The previously pinned post here :)

Og index of translations etc (up to Aug 2020) (browser only) here.

Links to notable translations etc below the cut.

And for the sillies, I'm going to present... this XDD

I was thinking about the concept of the equality of relationships, and I know that there are many people who like the appeal of levihan because they are equal partners. But it's also interesting to think about the fact that it is also because they do literally start out on an equal footing, that they are of equal rank or status, which doesn't really change when Hange takes on the Commander role (but actually it does, because Levi does stop referring to them as "shitty glasses" but by name, which is also another interesting point as I think it is as much to project that they and their rank should be respected as it is that he respects it himself), and so while it is touted as a feature, I want to play devil's advocate here and point out that that equality came built-in as well.

But as you may suspect XD, this is all a very elaborate lead up to the real question that I have in mind:

Can two people of apparently unequal power dynamics have an equal partnership?

Because I very much see Erwin and Levi's relationship as that of being partners too. However, I also think that it's the very literal fact of their being of unequal status, that Erwin was always a level or more up rank or status-wise over Levi, that's also the immediate discriminating factor in the consideration of their relationship as such.

However, Isayama also says that "About Erwin and Levi, (I) have always been thinking that (I) want to draw/depict (them) as an equal relationship (on an equal footing)." [x]

And so, the question is: how does one do that in a relationship that's already inherently unequal? And in the most simplistic terms, the power level of the higher one needs to go down, and the power level of the lower one needs to go up. And so, I think that the question to ask here is: Does Isayama show that? Does it happen?

Does Erwin hold that power over Levi? Does he cede his power over to Levi?

And the funniest thing to me is that, even in circles that dispute the relationship between Levi and Erwin, in pointing out that Levi had to tell him to buckle up and do the right thing, they seem to miss out on the fact that Levi is in a position to be able to tell Erwin what to do in the first place.

In a way, even from their first real challenge to each other in the main series, Levi is also in his own way like Eren: Erwin can command him to change his blades and gas canisters, but he can't make him do so. In the end Levi does it with a "okay I'm gonna do it, but it's because I decided to trust in your judgement". Cheeky bastard XDD

But yes, especially with the return to Shinganshina arc, I do actually see that ceding of power to Levi. The most obvious one being in asking him if he would take the syringe, but again, perhaps that is more for the fact of the notion that with great power comes great responsibility, and Erwin didn't want Levi to go into it blindly, to make a preset choice, but to understand the full powers that came with the choice he'd been given, should he accept. But in either case, what I've always thought was more interesting with the situation was that in doing that while the higher-ups were present, it really showed them that Erwin was very much giving that executive power over to Levi and that his decision was going to be the final word on it. Not Erwin's.

Again and again, I feel like while people are tripping over pointing out Erwin's flaws in his confrontations with Levi, they miss out on the power dynamics that is happening: Levi isn't deferring to him as a subordinate, and Erwin doesn't hold that power over Levi. Erwin could possibly have pulled rank on Levi in his office. He doesn't. He states his intentions, that he has to be there, but he doesn't override Levi's say in the matter ("regardless of what you think about it"). It's actually Levi who allows him to go with ill grace XDD, keeping a watchful eye on him all the way. (Although to be fair, it's curious to think about how things would have actually turned out if Levi still said no XD) But nevertheless, I think that there is a balance of forces here that isn't the most obvious, a push and pull that couldn't happen if there wasn't a semblance of equality in the forces, like a tug of war that would have toppled one way or other immediately.

Thinking about this with regard to the crate scene though, to skip all the many words I've written about this, in this case I actually had thoughts more about the tarot merchandise that had Erwin as the Hierophant (although I personally thought that as a reading, the reverse Hierophant would ba a more accurate representation) and Levi as Judgement (upright), because I think that often the part that gets missed out on is that Erwin was indeed putting himself up on a platter here to be judged by Levi. Not to mention that "give up on your dreams and die" was Levi speak for deciding that he'd(they'd?) go with Erwin's plan. (Yes, there were two plans, the escape plan that Levi proposed first, and then the gamble of a plan that Erwin is proposing, again something that seems to pass notice.) But definitely one side putting themselves down, and by default in this case the other side rises up in the balance of power.

And in the end, Levi holds the power of life and death over Erwin, or to be more precise, the power to reverse death. And again, I think that it is interesting to consider that it is power that Erwin had ceded to him in the first place, that he truly will have to make the choice, unhindered by any preconceptions as to what he should do.

It is a fascinating and unobserved full circle I think, that the power that is- I feel not so much like it was given over but like it had always been there in the first place, that Erwin had always given him a freer rein really but it's Levi who chooses to operate under his command, but in this situation it is explicitly stated, turns out to be the power that gets used to make the choice for him. And somehow I don't feel like Erwin would have had it any other way either.

I feel like trying to make a doll is like one of the funnier versions of "draw this in your own style" that one could come up with...

Saw a screenshot of a definition of queerbaiting and it got me thinking about the insanity sometimes that is two different groups looking at the same thing and coming to quite opposite conclusions:

Author didn't go far enough ⇒ queerbaiting

Author went too far ⇒ a rush to deny that there's any evidence of a deeper relationship

So where does the truth actually lie?

Do I keep putting up (hidden) process pics or has everybody had enough?