I don’t know what he is either but we have to give our lives for him with as much bravery as we can muster! Pitiful, isn’t it? That this is the only thing we humans can do. We’re probably going to die like insignificant worms, for something we have no guarantee will pay off. So, what will you do? This is the battle we can fight. This is the struggle we can undertake. […] I can’t go along with that. I’ll follow the plan. I think what you’re saying is right. But while I struggle, I’ll teach them how terrible human beings can be. Because I refuse to die a dog’s death.” Don't let it deceive you, this is a brutal, cruel, raw, and gory world. Certainly not for the faint of stomach or heart.

One exist, another enters. The stage always needs someone in this role. When one actor leaves, another jumps in to take his place. The world will always have people like us. Break a leg.” Funnily enough, I fell absolutely in love with a couple of secondary characters but find the main trio a little bit annoying, though not really frustrating. On a positive note, I'm glad I dove in with an omnibus, including 3 volumes (and 13 episodes). Frankly, if I hadn't have had the opportunity to cover so much ground ... if I'd just read a few individual issues, I probably would have abandoned it relatively early on. Having so many personalities in such a complicated world already makes it feel real and raw. Which at the same time enriches the experience of the overall story and helps really take you in and transport you to the feelings and sensations of the moment. Though certainly not a horror Isayama did not pull punches when depicting what living in a war-torn world, plagued by human-eating monsters would signify; and that is often not pretty.Though just the beginning, these first thirteen chapters made me fall obsessed and in love with this story already. Hange, in this arc, is one of those characters that shine a little brighter. While I always enjoy the energy that Hange brings to the story, the determination Hange exudes is just breathtaking. Levi, however, does not fall behind, and if I had not been completely on his side, I definitely was cheering for him by the end of this collection. After all, if we went through so much in just the very beginning of it I can hardly imagine the kind of twists and turns we are going to get as the story progresses and develops. So far, we had explored the politics of this world in small dosages and intervals, after all, there were far more important things to focus on, but them taking center stage is nothing but immersive and gripping. We can really measure the scope of the world we are exploring based on how the political system is fleshed out.

Volume 1 = The short time with the 104th before Trost is this volume biggest weakness. However, I do enjoy the set up for Trost. The Colossus titan create some good mystery and is the main cause for the entire arc. Another part I like is the brief clash with Eren Squad with the titans. How even with their training they are massacred within seconds of encountering the titans. The manga builds up some hope before crushing it immediately. Eren being eaten leaving Armin as the lone survival with Mikasa looking off into the distance. Anyway, I hope the storyline changed to action and got some explanations to its mysteries rather than dealing with politics and such.Volume 3 = In this volume we dive into the mystery of Eren Titan power along with the first proper dive into the Survey Corps. This volume is my least favorite of the three, however I do enjoy the cover art the most. Most of the time the volume focus on conversation while setting up the battle to come within the next volume. We do get the introduction of Levi and Pixis two major characters for the series. Pixis is one of the most interesting characters with him being one of the first ready to sacrifice so much for victory and survivor. Simple and less-polished doesn't mean bad, necessarily, and we can see a prime example of it right here. Besides, the plot highly makes up for any shortcomings the art ever had. Volume 15: Who the hell is Eren's father and why did he do it to Eren??? I have sooo many questions right now!

Characters: Armin is my favorite of the three, however I think he declines towards the latter part of the series. Mikasa is also a great character with my favorite part being her interaction with Levi. How she learns and becomes a better fighter thought never a leader, a shame. Eren Is my least favorite of the three until the latter half of the series in which his role is switched. Volume is made more interesting by tossing him to the side. With great action as well as profound emotion, these early issues shape the potential of an incredibly interesting and nuanced story that can shape to be as epic as soul-filling in a fellswoop. So, yeah, some trigger warnings need to be taken into account before you start reading this fantastic series.Fight!! Fight, damnit!! If you don’t fight we’re gonna die. If you win, we live. If you don’t fight, we can’t win.” Though certainly not the best one I've ever seen there were some very beautiful and breathtaking pannels. And, often, when they weren't they provided a nice comic relief sequence that amused me to no end. Small thing about the titans: They are a big threat at the moment, however as most series go on, they are gradually replaced by far more serious threats. But what makes them so dangerous in my opinion is their crazy and erratic movement. Along with their strength and speed they are very dangerous. On a more spoilery note, the way that Levi and Hange torture a member of the interior garrison is pretty brutal, and these are meant to be the good guys, and no one seems to question their actions.

Really, I just wanted to hug and cheer with each character in turn, they made the whole experience that much more enjoyable.Yes, we might still be far away from any sort of resolution or concrete explanations, but the continued development, character-wise as well as plot-wise, makes the experience all the things that I love the most. As it is always important to note with mangas/comics/graphic novels the art was... an interesting experience.