Characters like Jean are examples of what sets AOT apart from other anime series. They could have just made him the stagnate bully character ala Bakugo from MHA, but instead he visibly matures from a whiny bully to a mature and reliable adult.
I will never get over connie’s and sasha’s attack poses when Jean threatens to throw a punch . It’s excellently timed comedy and also informs you that Connie was always carrying a fucking knife that he never mentions or uses outside of this scene. Also in retrospective and knowing the kind of relation they will form in the future, the automatic reaction of standing up for each other is adorable and very in character of them
Man, this hits different. I'm pretty sure that almost every person growing up has to cross the same threshold that Jean does at some point soon or late, which likely contributes to the reasons why of all the scouts he feels like the most grounded functional human being, bar probably Armin. To be fair though, as sheltered as it made him, I feel like it should also be noted that Jean's life with his mother helped build a lot of what he later became. Sure an overabundance of motherly affection makes one prone to regression and an overreliance on comfort, but in a cruel and messed up world both represented in the show and in the real life we face, you need the reminders that there are always things worth living for. His mother may hold him back in some regard, but as the OVA showed of him happily enjoying a simple meal made by her, she is also the most important part of his life. Jean is one of the few people in AoT who has a normal, non messed up childhood and a family that remained really mundane. Even Connie and Sasha, his closest friends, have some issues that later reared their heads in their life, like Connie's mother's sudden weight gain or Sasha's childhood in the woods; All of them have at some point lost their place to return to, and that put some scars on them that never really healed. Jean may be just as directionless as them when he starts his journey, but he already has a home. And it really shows, contrary to Eren or even Armin, Jean's ambitions are also normal, almost insignificant even, but they never really changed as the series progress, Jean still yearns for comfort just like Eren yearns for his freedom. It doesn't blind him to the responsibilities that he has to take on as the years go by and the world becomes bigger, but rather it opens his eyes to the things that he needs to be done, the people that he needs to protect if he wants to live with himself. His goals for comfort don't make him a coward, not exactly, it's his unwillingness to challenge the things that could be threatening him that make him the coward we see at the start of season one. Instead of dealing with the Titans still outside the wall, he wants to retreat deeper away from them, even though, hypothetically, if the Titan threat is dealt with he could live just as comfortably anywhere. Even Eren mentioned this I think, saying something like "What will you do once the Titans breach all the walls?" And like you analyzed, this was his Hero's Journey, Marco's death was the awakening, he realized that if he doesn't stand up and fight, the friends and family he cares about will die horribly, and he can't have a comfortable life with the people he cares about like that. Jean doesn't fight because of compulsion or undying drive that he sees abundantly in Eren, he fights because he wants to see the _end_ to the fighting. *The Return* is just an important part of the Hero's Journey as the *Separation* and the *Initiation,* a hero without a place to rest, to sit down and enjoy the tender things in life is a hero that has not completed the necessary journey. A hero stuck forever at *Separation* is a person lost without direction, and a hero stuck forever at *Initiation* is a person forever in hardship. At the end of his journey, the Hero needs to return home, where else could he go? I don't think his worldview is just purely a negative representation of Armin, more of a parallel with a different starting point. Jean seeks to treasure the things he has while Armin wants to seek wonderful things that he has never seen before, nothing is preventing the two of them from basking in the here and now, and neither of those desires hampers their duty to stand up for it. If Armin wants to see the world, he has to start fighting, if Jean wants to treasure the comfort he has, he has to start fighting, it's all the same. The nature of your desire doesn't necessarily dictate who you are and who you need to be as a human, it's also important what you do in response to that desire. Jean became a fearless decisive leader so that his friends can return home with him and the family he has behind the walls can be safe, not for honor, but for them and him. And I think that's really important to keep in mind that one person doesn't need to actively want to become the Hero to be one because that's Jean. Throughout the entire series, from beginning to end he doesn't want to become a hero, he doesn't need to be, he just *is.* Within him is still a person who wants to have a nice life with the girl of his dreams, but around his being is a tough shield and sharp sword forged by the sense of duty and maturity necessary to protect and realize those simple ambitions. The scene with Flosch is a good perspective of this, sure he can have a comfortable life if he just gives up, but that won't be the comfortable life _he wants,_ abandoning his friends, billions of people, and his conscience is in no way comfortable for him. His goal of comfort hasn't disappeared, but just like him, it matured enough to guide him to do what is right and necessary. (It's a neat bonus that his mother inside the walls is in no danger so no dilemma there, luck on his side.) He doesn't kill the coward, he kills the part of him that cowers. He's not just Based, he's Gigachad. Note that this is not me disagreeing with ya observations, because they're right honestly, just felt that I can add my two cents lol. Hope you have a great evening day or noon wherever you are, really appreciate your work champ.
Hey man. EXTREMELY astute takeaway from this, I really appreciate the insight. You’re ENTIRELY correct - As a matter of fact, there’s probably enough of the coming-of-age material you’ve referenced I left out that could be turned into a second part. The reason I didn’t focus on any of the (extremely profound) wisdom you’ve presented here is because I think, somewhere in my head, I wanted this video to be about that *Separation.* A boy initiating himself into adulthood who is already pondering the Return is still chained to his childhood. I think Separation and Return have to be isolated from one another to be effectively understood, at least initially. If I jumped from Separation to the Return, mending that wound later in life and using that healing process as a bounceboard towards further wisdom, then I worried the separation sentiments would be lost - They’re two HUGE concepts, and tackling them side by side can’t do much good until they’ve been studied independently. And I had to assume the majority of people watching this video haven’t been introduced to either principle yet. However, you’re extremely right, and maybe I’ll be covering all of this in a future video. 😉 Thanks so much for the comment, again, it was a pleasure to read.
@@Reddrik Well, I have to dispense whatever bit of wit I have in my dummy head somewhere before the cobwebs start building up :P Seriously though, while I'm actually a _bit_ far from what people would call a wise person, a bit of a big stupid idiot really, I'm fine with that though as long as someone finds my knowledge is useful lol. Genuinely glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the really thoughtful exchange btw. Now that I see it I can certainly say that it's a good angle to go at it. The Hero's Journey is a timeless concept precisely because it is a cycle of renewal that mirrors the most fundamental aspect of life, Contentment, Curiosity, Challenge. The three aspects of the journey are distinct, but they all ties together, I can see how glossing it over in one sitting may make it seem like a linear thing which it can't be further from. Big props to your articulate approach and dedication, my guy, call it a hunch but those qualities gonna take you places. -You are also now obligated to title the (Hypothetical) sequel how Jean is actually -*-The-*- Horse so it comes full circle lmao.-
Honestly I love jean as a character due to how real his story feels. I was like Jean, pampered beyond belief by my mom, but then facing the world and making the right decisions to redeem himself from his cowardice is so heartfelt to see. But what really makes him amazing is his regression, and I love how instead of making battles like these one off things like most animes, aot actually shows that things like these are a reoccurring thing you have to face. Love your videos btw! Keep making them, they are amazing 💙
I lived in my mother's house. And did everything she ever wanted until I was 21. Me and Jean were the same dude only I was worse. When I left I really didn't know what I was doing only that I couldn't go on as a guy who would spend his life in his family's basement. Now at 23 I've found work, a direction in life and I really needed to be reminded that regression is easy. I need to stand firm. I don't want to go back to that man. I might not fight titans and save the world but I'm much prouder of the man I am today.
It’s funny you mention finding work - Jung said that the ONLY modern initiation, the only watch to move past boyhood in the West, is through dedicating yourself to hard, honest work. It doesn’t matter what the work is, granted you give yourself to it fully. I think you’re a living testament to that. I’m really glad you’ve been figuring your stuff out.
@@Reddrik I want to reiterate that I'm not proud of the man I am because of the work I do. I'm proud because where I'm from work can be hard to find. And life would be so much easier. My life would be infinitely easier to live off of my parents wealth and success... But I need something for my self. And the work that I am doing while it is a really well paying job I'm not where I want to be. I can be payed more and I could love what I do more. I am not committed to this job. I hate it almost as much as living off my parents (I just get to keep my pride this way). I have to keep moving forward. I know their is a better me further down the road. Getting a job has not completed me, and it isn't the end all be all of being a man to me. I think to truly be a man I need to carve my own path and future. I should be able to look at something and say 'I want that thing' and then to have it. I dont think me and Jean end in the exact same place. He's an anime character who fights titans. I'm a man with an electricity bill and only so many years to make something of my self.
