 Attack on Titan ( Japanese : 進撃の巨人 , Hepburn : Shingeki no Kyojin , lit . " Advancing Giants " ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama . The series began in Kodansha 's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine on September 9 , 2009 , and has been collected into 19 tankōbon volumes as of April 2016 . It is set in a world where humanity lives in cities surrounded by enormous walls ; a defense against the Titans , gigantic humanoids that eat humans seemingly without reason . The story initially centers on Eren Yeager , his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman and childhood friend Armin <unk> , who join the military to fight the Titans after their home town is invaded and Eren 's mother is eaten . However , as the story progresses and the truths about the Titans are slowly revealed to the reader , the narrative shifts to encompass Historia Reiss , squad leader Levi , and other supporting characters . 
