Attack on Titan: Volume 1 - Hajime Isayama (Review)

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Amazon Summary: In this post-apocalytpic sci-fi story, humanity has been devastated by the bizarre, giant humanoids known as the Titans. Little is known about where they came from or why they are bent on consuming mankind. Seemingly unintelligent, they have roamed the world for years, killing everyone they see. For the past century, what's left of man has hidden in a giant, three-walled city. People believe their 100-meter-high walls will protect them from the Titans, but the sudden appearance of an immense Titan is about to change everything.

Rating: 4.5/5

Review: Quite literally one of the best pieces of work I've had the pleasure of coming across in a very long time. Like most people, I was introduced to Attack on Titan (originally Shingeki No Kyojin) through the anime. It's hard to review the manga without simultaneously admiring the work of the animated series because they are so entwined in my mind at this point. The story carries the weight of a well established legend and actually manages to give you a sense of what I imagine true primal fear could feel like.

After flying through the anime, I decided to pick up the manga to dig further into the characters and the history of the Titans. It cleared up a lot of the backstory and timing that I may have not gotten watching the first time around. If you're a fan, it's definitely worth reading.

The art in the manga is great and very easy to follow - but I must repeat how much I highly recommend watching the anime. The beautiful way they have animated these characters and brought them to life with color and an amazing score really brings this story to a whole new level. I was even satisfied with the male:female character ratio, and impressed by the personalities and skills each girl was given. If you follow me on Twitter I am sure you saw me fangirling like crazy as I watched through it.


Final Thoughts: Please, oh please do yourself the favor of either buying the manga or watching the anime. I guarantee that you will not regret it. One of the only things I've watched recently that has actually made my heart race and feel heavy with emotion.