Been hearing about this for ages, particularly because, for some time (many moons ago), my elder was somewhat obsessed with it, and so (belatedly and for unclear reasons) I finally took the plunge.

Volume 15: Who the hell is Eren's father and why did he do it to Eren??? I have sooo many questions right now!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. 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. 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. Is there anything better than a good political thriller with awesome action scenes, deep character exploration, detailed worldbuilding, and some very interesting thematic and moral explorations? For me, the answer is no. So, this arc is exactly all that I love and more. Though just the beginning, these first thirteen chapters made me fall obsessed and in love with this story already.

In this one, we follow Eren on his journey to join the Survey Corps. He and his friends live in a world where humans are hunted by Titans. Humanity has been forced to hide behind walls that have kept them safe. Eren, unlike so many other people, wants to see what is beyond the walls. The only way he can do so is by joining the Survey Corps. The only problem is that the Scouts have a very high mortality rate. His family and friends don’t think that this is a good idea. This all changes the day that the Titans come through the wall and destroy everything in their path. Eren’s life is forever changed whenever he sees his mother eaten right in front of him. This moment restores his hatred of Titans and amps up his quest to join the Scouts. 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. 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.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.