#eremin analysis

hmm. I made a post about this some time ago, but it does bother me when only one of the character's mental struggles is addressed and the other exists primarily as support. and I don't mean in a short fic where Armin is helping Eren through his depression or something like that. I mean when Armin's entire characterization is being a meek, anxious mess and Eren is his overbearing protector alpha type. or when only Eren's angst and poor coping habits are featured and Armin exists as his emotional support and little else.

actually, I think a big part of their divide in season 4 is Eren realizing he can't look to Armin as a beacon to fix everything anymore because the world isn't as they imagined it. Eren felt a severe loss of hope, and perhaps even a sense of betrayal upon that revelation. In contrast, Armin's admission in the finale that he's felt the same way as Eren does is what brings them back together for their final farewell.

a key aspect of Armin and Eren's relationship is how reciprocal it is. Armin and Eren are mentally ill in similar ways: frustration at their lack of usefulness resulting in a willingness to sacrifice themselves. Armin's ability to push back and truly empathize with Eren's struggles, instead of being a mere sponge for Eren's pain, is half of what makes their dynamic so special. the other half is Eren's ability to draw Armin out from his anxious spirals by seeing and putting his faith in Armin's strengths; not by babying him.

Eren always saw Armin as this radiant figure, as everything he was not. Patient, intelligent, hopeful, brave. So much so that Eren almost put Armin on a pedestal, oblivious to his flaws. Or at least, not considering those flaws to be as consequential as other characters did. Unable to conceive of Armin as someone who could feel the same way as him. How could someone so brilliant, be like someone so filthy, so willingly stained in the blood of his own massacre? How could he understand? But of course, Armin does:

and even then, Eren can't believe it

Armin presses on, admitting he's just as stained as Eren, breaking down that glowing image and reconnecting them as equals. They're in this together, and they'll suffer for it, together forever in hell.

Then even with that admission, Eren looks at Armin with the same wonder and adoration. The last shot is of Armin's iris fading into the clouds above. Eren is still transfixed by the same eyes he caught a glimpse of freedom in so long ago, giving way to the open sky he longed to reach. Total freedom. Boundless existence. No walls but the cage in his mind.

Though they take a different path, manga Armin and Eren reach the same point. They understand each other fully, and Eren still has complete faith in Armin. In both endings, Eren still views Armin in that golden light, which was only reinforced by the empathy and resilience he offered Eren in his final moments.

I've definitely seen people post about this before, but it's still so wild to me that Eren and Armin are paired with these lyrics in the official SiM music video for Under the Tree - which is primarily a Mikasa song

and then it expands to show the rest of the Alliance, who also wish to shoulder Eren's sins, and then shifts to Mikasa and Eren under the tree. So it is striking to me how Eren and Armin's relationship is highlighted with these lyrics, rather than Eren and Mikasa's.

While "let me shoulder you sins together" is Mikasa's line, it's Armin alone whom Eren allows to share his sins - through no fault of Mikasa's, of course. Eren wanted to spare Mikasa, and likely intended to largely spare Armin as well; giving Armin just enough information to see him off with a peaceful mind. But Armin pushed Eren to reveal his true feelings, as only Armin can. Eren and Mikasa certainly love each other, but they're not particularly emotionally in tune lol. They're too scared to push each other like that and be honest

Armin takes responsibility for putting the idea of a free, unoccupied world in Eren's head, for unintentionally inspiring the Rumbling. He too chooses to spare Mikasa further pain by stepping forward and claiming he killed Eren, taking control of negotiations. He shoulders the responsibility for destroying the world through his determination to fix it. For it is his sin too

And I will read into this with my own interpretation a bit: the lines "People may not call it love / And we won't be blessed", while intended to refer to Eren and Mikasa's relationship, remind me strongly of common homophobic sentiments when applied to Eren and Armin's relationship; an additional layer to the canonical horror intrinsic to both relationships.

also the chorus: "Why, oh, why? Why, oh, why? / Don't you wanna stay with me? / Why, oh, why? Why, oh, why? / Are you giving up on me?" makes me sob for all three of them :'( Armin and Mikasa wanted so badly to stay by Eren's side :(

It goes both ways. They have such understanding of each other, such kindness and respect they reserve only for each other (& Mikasa of course).

Armin and Mikasa want Eren to stay, but they don't want him to run further because of their pursuit

He pushes them back when they try to push against him, there's no stopping it, they know it's inevitable, and yet it's still agonizing when it happens

It's the pattern, it's his nature he refuses to contest, it's what they hoped he would

Yeah Eren, you're not special, you're not the only mentally ill person alive 🙄

Eren when the person who inspired him to take such a horrifying action has also felt the same way: 😱