Attack on Titan is without a doubt a global sensation having sold over 100 million print copies and won several famous prizes such as the Kondansha Manga Award, the Attilio Micheluzzi Award, and a Harvey Award. With the conclusion of the Attack on Titan manga, fans around the world are adding the series to their favorite of all-time lists. But oftentimes, the lore of the characters, plot, and world-building makes viewers forget about the artists themselves. While it will be difficult for fans to let the series go, a key question remains.
Who exactly is Hajime Isayama beyond the creator of one of the most beloved manga of all time?
Attack On Titan Was Inspired By The Creator’s Lived Experiences
Fans are familiar with the story’s massive walls - Maria, Rose, and Sina - that serve as both protector and jailor for the Eldian civilization. These walls are actually inspired by the mountainous landscape of Isayama’s hometown of Oyama in Japan.
Growing up, Isayama felt a deep frustration and repression that ultimately led him to leave after age 18 to explore the “unknown world.” Shortly after, Isayama worked at an internet café, where he encountered different personalities and emotions, such as bewilderment, drunkenness, aimlessness, and more in the patrons, which would become the models for his Titans. And the idea for the man-eating titans emerged from Isayama witnessing wildlife on his family farm. To Isayama, Attack on Titan is simply a story about "breaking free of one’s shackles" much like he aspired to do and the story was his way to express those feelings.
There Was An Original Attack On Titan Concept
Isayama wrote the original Attack on Titan manga one-shot at just 19 years old. It was a 65-page short called Humanity vs. Titans (sometimes referred to as Attack on Titan Volume 0).
The one-shot’s premise is similar to the current Attack on Titan and would serve as its concept, but it was more focused on the protection of the planet’s natural landscape. In this world, the Titans were created by a religious order to end humanity’s deforestation and pollution. As a result, they wiped out 80 percent of all humans (sound familiar?)
The one-shot also doesn’t include any of the main characters in the current Attack on Titan series. Instead of the walls Maria, Rose, and Sina, the remnants of humanity survive in a forest, as they hope to escape the wrath of the Titans.
Attack On Titan Was Initially Rejected For Serialization
While the original one-shot was fairly successful, having won the “Fine Work” award from the Kodansha Magazine Grand Prix in 2006, Weekly Shonen Jump rejected the concept, believing it didn’t conform to the magazine’s Shonen style.
However, Isayama didn’t want to contort the manga for fan service or popularity. He continued to visit different publishers and editors but was frequently told the quality of the drawing was poor, and as a result, he struggled with low self-esteem. Finally, Kodansha’s monthly Bessatsu Shonen Magazine offered to serialize Attack on Titan. And the rest is history.
His Favorite Attack On Titan Characters
In 2012, Isayama initially shared that his favorite character in the series was Jean Kirstein, stating that he admires Jean’s attitude and the ways he is able to say what he wants without worry or care what others might think. Over time, however, this has shifted, as in 2017, the mangaka revealed that, at the moment, he wanted to draw Reiner Braun the most. Finally, Isayama noted that he appreciates Historia Reiss’ character (referenced in an Illustrate Note magazine article and translated by a Reddit user), who has become another of his favorites, and that her development is the one that most exceeded his expectations.
Isayama has also mentioned that Daz and Hannes and the Garrison members are the characters that he feels most similar to. Isayama joked that he shares a special interest with the Garrison - sitting around and drinking booze.
Battle For Zoe Hange's Gender Fluidity
One of many beloved characters in the series is the mad-scientist trope Zoe Hange. In spite of the name, Hange is intentionally and consistently not gendered throughout the manga. Isayama explicitly stated that he avoided a specific gender binary for Hange and wanted to leave this interpretation up to the series’ fans.
Particularly for the U.S. anime adaption, where there were struggles with the English language adaptations on this topic, Isayama and Kodansha committed to adherence to the manga. Many fans have applauded Isayama for refusing to gender Hange and displaying a bold non-binary character in a major global anime.
Isayama’s Artistic Inspirations
Serialized the year of Isayama’s birth and still in print today, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure is one of the mangaka’s favorite and most inspirational anime. Unlike Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, however, Isayama has decided he’s finished with the Attack on Titan story, in spite of fans' desire to see several more volumes.
In discussing the conclusion of Attack on Titan, Isayama described the final chapter’s inspirations stemming from both Jurassic Park and Muv Luv. It is perhaps easier to see the Jurassic Park connection, given the similar imagery of giant, human-created beasts terrorizing humanity but Muv Luv is a love story with alternate timelines, which may describe the Titan Path and connection to the original Titan, Ymir Fritz.
Attack On Titan Theme Park
Universal Studios Japan honored Isayama with an Attack on Titan theme park dubbed Attack on Titan: The Real. The park is an immersive experience based on the anime’s season 3 when the scout regiment battled to seal Wall Maria.
While the exhibit is currently closed, it includes a virtual reality coaster, meals in the Investigation Corps’ mess hall, and shops with exclusive merchandise, such as Corps jackets and even Omnidirectional Mobility gear. How many mangakas can claim they had a theme park created based on their manga?
Attack On Titan Manga Museum
Isayama’s hometown created an Attack on Titan-themed museum to honor the mangaka and his work. Dubbed Attack on Titan in HITA Museum, it features numerous items, from original drawings to pictures of Isayama over the years.
Local residents hope the manga series and now the museum will boost tourism in the city of Hita, Oita Prefecture, and it has also erected statues of Attack on Titan characters in various locations. The museum is free to enter and sure to be popular among manga and anime fans. Isayama is also the government designated “Tourism Friendship Ambassador” for his hometown.
Crossover Success
Isayama and Attack on Titan have had rare success, which has led to numerous and often unusual crossovers with all kinds of entities. It is common for comic series to team up where characters will often encounter one another. In 2014, the Titans from Attack on Titan battled the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy in a collaboration with Marvel and Kodansha called Attack on Avengers.
More strangely, Subaru Forester launched a car commercial in which a driver escapes from the Titans! Most recently, Uno skincare released a commercial that dubbed the infamous Reiner and Eren basement encounter in Season 4 with a focus on proper facial cleansing and moisturizing! The "Titanized" commercials continue from famous brands such as Snickers, Schick, Softbank, and more. Finally, amidst the success of Attack on Titan, Isayama got married in 2019! He then addressed his fans with a heartfelt tweet in which he drew himself and his new bride as Titans - the most important crossover of all.
He Has Other Manga (One-Shots)
Attack on Titan is not the only manga created by Isayama. He has written two other stories - Heart Break One and Orz - both of which won the Weekly Shonen Magazine Freshman Manga Award at the 80th and 81st contests, respectively. Additionally, Heart Break One was awarded the Special Encouragement Award and Orz was chosen as a Selected Work.
Finally, Isayama has a fourth one-shot from 2014 entitled The Killing Pawn, although its artwork was done by Ryoji Minagawa and the story was eventually included in Minagawa’s short story collection. Needlessly to say, Isayama is a talent beyond Attack on Titan. With the conclusion of the journeys of Eren Yeager and the Scout Regiment, fans will be impatient for the mangaka’s next work.