is a Japanese
dark fantasy
Dark fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy literary, artistic, and cinematic works that incorporate disturbing and frightening themes of fantasy. It often combines fantasy with elements of horror or has a gloomy dark tone or a sense of horror and dr ...
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
television series, adapted from the
manga of the same name by
Hajime Isayama
is a Japanese manga artist. His first series, '' Attack on Titan'' (2009–2021), became one of the best-selling manga series of all time with 110 million copies in circulation as of September 2022.
Biography
Isayama was born in Ōyama, Ōi ...
, that premiered on April 7, 2013. It has aired on
NHK General TV
, abbreviated on-screen as NHK G, is the main television service of NHK, the Japanese public broadcaster. Its programming includes news, drama, quiz/variety shows, music, sports, anime, and specials which compete directly with the output of its ...
in Japan, and
Aniplus Asia
ANIPLUS is an Asian multinational television channel and anime distributor based in Singapore and South Korea. Launched on 7 December 2009, the channel is currently available on SK Broadband, LG Uplus IPTV service, and KT SkyLife. The company als ...
in various
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific (APAC) is the part of the world near the western Pacific Ocean. The Asia-Pacific region varies in area depending on context, but it generally includes East Asia, Russian Far East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and Pacific Isla ...
countries. In the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, the series has been streamed on
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...
,
Funimation
Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...
,
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
,
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video, also known simply as Prime Video, is an American Video on demand#Subscription models, subscription video on-demand Over-the-top media service, over-the-top Streaming media, streaming and Renting, rental service of Amazon (c ...
, and
Hulu
Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
. ''Attack on Titan'' has also aired on
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
's
Toonami
Toonami ( ) is an American late night television programming block that primarily broadcasts Japanese animation and occasionally American action animation. It was created by Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco and produced by Williams Street, a divis ...
programming block in the U.S.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world where the remains of humanity live behind walls protecting them from giant humanoid
Titans
In Greek mythology, the Titans ( grc, οἱ Τῑτᾶνες, ''hoi Tītânes'', , ''ho Tītân'') were the pre-Olympian gods. According to the ''Theogony'' of Hesiod, they were the twelve children of the primordial parents Uranus (Sky) and Ga ...
, ''Attack on Titan'' follows protagonist
Eren Jaeger
, named Eren Jaeger (Turkish: Eren, "Saint"; German: Jaeger/Jäger, "Hunter") in the subtitled and dubbed versions of the anime '' Attack on Titan'', is a fictional character and the protagonist of the '' Attack on Titan'' manga series create ...
, along with friends
Mikasa Ackerman
The ''Attack on Titan'' manga and anime series feature an extensive cast of fictional characters created by Hajime Isayama. The story is set in a world where humanity lives in cities surrounded by enormous walls; a defense against the Titans, gig ...
and
Armin Arlert
The ''Attack on Titan'' manga and anime series feature an extensive cast of fictional characters created by Hajime Isayama. The story is set in a world where humanity lives in cities surrounded by enormous walls; a defense against the Titans, gig ...
. When a
Colossal Titan breaches the wall of their hometown, Titans destroy the city and eat Eren's mother. Vowing vengeance, Eren joins the elite
Survey Corps, a group of soldiers who fight against Titans. ''Attack on Titan'' chronicles Eren's journey with the Survey Corps as they fight against the Titans while investigating their origin and history.
Since its debut in 2013, ''Attack on Titan'' has received widespread critical acclaim and has notably sustained a broad, active, and international fan base. Critics and audiences have praised the show for its story line, animation, action sequences, characters, voice acting (both original and dubbed), soundtrack, and dark themes.
Series overview
Season 1
In the first season, the protagonist, Eren Jeager, witnesses his mother dying after being eaten by the series' main antagonists, the Titans. This becomes Eren's motivation to develop his combat skills in order to fight the Titans. Later on, Eren is eaten by a Titan himself but discovers that he can transform into a Titan, control it, and fight like he would as a human. Eren learns how to use his newfound powers to combat the Titans and continues his training as more titans continue to flood into his homeland.
Season 2
In its second season, the main cast of characters, who have joined the Survey Corps, are thrown into action after Titans breach the walls without any apparent trace of how they entered. Along the way, they discover the true nature of the Titans.
Season 3
In its two-part third season, the Survey Corps are hunted as Eren and another member are wanted. Later, they defend their hometown in a series of battles against the strongest Titans. Afterwards, reeling from the devastating battles, the Survey Corps members uncover the truth about their world and humanity in general.
