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Attack on Titan
Cover art of the first volume of the manga
進撃の巨人
(Shingeki no Kyojin)
GenreDark fantasy, Tragedy, Dystopia
Manga
Written byHajime Isayama
Published byKodansha
English publisher
MagazineBessatsu Shōnen Magazine
DemographicShōnen
Original runSeptember 9, 2009 – present
Volumes11 (List of volumes)
Light novel
Shingeki no Kyojin: Before the Fall
Written byRyō Suzukaze
Illustrated byThores Shibamoto
Published byKodansha
DemographicMale
Original runDecember 2, 2011 – present
Volumes3
Manga
Shingeki! Kyojin Chūgakkō
Written bySaki Nakagawa
Published byKodansha
MagazineBessatsu Shōnen Magazine
DemographicShōnen
Original runApril 9, 2012 – present
Volumes2
Anime television series
Directed byTetsurō Araki
Written byYasuko Kobayashi
Music byHiroyuki Sawano
StudioWit Studio
Production I.G (production cooperation)
Licensed by
Original networkMBS, Tokyo MX, FBS, TOS, HTB, TVA, BS11
Original run April 6, 2013 – present
Episodes25 + OVA (List of episodes)
Manga
Shingeki no Kyojin: Before the Fall
Written byRyō Suzukaze
Illustrated bySatoshi Shiki
Published byKodansha
MagazineMonthly Shōnen Sirius
DemographicShōnen
Original runAugust 26, 2013 – present
Video game
Attack on Titan: Lost In The Cruel World
DeveloperProduction I.G
PublisherProduction I.G
GenreVisual novel
PlatformBlu-ray
ReleasedSeptember 18, 2013
Manga
Shingeki no Kyojin Gaiden: Kuinaki Sentaku Prologue
Written byGan Sunaaku
Illustrated byHikaru Suruga
Published byKodansha
MagazineAria
DemographicShōjo
Original runSeptember 28, 2013 – present
Video game
Attack on Titan: A Choice With No Regrets
DeveloperProduction I.G
PublisherProduction I.G
GenreVisual novel
PlatformBlu-ray
ReleasedDecember 18, 2013
Video game
(Currently untitled Haganeya's VN)
DeveloperProduction I.G
PublisherProduction I.G
GenreVisual novel
PlatformBlu-ray
ReleasedDecember 18, 2013
Video game
Attack on Titan: Wall Sina, Goodbye
DeveloperProduction I.G
PublisherProduction I.G
GenreVisual novel
PlatformBlu-ray
ReleasedDecember 18, 2013
Video game
Attack on Titan: The Wings of Counterattack
DeveloperStrategy & Partners
PublisherStrategy & Partners
GenreAction
PlatformMobile phone
ReleasedApril 26, 2013
Video game
Attack on Titan: The Wings of Counterattack - Online
DeveloperStrategy & Partners
PublisherStrategy & Partners
GenreAction
PlatformWeb browser
Released2013
Video game
Attack on Titan
DeveloperSpike Chunsoft
PublisherSpike Chunsoft
GenreAction
PlatformNintendo 3DS
Released2013
Live-action film

Attack on Titan (進撃の巨人, Shingeki no Kyojin, lit. "Advancing Giants") is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. The story centers around the lives of Eren Yeager, his adoptive sister Mikasa Ackerman, and their friend Armin Arlert, who live in a world where the remnants of the human population live inside cities surrounded by enormous walls due to the sudden appearance of the Titans, gigantic humanoid creatures who devour humans seemingly without reason. Their lives are changed forever after the appearance of a colossal Titan brings about the destruction of their home town and the death of Eren's mother, spurring them to enter the army to battle the Titans themselves.

An anime television series debuted on April 6, 2013, on MBS.[Note 1] A live action film adaptation is also in production. Four video game adaptations developed by Nitroplus staffers in collaboration with Production I.G were announced to be released as bonus content for the third and sixth volumes of the Blu-ray Disc release of the anime.

The manga series has become a commercial success, selling over 20 million volumes as of mid 2013. The release of the anime also saw a boost in the series' popularity with several writers critically acclaiming for its atmosphere and story. Although it also gained fame in neighboring Asian countries, the series's themes have been a subject of controversy.

Overviews

Setting

One hundred years prior to the beginning of the story, giant humanoid creatures called Titans (巨人, Kyojin) have forced humanity to retreat into a system of concentric Walls (ウォール, Wōru) known as Wall Maria (ウォール・マリア, Wōru Maria, outermost), Wall Rosé (ウォール・ローゼ, Wōru Rōze, middle), and Wall Sina (ウォール・シーナ, Wōru Shīna, innermost). Inside these walls, humanity lived in peace for one hundred years, but in the beginning of the story, a sudden attack by a gigantic sixty-meter Titan and a smaller Titan covered in armor plates causes the outermost wall to be breached, forcing mankind to abandon the land between Wall Maria and Wall Rosé, which leads to famine and turmoil.