Honestly, you asked feedback whether criticism or praise but I have nothing to say except you've got an amazing format and video style going for you and I'm super excited for the future, all 3 of your videos are extremely well made from the writing, editing to the presentation. Kinda unrelated but I'd love to see a video on Reiner as well
Indeed. Jean's character arc peaks when he decides to reject the Yeagerists ( = comfortable, easy, cushy life, full of wealth and power) and instead join the Alliance, risking his very own life and future because it was the right thing to do. What I find so interesting about it is that Eren-of all people-was the one who inspired him to care about greater things outside of the self. We first see this in his decision to join the Scouts instead of the MP, and then again when he's forced to choose between the Yeagerists and the Alliance. He's definitely my favorite character in the show because he's kind of average. He's a good soldier, but he's not as good as the Ackerman or the Warriors. He's smart, but he's not Armin, Erwin or Zeke. But at the end of the day, he grows up to be a man who's willing to risk it all for what is right, rather than what is easy-and that's the lesson behind his character. Do hard things, y'all.
His humanity makes him a perfect mirror for us, the audience. Almost a surrogate. And no different than his call to adventure, we all face the same call to adventure every day. Very well said!
Wow ..this is really the reason why at the end Jean became the most visible characha to me ...I was like what's happened his growth seemed the most spectacular to me
“Art for art's sake is an empty phrase. Art for the sake of truth, art for the sake of the good and the beautiful, that is the faith I am searching for.” - George Sand
Jean is by far one or my favorite characters in the entire show. The scene where he is talking to Hange about the burden of leadership and seeing the fallen soldiers and when Jean sees Marco and says I’m a Scout, fantastic.
One of the thing that I catch when watching him with his mom, though he seemingly despise her, he always refers to her as 'Ka-chan/Oka-chan' (Mommy), a term of endearment usually used by kids or toddler instead of 'Ka-san/Oka-san' (Mom). Just like you said, I think he still has a soft spot for his mom but need to deny it for the sake of his dignity as a man.
Bingo! Whereas everyone else has kinda pushed their way into, or at least started to push their way into, adulthood, Jean still refers to her with a bit more infantile language. Really good catch!
Similarly, Zeke also uses the "-chan" suffix to refer to his grandparents. It further shows how Zeke is a neglected child who just wants parental connection.
Great video! Jean was my favorite character since the Trost arc, for the exact reason that he is an Everyman. He’s just a guy who wants to live the best life possible, but he does the selfless thing anyway. It’s very inspiring. One aspect of him that I don’t see talked about often is his empathy and diplomacy. He was the only member of the scouts in season 3 who couldn’t bear killing another person, and in season 4, he’s the most level-headed and unbiased, even trying to understand Eren’s POV. I love those character so much, great analysis!
It’s like Marco said in the first season, he’s a great leader because he’s scared - He has empathy for others. Turning that cowardice into strength while maintaining his empathy was the key. He’s a really well written character.
Well done. You’re research is top notch and you’re constantly changing my perspective on not only the show, but the characters themselves. Masterfully done!
Jean became my favorite when he decided to rally every one back to the fort in season 1. I often joke that when Erwin died Armin inherited the rest of Erwin’s intellect (boosting his already high intelligence). While Jean, inherited the rest of Erwin’s leadership. You could argue that Floch is the counter part to Jean and Armin, because that man has both assets.
This perspective is extra interesting when you think about how Isayama had planned Jean and Armin as one character at first and then decided to divide them into two!
This sounds good on paper but doesn't hold any candle to anything that happened in the story. Jean has never been shown as a true leader in the story. He has a few moments commanding small tactical units but that is it. He never has the initiative to do things, doesn't plan battles or strategies or steps up when none else can. I know it sounds cool but Armin has both demonstrated by this point far more to be commander material than Jean, without even taking into account what happens later. It just isn't true to say Jean is the leader of the two, because the strory doesn't show that at all
Jean's character feels so real to me. Like him, I was pampered by my mom, but then had to face the world and make the right choices to overcome my cowardice. His growth in thinking is what makes him amazing. Love your videos! Keep up the amazing work!
IMPORTANT: Phew, glad I could get another video out before another year passed lol. It still did take longer than I would’ve liked per Covid absolutely thrashing my throat, but it’s here. I would love to hear any and all feedback, positive and negative. TATAKAE. Edit: So, uh, this sucks. TH-cam doesn’t like when I respond to all my comments. I got my entire channel banned because I took the time to thoughtfully respond to literally every comment people took the time to leave. I now have to be choosy with who I respond to, which is stupid. However, know that if you leave a comment, I WILL read it, and it will mean a lot to me, I’ll let you know of this by “hearting” the comment. TH-cam says I can do that, at least. 🙄 If you’re ever looking to hold a dialogue about the content in my videos, feel free to reach out to me on the Instagram linked on my channel, or my business email. Both are available in my About section. If you take the time to write me, I’ll absolutely respond there. Thanks, guys. Sorry about this. Tatakae anyway.
It's amazing to see how much work goes into the videos and how well that all comes together. You've really got something going for you and I can't wait for future content and how you amaze us again.
Your style of presentation is quickly becoming one of my favourites, especially the evidence and proof in forms of quotes and scenes you provide. I feel like I'm in one of my college classes but actually having FUN. Anyways good job, hope you continue.
thank you, I cant thank you enough for opening my eyes to the way ive been living... my mom is super protective, ive never been into a friend house before, and never alone in the city before, she didnt even let me go out in the street to buy something... that is a pain in the @ss, i always feel jealous about other people working, doing everything alone, being indepedent, while i cant even take a step further... thank God my dad is helping me through this, he told me, you will need to grow up, i will pay you a course but it will be in a other city, you will need to go alone and take the bus. I totally agreed and it will be starting soon, my mom is already in panick, he litellary scared of letting me go, but i have to. I have to become a Man and Responsible for myself.
Your father is an incredibly noble and righteous man. You’re very lucky, I’d say! I’m sorry to hear about your mother - A mother’s love can become dangerous, as you now know. But it sounds like your father knows what you need, and it sounds like he’s willing to provide it. Really insightful comparison between this video and your own life, it’s so easy for people to write this off as academics and something entirely unrelated to them. Godspeed, friend. Enjoy your coming-of-age process - It’ll be terrifying and beautiful all at once.
Another impressive video Reddrik. I don't buy into Freudian psychology very much, but you made a lot of interesting and valid points. Jean is my second favorite AOT character after Reiner and you summed it up perfectly. His maturation is an underappreciated thing of beauty. A coward dies a thousand times, but our boy overcame his nature, stepped up and did what he needed to do. Like a hero. And RIP Marco. Sorry to hear you can't reach out to everyone anymore, but your investment is appreciated and your passion is evident. Tatake
I’m gonna risk the response on this one because it was so genuine. Thank you so much! Yeah, Freud was out of his mind, truthfully, especially a lot his later ideas. But, there’s no denying he laid the foundations for some very important stuff. I subscribe less to his model of the mother complex, and a lot more to the analytical psychology perspective on it. A lot less to do with incest, a lot more to do with internalized images of the mother/womanhood that control your life later on. Marco is the man. Literally. RIP. Thank you so much for the feedback, I really do appreciate it. Tatakae my man.
@@Reddrik Thank you for the reply! I'm perpetually impressed by your breadth of knowledge on these topics. It's truly refreshing. I agree, Freud made important contributions and there is truth a good bit of his ideas despite the areas that I disagree with them. Marco was a great man, and also the butterfly that changed the world. Wishing you great success, and selfishly hoping for a Reiner video at some point
Freud was right about many things and his psychoanalysis is very useful to understand the root cause of your mental problems. When ever people hear someone mention Freud they think about the Oedipus Complex which is less than a quarter of psychosexual development. Freud set the ground work to allow us understand things that cannot be explained through expermental science such as how "sexual deviations" and "mental illnesses" form. But people these days don't want to accept that the problems they have could have been prevented and would rather just say they were born that way reducing it down to genetics. While certain "mental illnesses" like AD(H)D, Autism, and down syndrown are indeed genetic, and genetics increase the chances of getting a neurotic or psychotic disorder; the former are brain structure abnormalities, and the latter is something no one is born with. Even something like schizophrenia is developed. Just because 20 percent of schizophrenics have genetic links through relatives doesn't mean is gentic. In reality its something that anyone can develop under the right mental pressure to alter your neurotransmitters. But then again, people feel safer calling it genetic because people that don't have it feel safer thinking that they can't develop it, and people that have it feel comfortable believing that they were born with it. Which feeds big farma with tons of money by drugging you excessively with medication, and thus keeping you dependant on them. So if you try to go cold turkey on them you will exhibit the symptoms of your mental illness to a greater degree. It's sad many people will never learn or accept that there are other methods of dealing with and potentially curing them from their mental problems.
@@thevigilant6884 Agreed a million percent. Thank GOD he was a “nut,” thank GOD his mind existed so far outside of the cultural paradigm! We wouldn’t have the understanding of the mind we currently have without it! Almost everything we know of psychology today has been filtered through him. Anyone who writes off Freud as JUST a nut is neglecting the very sturdy base of the entirety of psychology and ESPECIALLY psychoanalysis we know. Our contemporary bureaucracies have twisted our perception of the mind so far, we have no where to turn except for the forefathers of the mind, Freud being one of the biggest. EVERYTHING is “genetic,” of course to which degree it varies, but “chemical imbalance” is a very convenient and institutionally enforced, dogmatic way of saying, “I cannot face my own darkness.” If it is by the hand of chemical, we have no responsibility, yes? It’s the same perverted thinking in line with “If it’s not my fault I contracted cancer, then I shouldn’t have to deal with it.” Your comment was a pleasure to read.
