Uncut Gems Review: Wait, Adam Sandler is Actually Fantastic Here?

“God damn it, Howard!”
I lost count of how many times I screamed this at my laptop screen as I watched the character of Howard Ratner, who is played brilliantly by Adam Sandler, screw himself over time and time again in the Safdie brothers’ film, Uncut Gems.
What’s that, you ask?
“Adam Sandler actually delivers a brilliant performance in this film?”
Why yes, he does.
I know it sounds hard to believe; after all Sandler’s performances and movies mostly earn collective eye rolls these days but not in this movie.
Uncut Gems follows Howard, jewelry store owner and problem gambler, whose addiction to making bets and making them big causes his life to spiral out of control.
If I could describe the film in two words it would be an adrenaline rush because that both perfectly encapsulates the ride Uncut Gems takes you on and also how the movie firmly puts you in the mindset of Sandler’s character.
Sandler lifts this movie up to another level with his performance, making you understand and even sympathize with Howard, even though in hindsight he is not a very likeable person.

Sandler got snubbed — Sandler definitely got snubbed at the Oscars. His performance is one of the best of the year, alongside Joaquin Phoenix in *Joker* and Adam Driver in *Marriage Story.*

He is not the only one giving a great performance, though, as Julia Fox, Lakeith Stanfield, Eric Bogosian, Keith Williams Richards, and even Kevin Garnett all do amazing jobs.
The film is also very well shot and conversations feel natural and hectic, applying to the adrenaline rush of the film.
A rush that culminates in an ending that literally made me shout out in shock.
This ending was perfect for the film and it also blew me away with how realistic it all felt.
Uncut Gems is another fantastic movie from 2019 that will hopefully begin a return to quality with the films Adam Sandler is in.

Parasite Review: Who is The True Parasite?

Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite made history at the Oscars by being the first non-English film to win Best Picture.
I remember thinking that 1917 would win the award but then Bong won Best Director and that made me do a double take and wonder if it could win.
Lo and behold, Parasite was awarded Best Picture and I was thrilled, even though I hadn’t watched the movie yet.
The reason for this is because the academia has almost always awarded only English films and the fact that a South Korean film won Best Picture could open the door for more foreign films being nominated in other categories.
I have my fingers crossed that the day will come when anime gets the recognition it deserves in the Best Animated Film category.
Back to Parasite, after it won the award, I knew I could no longer sit on it and had to watch the film.
Coming into it, I had no idea what to expect other than I would almost certainly find it fantastic; this is Bong Joon-ho we’re talking about, after all.
I have watched a lot of his films over the years from The Host, to Snowpiercer, to Okja, but my favorite film of his is definitely Memories of Murder, which is a deeply disturbing masterpiece.
And, while I do not think the film is quite as good as Memories of Murder, I can state with absolute certainty that Parasite is a masterpiece too and more than deserving of the Best Picture award.
Is it my favorite film of 2019?
Well, as of this moment, I am unsure if I enjoyed it more than 1917 and Joker but it is definitely up there.
The film follows two families, the Kims and the Parks, who live in two very different worlds.
While the Parks are wealthy and live the good life, the Kims are impoverished and live in a half-basement where they struggle to support themselves.

The dire situation of the Kims is made perfectly clear in the opening scene, making you understand their parasitic scheme to infiltrate the Parks’ house.

After the son of the family, Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik), manages to scam his way into the Parks’ house as a tutor, the entire family eventually scams their way in as well, until all are employed by the Parks who believe they are not respected experts in their fields.
What happens next, I will not spoil, but the movie takes a turn at a certain point that raises the tension to another level and keeps you guessing as to what will happen.
Not only was I constantly trying to guess where the movie would go (and wrongly at that) but I was also constantly wondering who the real parasite of the movie is, the Kims, the Parks, or both?

*Parasite* is jam-packed with symbolism and themes that really get you thinking about class.

