The appeal of Attack on Titan lies in its plot progression and how the story evolves into a profound commentary on the innate nature of humans. The unraveling of different ideas and events in the story is glorious to witness, but even if people lose interest after the first few episodes, they can’t be blamed. In the beginning, the idea was much simpler and one-dimensional.
Mikasa hugs Eren as he emerges out of the Attack Titan’s body in Attack on Titan manga | Credits: Kodansha USA
A war between humans and giant beasts can hardly be called refreshing. This makes one wonder what made the higher-ups give the stamp of approval to Hajime Isayama. Apparently, the answer is something that was initially criticized a lot about the manga. During an interview, the editor of the manga, Shintaro Kawakubo, shared what was this appealing factor.
Here’s what convinced Editor Kawakubo to give Attack on Titan a chance
The art style of Attack on Titan is extremely distinct. The rawness of emotions and the dynamic movements of characters were always illustrated extremely well. Despite the unique and distinct appeal, the art was initially the subject of criticism for fans. Over the years, the art style has undergone a lot of evolution and so has the discourse surrounding it.
The art style became more detailed as the story progressed and this iconic scene of Eren best exemplifies the evolution | Credits: Kodansha USA
However, the editor of the manga could seemingly always see how special and important the art style was to the manga. During an interview with Febri, he shared how the story was interesting but it was primarily the visuals that caught his attention. He explained:
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. This may sound like an exaggeration but, I’d say it was hatred. It left a strong impression on me.
Whether Hajime Isayama intended it to come off as hatred or not, the visuals do convey an intense energy. Eren was the primary focus, and there was a lot of anger in the way he perceived the world. He was constantly frustrated at how his freedom was restricted because of the Titans. Similarly, the members of the Survey Corps had a hint of anger in how they fought against the Titans.
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Their movements and attacks were rough and reckless, probably as a result of the hatred the characters felt for their circumstances. This angst was expressed phenomenally through the facial expressions and the physical movements of the character. Contrary to the popular perception that Attack on Titan’s art style was ugly, editor Kawakubo took a bet on how expressive the art style was.
The emotions evoked and expressed through the characters
The most striking part of Isayama’s art is undoubtedly its expressiveness, so much so that even the anime pales in comparison at times. There are many moments throughout the story when the characters behave irrationally. Such irrational moments only make sense because we can feel what drives the characters.
The art style was simpler at the beginning, but the expressions reflected the characters’ thoughts quite well | Credits: Kodansha USA
This understanding would not have been possible if the conviction of the characters wasn’t as strong and apparent. That’s what resonated with fans the most, which in turn, would have looked a lot different if it wasn’t Isayama’s art.
Attack on Titan is available to read on K Manga app and website.
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