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Amidst the competition and backbreaking success, a manga artist’s career is anything but a cakewalk. This holds especially true for Hajime Isayama and his magnum opusAttack on Titan. The Shonen manga is a massive hit in several aspects, including its dystopian portrayals. From anomalous Titans to cannibalism, the series is par excellence, albeit a controversial ending.
The ending was at the epicenter of backlash, which drove the mangaka to tears. This was followed by his apology for the controversial ending at the Anime NYC. Regardless of that, his hometown, Hita City, paid a beautiful tribute to honor the mangaka’s magnum opus. While this is a heart-rending gesture, it doesn’t negate Isayama’s insecurities about his art.
Hajime Isayama’s hometown pays a grand tribute to his magnum opus
Attack on Titanis impeccable in its portrayal of complex themes of survival, war, hunger, and corruption. The ever-looming fear and uncertainty are brilliantly captured in the series. This extends to the symbolism of walls that play a pivotal role in the manga. Besides boundaries, the wallssignify a blockadethat characters wish to scale throughout the series.
Apart from the colossal walls, the Titans represent theever-looming dreadand threat in the series. The endless war, coupled with the colossal beasts, encapsulates the essence of a post-apocalyptic society. Needless to say, the series is profound in its representation of human conflict. This extends beyond the frontiers of fiction in terms of the series’ cultural impact on society.
A perfect example of this is the mangaka’s hometown, Hita City, in Oita, Japan. The town paid a grand tribute to the series through its tourist attraction. An Instagram user@jjeunssishared a glimpse of the ethereal cultural hotspots.
A post shared by 原 (@jjeunssi)
From the pivotal characters’ statues to the walls, the town is surreal in its representations. This tribute is a reminder of the mangaka’s artistic brilliance, which is often overshadowed by his insecurities. This is further reflected in his apology regarding the series’ ending.
Attack on Titan outlines the mangaka’s artistic prowess despite his insecurities
Like most mangaka in the industry,Hajime Isayamafaced the short end of the stick. This holds especially true with the blatant criticism he received for the ending. While fandoms are notorious for their toxicity and brutal verbal spats, they took it too far. This was clear in the readers’ and viewers’ dissatisfaction with the series finale, which drove themangaka to tears.
While creative liberty has its advantages, it also entails unanticipated pitfalls. This was the case with Isayama’s decision to alter the ending and deviate from norms. He revealed his regrets in an interview with theNew York Times. He quoted:
It would have been nice if I could have changed the ending. Writing manga is supposed to be freeing. But if I was completely free, then I should have been able to change the ending. I could have changed it and said I wanted to go in a different direction. But the fact is that I was tied down to what I had originally envisioned when I was young.
Furthermore, Isayama’s writing ofEren’s fatein the series is quite plausible considering the setup of the series.
While the series’ ending didn’t sit well with most fans, it was novel in several aspects. This is especially true with Eren’s anti-hero stance in the series. Hita City’s tribute to the series only proves the mangaka’s brilliance despite his insecurities.
Attack on Titanis available to streamon Crunchyroll. The manga is available to readon Viz Media.
Himanshi Jeswani
Anime Writer
Articles Published :993
Himanshi Jeswani is an anime writer at Fandomwire, with her work spanning over 900 articles. Her articles cover shojo, shonen, seinen, and all things beyond. Her interests, however, aren’t limited to simply anime. She has a penchant for exploring different genres of manga, be it horror, yanki, music, and food. She brings out her specialization and expertise in the performing arts through her articles. As a writer, she strives to bridge the gap between the viewers and the medium itself. To her, anime is a revolutionary medium that is capable of creating communities and stories after all.
