Attack on Titan Creator Hajime Isayama Says “I Am Not Working Right Now” as He Steps Away from Drawing in Daily Life

Attack on Titan creator Hajime Isayama revealed his current situation, saying that he is not working and no longer draws on a daily basis, during a special message shared at a recent theatrical event.

Hajime Isayama Reflects on Life After Attack on Titan

The opening stage greeting for the revival screening of the theatrical film Attack on Titan: The Final Chapters THE LAST ATTACK was held in Tokyo on January 9. Voice actors Yuki Kaji, who plays Eren Yeager, Yui Ishikawa, the voice of Mikasa Ackerman, Marina Inoue, who portrays Armin Arlert, and director Yuichiro Hayashi appeared on stage. A surprise message from original manga creator Hajime Isayama was introduced toward the end of the event.

As the cast shared lively conversation, the master of ceremonies read aloud Isayama’s letter. In it, Isayama confessed, “Several years have passed since both the manga serialization and the anime broadcast ended, and I am not working right now. I have occasionally been asked to draw illustrations or sign autographs, and I also helped with Kaji’s Soyogi Project, but I no longer draw on a daily basis.”

He continued by emphasizing that he is not living a lazy life. “Please believe me when I say that I am actually quite busy every day. This is far from the carefree NEET life I dreamed of during serialization,” he wrote. However, Isayama also reflected that even if he were not busy, he does not think he could create another work like Attack on Titan. He explained that if he tried to write something new, it would end up feeling like a fragment of ideas he had already used in Attack on Titan, adding that his debut series exhausted everything he had within him. He closed his message by expressing gratitude to the anime cast and staff.

In response, Kaji revealed that he met Isayama privately last year and said that the creator was doing well. While praising Isayama’s achievements as the mind behind the globally popular series, Kaji also spoke about the immense pressure of creating such a major work from scratch and expressed hope for Isayama’s future.

Attack on Titan is a dark fantasy manga by Hajime Isayama that was serialized in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine from 2009 to 2021. The series has surpassed 140 million copies in circulation worldwide. The television anime began airing in 2013, with The Final Season The Final Chapters Part 2 broadcast in November 2023. In November 2024, a compilation theatrical release combining both parts was screened, attracting over one million viewers.

Source : ORICON NEWS