I didn’t see why people liked Jean and didn’t really care for his character until this video- and then I started seeing parallels… my life almost directly lines up with Jean’s and I’m at a huge turning point in my life when I really needed to hear ‘don’t listen to dad and stay in the safe zone- go out there and get it, damnit’. And here’s the weird part- the nickname I’ve had since freshman year of high-school is- you guessed it! Jean.
@@aikotitilai3820 Mother complexes are not exclusively a male issue! The only reason it may have accidentally seemed as such is because Jean is a male, and he was the focus of this video. However, unstable relationships with the mother can follow anyone no matter their sex. Definitely worth doing some research into the subject. :)
"Well... If we're using the story as metaphor... Is living in the walls safe forever ? It's not. If you lock yourself inside our own world shielded from the real world, someday some harsh reality will come in from outside." 10:40
I love it!!! Jean is my favorite character so far, and you explained him in a marvelous way. I think one of the most interesting things about him is his attitude of denial towards his own being, and his feeling of guilt. His actions are not implied as pure and born, but cost him in each decision
So glad I stumbled upon this video! It’s a breath of fresh air to see someone talk about the other characters in AOT besides the main ones and this was amazing, great work!!
First I thought it will be a parody video(sorry,I don't knew your content before),but I'm wrong and I'm happy for this! I love Jean's characters and your video so well explained and based,so big thanks to you!🙂💖
This video is so well put! Jean has been my favorite character since 2013 but I never really understood why. This really clears up so much on why I love Jean's character. He's not an Ackerman or a titan shifter but a regular boy who grew up to be a man or in other words a soldier. His development in S4 in amazing and I hope his conclusion is just as great.👏💕
I got introduced to your AoT freedom video and this Jean video by two different AoT fan accounts on Twitter this past week. I have no choice but to sub, it was fated to be :) Keep up the good work!
What a fantastic video. After watching this, and its gonna sound really lame but,... I am Jean. I was raised by my overtly religious mother, my dad was never around cause of work. And for years I wanted someone to kick my ass and show me how to be brave and have confidence. And even now I am 28 and in the US Army and struggled with alcoholism for years. I had a regression just last week where I got drunk off my butt because of life's stress after a year of sobriety, craving that space in my head of "I don't care, I'm comfortable, In this moment I'm happy." But after my mind cleared and I realized how little that means compared to the soberness and focus on my personal growth, instead of being stuck inside my own complacent shell. I am now trying to take up my own sword. And move forward. Thanks for this video.
“Either undergo the agony of life, or the agony of cowardice and then the agony of life too.” Alcoholism is no joke, brother. I’m glad you’re moving past it. It’s a daily battle. But “life takes the shape of a single day.” If you can fight the urge tomorrow, you’ll win the war. Tatakae, bro.
I've watched a LOT of video essay analyses and this was genuinely top tier. The editing was some of the best I've seen and kept the video super entertaining and jokes were great, every claim you made was extremely solid and believeable as you always backed it up with evidence. Great job fr
Another great video! Your explanation about the 'eternal boy' was really eye opening. While watching AoT, I could see that Eren and Jean were supposed to mirror each other and your video explains in depth why that works so well. I didn't even think that far that the entirety of the conflict is tied into this theme of 'being too sheltered for you own good' all the way back with Fritz . This show has so many well realized themes it keeps giving food for thought. Keep up the good work. I really enjoyed the video and am looking forward to the next one! :) I hope you're feeling better and congrats on 2000 subs!
Thank you so much! I was really looking forward to your comment! :) “Shelter” is such an important symbol in AoT, it’s the backbone to basically everything. It shows up in the walls of Paradis, and it shows up in the regression offered by wine and daydreaming. I really appreciate the feedback. :) Hope I did Jean justice.
@@Reddrik You're right and your video made me appreciate that theme a lot more than before! Oh now that you mention the wine really is a powerful symbol for this theme with what happens in the final season to those who drank it. And yes, I really liked your take on Jean! It was different from what I expected and I mean that as a compliment^^
This video is a masterpiece. Extremely interesting and teaching about jean as a character but also a part of life or more a part of character, we desire, to be a hero. And when you mentioned my guy Erich Fromm, uff you’re the real deal🔥🔥🔥
Broo thank you so much for this video. Jean is one of my fav characters ever and you explained pretty damn well! That "I'm forever a scout" line 😩 pls keep up the good work 👌
The thing that drew me to Jean as my favorite character and made him my favorite was the early episodes. His utter fear in the face of danger and wanting to avoid it was a reality check I really liked. You always have the scared soldiers but they get over shadowed by the main characters that give a rousing speech and have a inhuman drive to save the world. But Jean, a big character in the story was scared too. Because war and especially titans are fucking scary, being in mortal danger is scary. And most of us don't have Levi/Mikasa's skills or Eren's insane drive to win and complete their goal. So seeing Jean struggle with that but still standing up for what's right and doing what needs to be done was amazing to me. He felt more real and relatable to me, which is why he became my instant favorite character
that repeated habit of his, hands covering his ears, I never noticed noticed. gave me chills when you pointed them out. such a vulnerable and yeah, almost childlike habit coming from what I think is one of the most bada** characters in the show strikes something in me that nearly has me tearing up the more I think about it. really showing you don't have to be 100% all macho and stone faced once you mature to a more capable and independent person. like you mentioned sorta of always having that inner child inside us, and maybe not always being a bad thing, but just interesting and very human in the way it can sneak out sometimes. really great character work by Isayama..man..chills...love Jean great video!!! def subbing~~
I think there’s an extremely masculine strength in vulnerability. Not weakness, but vulnerability, knowing when to lower the shield and allow yourself to feel what you’re feeling. Far more brave behavior than maintaining a facade. Jean is a perfect symbol for that. Thank you so, so much for the kind feedback. :)
Surprisingly this video made me realize and confront my own soul. This battle against regression is something I never understood in myself, since everyone seems to just keep moving forward after having a life changing experience. I've never seen anyone fight themselves from falling back down, jean really is the first character I've seen portraying this. Having everyone around me keep moving forward while I constantly struggle against falling into apathy and inaction has been draining. While all my friends keep getting out of their comfort zones naturally, it takes a big push for me to do so. And even when I make that change keeping it there is still a struggle. I guess absence or a distant father is enough to give that to you. Though I do feel like blaming it on my rough childhood is a bit cheap and won't really get me to fix myself, I guess the first step to moving on is probably accepting what happened and learning from it.
The pain of inaction is greater than action, friend. It may not feel like it at the time of inaction, but as more and more responsibility gets pushed under the rug, it all cultivates into a demon no man can slay. The best we can do with our past is move on from it. It’s so easy for us to hide behind past traumas as excuses for not facing life. “I had an absent father, I have a reason to not face life!” It’s always a choice. I really like Darabont’s take on it in The Shawshank Redemption. “You either get busy living, or you get busy dying.” :)
Amazing video! Jean has always been my favorite character in AOT and this video gave me even more reasons to like him. I was given fake spoilers that Jean dies in the early parts of the manga but was kept alive in the anime adaption because the author liked him. This made me attached to Jean because I though he was destined to die in the anime eventually but seeing him time and time again prevail and grow as a person was so satisfying to witness
Oh my goddd this video was amazing. I've been waiting for someone to do a big character analysis on Jean because he's my favorite character in the series, and you nailed it!! And the added comedy was such a nice touch as well :) Good job on this one!
What an amazing video! I loved it. Jean has been one of my favorite characters forever, and I really think you did him justice. His humanity is what makes him great and relatable to a personal level, in my opinion.
Your analysis is so good! Jean is such a realistic character which is what makes him so brilliant. Please keep making videos like these, they're so insightful and well done. I love this video so much, your jokes are also top tier :)
jean is my favorite aot character and you really did him justice with this video! you mentioned things i hadn’t ever considered about him (like the mommy issues lfhskdjskdh) but it makes total sense! very well done
This is a masterpiece of a video. This transcends AoT lore or story analysis in my humble opinion. You’ve highlighted one of the easily missed yet one of the most important messages in the story and it’s a message that young men of this generation desperately need to hear.
Thank you so much for the kind words. I agree with the assessment - This stuff is as important as mathematica and the rigid sciences. Why this depth of the humanities is not in the school system curriculum baffles me.