Season 4
Its fourth season, split into three parts, takes place four years after Eren and his compatriots learned the truth about their situation. A new cast of characters, part of the enemy's elite Warrior Unit, is pitted into war against the Survey Corps as each side seeks to protect their home and ideals. At the same time, Eren has concocted a devasting plan to take care of his homeland's enemies.
Production
Season 1 and compilation films
Produced by
IG Port
is a Japanese holding company that was established on December 1, 2007, as a result of a merger between the Japanese anime studio Production I.G and manga publisher Mag Garden.
History
The merger between Production I.G and Mag Garden was ann ...
's
Wit Studio
(stylised as WIT STUDIO) is a Japanese animation studio founded on June 1, 2012, by producers at Production I.G as a subsidiary of IG Port. It is headquartered in Musashino, Tokyo, with Production I.G producer George Wada as president and Te ...
and directed by
Tetsurō Araki
is a Japanese animator, storyboard artist, and director. He goes by the alias when working as an episode director and key animator. His most notable direction titles include '' Death Note'' and the first three seasons of '' Attack on Titan''.
...
, ''Attack on Titan'' was broadcast on
MBS TV
JOOY-DTV, virtual channel 4 (Ultra high frequency, UHF Digital terrestrial television, digital channel 16), branded as (formerly until 23 July 2011), is the Kansai region flagship (broadcasting), key station of the Japan News Network, owned by ...
from April 7, 2013 to September 29, 2013, and later aired on
Tokyo MX
JOMX-DTV, branded as Tokyo MX (officially stylized as TOKYO MX), is an independent television station in Tokyo, Japan, owned by the . It is the only television station that exclusively serves the city. It competes with Nippon TV, TV Asahi, NH ...
,
FBS, TOS,
HTB,
TV Aichi
JOCI-DTV, branded as , is a television station in Nagoya, Japan operated by the Aichi Television Broadcasting Company, Ltd. (TVA; ja, テレビ愛知株式会社, Terebi Aichi kabushiki gaisha) and is an affiliate of the TX Network.
Broadcasti ...
and
BS11.
The anime had some production issues with needing more animators with Wit Studios' character designer, Kyoji Asano tweeting and looking for active animators to work on the anime.
Both
Funimation
Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...
and
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...
have streamed the series with subtitles on their respective websites. Funimation has also licensed the anime for home video release in 2014. Episode 1 of the English version premiered at
Anime Boston
Anime Boston is an annual three-day anime fan convention held in the spring in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Anime Boston was created and is run by the New England Anime Society, Inc., a Massachusetts-based non-profit organization.
Pro ...
, with other episodes put on Funimation's subscription services. On television of the series has broadcast weekly on
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
's
Toonami
Toonami ( ) is an American late night television programming block that primarily broadcasts Japanese animation and occasionally American action animation. It was created by Sean Akins and Jason DeMarco and produced by Williams Street, a divis ...
block on May 3, 2014, starting at 11:30 p.m. EST.
In Australia, the anime aired on
SBS 2
SBS Viceland (stylised as SBS VICELAND) is an Australian free-to-air television channel owned by the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). It began as SBS TWO on 1 June 2009, and was branded as SBS 2 between 2013 and 2016. On 8 April 2017, SBS ...
on Tuesdays, in Japanese with English subtitles, with the first episode having aired on September 30. The first season was acquired for distribution in the UK by
Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment was a producer, licensee, and distributor of anime in the United States and the United Kingdom. Originally founded in the UK in 1987, the UK branch became Funimation UK and Ireland in 2021, also currently known as Crunchyro ...
.
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., also known as Madman Films, is an Australian distribution and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising in feature films, documentaries and television series across theatri ...
acquired the show for distribution in Australia and New Zealand, and streamed the series on Madman Screening Room.
The final episode was also aired in Japanese theaters. The anime was compiled into two animated theatrical films with new voice acting from the same cast. The first film covers the first 13 episodes and was released on November 22, 2014, while the second film adapts the remaining episodes and adds new opening and ending footage. It was released on June 27, 2015.
A rebroadcast of the first season was aired from January 9, 2016 on
NHK
, also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee.
NHK operates two terrestr ...