And then there is the ending, which is absolutely perfect and hit me like a train.
This gripping story is supported by the fantastic cast of Choi, Song Kang-ho, Park So-dam, Jang Hye-jin, Lee Sun-kyun, and Cho Yeo-jeong, who all give amazing performances.
And, with Bong Joon-ho directing, the end result is a masterpiece of a film that will keep you riveted right up until the very end.
Bong does, indeed, deserve to “drink until the next morning.”

My Hero Academia Season Four Episode 17, Relief for Licence Trainees Review: Surprisingly Great.

I felt that, after the average sixteenth episode of the fourth season of My Hero Academia, the seventeenth episode would be about the same.
So, imagine my surprise when I found that episode 17, “Relief for Licence Trainees ”, was actually pretty great.
I have read the manga and I don’t remember being particularly engaged during this section of it but something about the way it was adapted in the anime made me invested.
Starting off, the beginning moments of Todoroki, Bakugo, Inasa and Camie trying to win over the children ends great with the aspiring heroes using their quirks to create a playground to entertain them.
This resulted in some fantastic animation that really surprised me.
I would say that, while “Infinite 100%” has the best animation of the season so far by a wide margin, “Relief for Licence Trainees ” has the second best animation.
The use of Camie’s quirk to create illusions, along with Todoroki’s ice slide make for a beautiful visual.
Another thing that I greatly appreciated is how they kept an important piece of Bakugo’s development.
Last episode, one of these moments was cut, so it was great to see Bakugo grab the lead kid’s hand and tell them not to look down on others or they will never realize their own flaws.
This shows just how Bakugo has changed from the arrogant bully of the first season, even if he is still incredibly aggressive in his actions.
Meeting outside the building, we then get a continuation of the beginning of Endeavor’s redemption.
In a scene that visually resembles Deku and All Might’s conversation in episode four, Endeavor tries to make up with Todoroki, telling his son that he is proud of him and will now try to work towards being a hero that he can be proud of.
The change in the pro-hero even seems to spark Inasa into action because, after punching himself in the face, he tells Endeavor that he will be cheering him on.
This moment both shows great changes in the character of Endeavor and Inasa and also provides brilliant humor, which can also be seen through Camie’s illusion of Todoroki and how Bakugo reacts to it at the beginning of the episode.
But it is with Aoyama’s weird behavior that the true humor of this episode lies because he starts trying to befriend Deku in what are pretty creepy, yet funny, ways.
From his feeding Deku cheese when he is not expecting it, to sneaking by Deku’s dorm room and leaving a cheese message for him.
The horror music during this second event really sells the impression that Aoyama has some kind of sinister intent, which is what I felt when reading the manga because, back then, I though this was Horikoshi hinting that Aoyama was the traitor.
Thankfully, this was all just Aoyama’s unique way of trying to become friends with Deku because he found them to be similar because they both have trouble controlling their quirks.
So, all in all, “Relief for Licence Trainees ” is an episode that surprised me because of how enjoyable I found it to be.
With fantastic animation, some great growth for Endeavor and Aoyama and some hilarious moments, it definitely left more of an impression than I thought it would going in.

1917 Review: An Epic War Film That is One of The Year’s Best Films.

I only have a few more films to watch and review before I make my top 10 films of 2019 list and, until yesterday, Sam Mendes’ 1917 was one of them.
Coming into the film, I expected it to be great from what I had heard, but I was curious to see if it could dethrone my current film of the year, Joker.
Well, after seeing 1917, I can honestly say that it is an incredibly close call to say which of them is better.
Both are fantastic movies for very different reasons.
Set in the titular year of 1917, the film follows two soldiers, Lance Corporals William Schofield (George McKay) and Thomas Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) who are sent on a dangerous mission to call off an oncoming attack on the enemy, which is actually a trap.
If they fail, 1,600 men will be killed, including Blake’s brother.
And so begins the two soldiers’ journey in an epic war film that is a feast for the eyes, with the entire movie being made to look like one shot, from the unnatural beauty of a burning building, to the disturbing no man’s land where countless men lie dead.
If Roger Deakins does not get an Oscar for his cinematography for this film, then it will be one of the biggest snubs in Oscar history.

burning — Give Roger Deakins the Oscar for *1917*. Enough said.

