Attack on Titan

Attack on Titan is a Japanese anime based on the manga series of the same name written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama. The series, directed by Tetsurō Araki and produced by Wit Studio (a subsidiary of IG Port), aired on MBS between April 6, 2013 and September 28, 2013. Both Funimation and Crunchyroll simulcast the series on their respective websites, and Funimation will release the series on DVD and Blu Ray in North American in 2014.

Attack on Titan is set in a world where humanity lives inside cities surrounded by enormous walls due to 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.

The series is set to begin airing on Adult Swim's Toonami block on May 3, 2014 at 11:30 PM.

Plot
The story follows 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 by 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.

Characters
Eren Yeager — The protagonist of the series. Idealistic, hotheaded, aggressive, and impulsive, Eren seeks to annihilate the Titans and explore the outside world. As a child, age 9, he killed two of the kidnappers who murdered Mikasa's family and convinced Mikasa to fight and kill the third one while he was being strangled by the latter. He and his father came looking for her after finding her parents' bodies. He was ranked 5th in his trainee class, having no particular talent aside from his excellent close combat skills, but has been slowly but steadily improving his grades through outstanding effort and a strong sense of purpose. Following his mother's death, Eren has a brief encounter with his father who entrusts him with a key to their old house's basement in Shiganshina, claiming that he must reach it by whatever means necessary, but is not informed by him about what really is hidden there.

It is later revealed that Eren possess the strange ability to summon and control the body of a 15 meter class Titan. Eren believes this ability to be the result of injections given to him by his father after the death of his mother, although there are indications that he had those powers way before this point.

Mikasa Ackerman — Adopted child of the Yeager family. Mikasa is the last known Asian living within the Walls after they were wiped out by the Titans. She is a quiet and withdrawn girl and her expression is always stoic except when Eren is in danger. Before she was adopted by the Yeagers, Mikasa and her mother were targeted by slave traders due to their race. However, after the slavers killed her father, Mikasa's mother lashed out to defend her daughter, resulting in her death. Mikasa was saved by Eren after he found them and killed the slavers. Due to this incident, she is very protective of Eren, and will follow and protect him no matter the circumstances, thinking that Eren is the last family she has and needs to stick with him no matter what. Although as the story progresses, it appears that the family kinship she feels for Eren is much deeper than what she claims. She only joins the military because of Eren. And although not literally thrilled to become a soldier she was ranked first in her graduating class. She is considered an unprecedented genius, a prodigy who excels in the most difficult courses. She is often teased about her attachment to her foster brother.

Armin Arlert — Eren's childhood best friend and Mikasa's closest friend. He is physically frail and relatively intrepid. Though timid and faint, his strategic intuition has saved Eren and Mikasa - and later everyone - several times. He believes himself to be completely incompetent in the beginning and hates himself for having to rely on his friends all the time. While Mikasa always fears for Eren's life, Eren worries for Armin's safety whenever they are in battle. It is also noted that Armin is the only one who manages to connect to and make Eren snap out of the animalistic control of his Titan side when he nearly kills Mikasa and snaps him out of his doubts when Eren cannot shift into his Titan form because of Annie. Armin has sub-par physical aptitude by soldiers' standards but is an alleged genius when it comes to theoretical courses. It is Mikasa who first encourages Armin out of his belief of being incompetent by pointing out that his strategic intuitions have always saved her and Eren in the past and he should have more faith in himself. As the story progresses his confidence blooms and his brilliant planning, tactics and deduction impresses high ranking officers that they respect his opinions considerably.

Episodes
Attack on Titan is a 25.5 episode anime series based on the manga by Hajime Isayama and serialized in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine. The series is produced by IG Port's Wit Studio and directed by Tetsurō Araki, series composition by Yasuko Kobayashi, music by Hiroyuki Sawano, character design by Kyoji Asano, art direction by Shunichiro Yoshihara and sound direction by Jin Aketagawa. The anime aired from April 6, 2013 to September 28, 2013 on MBS and later aired on Tokyo MX, FBS, TOS, HTB, TVA and BS11. Both Funimation and Crunchyroll streamed the series on their respective websites. Funimation has also licensed the anime for home video release in 2014. The anime will begin broadcasting on Adult Swim's Toonami block on May 3, 2014 at 11:30 PM.

List of Attack on Titan Episodes