I was expecting this video to be a meme, but I ended up sincerely and deeply analyzing myself. I am myself a fan of Jung and Freud and I needed this retrospective. I have a lot more in common with Jean than I’d like to admit; so I have some work to do. Thank you.
man out of the many video essays about this show at this point i find your takes to be the closer to home ones. i like the simple yet apt mixture of "entertainment + phycological" aspects of your videos. keep it up.
Oh god Lmao!! I laughed two minutes straight after reading the thumbnail. Going to start the video now Edit: damn, The video has got stuff from Latest AOT EPs as well and I am kind of holding up after EP 8 To binge watch EPs 9-12. I would have to wait sometime to watch your video but don't worry I would definitely do it
Also very sorry to hear about the technical issues you are having due to stupid rules YT . I really feel your urge to reply to every single response you receive I have a solution for you, you can use your alt. Account for responding to others if you feel like.
I'm a huge Jean fan and watching this just made me appreciate his character development even more! Thank you for your amazing research and great video! 😊
jean is now possibly one of my new favorite characters because of this video. of course i used to see him as the annoying kid who only wanted comfort- but now ever since season 4 he's become more in depth and has less longing for comfort. i would arguably say this is one of the best character developments in any show or movie ive seen. there are other prime examples in the show of strong character development, however i think jean's stands out the most, as he teaches us that change is sometimes hard to go through :)
I really enjoyed watching this in depth analysis of Jean, it was well written and really helped me appreciate what a developed and nuanced character he is. He could be perceived as more ordinary compared to the Ackermans and the likes of Erwin and Armin, but I think that makes him more human and one of the most relatable characters.
This has to be one of THE best character analysis video of any fandom I’ve ever seen. It’s not a stretch for me to say that this a flawless interpretation of who Jean is and who he later becomes. He’s so, amazingly human and I love him. You absolutely nailed this one and I would love to see more psychoanalysis videos on your channel. You’ve earned a subscription from me 😉
there's a scene in the start of the rumbling when it was jean who realized and understood eren's true intentions for the rumbling: eren was destroying the outside world to make the inside world (paradis) livable and happy for his friends. this is really interesting for me, because two people who always argued - eren and jean - were the two very people who understood each other. isayama's parallels are really something... i love this story so much and i love your video! thank you for making this!
I FEEL LIKE THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A HALF-JOKE VIDEO *but at the end of it I was crying again about the beauty of Attack on Titan.* I hope people never stop making analyses of the series cuz it's just so amazing
Ok, coming off of your last 2 videos, I think you're my favorite blossoming channel on the site. Good psychoanalysis of AOT's themes and characters absolutely hits a sweet spot I haven't seen many others do
idk if you said “the womb of paradis” as a joke but it actually clicked for me. like, that’s what the interior is, it’s the infantile thing amount of responsibility of the womb. I thought the mom thing was a joke at first but that part blew my mind. rly good video, I subbed 👏🏼
One thing i didn't notice you touch on that really stuck with me in Jean's arc and makes his ultimate rejection of Floch feel even more rewarding is the Stohess Arc in season one. Not only is Jean one of the trusted few allowed to be there on the mission, but as he's flying Jean notices the MPs sitting on the roofs watching in awe and unsure of what to do. They're cowards and when faced with the conflict they falter. Jean makes a comment about how useless they are, clearly juxtaposing himself to.. well, what he originally wanted to be. Jean may not always like being a scout. In fact, he regularly comments about how crazy or ridiculous some of the things they're doing are or how screwed the situation is, but he still recognizes this discomfort as, like you said, better than being stagnant and incomplete in safety. Even as far back as season one, Jean entirety rejects who he thought he wanted to be. That makes it even more fulfilling when, after so much betrayal, loss and just being beaten down, Jean sticks to his guns in season four and rejects Floch. Maybe he did consider it in weakness, but I feel that deep down Jean always knew what he was going to do. Maybe his brain and heart were at war, but deep down he knew the man he needed to be and what the right path was. I remember when I first watched Attack on Titan I hated Jean at first but he quickly became my favorite character in the entire show. Only upon rewatch did I realize that so many of the things I hated in early Jean were things I hated in myself as well. It's stuff like that that really makes Attack on Titan such a special show to me.
I’ve watched a lot of commentary videos about AOT and this is one of my favorites so far. So much dedication in research and an amazing organized format. Keep up the awesome work
This video was really good!! I really really like how your video essays spend time discussing not just the characters themselves but also how they fit into the overarching themes of the story around them. Nice work! :D
yey! a video essay of my favorite character! He doesn't get enough credit, especially after his role in the takedown of the Armored titan in S3P2. It was his idea that defeated Reiner, and he was the one who volunteered for the most vulnerable position without a thunder spear.
Thanks for watching, everyone! If you'd like to kindly support my content (AND ARE IN A POSITION TO DO SO): ko-fi.com/reddrik
Jean is not a horse, that man is a freakin stallion
🐎🐎
wHY cAn’T yOu bE, mOrE liKE JEAN, tHe MAJESTIC STALLION OVER THERE
But that’s still a horse…
Should’ve said he was a unicorn..
Or a donkey
juan
Yeah he's hung
“Jean becomes……based”
That line hit so good!
It hits so good because it’s so true lmao
@@Reddrik Exactly, you say things like "they literally kept him out of the picture" at 5:22 and it's funny how these are the literal truths.
What that means ? Sorry I’m not a English native speaker, I was searching on the internet and it’s good and bad?
@@fenixleonor based is when someone has the courage to do or say things who arent popular
He became a Stallion
Characters like Jean are examples of what sets AOT apart from other anime series. They could have just made him the stagnate bully character ala Bakugo from MHA, but instead he visibly matures from a whiny bully to a mature and reliable adult.
Totally agreed!
Bakugan does change though but I do see your point.
I don't want to sound like an MHA fan, but Bakugo also has character development and changes.
and they gave him a mullet + 6'3
he was never even a bully tbh, he just annoyed by ppl like Eren.
I will never get over connie’s and sasha’s attack poses when Jean threatens to throw a punch . It’s excellently timed comedy and also informs you that Connie was always carrying a fucking knife that he never mentions or uses outside of this scene. Also in retrospective and knowing the kind of relation they will form in the future, the automatic reaction of standing up for each other is adorable and very in character of them
The fucking knife part that you pointed out got me laughing my ass off I never noticed that🤣
If I remember correctly, he mentioned it was a gift from his father? It was also the knife Ymir used to transform in season 2 so she lost it lol rip
@@alex-vs4jv oh my god I think you’re right I never thought about that either holy shit
@@alex-vs4jv daaamn I believe you are right. Makes it even better that they remember that detail in this scene
@@Hold_Fast_Clanmcleod he gaved it Ymir, I don't know if he got it back?
"If you lock yourself inside your own world shielded from the real world, some day harsh reality will come in from outside" - Hajime Isayama
Powerful message
where’d you get this quote frommmm
@@megha1451 its literally in the video lmao
@@tiny_tuba9756 lmaoo ik i just thought the quote was actually by isayama
@@megha1451 no no it is, the guy just uses the quote by isayama as evidence - he shows the clip where he says it
Explaining why Jean is my absolute favorite SnK character, for 20 minutes straight
Thank you
Happy to oblige!
And I thought BoJack Horseman was the only show where people analyse a horse this much! 🐴
No wonder he’s in love with mikasa. She will literally take care of him in every way 😂
Bingo!
Man, this hits different. I'm pretty sure that almost every person growing up has to cross the same threshold that Jean does at some point soon or late, which likely contributes to the reasons why of all the scouts he feels like the most grounded functional human being, bar probably Armin.
To be fair though, as sheltered as it made him, I feel like it should also be noted that Jean's life with his mother helped build a lot of what he later became. Sure an overabundance of motherly affection makes one prone to regression and an overreliance on comfort, but in a cruel and messed up world both represented in the show and in the real life we face, you need the reminders that there are always things worth living for.
His mother may hold him back in some regard, but as the OVA showed of him happily enjoying a simple meal made by her, she is also the most important part of his life.
Jean is one of the few people in AoT who has a normal, non messed up childhood and a family that remained really mundane. Even Connie and Sasha, his closest friends, have some issues that later reared their heads in their life, like Connie's mother's sudden weight gain or Sasha's childhood in the woods; All of them have at some point lost their place to return to, and that put some scars on them that never really healed. Jean may be just as directionless as them when he starts his journey, but he already has a home.
And it really shows, contrary to Eren or even Armin, Jean's ambitions are also normal, almost insignificant even, but they never really changed as the series progress, Jean still yearns for comfort just like Eren yearns for his freedom. It doesn't blind him to the responsibilities that he has to take on as the years go by and the world becomes bigger, but rather it opens his eyes to the things that he needs to be done, the people that he needs to protect if he wants to live with himself.
His goals for comfort don't make him a coward, not exactly, it's his unwillingness to challenge the things that could be threatening him that make him the coward we see at the start of season one. Instead of dealing with the Titans still outside the wall, he wants to retreat deeper away from them, even though, hypothetically, if the Titan threat is dealt with he could live just as comfortably anywhere. Even Eren mentioned this I think, saying something like "What will you do once the Titans breach all the walls?"
