Summary
Attack on Titanis a series all about the shades of gray in humanity—the cycle of hatred and war, racial and social conflict. The magnum opus by Hajime Isayama continuously deals with real-life issues in the animated medium. The main group fans follow throughout the story is the 104th Cadet Corps, led by the main trio, Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. But the other members are just as important.Sasha Braus is the team’s heart, a cheerful, supportive, and funny girl with great skill. And her death sent the young cadets into disarray. It marked a before and after in their lives.
During aconfrontation between Nicolo, a Marleyan chef who fell in love with her, and Gabi Braun, the Marleyan child soldier that killed Sasha, Artur Braus spoke about an idea called “The Forest”. This idea would come back a few times, and interestingly, it has always been present in the story. But what does Artur mean by “The Forest” and escaping from it?
Endless Conflict
Since humans split into groups, conflict and violence have been a never-ending problem. As long as humans hold different beliefs, they will fight until only two people exist.Attack on Titanportrays the cycle of violence that has plagued humanity since the dawn of time, from two thousand years ago with the rise of the Eldian Empire, to the war between Marley and the Island of Paradis. Humans are forever trapped in a forest where they have to fight to survive, a forest that is endless conflict.
Sasha left her humble village to join the Paradis military, risking her life-fighting Titans to provide for her family. But with the attack by theMarleyan Warriors, her role in the military went from a potential garrison soldier to a valuable member of the Survey Corp. From the moment she joined the scouts she faced much greater danger than she imagined, as her enemies weren’t regular titans anymore, but an organized andskilled team of titan shifters. And eventually, Sasha and her crew came into war with Marley.
Sasha, before she knew it, escaped a literal forest to enter a forest of violence and war. She became intertwined with the cycle of hate, something her father, Artur, deeply regretted. Sasha, along with Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and the others, traveled to Marley and waged war on another country, killing innocents and soldiers alike, essentially inflicting on Marley the pain the Warriors inflicted upon her home.
Escaping the Forest
The Forest represents the endless conflict that plagues humanity. Tall trees that block your sight, wild animals, and other dangerous humans that are out to kill. It is easy to get lost in the forest, as once someone hurts one person, that person seeks to hurt them back, and so on. Violence breeds violence, and before they know it, they’re one of the wild animals fighting for survival without being able to see the way out behind the tall trees that represent war. Get hit and hit back, further getting lost.
But by letting go of your hate,letting go of revenge, and getting back at them, you seek your way out, you run through the forest following the light, and eventually, by not engaging in more violence, by focusing on getting out of the cycle of hate, you find the sunlight, you find where the trees end, and you escape the forest, leaving all the dangerous wild animals and claustrophobic big trees, the warriors and the blood. Sasha didn’t escape, she only went further inuntil it cost her life. But people like the Braus family and Nicolo escaped and lived peacefully away from the war between Paradis and Marley.
Attack On Titan
Based on Hajime Isayama’s widely popular manga, Attack on Titan is a dark fantasy anime set in a world where humanity lives behind walls to protect themselves from massive creatures known as Titans. Over the course of four seasons, the story takes plenty of unexpected twists and turns, almost evolving into a different type of series in the process.