Little is known about the Titans, giant creatures that are usually between 3-15 meters tall with a few exceptions. The Titans instinctively attack and devour ordinary humans on sight. However, they apparently do not need to feed to survive, as they do not prey on other animals, even with the long absence of humans, and can survive by absorbing sunlight. They have hard skin and regenerative abilities, and can only be killed by a deep incision on the base of the neck. This weakness led to the development of the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment (立体機動装置, Rittai Kidō Sōchi), allowing humans to navigate quickly in a three-dimensional space to access the Titans' weak point. Although it allows great mobility to a skilled user, it carries a large risk of overtaxing the muscles, requiring special physical conditioning and a sense of balance to master it.

Plot

Main article: List of Attack on Titan characters

The series follows the story of Eren Yeager, his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman, and their friend Armin Arlert. After the outermost Wall is breached by Titans, including the 60-meter tall skinless Colossus Titan and the abnormally intelligent Armored Titan, and his mother dying in the resulting destruction, Eren vows revenge against the Titans and later enlists in the military, accompanied by Mikasa and Armin. Years later during his first battle against the Titans, Eren discovers that he has the ability to transform into a Titan at will. Seen as a threat to mankind by some, and as a ray of hope by others, Eren joins his companions in a desperate fight to protect what remains of their society while looking for answers to the mysteries surrounding the Titans, the Walls, and his own existence as well.

Production

Before publication Isayama already had thought ideas for twists although they are fleshed out when he is working on them. Isayama decided to use Titans in the series due to how "gross" they are. When designing them, he uses several models such as martial artist Yushin Okami for the protagonist Eren Yeager's Titan form[1] as well as Brock Lesnar for the Armored Titan.[2] The "Wall of Fear" is reportedly said to have been influenced by Japanese culture as due to their people becoming very isolated and enclosed. The people's inner feelings is one of the series' main influences.[3]

Media

Manga

Main article: List of Attack on Titan chapters

The manga series began its serialization in Kodansha's monthly publication Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine in its September 2009 issue. The first tankōbon volume was released March 17, 2010. The series has also been licensed in North America by Kodansha Comics USA. On June 2013, the manga reached the mark of 20 million copies in Japan.[4]

As of August 9, 2013, 11 volumes have been released.[5] In North America, the series is published in English by Kodansha Comics USA. They published the first volume on June 19, 2012,[6] with 5 volumes released as of June 4, 2013.[needs update][7]

Another manga series based on the prequel light novel Attack on Titan: Before the Fall is scheduled to start running on Kodansha's Monthly Shonen Sirius from August 2013. It will be drawn by Satoshi Shiki.[8] An additional spin-off based on the A Choice With No Regrets visual novel will begin serialization in Aria.[9]

Light novel

A light novel series titled "Shingeki no Kyojin: Before the Fall", written by Ryō Suzukaze and illustrated by Thores Shibamoto began on December 2, 2011. Its story is set before the events of the manga and it is published by Kodansha. Three volumes have been published so far.

Anime

Main article: List of Attack on Titan episodes

An anime television series adaptation produced by Wit Studio (a subsidiary of IG Port) debuted on April 6, 2013 on MBS, directed by Tetsurō Araki.[10][11][12][13] Both Funimation and Crunchyroll are streaming the series on their respective websites, and Funimation intends to release the series on home video in 2014.[14][15] The anime has been licensed in the UK by Manga Entertainment.

The first opening theme is titled "Feuerroter Pfeil und Bogen" (紅蓮の弓矢, Guren no Yumiya, lit. "Crimson Bow and Arrow"), performed by Linked Horizon and the first ending theme is titled "Utsukushiki Zankoku na Sekai" (美しき残酷な世界, lit. "This Beautiful Cruel World"), sung by Yōko Hikasa. Starting with episode 14, the opening theme changed to "Die Flügel der Freiheit" (自由の翼, Jiyū no Tsubasa, lit. "Wings of Freedom"), another track by Linked Horizon from their "Jiyū e no Shingeki" single which includes "Feuerroter Pfeil und Bogen".[16] This is accompanied by a second ending theme: "great escape" performed by Cinema Staff.[17]

An OVA version of the "Ilse's Notebook" special chapter from tankōbon volume 5 was originally scheduled to be released on August 9, 2013, bundled the volume 11 limited edition. It has since been postponed to be included with a limited edition of volume 12 instead.[18]

Games

Four video game adaptations of Attack on Titan developed by Nitroplus staffers in collaboration with Production I.G were announced.[19] Nitroplus clarified that the studio as a company is not involved in the Attack on Titan Blu-ray Disc games, while individual staffers are.[20] The games are visual novels and will be included in the first copies of the third and sixth Blu-ray Disc volumes of the anime. The games will cover spin-off stories about the characters of Attack on Titan. Hajime Isayama himself is supervising the development of the games; Production I.G is collaborating at the project too.