Another thing that impressed me about this film was how attached I became to both Schofield and Blake, even though we know only a few things about them.
This reminded me a lot of Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk.
My one issue with Dunkirk is that I initially found it very difficult to care for the characters because we knew virtually nothing about them.
However, 1917 found a way to keep Schofield and Blake’s backgrounds vague enough, while revealing enough information about them for us to care at the beginning, and then allowing our admiration for them to grow through their actions.

blake and schofield — McKay and Chapman do great jobs as Schofield and Blake on their desperate mission to save 1,600 lives.

This all culminates in various intense war scenes that had me clenching the arm of the movie seat I was in like crazy.
Two particular scenes, one of them in a destroyed town and the climax of the film, will stick in my head for a while because of how intense they are.
I even came close to crying at a few points but managed to persevere.
My family, who I went to see the movie with, on the other hand, could not hold it in, which tells you how emotionally investing this film is.

run boy run — *1917* may very well get the tears rolling because of its numerous, hard hitting scenes.

1917 is easily one of the best films of the year.
It has been getting a lot of Best Picture Oscar buzz and I can definitely see why.
I’m still considering if I like it more than Joker but, even if I decide I like that film more, you can expect to see 1917 high up when I eventually do my Top 10 Films of 2019 list.

My Hero Academia, Season Four, Episode Sixteen, Win Those Kids’ Hearts Review: The Beginning of Endeavor’s Rise.

In the sixteenth episode of My Hero Academia’s fourth season, Todoroki, Bakugo, Inasa and Cammie began their provisional licence course and came up against the most dangerous, manipulative and evil foe they have had to face yet… children!
In all seriousness though, “Win Those Kid’s Hearts” is an average episode of My Hero Academia because it serves as a clear example of when the manga is better than the anime.
This is evident through a lot of the humor, which were much funnier in the manga, like when Gang Orca throws Todoroki, Bakugo and Inasa away while screaming, “disciplinary action!”
On top of this, the character development is not as good as the manga because a minor flashback that helps Bakugo grow is left out entirely.
And then, there are the kids whose hearts they are trying to win over.
While their oddly very good psychological manipulation is very funny, the episode acting like they are some kind of big threat with intimidating music is very cringey.
The saving grace of “Win Those Kid’s Hearts” is definitely the humor and Endeavor.
Now, while I did say that the humor is a downgrade from the manga, a lot of it is still pretty funny and will honestly be hilarious for anime only viewers.
And then there is Endeavor, who has excitingly begun the character arc that has made him one of the manga’s best characters.
When I made my Top 10 My Hero Academia Characters list, Endeavor barely missed out but, with all that’s happened in the manga since then and looking back on prior chapters, he is clearly a better character than I gave him credit for and should have been on the list.
If you are an anime only, you may be confused about this since Endeavor is an abuser and are probably wondering how any character arc could make him likeable.
Well, to you, I say wait until the end of the season and then you will understand.
As for the current episode, Endeavor’s scenes are definitely the best because we get insight into his character, and already see how he has started to grow through seeking All Might’s help by asking him what it means to be the symbol of peace.
Endeavor asking All Might for advice is something he would never have done when he was first introduced, showing the pressure he is now under now with his new title as the number one hero.
This growth makes him the most interesting character of the episode.
Also, him constantly shouting “SSSSHHHOOOOOTTTOOOO!!!!!” is just really funny.
Overall, “With Those Kid’s Hearts” is an average episode of My Hero Academia.
It is definitely down there with “The Scoop on UA Class 1-A” as one of the weakest episodes of the season.
Still, it is a good episode what with the humor and Endeavor’s character development.

Attack on Titan Chapter 126, Pride Review: A Rare Disappointment.

