Here we have the infamous SerumBowl & it’s arguably the most controversial moment in the whole series. But despite my personal feelings, I have to give credit where it’s due; Isayama managed to introduce a legitimate moral dilemma coming off an emotional high point of the series ^{albeit due to some plot armor.}

While everyone is arguing about Erwin vs. Armin, I want to focus on the new recruit Floch & his role this episode. Back when this chapter came out, manga readers hated this new guy for talking down to our favorite characters but I always found myself kinda siding with him in this scenario. As such, it seems important to highlight his importance to the narrative of this episode.

Maybe I’m reading too much into this but it felt like Isayama created Floch as a meta device; to call out Eren & Mikasa as main characters & show that the world doesn’t revolve around them. From a logical standpoint, I think he was spot on with his argument.

It was jarring to see Eren & Mikasa selfishly attack a ranking officer & disobey the chain of command, especially after obeying their superiors led to their heroics last week. While I get that they were highly emotional, it doesn’t justify their actions. Floch himself was also extremely emotional 2 episodes ago yet obeyed his commander for the suicide charge. Not to mention his revealing that everyone on the other side of the wall died for Erwin to show that they’re not the only ones suffering. This is where Hange’s speech came in clutch as it not only complemented his point, but managed to convince Mikasa.

At the same time, he isn't totally innocent as he had somewhat selfish motivations when he found Erwin, despite it ultimately being for humanity’s sake. His comment about resurrecting the devil reminded Levi of Erwin’s internal struggle which helped his decision in the end. And even though Floch was dropping truth bombs, everything Eren said about Armin was also true. They both bring up good points but their actions are where they differ in my eyes.

In conclusion, this is less of me picking sides & more of me highlighting how Isayama crafted this ethical dilemma in which there’s no definitive right or wrong, but rather it depends on your own perspective. And while I wasn’t the biggest fan of these events in the manga, the anime improved on it a lot, mostly due to the amazing voice acting.

Huge props to Yui Ishikawa (Mikasa), Yuki Kaji (Eren), Romi Park (Hange), Kensho Ono (Floch) & WIT Studio.