And like you analyzed, this was his Hero's Journey, Marco's death was the awakening, he realized that if he doesn't stand up and fight, the friends and family he cares about will die horribly, and he can't have a comfortable life with the people he cares about like that. Jean doesn't fight because of compulsion or undying drive that he sees abundantly in Eren, he fights because he wants to see the _end_ to the fighting.
*The Return* is just an important part of the Hero's Journey as the *Separation* and the *Initiation,* a hero without a place to rest, to sit down and enjoy the tender things in life is a hero that has not completed the necessary journey. A hero stuck forever at *Separation* is a person lost without direction, and a hero stuck forever at *Initiation* is a person forever in hardship.
At the end of his journey, the Hero needs to return home, where else could he go?
I don't think his worldview is just purely a negative representation of Armin, more of a parallel with a different starting point. Jean seeks to treasure the things he has while Armin wants to seek wonderful things that he has never seen before, nothing is preventing the two of them from basking in the here and now, and neither of those desires hampers their duty to stand up for it.
If Armin wants to see the world, he has to start fighting, if Jean wants to treasure the comfort he has, he has to start fighting, it's all the same. The nature of your desire doesn't necessarily dictate who you are and who you need to be as a human, it's also important what you do in response to that desire. Jean became a fearless decisive leader so that his friends can return home with him and the family he has behind the walls can be safe, not for honor, but for them and him.
And I think that's really important to keep in mind that one person doesn't need to actively want to become the Hero to be one because that's Jean. Throughout the entire series, from beginning to end he doesn't want to become a hero, he doesn't need to be, he just *is.* Within him is still a person who wants to have a nice life with the girl of his dreams, but around his being is a tough shield and sharp sword forged by the sense of duty and maturity necessary to protect and realize those simple ambitions.
The scene with Flosch is a good perspective of this, sure he can have a comfortable life if he just gives up, but that won't be the comfortable life _he wants,_ abandoning his friends, billions of people, and his conscience is in no way comfortable for him. His goal of comfort hasn't disappeared, but just like him, it matured enough to guide him to do what is right and necessary. (It's a neat bonus that his mother inside the walls is in no danger so no dilemma there, luck on his side.)
He doesn't kill the coward, he kills the part of him that cowers.
He's not just Based, he's Gigachad.
Note that this is not me disagreeing with ya observations, because they're right honestly, just felt that I can add my two cents lol. Hope you have a great evening day or noon wherever you are, really appreciate your work champ.
Hey man. EXTREMELY astute takeaway from this, I really appreciate the insight. You’re ENTIRELY correct - As a matter of fact, there’s probably enough of the coming-of-age material you’ve referenced I left out that could be turned into a second part. The reason I didn’t focus on any of the (extremely profound) wisdom you’ve presented here is because I think, somewhere in my head, I wanted this video to be about that *Separation.* A boy initiating himself into adulthood who is already pondering the Return is still chained to his childhood. I think Separation and Return have to be isolated from one another to be effectively understood, at least initially. If I jumped from Separation to the Return, mending that wound later in life and using that healing process as a bounceboard towards further wisdom, then I worried the separation sentiments would be lost - They’re two HUGE concepts, and tackling them side by side can’t do much good until they’ve been studied independently. And I had to assume the majority of people watching this video haven’t been introduced to either principle yet. However, you’re extremely right, and maybe I’ll be covering all of this in a future video. 😉 Thanks so much for the comment, again, it was a pleasure to read.
@@Reddrik
Well, I have to dispense whatever bit of wit I have in my dummy head somewhere before the cobwebs start building up :P
Seriously though, while I'm actually a _bit_ far from what people would call a wise person, a bit of a big stupid idiot really, I'm fine with that though as long as someone finds my knowledge is useful lol. Genuinely glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for the really thoughtful exchange btw. Now that I see it I can certainly say that it's a good angle to go at it.
The Hero's Journey is a timeless concept precisely because it is a cycle of renewal that mirrors the most fundamental aspect of life, Contentment, Curiosity, Challenge.
The three aspects of the journey are distinct, but they all ties together, I can see how glossing it over in one sitting may make it seem like a linear thing which it can't be further from.
Big props to your articulate approach and dedication, my guy, call it a hunch but those qualities gonna take you places.
-You are also now obligated to title the (Hypothetical) sequel how Jean is actually -*-The-*- Horse so it comes full circle lmao.-
Just want to say that I love your comment. Jean doesn't want to be a hero, he simply is, is one of the most wonderful things in this series
@@andrearolher6995
Glad to see a fellow Jean enjoyer. Thanks for appreciating my long-winded tangent lol.
@@Reddrik If that's the case, will you actually make a another video about the Return?
Honestly I love jean as a character due to how real his story feels. I was like Jean, pampered beyond belief by my mom, but then facing the world and making the right decisions to redeem himself from his cowardice is so heartfelt to see. But what really makes him amazing is his regression, and I love how instead of making battles like these one off things like most animes, aot actually shows that things like these are a reoccurring thing you have to face. Love your videos btw! Keep making them, they are amazing 💙
I lived in my mother's house. And did everything she ever wanted until I was 21. Me and Jean were the same dude only I was worse.
When I left I really didn't know what I was doing only that I couldn't go on as a guy who would spend his life in his family's basement.
Now at 23 I've found work, a direction in life and I really needed to be reminded that regression is easy. I need to stand firm. I don't want to go back to that man. I might not fight titans and save the world but I'm much prouder of the man I am today.
It’s funny you mention finding work - Jung said that the ONLY modern initiation, the only watch to move past boyhood in the West, is through dedicating yourself to hard, honest work. It doesn’t matter what the work is, granted you give yourself to it fully. I think you’re a living testament to that. I’m really glad you’ve been figuring your stuff out.
@@Reddrik I want to reiterate that I'm not proud of the man I am because of the work I do. I'm proud because where I'm from work can be hard to find. And life would be so much easier. My life would be infinitely easier to live off of my parents wealth and success...
But I need something for my self. And the work that I am doing while it is a really well paying job I'm not where I want to be. I can be payed more and I could love what I do more. I am not committed to this job. I hate it almost as much as living off my parents (I just get to keep my pride this way). I have to keep moving forward. I know their is a better me further down the road. Getting a job has not completed me, and it isn't the end all be all of being a man to me.
I think to truly be a man I need to carve my own path and future. I should be able to look at something and say 'I want that thing' and then to have it. I dont think me and Jean end in the exact same place. He's an anime character who fights titans. I'm a man with an electricity bill and only so many years to make something of my self.
Jean seeing eren's founding titan: so that's the guy who called me horse-face
Honestly, you asked feedback whether criticism or praise but I have nothing to say except you've got an amazing format and video style going for you and I'm super excited for the future, all 3 of your videos are extremely well made from the writing, editing to the presentation. Kinda unrelated but I'd love to see a video on Reiner as well
Thank you so, so much! That’s really kind of you. Reiner is such a complex character. And that complexity entices me. So, who knows? :)
Yes reiner
Yes Reiner is my favourite character
@@BeastlyNerd Hmmmm... maybe I’ll start working on a new script for y’all
@@mikeoxmaul9870 Noted. 😉
Indeed. Jean's character arc peaks when he decides to reject the Yeagerists ( = comfortable, easy, cushy life, full of wealth and power) and instead join the Alliance, risking his very own life and future because it was the right thing to do. What I find so interesting about it is that Eren-of all people-was the one who inspired him to care about greater things outside of the self. We first see this in his decision to join the Scouts instead of the MP, and then again when he's forced to choose between the Yeagerists and the Alliance. He's definitely my favorite character in the show because he's kind of average. He's a good soldier, but he's not as good as the Ackerman or the Warriors. He's smart, but he's not Armin, Erwin or Zeke. But at the end of the day, he grows up to be a man who's willing to risk it all for what is right, rather than what is easy-and that's the lesson behind his character. Do hard things, y'all.
His humanity makes him a perfect mirror for us, the audience. Almost a surrogate. And no different than his call to adventure, we all face the same call to adventure every day. Very well said!
Jean was the best normal human from his class, only behind Mikasa and the titan shifters
Joining the alliance is his downfall
Ah yes let's save the world who are extremely racist against Eldians and want to kill them all just for existing. Such a great hard thing y'all
Wow ..this is really the reason why at the end Jean became the most visible characha to me ...I was like what's happened his growth seemed the most spectacular to me
Jean was my favorite character since season 1, and that hasn’t changed. I’m so jealous of his character development.
He’s definitely an image to strive towards. :)
“Art for art's sake is an empty phrase. Art for the sake of truth, art for the sake of the good and the beautiful, that is the faith I am searching for.”
