That Day: The Fall of Shiganshina, Part 2

That Day is the second episode of the Attack on Titan anime adaption. It is produced by Wit Studio and Production I.G. This episode shows the fall of Wall Maria and the start of Eren, Mikasa, and Armin's military training.

Summary
After a brief history of humanity's war against the Titans and the creation of the Walls, we switch to the chaos following the destruction of Shiganshina District's gate as the town is in chaos. A priest is reading words from his book as people are screaming and Titans roam the District, and is eventually confronted and eaten by a Titan, his book falling to the ground. We also witness a woman running to a dark alley, covering her mouth, and is plucked from her spot, screaming.

In shock, Eren attacks Hannes for abandoning his mother. He insists with a little time, his mother could have been saved. With Eren struggling to punch him again, Hannes explains that Eren didn't have the strength to save his mother, further infuriating him. However, he then says that the reason he didn't save Eren's mother, was because he didn't have the courage to face the Titan. As they are lead toward Wall Maria, Mikasa has a flashback of a dead man and a woman before remarking about the familiarity of this event.

Next, we see Eren and Mikasa in a large crowd of refugees trying to get to safety. Hannes and another officer debate about whether they should close the gate and leave people outside or leave them open for the refugees while the Titans are closing in. The debate is short-lived as an Armoured Titan that seems impervious to their weapons crashes through Wall Maria. The gravity of the situation dawns on Eren when he realizes he can never go home again. Seeing the weakness of humanity, he vows to erase the Titans from this world. Eren's father is seen trying to return home while praying for the safety of his family.

In the next scene, Dr. Yeager is attempting to stab Eren with a syringe as shots of the Yeager basement key are interspersed throughout. It is revealed to be a dream as Mikasa wakes Eren up and he is seen wearing the key. Eren and Mikasa join up with Armin to receive food rations when they overhear soldiers talking about the food shortage due to the refugees from Wall Maria. Eren becomes angry and attacks one but is saved from a confrontation when Armin steps in on his behalf. He accuses Armin of being weak and not standing up to those who look down on him. However, Mikasa then intervenes and tells Eren that the only thing they can do now is to survive as his mother said because they have no chance of killing a Titan. The central government tries to rectify the food shortage by having refugees cultivate land, but it is not enough. In the following year of 846, they use the refugees to launch a military campaign and retake Wall Maria, but it ends in disaster with about a hundred survivors from a total of 250 thousand soldiers. The food shortage has improved, but Armin's grandfather is implied to have died in the war.

The trio decide to apply for military training and the next year, are part of the newly formed trainee unit No. 104. As their instructor is giving them a lecture, Eren reiterates his vow to kill all Titans.

Trivia

 * Annie Leonhart, a future member of the 104th Trainees Squad, can be seen accepting bread in a ration line.


 * The ending theme is played for the first time.

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Épisode 2