ATTACK ON OITA

“Dedicate your heart”

This is a very familiar phrase to anyone who knows the Japanese anime Attack on Titan.

It tells the story of people who have escaped from a world inhabited by Titans and are living within their walls only to be attacked by Titans once again and become embroiled in war. At the beginning, the battle between evil Titans and weak humans seems like a story of good triumphing over evil, but in fact the humans behind walls are the descendants of the Titans. Finally, a complex battle unfolds between a clan that inherited the blood of the Titans, a clan that seeks to wipe out that bloodline, and an army that seeks to stop the war and merge the two. I’ll stop explaining the story here without giving away any spoilers. This time, I would like to share with you the thoughts of Mr. Hajime Isayama (諌山創), the author of Attack on Titan, who is from Hita City, Oita Prefecture, about this story.

Mr. Hajime Isayama’s Profile

He was born in Hita city Oita Prefecture in 1986. Hita City is a basin surrounded by large mountains. He says that when he was a student, he was bad at studying and sports. He also had low self-esteem and a strong sense of inferiority. He lived a suffocating life surrounded by mountains and hoped that if he left this place, he might be able to change. He also hoped he might be able to become something other than who he was. He wanted to be a manga artist since he was in elementary school. He apparently started planning this story when he was in high school. When he showed his manga to his father around this time, he told him that he would never be able to become a manga artist and opposed his idea. However, he stuck to his beliefs and went on to study manga at a vocational school. When he was in vocational school, while other students were practicing their drawing, he spent all his time working on making a story. Because at that time, he thought that if the story was interesting, that was enough for a manga.

When he was a vocational student, he took his manga to several publishers of boys’ magazines, and one publisher praised his work for its powerful drawings, and he had an editor. Although he was aware of the poor quality of his drawing skills, he was very happy that the editor supported his desire to write an interesting manga. He won the honorable mention award in a contest for the first manga he took to a publisher. This work led to the later serialization of Attack on Titan. With the prize money, he moved to Tokyo and he tried to keep continuing to write manga while working part-time as a manga assistant. At this time, he reflected on his own poor drawing skills and began studying hard while working as a manga assistant. And finally, when he received an offer from an editor to write a series, the prototype of Attack on Titan that he wrote for the first time was selected from several of his works.

He answered this way in an interview.

–What were you trying to say through your work?－

If I had to say what I wanted to convey through this work, it would be that I wanted to express frustration, my anger which I don’t really understand. And also, we should think that if we think of ourselves as victims, we may be perpetrators without even realizing it. I think it’s important to doubt yourself sometimes and not believe in yourself too much. 

－What is the meaning of drawing manga?－

I think I want to attack. Like betraying people or hurting people. And, well, It’s not exactly nice, but it hurts readers too. In all honesty, I feel that’s what I really wanted to do. For me as a receiver, when I think “This story remains in my heart” when I feel deeply betrayed or hurt by them.

Generally, popular Japanese anime series are very long, with some continuing to be serialized and aired for long periods of time. But in his case, he had been thinking about this work since he was in high school, and it seems he had decided on the ending of the story from the beginning. He answered: “When the Attack on Titan series first began, I didn’t know when it would be cancelled, so I wanted to end it quickly so that it would reach the ending I had decided on and also to avoid a decline in the quality of the work.” Contrary to the desire to end his story quickly, the Attack on Titan comics were serialized for 11 and a half years, and the anime series ran for 10 years.

When Mr. Isayama attended an anime convention in New York in 2022, he said that Attack on Titan would be his first and last work, and that he had no plans for new work. 

I’m a big fan of Attack on Titan. To be honest, I was stunned when I watched this story to the end. This seems to indicate that I was completely manipulated by Mr. Isayama’s plans. His method of storytelling is to lay the plot in each episode, balance each story, and lead to a grand, winning, and ideal ending with a big twist. I think he is a rare manga artist and director. His work conveys that, although history may repeat itself and tragedies may never end in this uncertain, unstable, and chaotic world, as long as we maintain our strong will to keep fighting for those we love, we may be able to weave the fire of hope for life. Here’s a conversation that epitomizes that.

Eren: Why can you fight?

Mikasa: It cannot be helped. The world is a cruel place.

Eren: That’s right. 

I believe that just like Eren’s answer, Mr. Isayama will pick up his pen again to fight in the world of manga and give us a new message. But only he knows how much rest he needs, or if he’ll ever return to the Manga world again.

There are two museums and some sculptures dedicated to him in Hita City, Oita prefecture.

進撃の巨人 (“Shingeki no Kyojin”) in Hita museum
所在施設: 道の駅 水辺の郷おおやま
Location Facility: Roadside Station Mizubenosato Ooyama

The Hita museum exhibits many works that can only be seen here, including precious original drawings, works from his childhood and adolescence, and impressive objects. You can also watch a video interview with  him, and the actual desk he used to write Attack on Titan is also on display, so there is plenty to see.

進撃の巨人 in Hita museum ANNEX
所在施設: サッポロビール九州日田工場敷地内  
Location Facility: SAPPORO BEER Kyushu Hita Plant Grounds

In the Hita museum ANNEX features reproductions of original drawings of scenes selected by him from all volumes of the comic, each accompanied by a comment from him. You can enjoy an immersive comic. The immersive comic is using video and audio, the flat manga pieces unfold into a three-dimensional world, providing an experience that immerses you deeply in the world. Also, you can see his childhood photos, large wall collage panels, tapestries, and other precious artworks. These are available in multiple languages so that people all over the world can enjoy them.

Admission to the Hita museum (Mizubenosato) is 500 yen and to the ANNEX is 700 yen, but a combined ticket costs 1000 yen, saving you 200 yen.The ticket allows you to visit both museums for two days, on the day and the following day. I recommend it if you’d like to take your time and see everything at a great price.

After visiting the museums, you can enjoy delicious beer at SAPPORO BEER Kyushu Hita Plant Grounds.

Cheers to Attack on Titan, Mr. Isayama and Hapa Buddies!!! Thank you for reading my article.