In a recent interview with New York Times, Hajime Isayamaauthor of the franchise Shingeki no Kyojin (Attack on Titan), shared an interesting revelation. Isayama compared Eren’s situation in the story to his own when writing the manga. When asked if Eren was truly free in the interview, Isayama responded by drawing parallels between Eren’s destiny and his own journey as a creator.
Isayama confessed that at the beginning of the series, when he only had one ending in mind, he had significant concerns. He feared that his work, initially relatively unknown, could be cancelled. However, over time, Shingeki no Kyojin managed to gather an immense following, reaching a wide audience and granting Isayama a position of great influence and responsibility. This position was something Isayama didn’t feel completely comfortable with.
The author expressed his desire to be able to alter the ending of the story, stressing that creating manga should be a liberating and creative process. However, Isayama also recognized that true freedom would have involved the ability to change the course of history, a choice he found himself unable to make. Like Eren, who was unable to free himself from the powers he acquired, Isayama found himself bound to the narrative he had originally conceived when he was young.
Isayama shared his full statement, saying:
- «So the truth is that the situation with Eren overlaps in a sense with my own history with this manga. When I started this series, I was worried that it would probably be cancelled. It was a job that no one knew about. But he had already started the story with the end in mind. And the story ended up being read and seen by an incredible number of people, and it led me to have a great power that I wasn’t entirely comfortable with.».
- «It would have been nice if I could have changed the ending. Writing manga is supposed to be liberating. But if it 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 he was tied to what he had originally imagined when he was young. And so, manga became a very restrictive art form for me, similar to how the massive powers Eren acquired ended up restricting him.».
This detail about Isayama not being able to change the ending he initially proposed for the work becomes relevant, since the anime adaptation of Shingeki no Kyojin has reached its conclusion with the episodes released last weekend. Fans of the series can now reflect on how the author’s original vision remained constant until the end, despite his initial desire for creative freedom.
Fountain: The New York Times
© 2023 The New York Times Company
