Attack on Titan has become massively popular over the years, but it also became the subject of backlash for its controversial ending. In a new interview, Hajime Isayama opened up about it.
Attack on Titan began in 2009, and since then, it has been one of the most talked-about series of all time. Animated by WIT Studio, the anime adaptation was released in 2013, but it did not become famous until Season 2 arrived. That’s because the first season created a fan base, while the second created a lot of buzz among the anime community, thanks to its many twists.
Moreover, when the final season was released, fans couldn’t resist thanking MAPPA for fitting in the shoes of WIT Studios so perfectly. With the release of every season, Attack on Titan became one of the most searched anime series online.
However, a significant part of the fandom wasn’t happy with how the series concluded, especially with one particular panel. Well, Hajime Isayama recently shed some light on that scene.
Hajime Isayama opens up about Attack on Titan controversy
The scene from the manga that features Armin and Eren’s last conversation sparked controversy in the anime fandom. That’s because the former called the latter a “mass murderer” and thanked him for killing 80% of humanity. Fans couldn’t digest that Armin was appreciating Eren for his cruelty. That is why a majority of the fandom was looking forward to a different ending. And this might be the reason why MAPPA and Isayama decided to make slight changes to the anime.
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The dialogue in the screen adaptation was changed to: “Let’s go to hell together.”
In a recent interview with the New York Times, when Mangaka was asked to talk about his vision when he was writing those disturbing lines, he said that the scene didn’t see “Armin pushing Eren” toward the dark path. Instead, Armin wanted to be there with his friend when he (Eren) paid for his sins. By thanking Eren for committing genocide, Armin wanted to be an accomplice. Hence, Isayama wanted Armin to use a “harsh” sentence to be an accomplice to something that would send Eren to Hell.
In the manga, I personally thought it was way out of Armin's character to thank a mass murderer for his actions especially a close friend, and it just didn't sit right. The change in the anime where Armin accepts Eren's suffering fit the scene much better. pic.twitter.com/ZdJ5SNtNcV
— Mike (@IshiiVids) November 7, 2023
Isayama realized that fans weren’t exactly happy with that dialogue being used for Eren, who has sacrificed his life and humanity to save his friends. In that instance, Armin was seen as a selfish person by the fandom. Fortunately, the dialogue used in the anime does a much better job, and it sells exactly what Isayama sensei wanted to convey.
You can check out our Attack on Titan coverage here, and other anime coverage here.