Board Thread:Manga/@comment-5774380-20190607184944/@comment-4383890-20190612041753

RuneLai wrote: Penguinluver1431 wrote: Super, now let me remind you Marleyans are the VILLAINS of the story. They're the ones who caused the tragedies the main characters have faced so far. There's no reason for the protagonists to NOT get back at them for their crimes, so don't try and tell me Gabi is some innocent little cinnabun that just needs a hug and she'll stop being a Nazi. They're not villains. They're the antagonists. There's a difference. When you turn around the story (which the Marley arc does), they become the protagonists. We aren't meant to hate them. We're meant to see their side of the story.

Whether you like it or not, that's been the story Isayama has been writing. At least as early as the Female Titan arc, with what we saw of Annie, we've been intended to see that the other side has their own reason to fight and they aren't necessarily bad people. Maybe we are meant to see their side of the story, but that doesn't mean everyone has to care. RBA's backstory did nothing for me. I was glad when Bertolt died back in RtS and I am still glad even after getting their flashback perspective. And yes, technically it is Isayama's story so he can do it however he wants, but when you suddenly take literal Nazis and suddenly make them into some kind of tragic figures...well, only a fool would think it would be universally understood or accepted.

P.S: Still hated Annie even after it was hinted she had ulterior motives. The things RBA have done are not wiped away simply because "they're just kids" or "they were forced to become whiny emo mass murderers". I don't like being told I have to empathize with characters I could honestly not give a rats ass about.