The third Blu-ray volume will be released on September 18 with Seko's Lost In The Cruel World visual novel about Mikasa, and a preview of Saaku's A Choice With No Regrets (悔いなき選択, Kuinaki Sentaku).[21] The sixth Blu-ray volume will be released on December 18 with the full version of A Choice With No Regrets about Levi and Erwin's past, Haganeya's currently untitled visual novel about Eren and Levi, and Seko's Wall Sina, Goodbye visual novel about Annie.[21]

An action game, titled Attack on Titan: The Wings of Counterattack (進撃の巨人 ~反撃の翼~, Shingeki no Kyojin: Hangeki no Tsubasa), is in development by Spike Chunsoft for the Nintendo 3DS for release in 2013.[22][23][24]

Film

A live action film is in production. In December 2012, it was reported that Tetsuya Nakashima has left his position as director of the live-action film. According to film distributor Toho, Nakashima had considerable creative differences on the scriptwriting and other matters.[25][26][27]

Reception

The series won the Kodansha Manga Award in the shōnen category in 2011.[28][29] As of June 2013, the series has over 20 million copies in Japan. The anime is noted to have helped in boosting the series' sales while Mainichi Shimbun called it a "once-in-a-decade hit."[30]

Carl Kimlinger from Anime News Network was sharply critical of the first two episodes of the series. He did praise the show for "[bringing] back the terror of the fee-fi-fo-fum set", but then said that it "does not a good show make". Kimlinger criticized Araki's direction, saying he "clearly intends it to be powerful and unsettling, but it's just crude and unpleasant."[31] On the other hand, other critics from Anime News Network praised much of the series. Rebecca Silverman said it "is both gorgeous and appalling in its visuals", and "an excellent mix of what 18th century Gothic novelist Ann Radcliffe defined as horror versus terror: the one is physical, making you want to look away, and the other is intellectual, making you want to know what's going to happen next."[32] Though there are several apocalyptic action shows, Carlo Santos noted that "few get as close to perfection as Attack on Titan does". Santos described it as "a masterpiece of death and destruction" even if he only watched the first episode.[33] Theron Martin praised the musical score and the "intense, impactful first episode" despite he felt it has a "limited animation". Martin also compared Attack on Titan's vibe and visual aesthetic to Claymore.[34]

The series has also gained popularity in neighboring Asian countries. For instance, coverage of the anime appeared on the front page of the Hong Kong free Chinese newspaper am730 on May 27, 2013, concerning its popularity within Hong Kong as well as China and Taiwan.[35] However, the series also attracted criticism: the South Korean Electronic Times magazine accused Attack on Titan for having a militaristic message that serves Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's political leanings;[36] while the series also resonated with Hong Kong youths who saw the invading Titans as a metaphor for Mainland China.[35] Hong Kong media commentator Wong Yeung Tat praised Hajime Isayama's style and the versatility of Attack on Titan's setting, which opens itself to the readers' various interpretations.[37] In 2013, after media linked to a 2010 blog post by Isayama indicating that the design of the character Dot Pixis was based on that of the Imperial Japanese General Akiyama Yoshifuru, an Internet flame war about the general's war record ensued on his blog, including death threats to Isayama.[38]

Notes

  1. ^ As Attack on Titan airs in MBS's Saturday 25:58 (1:58 am JST) time slot, the premiere technically occurred on Sunday, April 7, 2013.

