A few weeks ago, we were talking about the disturbing censored scene ofThe attack of the Titans season 4 part 2 with Ymir. Today, we offer you a retrospective analysis of this internationally successful work with the help of some sources of inspiration (and influences) that the mangaka has been able to use, whether in literature, cinema, video games or even art, all finding a point of convergence in the service of the narration of his story.
DEAR READERS: This article deals, as you might expect, with The attack of the Titans But do not panic!! We have made sure to avoid any major spoilers on the story of the manga and especially the end, so you can read the entire article without consequence!
#1 Project ARMS
In an interview given to the Spanish comic book publisher Norma Editorial, Isayama gave us some answers about these literary influences and tells us about the only manga that gave him the passion for the world of manga: Project ARMS published in 1997. The story follows a young man named Ryo Takatsuki, who early in the series thinks he has suffered an accident resulting in his right arm being separated from his body, but he realizes he has done the wrong thing. subject of a frightening genetic experiment conducted by a secret organization called ARMS that turned his arm into a super-powered machine.
A main character with a rather dark and tragic background, rather grotesque images full of twists and turns that keep the reader spellbound, does that remind you of something…? In effect, it is logical to think that ARMS Project was a major source of inspiration for Isayama because the story shares many similarities with a conclusion that is at least incredible.
#2 MUV-LUV Alternative and Dragon Quest
Still in the same interview given to Norma Editorial, Isayama tells us about his deep interest in video games MUV-LUV Alternative and confirms it to us as one of his main sources of inspiration.
In effect, the similarities between Muv-Luv Alternative and The attack of the Titans are relatively obvious. The humans in both works face mortal danger in the form of invaders. The world in The attack of the Titans is haunted by the Titanswhile humanity in Muv-Luv Alternative must fight aliens called BETA. These enemies, for the most part, are not very intelligent and fight using brute force.
human forces in both works are also based on the military. Ranks, orders and schools teach children to become defenders of humanity. The ideas of peace, survival and freedom are omnipresent.
The idea of the walls in The attack of the Titans comes from this video game, Isayama informs us that initially, trees served as protective barriers against the Titans. Then, a few years later, he finally chose the concept of gigantic walls which seemed much more logical and realistic against the colossal threat of the Titans.
That’s not all, Isayama has always been very honest with himself and his readers about the limits of his drawing skills, he immediately realized that his desire to create a realistic universe and decor in the image of the Titans would be too difficult a task and thus opted for a vision more similar to the video game DragonQuest where he draws much of his artistic inspiration from. The artistic style of DragonQuest was much more simplified but still conveyed a lot of detail. This is ultimately what led the mangaka to use facets of realism and fantasy art design in The attack of the Titans – a combination that was brilliantly replicated in the anime.
#3 Francisco Goya
If one thing is certain, it is that thehe terrifying and brutal images of the Titans in the fantastic universe of Hajime Isayama can shock and some scenes are blood-curdling. It seems all the more unlikely that a rapprochement could exist between an artist of the 18th century – where mores and moral codes restricted artistic freedom even more – and a mangaka from the modern world. But it is not entirely impossible that the great painter Francisco Goya had a direct or indirect influence on the concept and modeling of Isayama’s manga Titans.
On the left is one of the most popular images from the anime’s first season. To the right, Saturn devouring his sonby Goya
Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes is considered the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Over the course of his long career, Goya went from cheerful and light-hearted to deeply pessimistic in his paintings, drawings, prints and frescoes. Thereby, a much more gloomy and sometimes dystopian depiction of reality caused by the context of war in which he lived is felt. This artistic transition is made through romanticism, opposed to classicism; he favors feeling over reason and explores themes such as dreams, fantasy, mystery or even death; particularly recurring themes in the world of The attack of the Titans. He was the author of the famous Black Paintings from which his famous canvas is taken Saturn devouring his son which can be seen above with an obvious resemblance to the way the Titans devour humans!
On the left, the “Colossal Titan” taken from a manga page. To the right, El Colosoby Francisco Goya
#4 Godzilla
Godzilla is one of the best known figures japanese cinema and very quickly captured the hearts of sci-fi fans around the world, so much so that Hollywood Boulevard even granted him a star in his name. He embodies a gigantic, destructive and prehistoric sea monster awakened and reinforced by nuclear radiation, he was moreover used more as an icon to denounce and sensitize the general public on the nuclear devastation caused by the United States in Japan in the aftermath of the Second World War rather than to entertain. It is clear that this giant monster that destroys and devours everything in its path in an apocalyptic context clearly shares points of resemblance with the Titans of the manga who also ruthlessly destroy the city of our beloved protagonists and feed on humans.
Although Isayama always had the flame of the mangaka from an early age, you should know that he considers the world of films and video games to be important sources of inspiration in his eyes. In his interview with Norma Editorial, he highlights his special affection for the Japanese horror film industry, Godzilla being among the monsters that captured his attention and stimulated his creativity in his youth. Indeed, we also learn that from kindergarten, Hajime Isayama really liked to draw, and guess what? Dinosaurs! Who would have thought that his infatuation with Godzilla and dinosaurs would evolve into even more terrifying creatures and give birth to these famous Titans!
In addition, Hajime Isayama returned to the last pages of his work The attack of the Titans in an interview shared by our colleagues from comicbook.com where it testifies to the influence that Jurassic Park could have had and that we can notice towards the end of the manga. This is also another international phenomenon where giant man-made monsters are released and destroy everything in their path. If you’ve read the latest chapters or even watched the latest anime adaptation episodes, you surely know what Isayama is referring to…
Despite looking much more human than the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park Where Godzilla, the “Kyojins” (Titans) certainly do not fail to send shivers down our spines, but after all, isn’t that exactly what makes the Titans so frightening? It is true that readers and viewers are all the more terrified of these Titans because of their realism and their resemblance to humansfeatures that seem both familiar and comical to us. Hajime Isayama strikes the perfect balance in this disconcerting combination of science fiction and realism generating an agonizing atmosphere which arouses from the prologue the sympathy and the pity of the fans towards the poor inhabitants of the island of Paradise with the tragic destiny.
We highly recommend watching the full interview with Hajime Isayama available here with Norma Editorial where he mentions – among other things – how the horror comedy manga Jigoku Sensei Nūbē was a major influence as to the origin of the creation of these man-eating Titans ; or an interview with a UFC star where he shares the secrets of manga design.
Still in the news, the recent release of the game Elden Ring is all the rage with fans of Fantasy, we can notably find there a gigantic tree that immediately reminds us of the axis of Attack on Titan, feel free to read our article about the release of this game who keeps talking about him.
