Attack on Titan OVA

Ilse's Notebook: Memoirs of a Recon Corps Member

Overall episode number: 3.5 In the year 850, whilst Eren and the others are in training, the Recon Corps go on a mission, with Hange deciding to pursue a Titan spotted in the forest in the hopes she can capture it. Curiously, as Hange gets the Titan to chase after her, it suddenly retreats to the forest. Hange follows it to the center of the forest, where she finds it banging its head against a certain tree. The Titan turns hostile when Hange gets close to it, but Levi and the others arrive and kill it, much to Hange's dismay. Upon inspecting the scene, they discover the decapitated body of Ilse Langnar, a soldier from the 34th Recon Corps division, resting inside of the tree, and finding a notebook belonging to her lying on the ground. The notebook details Ilse's records, as she escaped on foot after her squad was killed by Titans. She eventually became cornered by a Titan, but instead of killing her right away, it started to speak to her in the human language, calling her "Ymir". Ilse attempted to communicate with the Titan, but it inevitably became hostile again and bit off her head, curiously choosing not to devour her body but instead rest it inside the tree. Having read through all of Ilse's notes, Hange uses the notebook as leverage to convince Erwin to approve of operations to capture Titans alive and study them, before returning Ilse's belongings to her grief-stricken family.

The Sudden Visitor: The Torturous Curse of Youth

Overall episode number: 3.25 In the year 849, Jean returns home after two years in training. After Jean gets into a dispute with Sasha following a training exercise, Commander Pyxis suggests they settle things in a cooking contest. With Armin and Annie joining Jean's team and Connie and Reiner teaming up with Sasha, the two groups head into the forest in search of a notorious giant boar to use as meat. Sasha's group come across the boar first and engage it in battle, with Sasha managing to kill it and claim it for her group. Later, after Jean is visited by his mother, shouting at her when he feels she is embarrassing him, he concocts a plan to steal some quality beef from the office so he can beat Sasha, but Armin and Annie refuse to help him. After inevitably giving up on his plan, Jean opens a lunchbox his mother left him containing an omelette, remembering all the times his mother stood by him. The cooking contest soon takes place, with Sasha presenting a prime boar steak whilst Jean presents a humble omelette. Although wowed by the taste of the steak, Pyxis declares Jean the winner as he showed more skill in cooking. Content with his victory, Jean considers paying a visit to his mother.

Distress

Overall episode number: 3.75 In the year 848, the recruits are split into two groups for a wilderness exercise to learn how to sustain themselves in times of peace. Marco has trouble leading his group due to the arrogance of both Eren and Jean. Meanwhile, Mikasa's group learns of the presence of a gang of thieves, who managed to steal their maneuver gear. That night, the thieves ambush Eren's group, taking Christa hostage along with their equipment. Putting aside their petty squabbles in order to rescue her, the group discover the thieves' hideout, using each of their talents to come up with a plan to ambush them. After Eren and Jean manage to recover the group's maneuver equipment and put a stop to the thieves' wagons, the thieves hold Christa at knifepoint, but she is rescued by the arrival of Mikasa and Annie after Armin had signalled for help. As the thieves are arrested, with no casualties taken, Armin wonders if the thieves' attack was part of the exercise all along.