“Attack of the Titans” is a manga written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama . It was first published on September 9, 2009 in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine. It consists of a total of 34 volumes and 139 chapters. On May 9, Isayama published seven additional pages as a bonus to the last chapter.
About a century before the main plot begins, a mysterious race of giant ogres, known as “Titans,” suddenly appears and nearly exterminates humanity. In order to protect themselves from the resulting threat, the survivors built three walls, Rose, Maria and Sina, and then locked themselves away, oblivious to the dangers of the outside world.
A boy named Eren and his friends dream of ever seeing the world beyond the walls. But their peaceful life is suddenly interrupted when a 60-foot titan destroys the wall. The city is filled with titans. In this turmoil, his mother dies and he vows to destroy all titans to avenge her death. Later he enrolls in the Reconnaissance Corps. Together with his comrades, Eren discovers the true origins and nature of the titans, as well as the lost history of the world across the ocean.
The idea for the creation came to Isayama when he met a drunken man in an Internet café who grabbed him by the collar. The author said he was inspired by the man’s inability to communicate and reason, even though they belong to the same species. This encounter led him to believe that “the most familiar and terrifying animal in the world is man.” This idea describes titans, terrifying and dangerous creatures who, despite their humanoid appearance, are devoid of any humanity. Isayama also mentioned the visual novel Muv-Luv and the ARMS manga as major influences on his work.
The landscape was inspired by the nature of Isayama’s own hometown, which is located in the mountains. The author often wanted to visit beyond the mountains, which influenced the manga protagonist’s future desire to go beyond the walls. The anime producer added that the concept of isolation and overcoming the so-called “wall of fear” was also inspired by the isolated and enclosed nature of Japanese culture.
Isayama first drew the 65-page project in 2006 and offered it to Weekly Shōnen Jump, but was turned down and asked to rework the story itself and style to be more appropriate for the magazine’s readership. He declined and instead sent his work to the Weekly Shōnen Magazine department of Kodansha, where he was accepted and was able to begin publication in the first issue of Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine in September 2009. At the time, Isayama was 23 years old and this was the first work he had ever published.