Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人)

Mobile Era 8013...

This anime is made for the viewer to enjoy the cuteness of robots, while enjoying a hardly noticeable, inoffensive investigation.

On Earth, where humans have long been extinct,

the hordes of military robots that were left behind

continue fighting an endless war.

The war really isn't ending.

Let's obtain laughter... as soon as possible.

By the way, I was sorting through my library yesterday,

and found another new document on laughter.

Ooh, what kind of file this time?

Apparently there's a very important basic technique

used to produce laughter called a "retort."

Retort...?

What is a "retort"?

A retort is when someone

quickly points out and corrects an error or point of concern,

Retort (noun) To swiftly point out and correct the mistake in the joke that's being said. Also used to describe the person doing this action.

which in turn highlights what part was funny, producing laughter...

At least that's the logic behind it.

What?

You can produce laughter just by pointing out an

error and correcting it?

Apparently those skilled at retorting,

were chosen to host many programs.

I see.

Let's try... retorting...

All right, Fujii, I don't care what it is, just try to retort.

O-Okay.

Then I'll try retorting using the weather again.

It is her partner.

I-It's sunny everyday!

And blue!

Clouds! Peaceful!

I pointed out the parts that concern me,

but how was it? Did it produce laughter?

Well, I could tell that you were pointing things out,

but I couldn't determine if this was indeed what they call a retort.

The funny part was definitely not highlighted...

I see...

I couldn't find a lot of mistakes in the weather.

Trying to find and point out mistakes in the weather

is a most difficult technique.

Indeed, let's change the subject matter.

Try retorting on Mori next.

Okay, I'll try.

You're floating!

And all floaty!

And... you make a weird noise!

And your name is Mori!

Dot... Dot... Dot...

How was that?

I wonder what it is...

I may have felt that way when I first met Mori,

but there's nothing wrong with Mori, and it felt very unnatural

for you to try so hard to find something and make a retort.

It's hard to react...

when you point out things like that... at this point.

I see...

It's rather hard to naturally retort.

You're being forced to retort. Of course it's unnatural.

Remember when we tried "jokes"?

The act of purposely saying something inappropriate...

Joke (verb) To purposely do or say something inappropriate.

Yes, that.

I think doing that along with retorting,

will naturally point out the error.

I see.

Now you mention it, it does sound

like they might go well together.

Right?

This is the moment

that Fujii has come closest to figuring out what laughter is.

Then, Fujii, try saying something inappropriate.

I will attempt to retort.

All right.

If you realize something, Mori, point it out.

Understood.

All right, here I go.

Ah man, am I full!

I definitely don't want to see fried eggplants for a while!

What are you saying, Fujii?

I have been watching you,

and you haven't eaten anything!

Huh?

No, Kato...

At this point... just assume that she was eating...

All right... Please try one more time, Fujii.

R-Right...

Ah man, am I full!

I definitely don't want to see fried eggplants for a while!

That makes no sense, Fujii!

When you're full, you shouldn't want to see any kind of food,

not just fried eggplants!

No, before that, you should be retorting about the fact that

she's a robot consuming human food.

Fujii, one more time.

Ah man, am I full!

I definitely don't want to see fried eggplants for a while!

Hold it, Fujii!

You sound less full this time than last time!

No, Kato!

Suppose this is the first time you've heard her say that!

This isn't going very well...

It's hard...

I think some people may have noticed,

but the one that has been correctly retorting is Mori.

I wonder if there's some key to a retort.

As one of the techniques of retorting that would magnify laughter,

there was something called a simile retort

where they would point out someone's mistake

and compare it with something else.

A simile retort? That sounds interesting...

A standard example given for this is,

"That's like you're an oil baron living

in a tiny apartment!"

An oil baron is a human who had a vast fortune,

and the gap of someone that rich living in a tiny apartment

that a student may live in is the thing they're

trying to point out in this retort.

Maybe we'll be able to figure something out

if we concentrate on this gap retort and practice.

All right, Mori, try saying something that has a gap in it.

Understood.

The truth is, I'm not a robot.

I may look like this, but I'm a species of rhinoceros beetle!

All right, Fujii, now's your chance!

Okay. Um...

Hey, Mori!

That's like a maid that can't cook and do laundry very well!

Indeed there is a gap. Keep going.

Next, Mori!

And in my past life, I was a vaulting box!

All right, Kato!