Regarding terror and gore, Attack on Titan, written by Hajime Isayama has aced the dark dystopian Shonen category through its creepy visuals. The manga showcased the Titans in their pure, unadulterated, and menacing elements, which was further reflected in the anime.
From colossal and armored to abnormal and deformed Titans, the author has perfected the macabre nature of these giant creatures through illustrations and visuals in both manga and anime.
The story is centered around the themes of destruction, apocalypse, and the impending doom of humanity at the hands of Titans. Besides, the gnarly nature and formation of the giants are enough to trigger disgust and fear among readers.
However, the readers and viewers weren’t the only ones impacted by the creepiness of the Titans. The author too, in the initial stages of developing the drafts, revealed how the visuals disturbed him.
The Macabre March in Attack on Titan
Attack on Titan, written by Hajime Isayama highlights the impending doom of humanity at the hands of terrifying and eerie Titans. From abnormal and deformed to able-bodied and childlike, the author managed to bring out the grotesque and gnarly characteristics of these creatures in the series.
However, that’s not it. The creation and conception of the Titans in the initial stages were so terrifying to the point that Isayama was disturbed by it. However, that did not stop him as he kept working on the visuals relentlessly. This was revealed in an interview where he quoted :
Actually, there’s been one occasion when I’ve been frightened by a titan. I think it was right around volume ten, and it made me lose my interest in them [laughter]. I was really disturbed by it, so I’ve been consciously trying to get those disturbing feelings out of my drawings again.
The manga draws inspiration from historical events as well as other works of art including video games and movies. It was also revealed in the interview how the author would draw giants as a kid and how this would often trigger disgust and fear in those around him.
This was evident when he showed the first draft of his manga to his editor Shintaro Kawakubo. The editor told him that he could ‘sense hatred’ from the macabre visuals. Moreover, Isayama gave exaggerated expressions to the Titans including the thousand-yard stare and enlarged mouths that brought out their sinister nature and monstrosity.
Plot detour and diversions in Attack on Titan
While Titans are the most terrifying and shocking thing in the whole series, it most certainly isn’t the only element that sent most fans in disbelief. The author had to drop several ideas and take a detour to alter the ending for the series.
To make the plot more conclusive, he decided to make Eren’s motive clear and took a detour by prioritizing the shocking ending over the fans’ needs. To add to that, he eventually changed the structure of the conclusion in volume 22 of the manga.
Furthermore, his decision to turn Eren into an anti-hero wasn’t well-received as he faced immense backlash from both readers and viewers. However, it was also his need to break away from traditional storytelling that made the manga popular.
As opposed to the notion of predictable endings, he applied a rather realistic approach to the storyline. To say the least, his hard work paid off through his recognition.
Attack on Titan is available for streaming on Crunchyroll.