- George Sand
George is a legend. Her work covers all of this stuff.
i clicked on the video thinking i’d see another attack on titan analysis and left learning how to raise a child
LOL
Jean and Armin originally being written as one character honestly makes so much sense when you think about the parallels between Jean and Eren.
Jean is by far one or my favorite characters in the entire show. The scene where he is talking to Hange about the burden of leadership and seeing the fallen soldiers and when Jean sees Marco and says I’m a Scout, fantastic.
100% agreed tbh
One of the thing that I catch when watching him with his mom, though he seemingly despise her, he always refers to her as 'Ka-chan/Oka-chan' (Mommy), a term of endearment usually used by kids or toddler instead of 'Ka-san/Oka-san' (Mom).
Just like you said, I think he still has a soft spot for his mom but need to deny it for the sake of his dignity as a man.
Bingo! Whereas everyone else has kinda pushed their way into, or at least started to push their way into, adulthood, Jean still refers to her with a bit more infantile language. Really good catch!
Similarly, Zeke also uses the "-chan" suffix to refer to his grandparents. It further shows how Zeke is a neglected child who just wants parental connection.
Great video! Jean was my favorite character since the Trost arc, for the exact reason that he is an Everyman. He’s just a guy who wants to live the best life possible, but he does the selfless thing anyway. It’s very inspiring. One aspect of him that I don’t see talked about often is his empathy and diplomacy. He was the only member of the scouts in season 3 who couldn’t bear killing another person, and in season 4, he’s the most level-headed and unbiased, even trying to understand Eren’s POV. I love those character so much, great analysis!
It’s like Marco said in the first season, he’s a great leader because he’s scared - He has empathy for others. Turning that cowardice into strength while maintaining his empathy was the key. He’s a really well written character.
Well done. You’re research is top notch and you’re constantly changing my perspective on not only the show, but the characters themselves. Masterfully done!
Thank you so much!
I never liked the horse comments, he’s a fantastic character and it’s been so wonderful to see him grow.
He’s no horse.
He’s a STALLION. 🐎
@@Reddrik absolutely 😏
No more horse comments. They’re hurtful, and destructive
Jean became my favorite when he decided to rally every one back to the fort in season 1.
I often joke that when Erwin died Armin inherited the rest of Erwin’s intellect (boosting his already high intelligence). While Jean, inherited the rest of Erwin’s leadership. You could argue that Floch is the counter part to Jean and Armin, because that man has both assets.
Which would make a very good video essay topic. 😉😉😉
This perspective is extra interesting when you think about how Isayama had planned Jean and Armin as one character at first and then decided to divide them into two!
This sounds good on paper but doesn't hold any candle to anything that happened in the story. Jean has never been shown as a true leader in the story. He has a few moments commanding small tactical units but that is it.
He never has the initiative to do things, doesn't plan battles or strategies or steps up when none else can. I know it sounds cool but Armin has both demonstrated by this point far more to be commander material than Jean, without even taking into account what happens later.
It just isn't true to say Jean is the leader of the two, because the strory doesn't show that at all
no floch just got the leadership jean didn't get anything
@@bfedezl2018 agree. Jean grew up but didn't become a leader
Jean's character feels so real to me. Like him, I was pampered by my mom, but then had to face the world and make the right choices to overcome my cowardice. His growth in thinking is what makes him amazing. Love your videos! Keep up the amazing work!
IMPORTANT: Phew, glad I could get another video out before another year passed lol. It still did take longer than I would’ve liked per Covid absolutely thrashing my throat, but it’s here. I would love to hear any and all feedback, positive and negative. TATAKAE.
Edit: So, uh, this sucks. TH-cam doesn’t like when I respond to all my comments. I got my entire channel banned because I took the time to thoughtfully respond to literally every comment people took the time to leave. I now have to be choosy with who I respond to, which is stupid. However, know that if you leave a comment, I WILL read it, and it will mean a lot to me, I’ll let you know of this by “hearting” the comment. TH-cam says I can do that, at least. 🙄 If you’re ever looking to hold a dialogue about the content in my videos, feel free to reach out to me on the Instagram linked on my channel, or my business email. Both are available in my About section. If you take the time to write me, I’ll absolutely respond there. Thanks, guys. Sorry about this. Tatakae anyway.
Damn.. That sucks. Btw this is a really great video! Jean is one of my favorite side characters & it was nice to see an essay on him.
I have a solution for you, you can use your alt Account for responding to others if you feel like.
It's amazing to see how much work goes into the videos and how well that all comes together. You've really got something going for you and I can't wait for future content and how you amaze us again.
Make floch next
@@krisyanren755 He's already making Reiner next
Ova episode: comes out
This guy: Ima connect everyting with jeans mom
Nice video btw
Your style of presentation is quickly becoming one of my favourites, especially the evidence and proof in forms of quotes and scenes you provide. I feel like I'm in one of my college classes but actually having FUN. Anyways good job, hope you continue.
Thank you so much!
This is the most profound psychological breakdown I ever watched. I didn't realize how deep AOT was.
I mean, how can I not click on this video after I saw "Jean" and "is not a horse" in one sentence
thank you, I cant thank you enough for opening my eyes to the way ive been living... my mom is super protective, ive never been into a friend house before, and never alone in the city before, she didnt even let me go out in the street to buy something... that is a pain in the @ss, i always feel jealous about other people working, doing everything alone, being indepedent, while i cant even take a step further... thank God my dad is helping me through this, he told me, you will need to grow up, i will pay you a course but it will be in a other city, you will need to go alone and take the bus. I totally agreed and it will be starting soon, my mom is already in panick, he litellary scared of letting me go, but i have to. I have to become a Man and Responsible for myself.
Your father is an incredibly noble and righteous man. You’re very lucky, I’d say! I’m sorry to hear about your mother - A mother’s love can become dangerous, as you now know. But it sounds like your father knows what you need, and it sounds like he’s willing to provide it. Really insightful comparison between this video and your own life, it’s so easy for people to write this off as academics and something entirely unrelated to them. Godspeed, friend. Enjoy your coming-of-age process - It’ll be terrifying and beautiful all at once.
Over all my years of watching TH-cam commentators, this is one of my favorites, by far. Thank you!
Thank you so much!
not only has this video completely changed how i see jean but it has also changed my whole world view, what an amazing video
loved the editing from the last video. glad to see some more
Happy to provide! Thank you!
Another impressive video Reddrik. I don't buy into Freudian psychology very much, but you made a lot of interesting and valid points. Jean is my second favorite AOT character after Reiner and you summed it up perfectly. His maturation is an underappreciated thing of beauty. A coward dies a thousand times, but our boy overcame his nature, stepped up and did what he needed to do. Like a hero. And RIP Marco.
Sorry to hear you can't reach out to everyone anymore, but your investment is appreciated and your passion is evident. Tatake
I’m gonna risk the response on this one because it was so genuine.
Thank you so much! Yeah, Freud was out of his mind, truthfully, especially a lot his later ideas. But, there’s no denying he laid the foundations for some very important stuff. I subscribe less to his model of the mother complex, and a lot more to the analytical psychology perspective on it. A lot less to do with incest, a lot more to do with internalized images of the mother/womanhood that control your life later on.
Marco is the man. Literally. RIP.
Thank you so much for the feedback, I really do appreciate it. Tatakae my man.
@@Reddrik Thank you for the reply! I'm perpetually impressed by your breadth of knowledge on these topics. It's truly refreshing. I agree, Freud made important contributions and there is truth a good bit of his ideas despite the areas that I disagree with them.
Marco was a great man, and also the butterfly that changed the world.
Wishing you great success, and selfishly hoping for a Reiner video at some point
Freud was right about many things and his psychoanalysis is very useful to understand the root cause of your mental problems. When ever people hear someone mention Freud they think about the Oedipus Complex which is less than a quarter of psychosexual development. Freud set the ground work to allow us understand things that cannot be explained through expermental science such as how "sexual deviations" and "mental illnesses" form.
But people these days don't want to accept that the problems they have could have been prevented and would rather just say they were born that way reducing it down to genetics. While certain "mental illnesses" like AD(H)D, Autism, and down syndrown are indeed genetic, and genetics increase the chances of getting a neurotic or psychotic disorder; the former are brain structure abnormalities, and the latter is something no one is born with.
Even something like schizophrenia is developed. Just because 20 percent of schizophrenics have genetic links through relatives doesn't mean is gentic. In reality its something that anyone can develop under the right mental pressure to alter your neurotransmitters.
But then again, people feel safer calling it genetic because people that don't have it feel safer thinking that they can't develop it, and people that have it feel comfortable believing that they were born with it. Which feeds big farma with tons of money by drugging you excessively with medication, and thus keeping you dependant on them. So if you try to go cold turkey on them you will exhibit the symptoms of your mental illness to a greater degree. It's sad many people will never learn or accept that there are other methods of dealing with and potentially curing them from their mental problems.
