Recently, France Inter conducted an interview with Hajime Isayama, the renowned creator of the globally acclaimed manga/anime series *Shingeki no Kyojin* (Attack on Titan). The interview was recorded as a podcast episode, featuring Hajime Isayama as a special guest at the Angouleme International Comics Festival 2023. During this session, the author’s remarks stirred excitement among the devoted fans of *Attack on Titan*.
In his statements regarding the media landscape, Hajime Isayama expressed that when he began writing, he hoped that he would not have to “write a sequel,” and that he “never imagined he could live long enough to create a manga.” The author also stated, “Only that situation has been a success in my view.” Isayama firmly believes that *Shingeki no Kyojin* (Attack on Titan) will not have a sequel, as he considers it “a complete work.”
Following this announcement, many fans of the *Attack on Titan* manga felt quite disappointed because there seems to be no chance of a continuation of the story from their beloved series.
Since its first publication in 2009, the *Attack on Titan* manga has created a global phenomenon. The series has been adapted into an anime, captivating countless fans and spawning several video game adaptations.
When asked about the central characters in *Attack on Titan*, particularly the protagonist Eren Yeager, Hajime Isayama shared: “I’m quite pessimistic; I believe that humanity is shaped by its mistakes. I realize that a perfect hero wouldn’t exist. This character reflects the dark side within me, and the entire story revolves around choosing to embrace those dark aspects.”
Hajime Isayama also reflected on his upbringing in a remote mountainous area and the hardships he faced along the way. He said: “I learned to write very late, and even now, I still struggle. Every time I have to write, I look at my smart phone. When I was a child, I felt like a total failure. Even today, there are things I know how to do and things I don’t know how to do, and the gap between the two is very large.”
He further added: “In Japan, there’s a fierce competition in this field, and it’s possible for us to create astonishing works.”
