Overview
A phrase that appears in the manga and anime series "Attack on Titan". It is featured in volume 4 of the manga. (Episode 15: One by One)
During the entrance ceremony for the Trainee Corps, the new recruits are stripped of their previous selves by the instructors, in order to mold them into suitable soldiers. This is a necessary process and an initiation that every soldier must go through.
While nostalgically observing this rite of passage, a young instructor notices several trainees who seem unperturbed by the experience. However, a veteran instructor recognizes them as having already gone through the process.
"They're probably the ones who saw hell firsthand two years ago. They've got a different look on their faces."
On the internet
On the internet, particularly on sites like pixiv, this phrase is used to describe people who continue working even during long periods of rest or who have overcome significant obstacles.
pixiv illustrations often depict the phrase in 4-panel parody comics.
Related Illustration
"Perhaps those who think nothing in particular. They've got a different look on their faces."