@@thevigilant6884 Agreed a million percent. Thank GOD he was a “nut,” thank GOD his mind existed so far outside of the cultural paradigm! We wouldn’t have the understanding of the mind we currently have without it! Almost everything we know of psychology today has been filtered through him. Anyone who writes off Freud as JUST a nut is neglecting the very sturdy base of the entirety of psychology and ESPECIALLY psychoanalysis we know. Our contemporary bureaucracies have twisted our perception of the mind so far, we have no where to turn except for the forefathers of the mind, Freud being one of the biggest.
EVERYTHING is “genetic,” of course to which degree it varies, but “chemical imbalance” is a very convenient and institutionally enforced, dogmatic way of saying, “I cannot face my own darkness.” If it is by the hand of chemical, we have no responsibility, yes? It’s the same perverted thinking in line with “If it’s not my fault I contracted cancer, then I shouldn’t have to deal with it.”
Your comment was a pleasure to read.
Throughout the series I always mostly identified with Jean. Such a great character. And again, great analysis!
I didn’t see why people liked Jean and didn’t really care for his character until this video- and then I started seeing parallels… my life almost directly lines up with Jean’s and I’m at a huge turning point in my life when I really needed to hear ‘don’t listen to dad and stay in the safe zone- go out there and get it, damnit’.
And here’s the weird part- the nickname I’ve had since freshman year of high-school is- you guessed it! Jean.
I think there’s a bit of Jean in all of us. :)
Jean of all people? Really?
Same here. I'm feeling like that I also have some mommy issue, even though I'm a woman.
@@aikotitilai3820 Mother complexes are not exclusively a male issue! The only reason it may have accidentally seemed as such is because Jean is a male, and he was the focus of this video. However, unstable relationships with the mother can follow anyone no matter their sex. Definitely worth doing some research into the subject. :)
Blue hair smfh
Got the notification for this and had to mentally prepare for it because Jean is my favorite character.
STRAP IN
That quote by Arthur Ashe is gonna sit with me for a long time. Thank you for this video
"Well... If we're using the story as metaphor... Is living in the walls safe forever ? It's not. If you lock yourself inside our own world shielded from the real world, someday some harsh reality will come in from outside." 10:40
I love it!!! Jean is my favorite character so far, and you explained him in a marvelous way. I think one of the most interesting things about him is his attitude of denial towards his own being, and his feeling of guilt. His actions are not implied as pure and born, but cost him in each decision
And that realism is so hard to find in fiction, let alone in a cartoon!
So glad I stumbled upon this video! It’s a breath of fresh air to see someone talk about the other characters in AOT besides the main ones and this was amazing, great work!!
Thank you!
First I thought it will be a parody video(sorry,I don't knew your content before),but I'm wrong and I'm happy for this!
I love Jean's characters and your video so well explained and based,so big thanks to you!🙂💖
This video is so well put! Jean has been my favorite character since 2013 but I never really understood why. This really clears up so much on why I love Jean's character.
He's not an Ackerman or a titan shifter but a regular boy who grew up to be a man or in other words a soldier.
His development in S4 in amazing and I hope his conclusion is just as great.👏💕
Totally agree! Thank you a bunch!
I got introduced to your AoT freedom video and this Jean video by two different AoT fan accounts on Twitter this past week. I have no choice but to sub, it was fated to be :)
Keep up the good work!
What a fantastic video. After watching this, and its gonna sound really lame but,... I am Jean. I was raised by my overtly religious mother, my dad was never around cause of work. And for years I wanted someone to kick my ass and show me how to be brave and have confidence. And even now I am 28 and in the US Army and struggled with alcoholism for years. I had a regression just last week where I got drunk off my butt because of life's stress after a year of sobriety, craving that space in my head of "I don't care, I'm comfortable, In this moment I'm happy." But after my mind cleared and I realized how little that means compared to the soberness and focus on my personal growth, instead of being stuck inside my own complacent shell. I am now trying to take up my own sword. And move forward. Thanks for this video.
“Either undergo the agony of life, or the agony of cowardice and then the agony of life too.”
Alcoholism is no joke, brother. I’m glad you’re moving past it. It’s a daily battle. But “life takes the shape of a single day.” If you can fight the urge tomorrow, you’ll win the war. Tatakae, bro.
I've watched a LOT of video essay analyses and this was genuinely top tier. The editing was some of the best I've seen and kept the video super entertaining and jokes were great, every claim you made was extremely solid and believeable as you always backed it up with evidence. Great job fr
Dude, thank you so much!
Another great video! Your explanation about the 'eternal boy' was really eye opening. While watching AoT, I could see that Eren and Jean were supposed to mirror each other and your video explains in depth why that works so well. I didn't even think that far that the entirety of the conflict is tied into this theme of 'being too sheltered for you own good' all the way back with Fritz . This show has so many well realized themes it keeps giving food for thought.
Keep up the good work. I really enjoyed the video and am looking forward to the next one! :)
I hope you're feeling better and congrats on 2000 subs!
Thank you so much! I was really looking forward to your comment! :) “Shelter” is such an important symbol in AoT, it’s the backbone to basically everything. It shows up in the walls of Paradis, and it shows up in the regression offered by wine and daydreaming. I really appreciate the feedback. :) Hope I did Jean justice.
@@Reddrik You're right and your video made me appreciate that theme a lot more than before! Oh now that you mention the wine really is a powerful symbol for this theme with what happens in the final season to those who drank it.
And yes, I really liked your take on Jean! It was different from what I expected and I mean that as a compliment^^
This video is a masterpiece. Extremely interesting and teaching about jean as a character but also a part of life or more a part of character, we desire, to be a hero. And when you mentioned my guy Erich Fromm, uff you’re the real deal🔥🔥🔥
Jean became my favourite character since season 1, glad more people are starting to notice how great he is.
Also
Amazing video man good job.
This vid was amazing! Jean has always been a fav character for me. So this was fun
Broo thank you so much for this video. Jean is one of my fav characters ever and you explained pretty damn well! That "I'm forever a scout" line 😩 pls keep up the good work 👌
Thank you a ton! Will do 😎
The thing that drew me to Jean as my favorite character and made him my favorite was the early episodes. His utter fear in the face of danger and wanting to avoid it was a reality check I really liked. You always have the scared soldiers but they get over shadowed by the main characters that give a rousing speech and have a inhuman drive to save the world. But Jean, a big character in the story was scared too. Because war and especially titans are fucking scary, being in mortal danger is scary. And most of us don't have Levi/Mikasa's skills or Eren's insane drive to win and complete their goal. So seeing Jean struggle with that but still standing up for what's right and doing what needs to be done was amazing to me. He felt more real and relatable to me, which is why he became my instant favorite character
that repeated habit of his, hands covering his ears, I never noticed noticed. gave me chills when you pointed them out.
such a vulnerable and yeah, almost childlike habit coming from what I think is one of the most bada** characters in the show strikes something in me that nearly has me tearing up the more I think about it.
really showing you don't have to be 100% all macho and stone faced once you mature to a more capable and independent person. like you mentioned sorta of always having that inner child inside us,
and maybe not always being a bad thing, but just interesting and very human in the way it can sneak out sometimes.
really great character work by Isayama..man..chills...love Jean
great video!!! def subbing~~
I think there’s an extremely masculine strength in vulnerability. Not weakness, but vulnerability, knowing when to lower the shield and allow yourself to feel what you’re feeling. Far more brave behavior than maintaining a facade. Jean is a perfect symbol for that. Thank you so, so much for the kind feedback. :)
Thank you for dedicating a whole video to Jean, my favorite character!
Surprisingly this video made me realize and confront my own soul. This battle against regression is something I never understood in myself, since everyone seems to just keep moving forward after having a life changing experience. I've never seen anyone fight themselves from falling back down, jean really is the first character I've seen portraying this.
Having everyone around me keep moving forward while I constantly struggle against falling into apathy and inaction has been draining. While all my friends keep getting out of their comfort zones naturally, it takes a big push for me to do so. And even when I make that change keeping it there is still a struggle.
I guess absence or a distant father is enough to give that to you. Though I do feel like blaming it on my rough childhood is a bit cheap and won't really get me to fix myself, I guess the first step to moving on is probably accepting what happened and learning from it.
The pain of inaction is greater than action, friend. It may not feel like it at the time of inaction, but as more and more responsibility gets pushed under the rug, it all cultivates into a demon no man can slay.
The best we can do with our past is move on from it. It’s so easy for us to hide behind past traumas as excuses for not facing life. “I had an absent father, I have a reason to not face life!” It’s always a choice. I really like Darabont’s take on it in The Shawshank Redemption. “You either get busy living, or you get busy dying.”
:)
Amazing video! Jean has always been my favorite character in AOT and this video gave me even more reasons to like him.
