SNK Chapter 87: Border Line (Photo : Youtube)
The 87th chapter of Hajima Isayama's masterpiece Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan finally hits the stands, and as expected, the issue is loaded with new revelations and highly emotional scenes only this manga series can offer.
Recapping Chapter 87: 'Border Line'
-The chapter opens with Grisha regretting everything he had done to his child, Zeke. He blamed himself for not learning from his past mistakes and putting his son in danger by volunteering him as one of the warriors for the Marley government.
Unfortunately, it was too late the moment he realized all of these. The Marley had completely brainwashed Zeke to the point of exposing Grisha and Dina's affiliation with Eldian Revivalists in exchange for his and grandparents' security.
-Grisha had gone through the most inhumane torture one can possibly imagine. Marley soldiers cut almost all of his fingers in hope of getting vital information from Zeke on the whereabouts of the Night Owl - the shadow leader of the Eldian Revivalist.
Marleys consider this Owl dangerous since he managed to infiltrate their government and establish a group of rebels within their territory. They feared that this Owl has the capacity to create bigger things if not caught because of his plan to get the progenitor titan power and get support from the Marley's enemy in the East - probably the East Sea Clan where Mikasa and her mother originated from.
-Kruger arrived in the torture chamber and informed the soldiers that the boat that would transport Eldian traitors to 'Utopia' is ready. Grisha thought he had seen Kruger before, sometime in his past.
"I had seen that face before. While trapped in the steamboat I searched my memories for clues desperately. As if I could escape my cruel fate through any eventual discovery," Grisha Yeager: Page 7, Chapter 87.
-The Marley soldiers and the Eldian traitors arrived in the south portion of Paradis Island. There, a giant wall was erected for the purpose of executing Eldians. Kruger explained to Grisha the execution is done by turning them into mindless Titan who will only know to detect humans, pursue humans and devour humans without any consciousness until death - which Kruger believes impossible.
-Grisha confronts Kruger, telling the Marley soldier that he had remembered him 15 years ago. He added that it's impossible not to remember Kruger's face because on that day his sister Fay was murdered.
-Grisha then heard of a man begging Marley soldiers not to turn him into a titan. It was Grise, the one who recruited him to join the Eldian revival organization. Grise started asking Grisha why Zeke had to surrender them to the Marley. He then blamed Grisha, Dina and the organization for everything that happened to him.
-Grise found himself tumbling down the sand dunes after being kicked off the wall by another Marley soldier. That was none other than Sergeant Klaus, the same soldier that escorted Fay to her death 15 years ago.
Klaus commended Grise's energy and for that he wanted the Eldian to be part of his game. He told Grise to run as fast as he can north, if he's lucky enough he might reach the wall. Klaus then directed his soldiers to inject titan's spinal fluid into the nape of the neck of other Eldians. They kicked them off the wall, and for just a matter of seconds, they all started turning into titans.
-The titans began chasing Grise. Grisha yelled the titanized Eldians to stop, but they have become mindless in their current state. Klaus then order to execute Grisha already, but Kruger asked for more time to interrogate.
Before Grisha even recovered from the horrors of what he just saw, he found out that Dina was up next for execution. Perplexed why Dina would be executed, Grisha told the Marley soldiers that he had already said everything to them. He even claimed that Dina would be important to them since she's of Royal Blood.
Kruger immediately took down Grisha and told him to shut up. Klaus, who never heard what Grisha said, ordered to inject Dina. Before Klaus kicked her off, Dina was able to deliver her last message to her husband "No matter what happens to me, I will come find you."
-Dina began turning into titan. The last of the Fritz in the Eldian territory fell victim to Marley cruelty. In a blink of an eye, Dina turned into the infamous Smiling Titan!
-Eren woke up from his sleep. He found himself behind bars again, but he didn't know why. Armin then told him that he' and Mikasa are serving time in jail for violating military policies.
Tears started running down Eren's eyes profusely. He felt he had a long, long dream before realizing that wasn't a dream at all. It's his father's memories. His and Grisha's memories are now connected, all thanks to what he read in the journals. Finally, Eren realized the Titan who ate his mother was none other than Dina Fritz, his father's ex-wife.
-Grisha couldn't believe what had just happened to his brothers and dearest wife. He confronted Klaus that he was the one who fed his sisters to the dogs 15 years ago. Klaus ordered his men to return to the boat because he's going to play another game.
Klaus also remembered who Grisha was, and for that, he decided not to turn him into titan. Instead, he wanted Grisha to struggle while being eaten by a titan. Klaus injected serum to another Eldian, turning him into a 3mm titan.
Klaus admitted that he was the one who fed Fay to his sons' dogs because he wants them to be educated of the cruelty of the world. Klaus explained the titan was the true form of the Eldians after all, and for that reason alone, their race must be wiped out from the face of the world.
"Once you absorb a Titan's spinal fluid into your bodies, you will turn into giant monsters. You want to argue that you're the same kind of human as us? Other than you "Descendants of Ymir" from the Eldian Empire, no one else is like this.
To allow so many of you monsters covered in human skin to grow in number is a nightmare in itself. Though things are peaceful now, even when we assume we have been freed from Eldian rule, there are sly rats like you who continue to surface. Do you understand? To completely eradicate Eldians from this world is the wish of humanity," Klaus: Page 35, Chapter 87 SNK.
-Grisha rebutted Klaus' claim, telling him that Marleys twisted Eldian's glorious history. Klaus then tried to push Grisha over the wall, then all of a sudden, a hand pushed the Marley Sergeant instead. That person was Kruger.
The 3MM titan he just made began to devour Klaus. At that moment, Grisha finally realized who Kruger was. Kruger slashed his hands and then said this "Remember this well, Grisha. This is how you use a Titan's power."
-Kruger turned into the Rogue Titan and then broke the Marley ship in half while Grisha looking on. The chapter ends with this closing message ANGER, SADNESS, AND HATRED GUSH OUT ALL AT ONCE.
Review of 'Border Line'
Isayama once again proved he's the master story-teller that he is. He beautifully connects the important events in the past to Eren's current ordeal. He managed to answer the key questions in the series without giving away the whole plot. Other than shocking his readers with ghastly torture scenes and Grisha's sex organ, Isayama is able to set things up for a much bigger events in the succeeding chapters. Grade: A+
Shingeki no Kyojin chapter 87 is now available on Kodansha Comics via Amazon.Translation of the chapter 87 c/o of Fukushuu
