Attack on Titan 1 Paperback – June 19, 2012

I find it absolutely hilarious that there are people who could read Attack on Titan and think that it's got some kind of xenophobic or nationalistic/isolationist political message in it. Because seriously--did those people even READ the story? Are they so unable to read the (not even that subtextual) subtext that they don't realize that AoT is a huge CRITICISM of any kind of overly isolationist, dictatorial government? If the main characters' passionate, curious attitudes toward freedom and going out to see what's beyond the walls of the tiny world they were born into in volume 1 wasn't hint enough, just keep on reading and the story will spell it out for you--why it's so important to face one's fears head-on and push outside your little "safety bubble" of complacency and LIVE (and it'll do it while being thrilling, entertaining, gut-wrenchingly moving, and surprisingly humorous at times, and will remind you about both how awful and how amazing human beings can be in the worst of times).As for the feeble and completely inaccurate claims of xenophobia, etc, our handful of slower-witted readers have suggested, I'd actually say Attack on Titan is one of the MOST inclusive, non-xenophobic (and NON-MISOGYNISTIC, while we're at it!) manga to come out of Japan in the past two decades, especially in the popular shounen manga category. While most shounen manga like to stick to a heavily (or entirely) Japanese setting with mostly Japanese heroes (which is totally fine, since these stories were written by Japanese people for the Japanese market), AoT goes out of its way to a) set the story in an identifiably western land with identifiably western-looking characters with western-sounding names (German, in fact, for the majority: Jaeger, Franz, Thomas, Annie, Reiner, Bertholdt, Erwin, Armin, Levi). Though interestingly, the author Isayama Hajime goes a step further by making the population ethnically DIVERSE on top of that--we have Mikasa Ackerman, whose Asian heritage and Japanese name are discussed frankly to be what they are (Asian/Japanese). Then we have characters like Franz, Ymir and Hanji Zoe who have clearly darker coloring and facial features that make them identifiably black, middle-eastern, and either middle-eastern or Indian/South Asian, respectively.In fact, in general, Isayama breaks so many molds of the "conventional look" of comics characters to make his characters visually diverse and inclusive--Mikasa Ackerman, the main heroine, is shown to be visually more muscular and thus, logically, *heavier* (yet still feminine and beautiful) than the main boy character (and her love interest) because she is blatantly shown to be physically stronger than him. There are very tall girls like Ymir and Nanaba, as well as very short ones who still kick butt (like Annie) or not (like Krista), girls with larger/not-cutely-Disney-Princess-like noses like Annie, boys who are petite and effeminate/delicate-looking like Armin, and boys who are super-tall (Bertholdt) or super-buff (Reiner) as well. The biggest badass in the entire series is a petite, muscular 30-something-year-old man who is SHORTER than almost all the kids and has the kind of baby face petite guys do in real life--but you would never see any of these types of people in any other manga (or western graphic novel, come to think of it. Especially the diversity among the women--western graphic novels require all major female characters to have the same slim, buxom body type and flawless, pretty faces with cute/petite noses, etc).But even aside from all the awesome inclusiveness in the looks and personalities of the characters, what makes AoT so special to me is that Isayama also has a very wide, inclusive view of all types of people in his heart and that inclusiveness and ability to see all people, regardless of race, looks, attitudes, etc, as PEOPLE who are worthwhile and worth having compassion for, is what makes his cast and their relationships so striking, unique, memorable, and imbued with the power to touch the audience.As for the whole premise of the story--of these humans, hiding (or more appropriately, TRAPPED) behind walls to hide from these giant, insensible, inhuman terrors--the POINT of the story is that the heroes and the handful of brave, perhaps foolish, people who join the Survey Corps are not content to live trapped inside the boundaries they were born into, even in the face of the deadly, terrifying hell that awaits them outside those boundaries. It's a story not just about the Japanese or any particular ethnic group--it's about humanity as a whole, and how magnificent the indomitable human spirit is that would choose freedom in the face of death-defying odds and fear over a life of safe complacency. It's the same struggle human beings the world over have faced since civilization began (Henry David Thoreau's "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation" essay, and "Just Around the Riverbend" from Pocahontas are just two of many, many examples)--do you stay in a safe, mind-numbing existence, or have the courage to push outside your safe zone and LIVE?THAT is what Attack on Titan is about.

No matter how gruesome this series is, it holds a special place in my heart. I stumbled across it on Toonami when it was still a thing, at 11 years old.The characters, the story. All came together wonderfully.1000000/10 would recommend

Attack on Titan is definitely one of my favorite animes and both the manga and anime were amazing! Isayama’s art style is raw and dynamic, perfectly capturing the intense action and the emotional moments. The characters are unforgettable. Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, and the entire Survey Corps are fully realized, and you can feel their growth, sacrifices, and pain throughout the story. Attack on Titan is a must-read for any manga fan. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions with breathtaking battles and a deep narrative. I also bought the physical manga and they were in perfect condition!

This is the first time reading manga for me and it is really impressive. Mr. Isayama did an excellent job on this book.

I have the advantage of watching several episodes of the show prior to reading. At times its hard to tell when there is a time skip and a lot of info is skipped. But still good!

This is really interesting and good. Don't really have much to say but I need to keep reading the volumes.

I didn't get to watch the anime or read this when it came put but am loving "discovering" it now!

I bought all of the currently available volumes of the manga at the same time, so I'm going to do a review right here of the whole thing. I won't include any huge spoilers.The setting of this world is basically the apocalypse; the majority of humanity has been wiped out by huge man-eating humanoid creatures called Titans. The survivors of humanity hide behind huge walls to protect themselves, and only a brave few, the Survey Corps, venture from the safety of the walls to fight against the Titans. For a hundred years, humanity has lived inside these walls in relative peace, without fear of being eaten by those monsters. All that is about to change when the Titans attack.Enter Erin Jaeger, a boy with intense drive, and a strong will to kill the Titans and see the world. His adopted sister, Mikasa, has a naturally aptitude for anything she tries, and she'll protect Erin with her life. Their best friend Armin is physically weak, but his intelligence is second to none. Together they'll try to survive in a world that seems to become deadlier by the day, and try to help save humanity from extinction.I've never read a manga before reading this, and I have to say, it'll be hard for anything to match Attack on Titan. This story draws you in with complex characters, elitism, and (for a lack of a better term) ninja action. If gruesome images bothers you, than a manga about man-eating monsters may not be best for you, but if you think you can get through it, you won't be disappointed. This is an excellent series and I cannot wait for more.