? or anyone who might abuse titan power?
• I feel like Zeke's got it wrong and Eren just had a freer, more loving childhood.
• I hope Eren is lying about being on board with this stupid, stupid plan.
• Who is this fat bloated titan?
• NAAAAHHHHH. Levi is not dead.
• Pieck!!
• Niccolo is the real OG here.
• "Prove as many times as you want that you're a good Eldian. They will never free you. We have to win our human rights for ourselves."
• You had one job Porco!
• "Time to get revenge for Liberio!
• Onyankopon really gets the importance of diversity, go figure. *rolls eyes*
• That's right! Where are Hange and Levi? I'm thinking Hange was lying about Levi being dead and then scurried away with a living Levi.
• Why should Titan Armin be afraid of Yelena?
• Good for Gabi.
• Thankfully I have the next volume available. But is it gonna be the same thing with volume 31?

Anyway, another 5 star volume.

Volume 30

To activate the true power of the Founding Titan that courses through his veins, Eren must make contact with Zeke, a Titan of royal blood. Though Zeke has escaped Levi and the Survey Corps, he's made little headway before the Marleyan military and its Titan warriors attack. Eren pummels his way through the Marleyan trap and past his former friends, but as the battle rages, he stumbles into a situation far beyond what his brother could have planned.

• Ha, Levi isn’t dead in the opening character listing.
• How am I rooting for both sides?
• “...So it is truly a shame” wow.
• Wow, everyone Titan deaded now. Like all over the town. Possibly the island?
• How are y’all still protecting Eren at this point? Is this who we are? Who we’ve become?
• HOOOOOOOOOHOOOOO GABI THE SNIPER!!
• Okay, so yes for Eren’s duplicity but nay, nevermore for ?Zeke’s?!!
• Ooh, memory inception across time and space?! 
• “I have been like this since birth.” Okay boss man.
• So Eren's been known the future for years at this point? And followed along? For why? That seems out of character. But I guess if his end goals are met...
• “I will eat the founder” I mean I guess it makes sense because of generations of eating, but it’s weird.
• Past life possession? Past life inception? Paradox? Self fulfilling prophecy?
• “Zeke, please stop Eren.” This is really the culmination of everything, ain’t it?
• When your future self incepts memories of your past life/previous host and you see it to completion. Ouroboros.
• I trust Erin much less now. His motivation seems sketchier now. More occulted. 
• Was that Pieck at the end of the previous volume? Or was that some as of yet named character? 
• So after 29, 30 volumes that’s the explanation we get? that this girl fell into some water and came into contact with some underwater centipede looking creature? And hence titans? 
• The takeaway is that even if you gain a bunch of power if you’re still a slave in your mind you’re still a slave.
• Are the total number of titans the number of children she had including herself?
• Okay, no, yeah, we got this explanation before.
• So this empire is built on the mistreatment of women. sounds about right.
• Okay, so now it’s seeming like Eren does want to end the world of the Titans and now I am on board. 

So I’m feeling like he’s going to use his Attack titan power to inception the past with the boosted power of the founder titan and maybe he’ll just set things right, erase a bunch of the past. Wow this might be the best volume so far, as one would hope and expect. It’s a 5 stars for me. 

Also, so I know in the anime we get some backstory for the first Ymir being some former cult goddess figure. but how does that really tired of the whole story besides just being a thing? I guess that was also when I thought differently about what the Titans were. Because it seems like the Titans who are not abnormal can live for super long versus the 13 year lifespan of the abnormal titans? Anyway this was really good.

• Whoops, I apparently was not done.
• Wait a minute, wait a minute. You mean to tell me his plan is to destroy the world? That doesn’t make any sense. I need clarification. Guess we’ll see in the next volume.