's BS Premium channel. The compilation films were also broadcast in January 2017 on
MBS
MBS may refer for:
People
* Mohammed bin Salman (born 1985), crown prince and prime minister of Saudi Arabia
* Mohan Bikram Singh (born 1935), Nepalese politician
Places
* MBS International Airport (IATA code: MBS), Freeland, Michigan, US
* Mari ...
.
Season 2 and compilation film
A second season of the anime series was announced on the opening day of the first theatrical film, which was originally set to be released in 2016. It was then confirmed in the January 2017 issue of the ''Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine'' that the second season would premiere in April 2017. Masashi Koizuka directed the second season, with Araki acting as chief director.
It ran for 12 episodes from April 1, 2017, to June 17, 2017, on MBS and other television networks. A third compilation film recapping the events of the anime series' second season titled was released on January 13, 2018.
The season premiere was simulcast on Funimation, Crunchyroll, and the former's VRV channel at 10:30 AM EST. Funimation and Crunchyroll streamed the entire second season on their respective websites, while Adult Swim's Toonami aired a dubbed version.
It was also announced that the second season of ''Attack on Titan'' would premiere on Toonami on April 29. It was subsequently announced on April 3 that the second season would premiere one week earlier, on April 22 instead.
Madman Entertainment
Madman Entertainment Pty. Ltd., also known as Madman Films, is an Australian distribution and rights management company headquartered in East Melbourne, Victoria, specialising in feature films, documentaries and television series across theatri ...
streamed the season in Australia and New Zealand on
AnimeLab
Crunchyroll Pty. Ltd., trading as Madman Anime, is an Australian distribution company focused on anime and Japanese media. The company handles licensing and distribution of anime in Australia and New Zealand. Originally part of independent film ...
. Season 2 home media release was handled by Sony Pictures in the UK.
Season 3 and compilation film
On June 17, 2017, a third season was announced at the close of the second season's final episode, with a release date slated for July 23, 2018. A trailer for the third season was released on April 27, 2018. The series' third season aired in Japan on
NHK General TV
, abbreviated on-screen as NHK G, is the main television service of NHK, the Japanese public broadcaster. Its programming includes news, drama, quiz/variety shows, music, sports, anime, and specials which compete directly with the output of its ...
on July 23, 2018, with its first part running to October 15, 2018. Part 2 of the series' third season aired from April 29 to July 1, 2019. Hajime Isayama, the original manga's author and illustrator, works closely with the animators to ensure faithfulness to the story and gives suggestions, as well. In 2018, it was revealed that Isayama regretted doing a certain part of the manga in a certain way, so he personally requested the animation studio to make some changes in the anime. The studio honored this wish, resulting in the first part of Season 3 being a little different from the corresponding manga chapters. A fourth compilation film, , recaps all three seasons and was released on July 17, 2020.
Funimation announced that they would air the worldwide premiere of the first episode at
Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The convention is traditionally held annually on the first we ...
on July 8, 2018. They also announced that the first episode would air in theaters in the US and Canada alongside ''Attack on Titan: Roar of Awakening'' on July 10, 2018. Adult Swim aired the English version of the third season, starting from August 18, 2018 to July 27, 2019.
On July 4, 2020, Funimation announced that they licensed the compilation film for UK, Ireland, and North America release.
Season 4: ''The Final Season''
Upon the airing of the final episode of the third season on July 1, 2019, it was announced that the fourth and final season of the anime series was scheduled for release in Fall 2020 on NHK General.
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
Singapore as well as other various
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
n countries announced to start regional streaming from December 10 and 11. On September 23, 2020, NHK listed the final season on their broadcasting schedule as airing on December 7, 2020. On May 29, 2020, the final season was confirmed to have switched production studios to
MAPPA
is a Japanese animation studio headquartered in Suginami, Tokyo. Founded in 2011 by Madhouse co-founder and producer Masao Maruyama, it has produced anime works including ''Terror in Resonance'', ''Yuri!!! on Ice'', ''In This Corner of the Wo ...
.
Yuichiro Hayashi
is a Japanese anime director and animator. After joining an animation school at the request of a friend, Hayashi began working in the anime industry with ''Inuyasha'' in 2001 and later got his first role as director in 2012. Some series he has d ...
and Jun Shishido replaced Tetsurō Araki and Masashi Koizuka as directors, scriptwriter
Hiroshi Seko
is a Japanese anime screenwriter. After serving as an episode screenwriter, he was put in charge of all the screenwriting for ''Seraph of the End''. Since then, he has also done screenwriting for many other series, of which notables include ''Att ...
took over the series composition from Yasuko Kobayashi, and Tomohiro Kishi replaced Kyōji Asano as character designer. Kohta Yamamoto joined Hiroyuki Sawano to compose the music. The first part, which consists of 16 episodes, aired on NHK General TV until March 29, 2021. The second part, which consists of 12 episodes, aired from January 10 to April 4, 2022 at 12:05 a.m. JST.