The past 15 chapters of Attack on Titan have been incredible, god tier levels of writing.
So, I was both surprised and saddened to find that I did not like Chapter 126, “Pride.”
Although there are some good things about the chapter, the majority of it feels rushed and there is one plot point that is a complete waste of time.
This plot point is, of course, the whole Connie trying to feed Falco to his mother situation.
Before actually reading this chapter, I was very excited to see how this storyline would pan out because I was certain it would lead to the return of Historia.
Now, I will admit that I did let my expectations get in the way, so that not happening is a big reason for my disappointment.
However, even if my opinion was not influenced by that theory, I am certain that I would still find this subplot pointless.
Absolutely nothing came out of this storyline.
The only interesting part was Armin’s attempted suicide, which I found intense for the brief second that it happened.
The rest of it is a waste because it is entirely predictable, with Falco being saved, and ultimately adds nothing to the main plot.
Seriously, how does Connie trying to bring back his mother tie into the Rumbling in any way?
It feels like a pointless side quest and should have been removed entirely.
If it had, then it would have given Isayama enough time to expand on Hange, Levi and the rest of the Scouts teaming up with the Warriors, which was sorely needed.
At the end of the last chapter, the two came across Pieck and Magath and this lead me to believe that much of Chapter 126 would be their conversation as they slowly and organically came to the conclusion that they should work together.
But, nope; instead Hange suggests working together immediately, despite the fact that they had all been trying to kill each other not two hours ago.
This rushed alliance is also evident with Annie, who Armin and Connie run into after their whole pointless subplot.
They find Annie eating a pie, which Connie makes an actually funny joke about.
However, while I did like the joke, it did not fit the situation at all as things should have been way more tense between the three.
Not only this but Annie deciding to team up with them is left entirely off screen and explained in a letter she leaves to Hitch.
Talk about disappointing.
On a completely unrelated note, Pieck’s last name is revealed to be Finger this chapter, which I hope is a mistranslation because that is just too funny to take seriously.
Another disappointing thing about the chapter is how some characters feel, well, out of character.
The most obvious of these is Mikasa who is unusually cruel to a dying Louise, who she retrieves her scarf from.
The girl who admired Mikasa is literally dying before her eyes and Mikasa just takes the scarf and leaves her to die without a goodbye.
This made her incredibly unlikable this chapter.
Some have speculated that the reason Mikasa was so cold to Louise is because she reminded her of a part of herself she has come to hate but, if that is the case, then it should have been explained way better.
And then there is Falco whose character is also treated badly through how he reacts to his brother Colt’s death.
There is literally only two panels of him reacting to the news and then he is shown to be completely fine throughout the rest of the chapter.
He even appears to be joking with Gabi when they run into Annie.
The kid just accidentally killed his brother and you wouldn’t even know it had affected him at all by the end of the chapter.
My disappointment in this chapter does not appear to be just me, though, as many other people are also criticizing it online as well about problems like this.
However, what people seem to be criticizing the most is the end of the chapter where Reiner is kicked awake by Annie and sees the Scouts and Warriors are now working together, with Connie telling him they are going “to save the world.”
Many people find this line to be cringy, however, this is one of the few things people say is a problem with “Pride” that I actually think is alright.
This is because of how it ties into Reiner’s arc.
Back in the Marley Arc, it is revealed that Reiner was obsessed with saving the world, which is one of the reasons why he destroyed the walls, kicking off the story.
Now, he has an opportunity for redemption by completing the goal he always hoped to as a child.
This is one of the few moments in the chapter that had any thematic weight so, despite its cringyness, I give it a pass.
Along with this, there are some parts of the chapter that I actually really liked.
The best moment of the chapter is definitely the rescue of Yelena and Onyankopon, with him and Jean being the standout characters of “Pride.”
Onyankopon continues to grow on me as he points out the Yeagerists’ hypocrisy in condemning others to death when they were the targets of this nine years ago.
As for Jean, his line that if he hadn’t rescued them, “the bones turned to ashes wouldn’t forgive me for that” is very moving because it shows he still remembers Marco.
Also, the moment when he splashes water in Onyankopon’s face is really funny.
There are a lot of funny moments in this chapter, even if the scenes they are in are not very good, like Connie’s ridiculous excuse to Falco about why he brought him to see the Titan, Connie laughing at Annie for stuffing her face, and Annie kicking Reiner to wake him up.
Another detail I liked was Hange crying at the beginning of the chapter when she guns down the two Yeagerists, which was very touching.
There is also some intrigue building around set up plot points like why Magath wanted Yelena to be rescued and who the mysterious figure who saw Armin, Annie, Mikasa and the others escape, is.
My money is on either Zeke or Keith.
So, despite all of its problems, “Pride” does have some good moments that keep it from completing failing.
Back to the criticism surrounding it, a lot of people are taking one bad chapter to mean that the ending of the series is going to go downhill from here.
We have had 15 incredible, mind blowing chapters before this point and now we have one bad chapter and everyone assumes the series is doomed.
People need to calm down because there could be a number of reasons why this chapter is so flawed.
Hajime Isayama could have been rushed like with Chapter 119 or decided to bypass this stuff quickly to get to the good stuff.
We really don’t know and we should at least see a few more chapters before saying that Attack on Titan is in danger of having a bad ending.

