Attack on Titan, Part I

Far more imaginative and gruesomely violent than Bryan Singer's live-action fairy tale Jack the Giant Slayer, this revisionary anime centering on a war between humanity and man-eating giants is closer in spirit to The Walking Dead. In the year 845 (possibly in the far future), huge, mindlessly shambling "Titans" prey on mankind, although a kingdom survives penned within high, concentric stone walls. Suddenly, the towering, grinning, mute hulks (who are naked, but not anatomically correct) start breaking through the fortifications. As a group of tragedy-hardened young sword-warriors outfitted in steam-punkish jet-propelled gear try to wage a seemingly impossible battle against the monstrosities, a boy named Eren Jaeger discovers that he has frightening Titan-fighting superpowers. Combining a dark, relentlessly apocalyptic tone with dynamic cliffhanger action, this superior series—based on a bestselling manga—bows in a dual-language set, rated TV-MA, that compiles the first 13 episodes from 2013. Extras include audio commentaries, and a “making-of” featurette. Highly recommended. [Note: Attack on Titan, Part II is also newly available.] (C. Cassady)