Hajime Isayama worked extremely hard for Attack on Titan. The effort he put into its creation didn’t just take a toll on him physically but also mentally. It is not uncommon for mangakas to find themselves getting ill because of the terrible schedules that they must grow accustomed to. For Isayama though, his problems began much before the manga even picked up serialization.
For a story that held so much depth and understanding, there was no doubt someone must have picked it up at one point. With the number of publishers around, there shouldn’t have been a problem for Isayama to find the right place for his manga. However, his fate was twisted to show him hardships before his journey could kick off.
Hajime Isayama’s Self-Confidence Was Hanging by a Thread
Hajime Isayama has always been open about his hatred for his own art style. Calling it ugly, awkward, immemorable, and whatnot. The series may have worked wonders amongst the fans but his own style of drawing failed to please the mangaka (via Mangabrog). Attack on Titan’s art style is unique to its own and fans have grown to love it regardless of his hesitation.
Just like any other aspiring manga artist, I visited several publishing companies to get Attack on Titan evaluated. They liked my storyline but said the quality of my drawings was poor. I was beginning to give up because there are so many people who want to become manga artists. I didn’t think I could become one of the big ones.
Isayama even admitted to only drawing ugly things to live up to the trend rather than shy away from it. During an interview with BBC, the mangaka talked about his search for publishers when the idea of Attack on Titan came into being. It was difficult because while they found the story interesting, his art style became the reason for his rejection time and again.
He was seeing again and again his work being rejected and the errors being pointed out like a glaring flaw he couldn’t undo. No amount of practice satisfied him and his self-esteem became one that couldn’t be lifted so easily.
An Act of Kindness Can Do Wonders
Upon being rejected by almost everyone, Hajime Isayama lost all hope about getting Attack on Titan serialized. Kodansha came as a beacon of hope when everything felt like a dark cloud around him. His editor, whom he had also expected to be trashed by, instead complimented him.
The only publisher who showed any interest was Kodansha. My self-esteem was so low when my editor said he liked it, I remember thinking, ‘What’s wrong with this guy?’
Isayama was so used to being dejected that he was stunned by the compliment. His mind directly thought of the editor being mistaken and not that he had potential of his own. However, that one compliment became so impactful that he remembered it forevermore.
Such tiny gestures, even if they were made unknowingly, can impact a person to such an extent. It helps them grow and see kindness in a world that cannot see them for their full potential. Kindness goes a long way and for Isayama, it was the light at the end of a dark, dark tunnel.