BoJack Horseman Final Season Part Two Review: You do the Hokey Pokey and you Turn Yourself Around.

And so one of the greatest animated series of all time has come to an end.
What a wild, depressing, existential ride it has been.
Why Netflix decided to pull the pin on BoJack Horseman I will never understand but I am at least thankful that they gave creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg and the other writers enough time to end the show right.
And end it did, with the second half of season six bringing an end to the character arcs of BoJack (Will Arnett), Diane (Alison Brie), Todd (Aaron Paul), Princess Carolyn (Amy Seradis), and Mr Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tomkins) amazingly.
All five of these characters get great sendoffs that fit their storylines well.
As set up in the first half of the final season, many of BoJack’s past misdeeds catch up with him, especially the death of Sarah Lynn.
One thing I believed coming into this second half was that BoJack would have truly changed for the better and try to make amends for all he had done.
Well, now I can see that I clearly overestimated BoJack because he is still the painfully flawed, yet somehow still sympathetic, character he has always been.
We even learn some disturbing facts about some of the things he did that honestly made me feel a little guilty for sympathizing with him.

downer moment — Only BoJack could give horses a bad name while still being sympathetic.

But the way his story ends is perfect for him and can even be viewed as a punishment of sorts.
Then there is Diane and Princess Carolyn who both get fantastic endings as well that left me very touched.
As for Todd, he continued to be as insightfully wacky as ever in the conclusion of his story, making the simple nursery rhyme of the Hockey Pokey inspirational.
The last of the main cast in Mr Peanutbutter, who I was honestly concerned about in the first half of the season.
I thought they were backtracking on his character arc but, thankfully, they follow through on it in this half, giving him a satisfying conclusion as well.
Then there is Hollyhock, with the way her relationship with BoJack developed in the wake of her learning about his horrible actions being realistic, yet heartbreaking.

pete repeat — BoJack and Hollyhock’s relationship does not really have a resolution but that’s the tragic point.

As well as the characters, many of the episodes are incredible as well, especially the last two.
The fifteenth episode, “The View From Halfway Down” is actually pretty horrifying at times and is easily one of the show’s best episodes.
And then there is the finale, the perfectly titled “Nice While It Lasted”, which wraps up all the character arcs and ends on a note that hits you right in the feels.

There is a lot to love about the second half of the final season.
However, sadly, it is not perfect.
I, for one, was disappointed about how various characters got sidelined.
This is most obvious with Gina who it felt like the show was hyping up to be one of the people who exposed BoJack.
However, she and the trauma she suffered from her experience are never brought up again apart from a blink and you’ll miss it moment.
But, even though I was disappointed by this aspect, there is still so many amazing things about this final season and BoJack Horseman as a whole.
In fact, I think there is only one thing that I can say that will sum up my feelings about the show having ended.
BoJack Horseman is gone and everything is worse now.

My Hero Academia Season Four, Episode Fifteenth, Smoldering Flames Review: Is This Attack on Titan?

