There are anime which have endings that affect many of the fans watching it. In the U.S. and Japan alike, how a story concludes is just as important as how it began. If you ask Japanese fans about the ending for Ashita No Joe, for example, they can usually tell you where they were when it was broadcast in the 70s and how that conclusion got to them. In America, the ending(s) for Neon Genesis Evangelion got folks to debate and had college students writing term papers and dissertations of the show’s meaning. Recently Attack of Titan just concluded and viewers reactions garnered superlatives like amazing, masterpiece, and brilliant. Bearing this in mind we decided to look back at the panel given by original manga creator Hajime Isayama at Anime NYC last year with hosts Ben Applegate, Tish Joshnson, and Kodansha interpreter Keto Misaki.
*How did you first become interested in being a manga artist?
When I was younger I liked manga. We were in elementary school, they were recycling manga magazines. Shonen Jump was the earliest exposure to manga for me
*How much did the story change from your original plan over time?
Riding the train and such every waking moment I was thinking of creating this story. My main concern was not to get canceled. It’s about humanity living in a time when they were being eaten leading toward extinction.
*80 percent of manga get canceled before their storylines mature
*You have a diverse ensemble cast. How did you develop characters?
They’re based on the story I like to tell. Start from their looks then add details. When I started the story of Marley, I think I was into Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad. Was inspired by Gabi and Jesse from those two shows. I had the most fun writing. Gabi was inspired by Aria. Jesse by Jesse Pinkman or Plato.
*What was it like depicting war from both sides perspectives?
Most of the main characters have gone completely off map. When they were fully developed I brought back Eren as enemy, I wanted to evoke new emotions.
*Did you know how you wanted to know how you wanted to end Attack on Titan from the very beginning? One of the main things I wanted was to emulate Kiyoshi Yamashita from the start. I knew the conclusion but main character’s actions wasn’t determined. Was inspired by animators and voice actors. Helped me get into who this character Eren is as I was feeling influenced by anime. Wanted to shift Eren being a good guy. Still struggle on whether I landed on this point.
*Any hobby that influences your work?
Like a sauna? I hope you Americans get to enjoy a sauna yourself. It’s like a legal drug.
*What is the best and most challenging part about making manga?
Most challenging was lack of sleep. I slept 2 or 3 hours a day and that would go on for a week.
The best part of working on manga is the money. I was really broke. Nobody believed in my success. Thank you for reading Attack On Titan.
*Did you ever think AoT would be this popular?
My sole goal was not to get canceled. I didn’t want to be part of 20 percent. My artwork was questionable but wanted to succeed and come see you in NYC.
*How do you hope your work will influence other creators?
Do your thing. 80 percent chance of failing, Might as well go big and fail big and do your thing.
*Will Isayama-sensei do a new manga?
Nope.
*Is there anything you can tell about Hange’s background?
Hange reminds me of a friend from my hometown named Hayato, My friend was a weirdo. I was subconsciously modeling him after Hayato.
*Any other shows you’ve enjoyed recently?
This might take a while. I was into House of Dragons and Better Call Saul. I really enjoyed NOPE. There’s a Japanese TV show called Downtown on Wednesdays. Questionable on human rights. It was an experiment to see if this comedian would accept help from total stranger help from the balcony.
*Do you have a favorite character?
I really like all the characters. My favorite character changes seasonally. Right no my favorite character is Jean.
*What’s your favorite moment from Attack On Titan?
Feel like I’m losing memory on AoT so I’m trying really hard to remember what happened. You know how Sasha and Connie call each other idiots and they’re both really idiots? Those kinds of moments are fun to draw. Also the flashback of Commander Keith. His story became a major aspect. Of that, I’m proud of myself.
*Final thoughts for the fans at Anime NYC?
I’d like to express gratitude to fans out there. I wasn’t really sure how to feel about coming here. I was having a hard time digesting this. I got to talk to fans individually. They told me they liked the ending. It was great to come to New York and meet you all it was a great experience for me.
