The Crunchyroll platform posted an article about an interview with the creator of the Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan) series – Hajime Isayama. Here, this mangaka (comic artist) answered and shared many interesting facts about her “brainchild”.
Here is that interview:
Reporter: After the timeskip and the birth of Marley, Eren disappeared for a while. What was your intention in removing Eren from the story at the time?
Hajime Isayama: That’s really what I’ve always wanted to do as a storyteller. First, we switched the perspective to the enemy – or who we thought was the enemy – and began to explore their perspective as well. Right at the point when we started getting to know and empathize with Eren’s point of view, we introduced the main characters as his enemies. How I will feel about this and how the public will feel is beyond my control, but it’s always been something I’ve wanted to do and intend to do.
Reporter: What do you imagine Eren would do if he never joined the Reconnaissance Corps? What kind of actions would he possibly take?
Hajime Isayama: I think Eren will have a terrible life. Honestly, I’ve had an incomplete life. Inside Paradis, he would probably continue to be oppressed and could be battered without being able to do anything. Or he may live without knowing that his end is near. He can only continue to live for a period of 13 years.
Reporter: The world of Shingeki no Kyojin is very large, but what language do you imagine the characters communicate in?
Hajime Isayama: I think they will speak in the language that is considered the lingua franca of the world. The strongest language will become the universal language in that world.
Reporter: At the beginning of the fifth volume, in the side story “Ilse’s Notebook”, the Titan that Ilse meets has the ability to speak, which is rare for most Titans. So does that Titan have royal blood or is there something special?
Hajime Isayama: When I received that question, I thought “That would be a great plot”. That’s a great idea.
Reporter: So we will find the answer in the future?
Hajime Isayama: At first, I started to develop the idea of Titans more. There are normal Titans and there are abnormal Titans. Normal Titans are programmed creatures and some of them have a “flaw”, almost like a factory defect. So far I was thinking about that Titan as I wrote the story.
Reporter: When the series ended, was there an aspect of the story that you wish you had changed?
Hajime Isayama: Actually there are many. Every time I look back on the story I wrote, there are so many things I wish I had done differently. It’s almost impossible to give them exact names. Whenever I look back on my stories, I always think of repentance and regret.
Reporter: How have you changed since the first episode?
Hajime Isayama: I had a lot of trouble communicating with others when I started writing manga. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why I wrote this story. But now, I’m older and maybe more mature… I’ve become completely different from then.
Reporter: Do you have any other spin-off plans or do you think you’ve told everything you can about Shingeki no Kyojin?
Hajime Isayama: Right now I don’t have a plan.
Reporter: Can we expect more stories from characters like Hange and the original members of the Levi team?
Hajime Isayama: As for Levi, I have an idea in mind, but I don’t know if I can write it or not.
Reporter: May I ask what that is?
Hajime Isayama: For example, I imagined in my head what Levi’s story would be like, but at the same time, being able to write it down is another story. Because writing manga is a really difficult task for me.
Reporter: Is there any reason for you to stray from any of the direct romantic themes in the Shingeki no Kyojin story?
Hajime Isayama: At first, I felt shy when writing stories about love between characters. Another reason is that if we keep telling stories like that, we can lose focus on the main plot in front of the story. So I don’t have much motivation to go in that direction.