With the Overhaul Arc officially over, “Smoldering Flames”, the fifteenth episode of My Hero Academia’s fourth season, kicked off the next arc by introducing an important villain.
As Gran Torino and Tsukauchi succeed in capturing the warp villain Kurogiri, they unwittingly stumble across All For One’s most faithful servant, Gigantomachia.
I’m sure a lot of people got Attack on Titan vibes, due to the naked giant with a radio around his neck having a striking resemblance to that series’ Titans.
Along with this, I am also sure that a lot of people would have recognized Gigantomachia because this is not the first time we have seen him before.
There was a brief tease of him around the end of season two when the new members of the League of Villains were being introduced, and he was seen more prominently in Kirishima’s flashback during the “Red Riot” episode this season.
Although, many people may be expecting Gigantomachia to have a big role given this introduction, I’m afraid to say that this was yet another tease because there are still a few arcs to go before the massive villain becomes important to the story.
Next to Gigantomachia, the second most exciting thing about “Smoldering Flames” is the new OP “Star Maker” and ED “Shout Baby”.
I would say that both of these OP’s are way better than the ones for the Overhaul Arc with both of them having great examples of symbolism and foreshadowing for future events.
My one criticism of the OP is that I wish we had seen more of Gentle and La Brava, who will be the two big villains (although not-so sinister ones) of this arc.
Back to the episode, the rest of it is pretty standard with a few good laughs.
The best of these comes when Iida orders the rest of Class 1-A to leave Deku and the others alone, until Deku says they are fine, which Iida uses an excuse to scream that he was so worried about them while shaking Deku.
We also get the beginning of Bakugo and Todoroki retaking the provisional licence, along with Inasa and Cammie, who is definitely not Toga this time.
There is also Present Mic who provides some good laughs like always, with his repeated jabbing of Baukgo’s head and deciding to grab some coffee to get away from All Might and Endeavor’s conversation, which will happen next episode.
The one bit of the episode that I feel drags things down a bit is the repeated showing of events that we have already seen.
For example, there is an entire scene where Deku basically reflects on everything that happened in the Overhaul arc, and we are shown the whole thing in a quick flashback, as if the director thinks we did not watch the last 15 episodes.
Overall though, “Smoldering Flames” is another good episode of My Hero Academia that may start off tense but ends on a light hearted note that the rest of the season will most likely follow up on.
Unless, of course, we actually get the Pro-Hero Arc this season as well.
We are shown images from that arc in the OP so here’s to hoping it is not a tease for season five and we will actually see this storyline at the end of the season.

Marriage Story Review: Incredible Performances.

I honestly thought that after Joker there was no 2019 film that could provide a performance that would rival Joaquin Phoenix’s.
However, after finally watching Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story on Netflix, I can say he now has some stiff competition.
Every single actor does an incredible job in this film, which follows a couple going through a divorce and trying to make things easy for their son, only for their divorce proceedings to escalate.
Both Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver are flawless as Nicole and Charlie Barber and are natural Oscar contenders, especially Driver who blew me away in so many scenes, like the one where he gives an impassioned song.

Driver sings — The scene where Charlie sings in front of a group of his friends is my favourite of the film.

Again, if Joker had been released any other year then Driver would have an Oscar in the bag with this performance.
Complimenting the actors’ performances is the character writing for both Charlie and Nicole, with the film showing both of them to be flawed people who the audience can sympathize with and decide who is more at fault for the failure of their marriage.
And it’s not just the actors that are great but the cinematography as well with both long, extended takes and quick cuts being utilized to for dramatic and thematic effect perfectly.

cinematography3 — The closing of the gate shots coming together to create a fantastic scene.

Baumbach did an amazing job directing this film.
The only minor criticism I can think of is that it did take me a little bit to relate to Charlie and Nicole because of their celebrity status, which initially felt slightly alienating.
But, this issue I was having did quickly dissipate because of how the story and character arcs played out, along with the great the performances and cinematography so I can hardly fault the film.
Marriage Story is an emotional, highly crafted film that is definitely one of the best of the year.

Attack on Titan Chapter 126 Predictions.

Chapter 125 of Attack on Titan set up a lot of plot points to be resolved before the story goes into the final battle.
I am now sure that we are in the prelude to the big finale, a calm before the storm if you will.
Although, given that the Rumbling is currently happening, I feel like calling the current situation calm would be the understatement of the century.
In any case, if my belief that the manga will end at Chapter 134 is correct, then the next few chapters will spend most of their time wrapping up certain plot points and character arcs.
We will definitely see this with whatever way the plot point that my first question is about concludes.

