Attack on Titan: Before the Fall

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall

The cover of the first light novel volume.
進撃の巨人 Before the fall
(Shingeki no Kyojin Before the fall)
Light novel
Written by Ryō Suzukaze
Illustrated by THORES Shibamoto
Published by Kodansha
English publisher
Demographic Male
Imprint Kodansha Ranobe Bunko
Original run December 2, 2011 – June 29, 2012
Volumes 3
Manga
Written by Ryō Suzukaze
Illustrated by Satoshi Shiki
Published by Kodansha
English publisher
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Monthly Shōnen Sirius
Original run August 26, 2013 – present
Volumes 10

Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (進撃の巨人 Before the fall, Shingeki no Kyojin: Before the Fall) is a series of Japanese light novels written by Ryō Suzukaze and illustrated by THORES Shibamoto. The novels began publication in 2011. The series is a prequel to Hajime Isayama's Attack on Titan manga.

A manga adaptation by Satoshi Shiki began serialization in 2013.

Plot

The series is set 70 years before the events of Attack on Titan,[1] and is divided into two parts: the first focuses on Angel Aaltonen,[2] the developer of the Vertical Maneuvering Equipment;[3] the second part follows the life of Kuklo, a boy who was found as a baby in a pile of Titan vomit, having been birthed by one of the Titan's victims after they were eaten. He is labelled the "Titan's son" and imprisoned for many of his younger years, before being freed by his owner's daughter, Sharle, and eventually joining the Survey Corps.[4]

Media

Light novel

The series of light novels is written by Ryō Suzukaze, with illustrations by THORES Shibamoto. Three volumes were released between 2011 and 2012. It serves as a prequel to the Attack on Titan manga, written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama.[1]

The series was licensed in North America by Vertical,[1] who published the first volume in summer 2014,[5] followed by the second and third volumes in a 2-in-1 omnibus format in summer 2015.[6][7] Attack on Titan: Before the Fall 3 part novel series begins with Volume 1 as Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, Volume 2 as Marching Giants and Volume 3 as Kuklo Unbound. Volume 2, Marching Giants is only available in Japanese. The English version combines Volumes 2 and 3 into Kuklo Unbound.

Volume list

No.Japanese release dateJapanese ISBNEnglish release dateEnglish ISBN
1 December 2, 2011[8]ISBN 978-4-06-375202-1September 16, 2014[9]ISBN 978-1-939130-86-0
2 March 30, 2012[10]ISBN 978-4-06-375228-1May 26, 2015[11]ISBN 978-1-939130-87-7
3 June 29, 2012[12]ISBN 978-4-06-375243-4May 26, 2015[11]ISBN 978-1-939130-87-7

Manga

A manga adaptation, written by Suzukaze and illustrated by Satoshi Shiki, began publication in Kodansha's Monthly Shōnen Sirius magazine on August 26, 2013.[3][13][14] The series received a special chapter in the May issue of Monthly Shōnen Sirius on March 25, 2014.[15]

Kodansha Comics USA announced in October 2013 that it had licensed the series, and began releasing it in North America in spring 2014.[14]

Volume list

The series has been collected into ten volumes as of December 2016, all of which have been published in English.