I was given fake spoilers that Jean dies in the early parts of the manga but was kept alive in the anime adaption because the author liked him. This made me attached to Jean because I though he was destined to die in the anime eventually but seeing him time and time again prevail and grow as a person was so satisfying to witness
Jean prevails! Thank you so much!
One of the best character development arcs in AoT alongside warriors ones. Jean deserved such analysis indeed.
Oh my goddd this video was amazing. I've been waiting for someone to do a big character analysis on Jean because he's my favorite character in the series, and you nailed it!! And the added comedy was such a nice touch as well :) Good job on this one!
Thank you so much! Glad I could do it justice.
What an amazing video! I loved it. Jean has been one of my favorite characters forever, and I really think you did him justice. His humanity is what makes him great and relatable to a personal level, in my opinion.
Thank you so much, I’m glad you think so! Jean’s humanity, coupled with Armin’s, are what make this show so much more than just “an anime.”
@Reddrik 100% it's the way Isayama managed to portray such realism within fiction! 🐥
This is my favorite bit of any content I’ve taken in in quite sometime. I cannot praise this enough. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Thank you!!! That’s a huge compliment.
Your analysis is so good! Jean is such a realistic character which is what makes him so brilliant. Please keep making videos like these, they're so insightful and well done. I love this video so much, your jokes are also top tier :)
Thank you so much! I certainly plan on it. 😎
Wow!! This is an incredibly in-depth analysis led by such a nice sense of humour! The analysis of Jean's childhood is awesome.
Thank you so much!
jean is my favorite aot character and you really did him justice with this video! you mentioned things i hadn’t ever considered about him (like the mommy issues lfhskdjskdh) but it makes total sense! very well done
I recently subbed to you after seeing your Freedom video! I’m so glad to see you’ve made another one
Happy to be back! :)
i love love love jean so much. thanks for making this video on one of my favorites 💗
This is a masterpiece of a video. This transcends AoT lore or story analysis in my humble opinion. You’ve highlighted one of the easily missed yet one of the most important messages in the story and it’s a message that young men of this generation desperately need to hear.
Thank you so much for the kind words. I agree with the assessment - This stuff is as important as mathematica and the rigid sciences. Why this depth of the humanities is not in the school system curriculum baffles me.
Honestly, I love these new video essays coming up. I've yet to see your video on "Freedom" in AOT, but you've nailed Jean's character perfectly.
Thank you! Would love to hear your thoughts on the freedom one.
Came here for a funny Jean video, left being called out
Sorry about that! Hoping the seldom funny parts made up for it.
Last video was amazing with the amount of detail and references. Looking forward to this one as well!
I was expecting this video to be a meme, but I ended up sincerely and deeply analyzing myself. I am myself a fan of Jung and Freud and I needed this retrospective. I have a lot more in common with Jean than I’d like to admit; so I have some work to do. Thank you.
I think we all do, friend. :) Thank you for saying so!
I never hated Jean I think Jean is amazing character and one of the best characters I ever seen he didn’t deserve hate in my opinion think you~😊
man out of the many video essays about this show at this point i find your takes to be the closer to home ones. i like the simple yet apt mixture of "entertainment + phycological" aspects of your videos. keep it up.
Oh god Lmao!!
I laughed two minutes straight after reading the thumbnail.
Going to start the video now
Edit: damn, The video has got stuff from Latest AOT EPs as well and I am kind of holding up after EP 8 To binge watch EPs 9-12. I would have to wait sometime to watch your video but don't worry I would definitely do it
Also very sorry to hear about the technical issues you are having due to stupid rules YT . I really feel your urge to reply to every single response you receive
I have a solution for you, you can use your alt. Account for responding to others if you feel like.
Sorry about that! Hope to hear your thoughts after Sunday!
I'm a huge Jean fan and watching this just made me appreciate his character development even more! Thank you for your amazing research and great video! 😊
jean is now possibly one of my new favorite characters because of this video. of course i used to see him as the annoying kid who only wanted comfort- but now ever since season 4 he's become more in depth and has less longing for comfort. i would arguably say this is one of the best character developments in any show or movie ive seen. there are other prime examples in the show of strong character development, however i think jean's stands out the most, as he teaches us that change is sometimes hard to go through :)
That is a huge compliment, thank you!
@@Reddrik yeah no probelm!! the video was amazing! ^^
bro ngl i sit through this whole video it went so deep into jean's life. THIS DESERVES MORE
thank you bro! Fingers crossed 🙏🏻
I really enjoyed watching this in depth analysis of Jean, it was well written and really helped me appreciate what a developed and nuanced character he is. He could be perceived as more ordinary compared to the Ackermans and the likes of Erwin and Armin, but I think that makes him more human and one of the most relatable characters.
My favorite video on YT ! Eye opening ! Hits home and time to change things. All my personal feelings have been translated to words by you
This has to be one of THE best character analysis video of any fandom I’ve ever seen. It’s not a stretch for me to say that this a flawless interpretation of who Jean is and who he later becomes. He’s so, amazingly human and I love him.
You absolutely nailed this one and I would love to see more psychoanalysis videos on your channel. You’ve earned a subscription from me 😉
And this has to be one of THE best comments I’ve ever gotten. Thank you so much!
there's a scene in the start of the rumbling when it was jean who realized and understood eren's true intentions for the rumbling: eren was destroying the outside world to make the inside world (paradis) livable and happy for his friends. this is really interesting for me, because two people who always argued - eren and jean - were the two very people who understood each other. isayama's parallels are really something... i love this story so much and i love your video! thank you for making this!
I FEEL LIKE THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A HALF-JOKE VIDEO *but at the end of it I was crying again about the beauty of Attack on Titan.* I hope people never stop making analyses of the series cuz it's just so amazing
Thank you so much!! I certainly plan on it!
Jean has always been my favorite character because his development is great
In my country Marco means frame lol.
Great video, man, Jean became my fav during the last three arcs, to me, he is the most realistic character.
Well in that case, Marco is the one who pushes Jean to frame his life in new and different way.
This is one of the greatest character analysis that i have ever seen great job on video is
Jean is my favortite character and I loved watching this analysis keep up the great work
This video and the Aleczandxr's video on Jean are excellent companion videos to each other, amazing job man!
Thank you so much! I’ll have to check his out.
Please make more videos! Every single one you have made so far are absolute bangers
that was such a great video, i really liked how deep you digged, keep up with good work!!!
Ok, coming off of your last 2 videos, I think you're my favorite blossoming channel on the site. Good psychoanalysis of AOT's themes and characters absolutely hits a sweet spot I haven't seen many others do
This is such a hidden gem thank you- it’s such a good video
idk if you said “the womb of paradis” as a joke but it actually clicked for me. like, that’s what the interior is, it’s the infantile thing amount of responsibility of the womb. I thought the mom thing was a joke at first but that part blew my mind. rly good video, I subbed 👏🏼
One thing i didn't notice you touch on that really stuck with me in Jean's arc and makes his ultimate rejection of Floch feel even more rewarding is the Stohess Arc in season one. Not only is Jean one of the trusted few allowed to be there on the mission, but as he's flying Jean notices the MPs sitting on the roofs watching in awe and unsure of what to do. They're cowards and when faced with the conflict they falter. Jean makes a comment about how useless they are, clearly juxtaposing himself to.. well, what he originally wanted to be. Jean may not always like being a scout. In fact, he regularly comments about how crazy or ridiculous some of the things they're doing are or how screwed the situation is, but he still recognizes this discomfort as, like you said, better than being stagnant and incomplete in safety. Even as far back as season one, Jean entirety rejects who he thought he wanted to be. That makes it even more fulfilling when, after so much betrayal, loss and just being beaten down, Jean sticks to his guns in season four and rejects Floch. Maybe he did consider it in weakness, but I feel that deep down Jean always knew what he was going to do. Maybe his brain and heart were at war, but deep down he knew the man he needed to be and what the right path was. I remember when I first watched Attack on Titan I hated Jean at first but he quickly became my favorite character in the entire show. Only upon rewatch did I realize that so many of the things I hated in early Jean were things I hated in myself as well. It's stuff like that that really makes Attack on Titan such a special show to me.
I’ve watched a lot of commentary videos about AOT and this is one of my favorites so far. So much dedication in research and an amazing organized format. Keep up the awesome work
Thank you so much, that is a huge compliment!
This video was really good!! I really really like how your video essays spend time discussing not just the characters themselves but also how they fit into the overarching themes of the story around them. Nice work! :D
yey! a video essay of my favorite character! He doesn't get enough credit, especially after his role in the takedown of the Armored titan in S3P2. It was his idea that defeated Reiner, and he was the one who volunteered for the most vulnerable position without a thunder spear.
The dude eats leadership for breakfast.
Saw every AOT page sharing your videos in their insta stories, gotta say the video is great.
Worth watching!
Very good video you really well explained Jean's character and the greatness of aot writing
I didn’t really knew why i liked him so much. Now I know because of you! Thank you!
This video's opening is absolutely hilarious