It is quite hard to visualize a world where Attack on Titan never found its way onto the pages of our favorite manga magazines or onto the screens of our devices with the millions that were attracted to the walls of Paradis Island. In a surprising turn of events though, Hajime Isayama, the mastermind behind the dark fantasy series, had other plans for his creation.
Contrary to this vast popularity, Isayama himself had never intended Attack on Titan to be a serialized manga! Instead, he had three other alternative ideas that could have placed the franchise on an extremely different course.
The Real Hero Of Attack On Titan: Isayama’s Editor Shintaro Kawakubo
In a very interesting interview of Isayama and his editor Kawakubo, it recently came to light that Kawakubo was the person who helped in convincing Hajime Isayama to serialize Attack on Titan. He revealed that Isayama initially had given up on this idea of AOT and drafted three new plots for different works. It’s a testament to Kawakubo’s editorial instincts though and his keen eye for potential, that made him go back to the concept, after all.
No, I had initially made around three plots for completely separate works. You could say I had totally forgotten about that. As far as I was concerned, that was done with once I had approached Kodansha. But when I was talking with Mr. Kawakubo about the three new plots I had in the works, he asked if I’d want Attack on Titan serialized, and then I remembered it after all that time.
Isayama’s confession therefore reveals that even the serialization of Attack on Titan was an accident. Had Kawakubo not asked about the forgotten manuscript, the world could have missed out on what is termed a dark fantasy epic which now thrills millions of readers worldwide.
While rejoicing over Attack on Titan‘s monumental success, one has to equally appreciate and admire Editor Kawakubo’s role in bringing this phenomenon to life.
What Made Kawakubo Choose Attack On Titan Over Isayama’s Originally Planned Other 3 Works
When presented with three new plot ideas from Isayama, Editor Kawakubo could have easily decided to pursue one of those fresh concepts. Yet, he found himself irresistibly pulled to that abandoned manuscript of Attack on Titan. While he readily admitted that other ideas presented by Isayama were good, his mind kept on wandering back to the dark, post-apocalyptic world in which humanity fought to survive against the towering Titans.
It wasn’t as if I thought the new plots Mr. Isayama suggested were bad. I thought they were quite interesting, but for some reason, once I had read it, I couldn’t get Attack on Titan out of my head.
This immense fascination eventually made him ask for some possible backstories that could be taken, paving the way for Attack on Titan to be serialized.
When I asked if there were any hidden backstories that could be serialized, he said he had actually been thinking about just that and presented me a few scenes right there on the spot. I requested then that we proceed with that.
To its reply, Isayama immediately responded:
After I had that discussion with Mr. Kawakubo, I came up with even more scenes on the train ride home. What those scenes expanded into is the current Attack on Titan.
Knowing that Isayama had backstories in mind and could come up with scenes on the spot further assured Kawakubo that he was really onto something special. This became a starting point for their collaboration, which would further push Attack on Titan into a worldwide phenomenon. It also solidified Kawakubo’s reputation as a far-seeing editor who could sniff genius and nurture milestone stories.
You can watch Attack On Titan on Crunchyroll.