No.Japanese release dateJapanese ISBNEnglish release dateEnglish ISBN
1 December 9, 2013[16]ISBN 978-4-06-376439-0March 11, 2014[17]ISBN 978-1-61262-910-0
  1. "The Titan's Son" (巨人の子, Kyojin no Ko)
  2. "Her Determination" (覚悟の少女, Kakugo no Shōjo)
  3. "Moonlit Oath" (月下の約束, Gekka no Yakusoku)
  • "Trailer"
2 April 9, 2014[18]ISBN 978-4-06-376460-4August 19, 2014[19]ISBN 978-1-61262-912-4
  1. "Stormy Night" (嵐の夜, Arashi no Yoru)
  2. "Predawn Departure" (未明の出立, Mimei no Shuttatsu)
  3. "Proof of Humanity" (人間の証明, Ningen no Shōmei)
  4. "The Freshly Blood-Soaked Earth" (鮮血の大地, Senketsu no Daichi)
3 August 8, 2014[20]ISBN 978-4-06-376486-4December 9, 2014[21]ISBN 978-1-61262-914-8
  1. "Predatory Cycle" (捕食の構図, Hoshoku no Kōzu)
  2. "The Crimson Tower" (紅蓮の巨塔, Guren no Kyotō)
  3. "The Unicorn's Plight" (一角獣の陥穽, Yunikōn no Kansei)
  • "Carlo Pikale's Expedition Report" (カルロ・ピケール 遠征報告, Karuro Pikēru Repōto)
4 December 9, 2014[22]ISBN 978-4-06-376515-1March 31, 2015[23]ISBN 978-1-61262-981-0
  1. "Serendipity Behind Bars" (獄中の奇縁, Gokuchū no Kien)
  2. "The Killing Fields" (刑戮の荒野, Keiriku no Kōya)
  3. "Left for Dead" (苟且の死者, Kōsho no Shisha)
  • "Sharle's Shiganshina Diary" (シャルルのシガンシナ日誌, Sharuru no Shiganshina Nisshi)
5 April 9, 2015[24]ISBN 978-4-06-376537-3August 25, 2015[25]ISBN 978-1-61262-982-7
  1. "Visitors to the Industrial City" (工場都市の来者, Kōjō Toshi no Raisha)
  2. "Visions of the Future" (幻視の未来, Genshi no Mirai)
  3. "Thicket of Iron Bamboo" (黑金の竹林, Kurogane no Chikurin)
  4. "The Corps Collapses" (潰乱の兵団, Kairan no Heidan)
6 August 7, 2015[26]ISBN 978-4-06-376564-9December 29, 2015[27]ISBN 978-1-63236-224-7
  1. "Bacchanalia of Greed" (強欲の狂宴, Gōyoku no Kyōen)
  2. "Oath in the Bamboo Thicket" (竹林の誓い, Chikurin no Chikai)
  3. "The Quickening of Ambition" (野望の胎動, Yabō no Taidō)
  • "The Recruit's First Mission" (或る新兵の初陣, Aru Shinpei no Uijin)
  • "The Girl Waiting in the Workshop" (工房で待つ少女, Kōbō de Matsu Shōjo)
7 December 9, 2015[28]ISBN 978-4-06-376590-8April 12, 2016[29]ISBN 978-1-63236-225-4
  1. "Den of Treachery" (詭謀の栖, Kibō no Su)
  2. "Abyss Below the Wall" (壁下の深淵, Hekika no Shin'en)
  3. "Rondo of Darkness" (闇の輪舞, Yami no Rinbu)
  4. "Wail from the Shadows" (晦冥の鬼哭, Kaimei no Kikoku)
  • "Swear upon Wall Maria" (ウォール・マリアに誓う, Wōru Maria ni Chikau)
8 April 8, 2016[30]ISBN 978-4-06-390619-6August 9, 2016[31]ISBN 978-1-63236-260-5
  1. "Before The Storm" (嵐の前, Arashi no Mae)
  2. "The Fires of Upheaval" (動乱の炎, Dōran no Honō)
  3. "The Rivalry's Outcome" (相克の行方, Sōkoku no Yukue)
  4. "Dense Space" (堅緻の空隙, Kenchi no Kūgeki)
  • "Master of Vertical Maneuvering" (立体機動の師, Rittai Kidō no Shi)
9 August 9, 2016[32]ISBN 978-4-06-390641-7December 13, 2016[33]ISBN 978-1-63236-320-6
  1. Jōran no Toshi (擾乱の都市)
  2. Gekiran no Hate (逆乱の果て)
  3. Shukuen no Sōken (宿縁の双剣)
  4. Kochū no Yaen (籠中の夜宴)
  • Yabō no Hōga (野望の萌芽)
10 December 9, 2016[34]ISBN 978-4-06-390667-7April 18, 2017[35]ISBN 978-1-63236-381-7

Reception

The manga had 1.4 million copies in print in August 2015.[36]

A number of volumes of the manga have made it onto The New York Times manga best-sellers list:

Reviewing the first novel for Anime News Network, Rebecca Silverman called it "well-written, engrossing, and with the feel of historical fiction rather than fantasy". She wrote that "Suzukaze's writing style is very visual ... the prose can make your stomach churn and hair stand on end, not so much in a straight horror way, but more in the sense of a nightmare coming true when you had convinced yourself that it was just a dream." She concluded by saying "If you aren't tired of Attack on Titan or perhaps just want a boost to flagging interest, Before the Fall is absolutely worth reading", and gave the book a grade of A-.[2] Reviewing the second, omnibus volume, she also gave it a grade of A-, calling the book "an exciting read that requires little prior knowledge of the AoT world." She was critical of the fact that "Sharle, who begins as a promising character, is woefully underdeveloped and underutilized", but concluded her review by saying that the story "gives us what the original manga does in novel form, and there really isn't much higher praise that an adaptation can get than that."[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Vertical Adds Attack on Titan: Before the Fall Light Novel Series". Anime News Network. October 11, 2013. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  2. 1 2 Silverman, Rebecca (September 25, 2014). "Attack on Titan: Before the Fall Novel 1". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Green, Scott (August 20, 2013). ""Attack on Titan: Before the Fall" Prequel Manga Launches Next Week". Crunchyroll. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Silverman, Rebecca (May 29, 2015). "Attack on Titan: Before the Fall Novel 2 - Kyklo". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  5. ↑ Green, Scott (October 11, 2013). "Vertical Announces "Attack on Titan" Light Novels". Crunchyroll. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Vertical Licenses More Attack on Titan Light Novels". Anime News Network. October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  7. ↑ Green, Scott (October 12, 2014). "Vertical Announces "Attack on Titan: Harsh Mistress of the City" Light Novel". Crunchyroll. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  8. ↑ 進撃の巨人　Ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｌｌ [Attack on Titan: Before the Fall]. Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (Novel)". Penguin Random House. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  10. ↑ 進撃の巨人　Ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｌｌ２ [Attack on Titan: Before the Fall 2]. Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  11. 1 2 "Attack on Titan: Kuklo Unbound". Penguin Random House. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  12. ↑ 進撃の巨人　Ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｌｌ３ [Attack on Titan: Before the Fall 3]. Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Daphne in the Brilliant Blue's Shiki Penning Attack on Titan Spinoff Manga (Updated)". Anime News Network. August 20, 2013. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  14. 1 2 "Kodansha Comics Adds Attack on Titan: Before the Fall, No Regrets Spinoff Manga". Anime News Network. October 11, 2013. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  15. ↑ "3 Attack on Titan Spin-Off Manga Series Get Special Chapters in Sirius". Anime News Network. February 26, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  16. ↑ 進撃の巨人　Ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｌｌ（１） [Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (1)]. Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Attack on Titan: Before the Fall 1". Penguin Random House. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  18. ↑ 進撃の巨人　Ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｌｌ（２） [Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (2)]. Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Attack on Titan: Before the Fall 2". Penguin Random House. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  20. ↑ 進撃の巨人　Ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｌｌ（３） [Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (3)]. Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Attack on Titan: Before the Fall 3". Penguin Random House. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  22. ↑ 進撃の巨人　Ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｌｌ（４） [Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (4)]. Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  23. ↑ "Attack on Titan: Before the Fall 4". Penguin Random House. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  24. ↑ 進撃の巨人　Ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｌｌ（５） [Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (5)]. Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Attack on Titan: Before the Fall 5". Penguin Random House. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  26. ↑ 進撃の巨人　Ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｌｌ（６） [Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (6)]. Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Attack on Titan: Before the Fall 6". Penguin Random House. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  28. ↑ 進撃の巨人　Ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｌｌ（７） [Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (7)]. Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved December 17, 2015.
  29. ↑ "Attack on Titan: Before the Fall 7". Penguin Random House. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  30. ↑ 進撃の巨人　Ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｌｌ（８） [Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (8)]. Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Attack on Titan: Before the Fall 8". Penguin Random House. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
  32. ↑ 進撃の巨人　Ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｌｌ（９） [Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (9)]. Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  33. ↑ "Attack on Titan: Before the Fall 9". Penguin Random House. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  34. ↑ "進撃の巨人　Ｂｅｆｏｒｅ　ｔｈｅ　ｆａｌｌ（１０）" [Attack on Titan: Before the Fall (10)]. Kodansha (in Japanese). Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  35. ↑ "Attack on Titan: Before the Fall 10". Penguin Random House. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
  36. ↑ "Attack on Titan: Before the Fall Manga Has 1.4 Million Copies in Print". Anime News Network. August 8, 2015. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  37. ↑
  38. ↑ "Best Sellers - Manga". The New York Times. September 7, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  39. ↑ "Best Sellers - Manga". The New York Times. December 28, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  40. ↑
  41. ↑ "Best Sellers - Manga". The New York Times. May 1, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
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