Board Thread:Manga/@comment-34196931-20200108165627/@comment-1327106-20200109181937

This was a chapter I initially enjoyed while I was reading for the first time, but liked less on second read when I was doing it for the wiki's chapter summary, because in doing that, I realized that Chapter 125 is really just a collage of different scenes without a coherent story tying them all together. We spend a few pages here, a few pages there, most to less to catch up with most of our cast post-battle.

Some of this was good. I liked seeing Armin's breakdown, since he's always tried to make the best of a given situation, but he's finally at the point where he just doesn't have any heart left to spare.

I also find it interesting that Floch only knew of Eren's plan since ten months ago, since it seems like Eren should have had this ball rolling long before, and Floch came under suspicion for being assigned to Yelena soon after she arrived on Paradis. However, I disagree with Floch essentially being a male Yelena, killing people at the drop of a hat. Floch of the RTS arc was looking for a ruthless leader, but he also called himself a coward and freaked out about things. I miss that Floch.

Shadis's scene probably could have been cut. We would have presumed he survived even if we didn't see him again this chapter and unless Surma and the other trainees do become some kind of sleeper cell inside the Yeagerists (is there any time for that?) this is a setup that won't pay off.

Hitch and Annie reuniting was nice, though it was a little too on the nose when their dialogue specifically calls out that Annie is info-dumping her personal backstory to Hitch. Yeah, it's strange to hear Annie confiding in Hitch when she previously never talked about herself to anyone, but I would have accepted it as a narrative convenience. Having Hitch notice and Annie tell her that she needs to vent felt like panels that didn't need to be there.

It was nice finally seeing Hange and Levi at the end, after them being gone for so long, but like most of this chapter, it felt like it was mostly setup for things to come.

Now we know where (almost) everyone is, what they intend to, and they're heading on their way.