Music
First season
In the first season, for the first thirteen episodes, the opening theme is by
Linked Horizon
Sound Horizon is a Japanese symphonic rock musical group with composer () as the leader and only permanent member. They describe themselves as a "fantasy band" and have released works that closely resemble classical suites. Their songs often ...
, and the ending theme is by
Yōko Hikasa
is a Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actress and singing, singer affiliated with I'm Enterprise.
Biography
Hikasa became interested in acting while watching ''Sailor Moon'' and ''Neon Genesis Evangelion''. She attended Nihon Narration Engi ...
. For episodes 14–25, the opening theme is by Linked Horizon, and the ending theme is "great escape" by
Cinema Staff
Cinema Staff (stylized as cinema staff) are a Japanese alternative rock band from Gifu Prefecture, formed in 2003. Originally formed as Real when the band members were still in high school, they made their major debut on the label Pony Canyon in J ...
. Both "Guren no Yumiya" and "Jiyū no Tsubasa" were released as part of the single "
Jiyū e no Shingeki
is the second single by Japanese band Linked Horizon. It was released on July 10, 2013, through Pony Canyon. A three-track single, it has been certified Platinum by the RIAJ for sales in the band's home country of Japan, with over 250,000 copies s ...
" on July 10, 2013, which sold over 100 thousand copies in its first week of sales.
The series' soundtrack was composed by
Hiroyuki Sawano
is a Japanese composer, arranger, lyricist, pianist, and Music Producer best known for his work on many anime series, video games, Japanese television drama, television dramas, and movies. His works include the Soundtrack, musical scores for ' ...
, and the first CD was released on June 28, 2013, by
Pony Canyon
, also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese mass media publishing company founded on October 1, 1966. The company publishes mainly physical home media on compact discs, including music, films and TV shows and video games. It is affiliate ...
. The first CD contains 16 tracks, including 6 vocal tracks performed by Aimee Blackschleger, CASG (Caramel Apple Sound Gadget), Cyua, Mika Kobayashi and mpi. The second CD containing the other half of the soundtrack was released on October 16, 2013, as a bonus offered with the fourth Blu-ray and DVD limited edition volumes of the anime.
Track listing
Second season
The opening theme is by
Linked Horizon
Sound Horizon is a Japanese symphonic rock musical group with composer () as the leader and only permanent member. They describe themselves as a "fantasy band" and have released works that closely resemble classical suites. Their songs often ...
, and the ending theme is by
Shinsei Kamattechan
is a Japanese rock band from Chiba, formed in 2007. The band consists of Noko (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, programming, composition), Mono (leader, keyboards, programming, tambourine), and Misako (drums). They describe themselves as an "In ...
.
Sawano returned to compose the soundtrack for the second season, with the 2-CD soundtrack released on June 7, 2017, by Pony Canyon. In addition to music composed for Season 2, the soundtrack also featured any and all tracks composed for other media in-between seasons one and two, such as compilation films and OVAs.
Vocals were provided by yosh, Gemie, mpi, Mica Caldito, Mika Kobayashi and Benjamin.
Track listing
Third season
The opening theme song is "
Red Swan" by
Yoshiki
Yoshiki is a masculine Japanese given name.
Possible writings
Yoshiki can be written using many different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples:
*義樹, "justice, tree"
*義基, "justice, foundation"
*義機, "justice, opportu ...
featuring
Hyde, while the ending theme is by
Linked Horizon
Sound Horizon is a Japanese symphonic rock musical group with composer () as the leader and only permanent member. They describe themselves as a "fantasy band" and have released works that closely resemble classical suites. Their songs often ...
. The second opening theme is by Linked Horizon, and the second ending theme is "Name of Love" by Cinema Staff.
Sawano once again returned as composer. The soundtrack was released on June 26, 2019. As with the second season's soundtrack, music featured in compilation films and OVAs released between season two and three was included in the soundtrack. Vocals were provided by David Whitaker, Eliana, Gemie, Laco, mpi, and yosh.
