“I can see Arakawa’s frustration of the finale”: Fullmetal Alchemist Creator Perfectly Understood Why Hajime Isayama Received So Much Hate for Attack on Titan’s End

Attack on Titan and Fullmetal Alchemist both faced immense challenges in their endings, with creators navigating intense fan criticism.

Fullmetal Alchemist, Attack on Titan

SUMMARY

  • Hiromu Arakawa understood Hajime Isayama’s challenges with Attack on Titan’s ending due to her own experience with the criticism for Fullmetal Alchemist's epilogue.
  • Both Attack on Titan and Fullmetal Alchemist faced immense criticism for their endings, reflecting the difficulty of wrapping up complex, war-driven narratives.
  • Despite their popularity, both series faced significant fan criticism for their emotional and complex endings.
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After enthralling fans for over a decade, Attack on Titan became one of the most recognized anime, captivating several fans worldwide. From Eren’s transition to the final villain to terrific action scenes, Hajime Isayama left a memorable impression on the audience with his compelling narrative.

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Not to forget, Attack on Titan‘s multiple episodes have earned 9+ ratings on IMDb, highlighting its immense popularity. Despite AoT‘s enormous success in the anime community, the creator is often surrounded by criticism for the series’ bittersweet ending.

Eren Yeager and Armin Arlert in Attack on Titan Season Finale | Credits: MAPPA

Many fans who stuck with Eren’s journey since the start were left disappointed by witnessing their beloved protagonist’s tragic fate with Attack on Titan‘s epilogue. Interestingly, Hiromu Arakawa, the creator of the iconic Fullmetal Alchemist series, supported Isayama’s narrative as she faced a similar experience while concluding her anime.

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The Parallels Between Fullmetal Alchemist and Attack on Titan

Following the complexities of good and evil, Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan left a lasting impression on the audience. Moreover, Eren’s role shifting from being a hero to becoming the final villain of the series was one of the biggest plot twists in anime history.

Regardless, AoT fandom often criticizes the mangaka for ending Eren’s journey on a tragic note. Attack on Titan‘s epilogue highlights the harsh reality of unfulfilled ambitions, which many fans find hard to swallow. AoT‘s bittersweet ending has become a hot topic on the internet, sparking considerable debate online.

Alphonse and Elric in Fullmetal Alchemist
Alphonse and Edward in Fullmetal Alchemist | Credit: Studio Bones

Interestingly, there’s one fellow manga creator who also encountered similar challenges as Isayama while concluding their own anime. Fullmetal Alchemist features thought-provoking themes, making it one of the best anime series of all time. Surprisingly, Fullmetal Alchemist and Attack on Titan share a common resemblance, which gave the creators a hard time that many fans overlooked.

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Hiromu Arakawa x Hajime Isayama Interview Summary
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Both series conclude on a bittersweet note, which resulted in a lot of criticism from the fandom, respectively. In a joint interview with Hajime Isayama, Fullmetal Alchemist‘s creator opened up about her own past experiences. Hiromu Arakawa acknowledged that concluding a war narrative comes with its own set of challenges.

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As Arakawa also faced tons of criticism for Fullmetal Alchemist‘s heartbreaking epilogue, the mangaka understood Isayama’s beliefs behind AoT‘s controversial ending. Despite all the criticism, Attack on Titan is undoubtedly one of the most popular anime series, constantly engaging its audience without a moment of boredom.

Why Hajime Isayama Felt the Need to Revise Attack on Titan’s Season 3

Since the beginning, Attack on Titan never let down the fans’ enormous expectations. AoT Seasons 1 and 2 followed Eren’s story of joining the Survey Corps to avenge his loved one’s death. It even featured Eren’s iconic transformation to Attack Titan, which left several fans awe-struck.

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However, AoT Season 3 is arguably the most memorable season in the series as it reveals the mystery of Titans and Marley Island. In Season 3, Hajime Isayama revealed that the bloodshed, once believed to be caused by the Titans, was actually orchestrated by the people of Marley Island. Moreover, it also featured the clash between Levi Ackerman and Beast Titan, which to this date remains one of the series’ most iconic moments.

Eren Stares at Marleyan Crowd _ Attack on Titan S4, Ep 6 _ MAPPA
Eren as the Attack Titan | Credit: MAPPA

Despite holding several iconic moments among fans, Hajime wasn’t most proud of his work during the creation of the manga. The AoT creator opened up about all the insecurities he felt while working on the manga volumes 13 to 16. Thus, the mangaka wanted to rework his flaws before the production of Season 3. Nevertheless, Isayama altered the manga’s narrative to deliver a cinematic experience for his audience. 

 Attack On Titan is available to stream on Crunchyroll

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Written by Mehul Rolta

Articles Published: 49

Mehul Rolta is a seasoned journalist with over 3 years in esports and soccer journalism. Transitioning to anime writing at Fandom Wire, Mehul shares his lifelong passion for anime about integrates professionalism. Dedicated to connecting the world of anime globally, Mehul shares thoughts and insights, communicating personal passion with professional insight.