Hajime Isayama gets listed among the best mangaka in the industry for everything that he has achieved with Attack on Titan. Apart from the massive success and popularity, he also faced some challenges during the serialization of his series. The mangaka was criticized for his art and there was the ending debacle too, which made him publicly apologize.
While all the events surrounding the ending have been discussed endlessly, it’s intriguing how the manga got greenlit despite the general poor reception of the art. During an interview, the editor of the series revealed that the art is exactly what appealed to him.
Here’s what drew the editor of Attack on Titan to the manga
Attack on Titan ranks among the most popular anime and manga titles. From visually appealing character designs to philosophical themes, the series has many striking elements to attract the audience, while the more profound aspects keep them hooked.
During an interview with Bessatsu Shonen Magazine (via myanimelist featured article), Shintaro Kawakubo, the editor of the manga, revealed what it was out of all these qualities that made him choose Attack on Titan.
I remember it well, the story itself was intriguing, but more than that, you could feel a sort of energy in the drawings. Given that he was a student at a technical school, there was no comparing him to a professional mangaka, but there was something grabbing at your emotions from every page, block, and line.
Speaking about Hajime Isayama, the editor explained how the manga’s art appealed to him. The art might not have been as professional as some of the other mangaka, but it emotionally resonated with him, especially the portrayal of hatred. The art style of the manga has evolved over the years, but even when it was simplistic, it had a distinct appeal. The characters in the manga face loss at every turn in their journey.
They suffer and spend every moment of their life in fear fueled by uncertainty. The mangaka did a wonderful job in conveying the intensity of what the characters were feeling, whether it was Armin’s reluctance about whether to follow Eren or Mikasa’s horror after seeing Carla stuck under the rubble after the first Titans’ assault.
The synergy of interesting narrative and expressive art style
Attack on Titan is a story of tragedy, anger, and hopelessness. All the characters make morally grey choices, not once but repeatedly. However, the way Isayama conveys their emotions through dialogues and gripping visuals, it’s easier to understand them and their decisions.
While the narrative gets more complex with every shocking revelation, the art style grows more polished. Compared to the beginning, the art style at the end is visually more clean. Yet it carries the same expressiveness and the distinct appeal it had at the beginning.
Attack on Titan is available to read on the K Manga app and website.
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