Track listing
Final season
The score is directed by Masafumi Mima and composed by
Hiroyuki Sawano
is a Japanese composer, arranger, lyricist, pianist, and Music Producer best known for his work on many anime series, video games, Japanese television drama, television dramas, and movies. His works include the Soundtrack, musical scores for ' ...
and Kohta Yamamoto.
For Part 1, the opening theme song is performed by
Shinsei Kamattechan
is a Japanese rock band from Chiba, formed in 2007. The band consists of Noko (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, programming, composition), Mono (leader, keyboards, programming, tambourine), and Misako (drums). They describe themselves as an "In ...
, and the ending theme song is performed by
Yūko Andō.
For Part 2, the opening theme song is "
The Rumbling
"The Rumbling" is a single recorded by Japanese alternative metal band SiM, released from the EP ''Beware'' through Pony Canyon label. The television edit version of the song was released on January 10, 2022, while the full version was released o ...
" performed by
SiM, and the ending theme song is performed by Ai Higuchi.
The soundtrack was composed by Kohta Yamamoto (on tracks 1–20), and
Hiroyuki Sawano
is a Japanese composer, arranger, lyricist, pianist, and Music Producer best known for his work on many anime series, video games, Japanese television drama, television dramas, and movies. His works include the Soundtrack, musical scores for ' ...
(on tracks 21–23), and was released on June 23, 2021 by
Pony Canyon
, also known by the shorthand form , is a Japanese mass media publishing company founded on October 1, 1966. The company publishes mainly physical home media on compact discs, including music, films and TV shows and video games. It is affiliate ...
. It was released digitally on several sites including
Apple Music
Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Apple M ...
and
Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...
. It contains 23 tracks, with two vocal tracks featuring performances by cumi and Hannah Grace.
Track listing
Anime films
For the first compilation film, "Attack on Titan – Part 1: Crimson Bow and Arrow," the ending themes were "YAMANAIAME" (lit. "Unstoppable Rain") by Hiroyuki Sawano feat. Mika Kobayashi, Mica Caldito & mpi and by Linked Horizon. For the second compilation film, "Attack on Titan – Part 2: Wings of Freedom," the ending themes was "theDOGS" by Hiroyuki Sawano feat. mpi. The film's theme song was by Linked Horizon.
Reception
Sales and accolades
The anime series has been successful in Japan, with average sales of 52,067 across 9 volumes, with a total of 468,603 . It was the number one selling TV anime of 2013 in Japan and is currently the eighth best selling anime of 2010's. It has also been very successful in the U.S. with sales of at least 200,000. It was also the number one streaming anime from Funimation in 2014 and the number one fan favorite Funimation home video released of 2014. The anime adaptation won multiple prizes during the 3rd ''
Newtype
is a monthly magazine publication originating from Japan, covering anime (and to a lesser extent, tokusatsu, manga, Japanese science fiction, seiyuu, and video games). It was launched by publishing company Kadokawa Shoten on March 8, 1985, with i ...
'' Anime Awards, including Best Director, Best Script, Best Soundtrack, Best Theme Song, Top Female Character and Title of the Year. It received the award for Best TV Animation at the 2013
Animation Kobe Awards. It received the award for Animation of the Year at the 2014
Tokyo Anime Award
The Tokyo Anime Awards started in 2002, but was named in 2005. The first, second and third award ceremonies were simply named 'Competition'. The award ceremonies were held at the Tokyo International Anime Fair (TAF) until 2013. In 2014, after the ...
, along with, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Music. It won the 2013 Digital Contents of the Year Award at Japan's 19th annual Association of Media in Digital (AMD) Awards.
Critical response
Carl Kimlinger from ''
Anime News Network
Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and oth ...
'' criticized the first two episodes of the anime adaptation, saying the director, Araki, "clearly intends it to be powerful and unsettling, but it's just crude and unpleasant." However, 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
Ann Radcliffe (née Ward; 9 July 1764 – 7 February 1823) was an English novelist and a pioneer of Gothic fiction. Her technique of explaining apparently supernatural elements in her novels has been credited with gaining respectability for G ...
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." Carlo Santos noted that "few
pocalyptic action showsget as close to perfection as ''Attack on Titan'' does". Santos described it as "a masterpiece of death and destruction" after watching only the first episode. Theron Martin of ''Anime News Network'' praised the musical score and the "intense, impactful first episode" despite his feeling that it has "limited animation". Martin also compared ''Attack on Titan'' vibe and visual aesthetic to ''
Claymore''.
