Attack on Titan is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. The series began serialization in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine on September 9, 2009, and has been collected into 13 tankōbon volumes as of April 9, 2014. It is set in a world where humanity lives inside cities surrounded by enormous walls as a defense against the Titans, gigantic humanoid creatures who devour humans seemingly without reason. The story centers on Eren Yeager, his adoptive sister Mikasa Ackerman, and their friend Armin Arlert, whose lives are changed forever after the appearance of a Colossus Titan brings about the destruction of their home town and the death of Eren's mother. Vowing revenge and to reclaim the world from the Titans, Eren, Mikasa and Armin enlist in the Military and join the Survey Corps—an elite group of soldiers who fight Titans outside the walls.

 

  A spin-off light novel series began in December 2011, and has received a manga adaptation. Two additional spin-off manga series are also being serialized, and a television anime adaptation produced by Wit Studio and Production I.G aired in Japan on MBS between April and September 2013. 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, with another game developed by Spike Chunsoft for the Nintendo 3DS. A live action film adaptation is also in production and set to premiere in 2015.[4] Attack on Titan and all three spin-off manga are published in North America by Kodansha Comics USA, while the novels will be published by Vertical. The anime has been licensed by Funimation for North America, by Manga Entertainment for the United Kingdom, and by Madman Entertainment for Australasia.

 

  Attack on Titan has become a commercial success, with over 36 million volumes in circulation as of April 2014. The release of the anime also saw a boost in the series' popularity, with it having received critical acclaim for its atmosphere and story. Although it also gained fame in neighboring Asian countries, the series' themes have been a subject of controversy.

 

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  The story of Attack on Titan centers around the adventures of Eren Yeager, his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman, and their friend Armin Arlert. After the wall which protects Eren's hometown is breached by Titans, including the 60-meter skinless Colossus Titan and the abnormally intelligent Armored Titan, a young Eren suffers the death of his mother at the hands of a Titan. Once Eren and his friends are evacuated from the district to safety, he vows revenge against all Titans and later enlists in the military, accompanied by Mikasa and Armin. After a period of grueling training, the three elect to join the Survey Corps which would allow them to leave the safety of the walls and fight the Titans one-on-one. Following graduation, the three are positioned in District Trost which juts out into the Titan-infested lands of Wall Maria. However, they are surprised by the sudden appearance of the Colossus Titan which breaches the wall as it did to Eren's hometown 5 years prior.

 

  During the ensuing battle with Titans, Eren discovers, by accident, that he possesses the ability to transform into a Titan at will. Though he is seen as a threat to mankind, many others, including those within the Survey Corps, see Eren's ability as a ray of hope in the fight against the Titans. Eren's strong resolve and his ability to kill other Titans with relative ease earns him a valued position within the Survey Corps, alongside Mikasa and Armin. With the threat of new Titans and a possible end to society, Eren and his companions begin a desperate fight to protect what remains of mankind while unraveling the secrets and mysteries behind the Titans, the walls, and even Eren's own existence.