it being fascist art doesn't mean you're wrong to enjoy it. that said, it's anti-semitic because the Jews (Marleyans) literally control the world and the volk are relegated to second-class citizenship, while the heirs of the Nazis are contained in what amounts to an open air prison. it reifies a major antisemitic conspiracy theory.
in the origin story, the Marleyans were genocided by the Eldians. the Marleyans now control the world - literally - and it's the Eldians who are relegated (unjustly) to ghettos.
I'm not saying the Marleyans are justified, I'm saying the way the story reads, the Marleyan threat was contained long ago and their failure to finish the job has led to the present state of the world. whether or not it's actually true is kind of secondary - it's the only version of events we're presented.
like with any allegory, it's possible to read it many ways. but this is why people think it's antisemitic. I had to stop watching the anime cause the fashy themes (power of the will triumphing over all, etc.) made it fairly unwatchable for me. but you're allowed to read the story differently.
because by the only account we're given, they were once relegated to that status, but now control the world. it's as if the anti-semitic conspiracy theory were brought to life. consider it like this -- if you wanted to tell a story about what a danger to the world the Jews are, how different would the story you come up with be from the one we got?
(also, tangent, but Eren gets the eyes of god with perfect foreknowledge of the future and the best plan he come up with is a genocidal purge?? it reads like a fascist power fantasy to me)
fascists have to make their enemy out to be simultaneously all-powerful and also wicked and weak, easily stomped by the strongman who seizes power and aims to wipe them out. knowing that it's a fascist power fantasy is what prompts me to read it the way a fascist would.
But that account is also shown to be a line of propaganda which is fed to us by the marleyans government.
circling back to this for a second - this is pretty much verbatim what holocaust / japenese war crimes denialists will say in the present about historical atrocities.
I understand that, and I dont disagree with that read, I am just explaining how I cannot see that the marleyans and not the eldians are supposed to be Jewish.
how you read it is up to you, just presenting the view you were asking about.
The Marleans didn't control the world but were one of the world powers. They had a military advantage with the Titans but that was going away with the invention of better weapons and machinery. Which is why they attacked Paradis Island in the beginning of the series to get the Founding Titan
it being fascist art doesn't mean you're wrong to enjoy it. that said, it's anti-semitic because the Jews (Marleyans) literally control the world and the volk are relegated to second-class citizenship, while the heirs of the Nazis are contained in what amounts to an open air prison. it reifies a major antisemitic conspiracy theory.
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in the origin story, the Marleyans were genocided by the Eldians. the Marleyans now control the world - literally - and it's the Eldians who are relegated (unjustly) to ghettos.
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I'm not saying the Marleyans are justified, I'm saying the way the story reads, the Marleyan threat was contained long ago and their failure to finish the job has led to the present state of the world. whether or not it's actually true is kind of secondary - it's the only version of events we're presented.
like with any allegory, it's possible to read it many ways. but this is why people think it's antisemitic. I had to stop watching the anime cause the fashy themes (power of the will triumphing over all, etc.) made it fairly unwatchable for me. but you're allowed to read the story differently.
That's not how I read it since the story begins with the Marleans attacking, and that sets the entire series in motion.
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because by the only account we're given, they were once relegated to that status, but now control the world. it's as if the anti-semitic conspiracy theory were brought to life. consider it like this -- if you wanted to tell a story about what a danger to the world the Jews are, how different would the story you come up with be from the one we got?
(also, tangent, but Eren gets the eyes of god with perfect foreknowledge of the future and the best plan he come up with is a genocidal purge?? it reads like a fascist power fantasy to me)
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fascists have to make their enemy out to be simultaneously all-powerful and also wicked and weak, easily stomped by the strongman who seizes power and aims to wipe them out. knowing that it's a fascist power fantasy is what prompts me to read it the way a fascist would.
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yeah exactly
circling back to this for a second - this is pretty much verbatim what holocaust / japenese war crimes denialists will say in the present about historical atrocities.
how you read it is up to you, just presenting the view you were asking about.
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The Marleans didn't control the world but were one of the world powers. They had a military advantage with the Titans but that was going away with the invention of better weapons and machinery. Which is why they attacked Paradis Island in the beginning of the series to get the Founding Titan