How will Jean and Mikasa take down Floch?

“Sunset” proved my prediction that Floch arrested all of the volunteers to stop them from rising up in the aftermath of the Rumbling to be correct.
Thankfully, though, my theory that he would try to execute them all turned out to be wrong.
Still, Floch needs to be taken down and it looks like Jean and Mikasa are being set up to do that.
Jean has been really conflicted since the Rumbling started, trying to convince himself that the fighting is over, while being disturbed by the injustice Floch commits against the volunteers.
As for Mikasa, she has also been struggling a lot with what to do now that the Rumbling has happened and that she no longer understands Eren anymore.
However, both look set to emerge from their states of indecision in an effort to take Floch down.
Jean has had a lot of conflict with Floch previously so it would make sense for him to be involved and, as for Mikasa, Armin told her to think for herself and stopping Floch is the perfect scenario for her to do that.
I just hope that neither of them die in the attempt.
I think Mikasa is safe but Jean defeating Floch, who represents what he could have become, could be the conclusion of his character arc, resulting in his death.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope this doesn’t happen.

Will Hange and Levi team up with Pieck and Magath?

Levi fans everywhere rejoiced when humanity’s strongest soldier himself was revealed to be alive as the cliffhanger of Chapter 125.
Having saved his life, Hange has dragged his unconscious body on a horse to the outskirts of Shiganshina where they meet Pieck and Magath who Hange engages in conversation with.
It will be very interesting to see how these four characters interact because they are meeting for the first time but the outcome of this meeting is anyone’s guess.
Some has suggested that Hange could find a way to feed Pieck to Levi but I am against this for multiple reasons.
For one thing, we don’t even know if Ackermans can become Titans.
Not only this but I would rather see Levi struggle with his injures than become a Titan Shifter, and Pieck being fed to him really does not tie into her arc.
The only Titan Shifter I can see being fed to Levi would be Zeke because it would resolve their conflict but we don’t have any indication of where Zeke is yet.
Therefore, I think it is more likely that Hange will make an alliance with Pieck and Magath in an attempt to stop the Rumbling.
However, I just want to say that this does not mean a Code Geass ending.
Honestly, I have been against that being the ending for Attack on Titan ever since it was first theorized.
But I am not against the Scouts and Warriors teaming up for an attempt to stop Eren.
I just hope that it does not end with it being revealed that Eren’s plan was to become an enemy to unite the world because that would just not work in this story’s context.
In any case, I am excited to see how the four characters will interact in Chapter 126.

Does Falco have Ymir’s memories?

Another big plot point that continued in Chapter 125, is Connie taking Falco to feed him to his mother so she can be revived.
As I have said in previous predictions posts, I do not believe that Connie will succeed in feeding Falco to Mrs Springer and that Armin and Gabi will most likely find a way to talk him out of it.
However, what I do believe is that Falco will see Ymir’s memories in Chapter 126.
Isayama seemed to be hinting that Falco had them when he thought that Connie looked familiar.
Some have speculated that Falco just recognized Connie from the airship when Sasha was killed but I think him having Ymir’s memories is more likely because of the plot significance it could have.
I think right as the two reach Connie’s village and Falco sees Mrs Springer, he will experience one of Ymir’s memories.
And not just any memory, but the one from Utgard Castle where Ymir laughed at Connie for thinking that his mother was a Titan to distract him from the painful truth.
This would both make Falco realise he is now a Titan Shifter because he is seeing someone’s memories, and also make him realise that Connie plans to feed him to his Titanized mother.
However, once Falco realizes he inadvertently killed his brother, Colt, when he transformed, I actually see him deciding to allow Connie to kill him out of guilt.
But, like I said, I think Connie will have second thoughts or be stopped by Armin and Gabi because I don’t see the point in Falco dying here.
Besides, if Falco does experience Ymir’s memories, it sets him up for another big plot point; meeting Historia who I believe is in Ragako.

Why I think Historia will be in Ragako.

