"Attack on Titan" creator Hajime Isayama attended the Anime NYC 2022 over the weekend and discussed the series' controversial ending and his plans. By the looks of it, with the anime's good image of Eren, the mangaka admitted he found it hard to end the protagonist's story the way he wanted to.
Isayama graced the "Attack on Titan" panel at the convention and was thankful that fans heard his pleas to be gentle on him after the criticisms he received due to the manga's ending. Thankfully, he was warmly welcomed by international fans, and it brought tears to his eyes.
Fans greeted the manga creator with a "deafening applause" that instantly touched his heart. From there, he opened up about the series ending, admitting he struggled writing the conclusion for a long while.
At the time, he was uncertain about how to close Eren's tale. But despite the complaints, seeing the fans' continuous support at the event helped him feel better.
It also assured him he did right with the "Attack on Titan" ending. Fans then flooded Twitter with their message of support to the manga artist, expressing their appreciation for him and the franchise.
Though many of them revealed they didn't like the story's conclusion, they still enjoyed the series as a whole. Others said it was wrong for fans to throw hateful words toward Isayama just because he ended Eren's story the the way he saw it fit, not matching their predictions and expectations.
They even claimed that the show would still meet criticism whatever ending it featured. Others pointed out how Wit Studio portrayed Eren as a hero, making it harder for Isayama to change the course of Eren's story, pointing out that he wasn't the hero they thought he was.
In addition, some still complained about the "Attack on Titan" ending, questioning others who still showed their support to Isayama. They claimed he had ruined the series' story, asking him to apologize.
Meanwhile, talking about the series, Isayama revealed he originally wanted to title the saga "Humans vs. Titans." He initially thought his art was "subpar" and added that Gabi Braun and Falco Grice's characters were inspired by Arya Stark from "Game of Thrones" and Jesse Pinkman from "Breaking Bad," respectively.
Now that "Attack on Titan" ended, he stated he had no plans to continue working either in the manga or anime world. His hit brainchild would remain his only work so far, and he still received praise from fans, who said his presence at the panel was a delight.
