"Attack on Titan," the widely-popular apocalyptic manga created by Hajime Isayama, has spawned, among others, a live-action mini-series. According to The Asahi Shimbun, the three-episode series serves as a tie-in to the two live-action movies based on the manga series.
In a bid to tell the story in a different perspective, the mini-series titled "Shingeki no Kyojin: Hangeki no Noroshi" ("Attack on Titan: Beacon for Counterattack") focuses on Commander Hans as he discoverd terrible secrets about the flesh-eating monsters. Satomi Ishihara, who plays the role in the upcoming "Attack on Titan" live-action films, will reprise his role in the mini-series.
The mini-series will also reveal how the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment and the team assembled to take out the cannibalistic titans took shape. In the story, fans will also get to know Izuru (Yuta Hiraoka), a key character in the mini-series who did not appear in the manga and was solely made for the live-action retelling.
"Attack on Titan: Beacon for Counterattack" will be streamed via the dTV online-video service from NTT Docomo Inc. starting Aug. 15. This is two weeks after the first part of the "Attack on Titan" live-action film hits theaters in South East Asia on Aug. 1. The second part, titled "Attack on Titan: End of the World," will come out on Sept. 19.
In another "Attack on Titan"-related news, Kodansha Comics announced during their San Diego Comic-Con panel that a pair of exclusive, special edition packages for "Attack on Titan" volumes 16 and 17 are coming soon.
Volume 16, which also includes 54 premium playing cards on top of the copy of the manga, is sealed in a variant dust jacket designed by "The Walking Dead" co-creator Tony Moore. It will be released on Aug. 25.
Fans will have to wait until Dec. 1 to get "Attack on Titan" volume 17, which also contains a DVD with an episode from the series that's yet to air in the U.S.. Also in it is "Ilse's Notebook," an animated "side story" made by the cast and crew of the anime series.