John Sinnott of
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a home video news and review website launched in 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman.
History
Kleinman founded the site in January 1999 in Beaverton, Oregon. Besides news and reviews, it features information on hidden DVD features known as ...
called the series one of the best ones he has ever watched and one "that anime fans should not miss". Maya Phillips of
''New York'' magazine and Vulture praised the uniqueness of the series, stating, "In our current age of terrifying dystopian realities, it's hard to find a dystopian show with something new to deliver - and yet here it is." Phelim O'Neill of
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
, he praised the animation of the series as "spellbinding... It's all wonderfully acrobatic and intense". Regarding the climactic episodes of the third season's second half, Manga.Tokyo called Isayama a "genius" for using the revelations about Grisha's past to smoothly link present events to the beginning of the story.
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...
listed ''Attack on Titan'' in their "Top 25 best anime of the 2010s".
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
and ''
Polygon
In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two toge ...
'' also listed ''Attack on Titan'' among the best anime series of the 2010s.
Censorship
* : In 2015, the
Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China
The Ministry of Culture (MOC) was a ministry of the government of the People's Republic of China which was dissolved on 19 March 2018. The responsibilities of the MOC, which were assumed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, encompassed cultur ...
forbade distribution of "Attack on Titan," along with 38 other anime and manga titles, which were deemed to feature scenes of violence, pornography, terrorism and crimes against public morality, in an effort to "protect the healthy development of youth".
* : As part of
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
's censorship laws, it is required that parts of bodies which are considered indecent be censored. In Attack on Titan, the corpse of the Titan can be seen wearing a bodysuit.
* : In July 2021, the
government of the Russian Federation
The Government of Russia exercises executive power in the Russia, Russian Federation. The members of the government are the Prime Minister of Russia, prime minister, the Deputy Chairman of the Government, deputy prime ministers, and the federa ...
banned the distribution of ''Attack on Titan'' among various other titles citing “concern for the welfare of youth.” In the wake of the
military invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, the series distributor Crunchyroll
shut down its subsidiaries of Wakanim and Crunchyroll EMEA in the country, due to international sanctions thus preventing Russian viewers from streaming ''Attack on Titan''.
Viewership
In 2021, during the first part of the final season, ''Attack on Titan'' was the most viewed television program in the United States, before it was overtaken by ''
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
''The Falcon and the Winter Soldier'' is an American television miniseries created by Malcolm Spellman for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Sam Wilson / Falcon and Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier. ...
'' shortly before the mid-season finale. ''Attack on Titan'' broke the
Guinness World Record
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
for the "most in-demand anime TV show".
The show is also the only anime series to be in ''
TV Time
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, e ...
s top 50 most followed TV series ever, currently at number 47, making it one of the few Non-American titles and the only Japanese title in this list.
In 2022 ''Attack on Titan'' won the award of "Most in-demand TV series in the world 2021" in the
Global TV Demand Awards. ''Attack on Titan'' became the first ever non-English language series to earn the title of World’s Most In-Demand TV Show, previously held by only ''
The Walking Dead'' and ''
Game of Thrones
''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...
''.
Awards and nominations
See also
*
List of ''Attack on Titan'' chapters
*
List of ''Attack on Titan'' novels
Notes
References
; Citations
; Sources
*
*
*
External links
*
* at
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
*
*
* at
Funimation
Crunchyroll, LLC, previously known as Funimation from 1994 to 2022, is an American entertainment company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony as a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex that specializes ...
''Attack on Titan''at
The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (SFE) is an English language reference work on science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and f ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Attack on Titan episodes, List of
2013 anime television series debuts
2014 anime films
2015 anime films
2017 anime television series debuts
2018 anime television series debuts
Action anime and manga
Animated television series about teenagers
Anime and manga about revenge
Anime composed by Hiroyuki Sawano
Anime films composed by Hiroyuki Sawano
Anime series based on manga
Censored television series
Censorship in Malaysia
Censorship in Russia
Crunchyroll Anime Awards winners
Dark fantasy anime and manga
Dystopian anime and manga
Funimation
IG Port franchises
Mainichi Broadcasting System original programming
MAPPA
Muse Communication
NHK original programming
Post-apocalyptic anime and manga
Production I.G
Television censorship in China
Toonami
Upcoming anime television series
Wit Studio
Works banned in China
Works banned in Russia