With Attack on Titan supposedly in its last prelude before the final battle, I think this would be the perfect time to reintroduce Historia to the plot.
And what better way to do that than for her to be in hiding at Ragako village?
Now, you might be wondering why she would be hiding out there because of the Titan but that is why I think she probably is there.
No one in their right mind would put the queen near a dangerous Titan and it is this thought that would keep people from suspecting Ragako.
However, since the Titan cannot move, it poses as no threat to Historia, so the village serves as both a safe place for Historia to hide and a place that no one would expect her to be.
Also, Historia being in Ragako village would be perfect for the plot because she could interact with Falco, who might have Ymir’s memories.
This could give Historia closure and also motivate her to name her child after Ymir.
And if her child really will be the reincarnation of Ymir Fritz, like I think, then this moment will have huge plot significance.
Speaking of the child, Historia showing up here would also be a good point for Isayama to reveal exactly what the hell is going on with her baby and how Eren is involved.
We know from the memory flash in Chapter 120 that he met with Historia and I really hope we get to see that interaction soon.

Is Eren really planning to destroy the world?

After reading Chapter 122, I was certain that Eren’s plan is to destroy the world with the Rumbling.
However, each following chapter has raised my doubts about this and I am now wondering if Eren has some alternate plan that only he knows about.
One of the biggest questions about Eren’s supposed plan is that, if he is trying to destroy the world, why would he announce this to all Eldians, including the ones in Marley and other countries in the world?
Wouldn’t this just allow these Eldians to warn their captors of the oncoming apocalypse and give them time to prepare?
Unless, of course, Eren wanted them to hear this message so they would act.
In Chapter 125, Annie’s father was one of the many Eldians in Liberio who tried to convince a group of Marleyan guards that the Rumbling had been activated.
However, because of the racist beliefs of the Marleyans, Mr Leonhart and the other Eldians were placed under arrest, causing Mr Leonhart to fight back, supposedly starting an uprising in the internment zone.
Perhaps this is also happening in other internment zones around the world, as the Eldians panic about the Rumbling and their captors not listening to them.
If this is what is happening then Eren may have sent out his warning to motivate the Eldians to fight against their oppressors.
Maybe this was so there would be too much chaos for the world to stop the Rumbling or maybe Eren wants to help the Eldians by doing this, in which case his plan is something other than destroying the world.
Again, I hope this is not Eren pulling a Lelouch, I would much rather his plan be something more original and actually make sense in the context of Attack on Titan’s world.

An idea for a tragic ending.

Back in Chapter 110, when Darius Zachary was assassinated, a crowd of Eldians were shown chanting, “devote your hearts!”
And so a phrase that was once meant to inspire hope for humanity’s survival was turned into a fanatical slogan.
However, until the most recent chapter, this was not brought up again so I thought Isayama may have forgotten about it.
Then, in “Sunset”, we saw these fanatics again, cheering on Eren, despite him killing some of their own people by unleashing the Rumbling.
But, instead of everyone present being fully on board, many citizens who had lost loved ones were disgusted by Eren’s actions and argued with those in support of him, almost starting a riot.
There were other signs of division in Chapter 125, like when Keith told the recruits to act like they supported the Yeagerists but to never lose sight of themselves.
All of this points towards a possible way for the story to end that has tragic implications.
My new theory is that, whether or not the Rumbling actually destroys most of the world, the cycle of hatred against the Eldians will end.
However, this does not mean the cycle of hatred ends, it is merely redirected to something else.
Instead of it being Eldians against the rest of the world, by the end of the story it will be those who support what Eren did vs those who don’t.
So, while the Eldians are now free from racial discrimination, ideological discrimination grips the world and threatens to tear it apart once more.
This could be the tragic ending for Attack on Titan.
Eren frees all of his people from persecution, only to inadvertently start a new cycle of hatred and persecution based off people’s opinions and beliefs.
This would create a bittersweet finale that speaks to our current world on a thematic level as cycles of hatred regarding things like race and politics are constantly regurgitated.
And, even if this is not where the obvious ideological differences people in the series are having leads, it will be interesting to see where this plot point goes.