References

  1. ^ "Interview with Attack on Titan Creator Hajime Isayama". MTV. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  2. ^ Isayama, Hajime (2013-04-17). "アクセス数がすごい！". Blog.livedoor.jp. Retrieved 2013-05-19.
  3. ^ "Interview: George Wada, Producer of Attack on Titan". Anime News Network. July 23, 2013. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  4. ^ "YAttack on Titan & Animal Land Tag-Team on Magazine Cover". Anime News Network. 2013-06-04. Retrieved 2013-06-04.
  5. ^ "進撃の巨人(11)特装版 (プレミアムKC)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  6. ^ "Attack on Titan 1". Random House. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  7. ^ "Attack on Titan 5". Random House. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
  8. ^ "Daphne in the Brilliant Blue's Shiki Penning Attack on Titan Spinoff Manga (Updated)". Anime News Network. 2013-08-21. Retrieved 2013-08-21.
  9. ^ "Attack on Titan Spinoff Manga to Run in Aria Shōjo Magazine - News". Anime News Network. 2013-08-22. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  10. ^ "コミックナタリー - アニメ「進撃の巨人」に神谷浩史、小野大輔、朴ロ美出演". Natalie.mu. 2013-04-03. Retrieved 2013-05-11.
  11. ^ "放送情報 | TVアニメ「進撃の巨人」公式サイト". Retrieved 2013-05-11.
  12. ^ "Yuuki Kaji, Yui Ishikawa, Marina Inoue Lead Attack on Titan Cast". Anime News Network. 2012-12-05. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  13. ^ "Saki Fujita, Keiji Fujiwara Join Attack on Titan TV Anime's Cast". Anime News Network. 2013-03-08. Retrieved 2013-03-09.
  14. ^ "Funimation Plans Attack on Titan on Home Video in 2014". Anime News Network. 2013-05-19. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  15. ^ "Crunchyroll to Stream "Attack on Titan" Anime". Crunchyroll. 2013-04-13. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
  16. ^ "Attack on Titan Giants Eat at Pizza Hut, Too". Anime News Network. 2013-06-05. Retrieved 2013-06-06.
  17. ^ ドコデモタワレコ. "cinema staff、「進撃の巨人」ED曲"great escape"発売決定! 亀田誠治と初タッグ - TOWER RECORDS ONLINE". Tower.jp. Retrieved 2013-07-01.
  18. ^ "Attack on Titan Original Anime DVD Delayed 4 Months". Anime News Network. 2013-06-02. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
  19. ^ "Attack On Titan Games Coming From Steins;Gate Developer Nitroplus". Siliconera. 2013-05-19. Retrieved 2013-05-25.
  20. ^ "Nitro+: Not Involved in Blu-ray Visual Novels, But Our Staffers Are". Anime News Network. 2013-05-21. Retrieved 2013-05-25.
  21. ^ a b "Attack on Titan Blu-rays Add Visual Novels by Nitro+ Staff". Anime News Network. 2013-05-18. Retrieved 2013-05-25.
  22. ^ "Magazine: Attack on Titan Has Video Game Planned - Interest". Anime News Network. 2013-07-02. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
  23. ^ "Attack on Titan Video Game Slated for 2014 - News". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2013-07-12.
  24. ^ "Attack on Titan Gets 3DS Game from Spike Chunsoft in 2013 - News - Anime News Network:UK". Anime News Network. 2013-08-06. Retrieved 2013-08-28.
  25. ^ "Director Nakashima Leaves Live-Action Attack on Titan Film". Anime News Network. 2012-12-13. Retrieved 2013-04-08.
  26. ^ "実写映画版 『進撃の巨人』 の中島哲也監督が降板". Retrieved 2012-12-13.
  27. ^ "Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan Manga to Get Film in Fall 2013". Anime News Network. 2011-10-12. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
  28. ^ "講談社漫画賞 (過去の受賞者一覧)" (in Japanese). Kodansha. Retrieved 2013-04-10. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ "March comes in like a lion, Space Bros. Win Kodansha Manga Awards". Anime News Network. 2011-05-12. Retrieved 2013-04-10.
  30. ^ "Attack on Titan Manga Prints 8.7 Million More After Anime". Anime News Network. June 3, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  31. ^ Kimlinger, Carl (April 4, 2013). "The Spring 2013 Anime Preview Guide". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  32. ^ Silverman, Rebecca (April 3, 2013). "The Spring 2013 Anime Preview Guide". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  33. ^ Santos, Carlo (April 4, 2013). "The Spring 2013 Anime Preview Guide". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  34. ^ Martin, Theron (April 3, 2013). "The Spring 2013 Anime Preview Guide". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2013-03-18.
  35. ^ a b "Attack on Titan explosive hit in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan - 4 million YouTube hits - Netizens debate walls under siege (《進擊の巨人》爆紅中港台 Youtube點擊400萬 網民熱議圍牆抗敵)". am730. Hong Kong. May 27, 2013. p. 1. Retrieved 2013-06-27.
  36. ^ "A revival of militarism? Attack on Titan sparks Korean-Japanese spat (軍國主義復活？／進擊的巨人 引發韓日論戰)". The Liberty Times. Taipei. June 12, 2013. Retrieved 2013-06-27.
  37. ^ Wong Yeung Tat (February 13, 2011). "Popular Manga: Because we have our own titans to defeat (流行漫畫﹕因為，我們也有想要打倒的巨人)". Ming Pao. Hong Kong. Retrieved 2013-06-27.
  38. ^ "A Thousand Death Threats Against a Popular Anime Creator". io9. July 1, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2013.
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