Attack on Titan is currently one of the biggest series in all of manga and anime, not to mention one of the best-selling. The manga's 12-year run comes to an end in April 2021, but the anime remains ongoing. Well-known and loved for its dark story and tone, as well as its unique art styles, Attack on Titan is decidedly different from many of the other big names in the medium.
With the manga's impending completion and Part 2 of the anime's final season set to air in winter 2022, it's the perfect time for newcomers and those on the fence to check the series out. Here are the many ways to legally read and watch Attack on Titan, as well as its numerous and sometimes hilarious spinoffs.
Attack on Titan was created by Hajime Isayama, being published in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine from 2009 until April 2021. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where humanity is under siege from gigantic, cannibalistic giants called Titans, who eat humans and wreck civilization to drive the entire race close to extinction. Mankind subsequently fled to a civilization protected by three walls, developing weapons and gear that would allow them to combat the freakish Titans. Among them is protagonist Eren Yeager, who has a vendetta against the creatures for destroying his home. He soon discovers the ability to transform into a Titan himself, which is just one of the many secrets that unfold throughout the series.
There are over 130 chapters in the manga, which have so far been collected into 34 volumes. There are also several spinoff manga, including both canon and non-canon stories. These include the comedic parody Attack on Titan: Junior High, the even sillier Spoof on Titan, as well as the more serious Attack on Titan: Lost Girls and Attack on Titan: No Regrets, which give backstory for some of the main characters. As shown on the website for English distributor Kodansha, the original manga can be read through Comixology, Crunchyroll, INKR, Kindle, Mangamo and the Nintendo Switch app Inkypen. Retailers like Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Books-a-Million also carry the physical volumes.
The majority of the Attack on Titan anime was produced by Wit Studio, though this changed in the final season when MAPPA took over. The first half of this somewhat subversive last season has recently ended, with the true ending coming in winter 2022. The show is known for using animation that combines cel-shading and CG, giving it a distinctive and very well-received look. It emulates the manga's art style while also bringing to life the multi-directional weapons the characters swing back and forth on through the action scenes.
It's all amounted to a series with 75 episodes and eight OVAs so far. The latter includes adaptations of some of the aforementioned spinoff manga, including the Junior High series. This spinoff and the original series are both available to stream on Hulu, though only the subbed version is available. The series is available subbed and dubbed on Funimation, while Crunchyroll offers the main series and the talk-show discussion A Talk on Titan.
The anime can also be purchased for streaming through Amazon Prime Video, either as seasons or individual episodes. Other methods include purchasing the Blu-Ray and DVDs through Amazon, RightStufAnime and other retailers. With so many ways to watch, newcomers can easily catch up with Attack on Titan in time for the grand finale.
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