Attack on Titan - Episode 16

With any research underway severely dented by the murder of the two captured Titans, so the search begins for the culprit behind these killings.  Perhaps more importantly, this incident raises the question of whether that culprit killed the two Titans out of hatred of them alone, or out of hatred for humanity instead?

As it becomes clear that there's no obvious evidence as to who was responsible, so thoughts turn to the current crop of trainee soldiers, as the time comes to choose whether to sign up to the Survey Corps, the Garrison, or (for a luck and select few) the Military Police.  For the likes of Armin and Mikasa this decision is a no-brainer thanks to their unwavering support for Eren, but for other members of their number this decision is an entirely more difficult one, compounded by the recent deaths of some of their close friends in previous skirmishes.

Nonetheless, for a core group of our main cast of trainees their own individual reasoning and a stirring if brutally honest speech are enough to persuade them to risk their lives for the good of humanity within the Survey Corps - a possibility which will present itself soon enough, with that aforementioned speech also giving details of the basement at Eren's home which may hold the secrets of how to defeat the Titans, and the plan in the making to reach this location by winning back Wall Maria.  There are, however, some unusual elements in place for the first planned outing of the Survey Corps with their newcomers in place - could it be that there's more to this particular mission than simply fighting back against the Titans?

This week's episode of Attack on Titan is another of those slower instalments primarily focused on shifting gears as it takes us to a new aspect of the series - you could certainly argue that some of these elements could probably be compressed a little, but as a whole there are still enough strong moments and a sense that we're moving into more exciting territory to ensure that the episode remains compelling to watch, and there are certainly no shortage of fascinating moments ahead if the setup exhibited here is anything to go by.