Attack on Titan gets second series in 2016
Ian Wolf •
A second series based on the best-selling horror manga Attack on Titan has been commissioned for 2016.
The announcement was made at a stage greeting event to mark the release of the first compilation film based on the show, Attack on Titan Part 1: Crimson Bow and Arrow. It was also revealed that a second film, Attack on Titan Part 2: Wings of Freedom, is to be released on 27th June, 2015. Both films get their names from the theme tunes used in the first TV anime adaptation released in 2013.
Attack on Titan first began as a manga in 2009. Created by Hajime Isayama, the story is set in a post-apocalyptic future in which a race of man-eating giants known as “Titans” as brought humanity to the verge of extinction, with what remains of the human race living in a city protected by three giant walls. One day a “Colossal Titan” as big as the outermost wall breaks in causing humanity to flee. The story follows some of the survivors who decide to join the army to fight the Titans: Eren Yeager, who plans to kill every Titan after one eats his mother; Mikasa Ackerman, Eren’s adopted sister and a brilliant fighter; and friend Armin Arlert, praised for his intelligence.
Attack on Titan is one of the most popular manga and anime series in history. In the first half of 2014 it topped the half-year sales figures for manga in Japan, making it the first manga break One Piece‘s five-year unbroken record at the top. In September, Isayama said that he plans to end the series in about three years, creating a total of 20 volumes. Currently 14 have been published, released in English by Kodansha Comics. Several spin-off manga have also been released in English by Kodansha, and light novel versions have been released by Vertical.
The anime version of Attack on Titan was directed by Tetsuro Araki for Wit Studio. It was first streamed in English by Crunchyroll, and later released on DVD and Blu-Ray in the UK by Manga Entertainment over two parts. A live action film version is also in production, with cast photos revealed earlier this week.
