North American anime distributor Funimation announced on Friday that it is streaming the Attack on Titan ( Shingeki no Kyojin ) television anime series. Funimation has begun streaming the first of 25 episodes to subscribers.

Hajime Isayama 's original manga depicts the battles between humans and the giants who now rule the world outside humans' walled enclaves. Isayama launched the series in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine in 2009. The manga has become a sleeper hit, and Kodansha USA is publishing it in North America.

The series stars Yuuki Kaji as Eren Yeager, Yui Ishikawa as Mikasa Ackerman, and Marina Inoue as Armin Arlert. Additional cast members include Kishô Taniyama as Jean Kirstein, Yu Shimamura as Annie Leonhart, Yu Kobayashi as Sasha Blouse, Shiori Mikami as Christa Lenz, Hiro Shimono as Connie Springer, Ryota Ohsaka as Marco Bott, Yoshimasa Hosoya as Reiner Braun, Tomohisa Hashizume as Bertolt Hoover, Saki Fujita as Ymir, Keiji Fujiwara as Hannes, Hiroshi Kamiya as Levi, Daisuke Ono as Erwin, and Romi Park as Hanji.

Director Tetsuro Araki ( Death Note , Highschool of the Dead , Guilty Crown ), head writer Yasuko Kobayashi ( Shakugan no Shana , Claymore, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure ), character designer Kyoji Asano ( Psycho-Pass , Tokyo Marble Chocolate ), and Wit Studio (in cooperation with Production I.G ) are working on Attack on Titan .

Hiroyuki Sawano ( Blue Exorcist , Mobile Suit Gundam UC , Sengoku Basara - Samurai Kings ) is composing the music. Sound Horizon is contributing the opening theme under the name " Linked Horizon ," while Yōko Hikasa is contributing the ending theme "Utsukushiki Zankoku na Sekai."

The series premiered in Japan on April 6.