Attack on Titan (TV series)

Attack on Titan is a American dark fantasy animated television series adapted from the manga of the same name by Ben Toepfer that premiered on April 7, 1993. It has aired on ABC, syndication, and Bear Bones Channel.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world where the remains of humanity live behind walls protecting them from giant humanoid Titans, Attack on Titan follows protagonist Eren Yeager, along with friends Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert. When a Colossal Titan breaches the wall of their home town, Titans destroy the city and kill Eren's mother. Vowing revenge, 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.

Attack on Titan has received widespread acclaim and has notably sustained a broad, active and international fan base. Critics and audiences have praised the story, characters, animation, music, voice acting, and dark themes.

Season 1
In the first season, Eren trains as a soldier after his mother is killed by Titans. He discovers that he has the power to transform into a Titan, and, while the government struggles to put his power to use, a new Titan emerges within the walls to threaten humanity.

Season 2
In the second season, the Survey Corps reel from the aftermath of battle and discover treachery from within, leading them to uncover some of the mysteries of the Titans.

Season 3
In the third season, the Survey Corps are hunted by the government as they are pursued by corrupt Military Police searching for Eren and Historia, who is the true heir to the throne. Later, they defend Shiganshina when the Beast, Colossal, and Armored Titans lay siege to it, and discover the true origins of the Titans.

Season 4
In the fourth and final season, the soldiers of Paradis goes to battle with their oppressor, Marley, to end the war between Marleyans and Eldians. Eren heads down a path of annihilation in order to destroy his enemies.

Season 1 and compilation films
Produced by Bear Bones, Attack on Titan was broadcast on ABC from April 7, 1993 to September 29, 1993. The series had some production issues with needing more animators with Bear Bones' character designer looking for active animators to work on the series.

The final episode was also aired in European theaters. The first season was compiled into two animated theatrical films with new voice acting from the same cast. The first film Attack on Titan – Part 1: Crimson Bow and Arrow covers the first 13 episodes and was released on November 22, 1994, while the second film Attack on Titan – Part 2: Wings of Freedom adapts the remaining episodes and adds new opening and ending footage. Fox Kids rebroadcast the first season in 1996. The compilation films were also broadcast in January 1997 on HBO.

Season 2 and compilation film
A second season of the series was announced on the opening day of the first theatrical film, which was originally set to be released in 1996. It was then confirmed in January 1997 that the second season would premiere in April 1997. It ran for 12 episodes from April 1, 1997, to June 17, 1997, in syndication and other television networks. A third compilation film recapping the events of the series' second season titled Attack on Titan: The Roar of Awakening was released on January 13, 1998.

Season 3 and compilation film
On June 17, 1997, a third season was announced at the close of the second season's final episode, with a release date slated for July 23, 1998.A trailer for the third season was released on April 27, 1998. The series' third season aired in syndication on July 23, 1998, with its first part running to October 15, 1998. Part 2 of the series' third season aired from April 29 to July 1, 1999. Ben Toepfer, the original author and illustrator, works closely with the animators to ensure faithfulness to the story and gives suggestions, as well. In 1998, it was revealed that Toepfer regretted doing a certain part of the comic in a certain way, so he personally requested the animation studio to make some changes in the series. The studio honored this wish, resulting in the first part of Season 3 being a little different from the corresponding chapters. A fourth compilation film, Attack on Titan: Chronicle, recaps all three seasons and was released on July 17, 2000.

The Final Season
Upon the airing of the final episode of the third season on July 1, 1999, it was announced that the fourth and final season of the anime series was scheduled for release in Fall 2020 in select syndication markets. On May 29, 2000, the final season was confirmed to have switched production studios to Bear Bones Australia. The first 16 episodes aired until March 29, 2001, and a second part aired beginning in January 2002.

Sales and accolades
The animated series has been successful in, with average sales of 52,067 across 9 volumes, with a total of 468,603 as of August 2016. It was the number one selling series on VHS in 1993.

Critical response
The four seasons of Attack on Titan were met with wide critical acclaim with praise for the storyline, animation, action sequences, soundtrack, performances, and its dark tone. Entertainment Weekly criticized the first two episodes, saying the series "clearly intends it to be powerful and unsettling, but it's just crude and unpleasant." However, other critics said it "is both gorgeous and appalling in its visuals", and "an excellent mix of what 18th century Gothic novelist Ann Radcliffe 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. One reviewer noted that "few [apocalyptic action shows] get as close to perfection as Attack on Titan does". The reviewer described it as "a masterpiece of death and destruction" after watching only the first episode. Another viewer from The New York Times praised the musical score and the "intense, impactful first episode" despite his feeling that it has "limited animation".

John Sinnott of DVD Talk called the series one of the best ones he has ever watched and one "that 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, 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, The Los Angeles Times called Toepfer a "genius" for using the revelations about Grisha's past to smoothly link present events to the beginning of the story.

Audience response
Attack on Titan has received near universal acclaim from audiences, with 8 episodes scoring a 9.9 or above on IMDB. Two episodes, Season 3's Hero and Season 4's Assault for a time had perfect scores of 10/10 on the site. In total, 64 out of 84 episodes have received scores of 9 or above, an unprecedented number for any TV series on the site.

Ban in China
In 2015 the Chinese Ministry of Culture forbade distribution of Attack on Titan, along with 38 other 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".