Isayama Hajime Holds Autograph & Q&A Session in Oyama, Oita on March 3rd, 2018
As announced on his most recent blog entry, Isayama Hajime held his latest autograph session in his hometown of Oyama, Oita, Japan!
The lucky fans who were able to attend shared various photos of his sketches and signatures, as seen above. Separate sessions were held with different groups of fans within a room in the onsen resort where the event took place. Each group had 30 minutes to ask him questions and receive illustrations. A total of 30 chosen participants were divided up into 6 groups of 5.
Isayama’s answers to various fan questions are as below (Note: These are fan accounts):
About Levi and the other characters’ updated looks: Levi’s cape is a new, black one. However, Levi couldn’t adapt to the other changes, so he kept his uniform and blades. Kawakubo Shintaro (Isayama’s editor) didn’t want any visual changes for the characters - he even wanted Eren to stay clean-shaven. However Isayama decided to not “shave” Eren too much.
On Older Eren: 19-year-old Eren’s height is 183cm - the same as Grisha. However, Isayama states that Eren was more like Carla when he was younger. [T/N: Grisha is actually 182cm, so Isayama may have misremembered here. Zeke however is 183cm.]
On Erwin’s Burial: The Survey Corps had to move on quickly to fight further after Battle of Shiganshina, but Levi later returned and brought back Erwin’s skeletonized body with him/buried him. Though a lot of soldiers perished, there was a special memorial service for Erwin.
On Horoscopes: Neither Eren nor Jean’s birthdays were decided through horoscope characterizations/stereotypes.
On Levi’s Father: Isayama has no plans to draw Levi’s father in the manga. He’s not anyone significant - Isayama thinks he was probably just a short guy.
On Levi’s Cape (Again): The question was what Isayama thought of fans thinking that the cape belonged to Erwin. Isayama states that there is a sense that Levi dyed the green cape into a black color. He doesn’t know whose cape it was, but if it belonged to Erwin, Isayama doesn’t think the size would’ve worked for Levi.
On New Character Designs (Again): Why didn’t Levi’s change much compared to the 104th? Isayama says he wanted to show that the 104th trainees belong to the “Smartphone Generation,” but Levi decided to stay with his “Flip Phone.” Levi doesn’t understand the younger generation, and he is turning into an old man (Literally “Oji-san”).
On Erwin: Will Erwin appear in the manga again, even if just for one panel? Isayama says he thinks there are still chances, such as in flashbacks.
On Levi’s Eyesight: Levi’s vision is measured at 2.0
Hardcore Eren: If Eren goes to karaoke, what type of songs will he sing? Isayama: “Metal.”
General Eren Facts: Besides now standing at 183cm, Eren is also a heavyweight drinker (Doesn’t get drunk easily) and good at cleaning. He is now influenced by a lot of the memories he retained, and he determinedly chopped off his own leg before entering Marley. His irises are a grey-ish color and his bloodtype is B.
Toying with His Editor: “Will you be happy with developing the future plot similar to how you drew the story so far?” Isayama: “Yes! But I want to see the readers anticipating [the upcoming plot].” Kawakubo: "Like he said, I’ve been saying the same thing! Everyone is looking forward to it.” Isayama: “…Then I’ll change the story.”
Eren & Elysium: When Eren asked Falco “Is that person…a girl?”, he was under the influence of other people’s memories (Possibly Grisha in that moment).
The new Survey Corps uniform was inspired by Matt Damon’s external armor/exoskeleton in Elysium (Below). When asked about the members going to the restroom, Isayama: “It would be better to open a hole in that design…”
Lots More Information: Isayama on Eren’s bloodtype - “Because this is a fantasy series, maybe there are not only 4 blood types. But then again, are they even counted as human…?” [T/N: This somewhat contradicts the earlier fan account where Isayama said outright that Eren’s bloodtype was B…].
“What will Levi think of Eren’s current look?”
Isayama (Without hesitation): “Dirty.” [T/N: As in unclean, of course]
“Was it Eren’s own idea to grow his hair long?”
Isayama: “Right now he is in a state where he is no longer paying attention to how people view him, so he just let it grow out.”
“Did Eren consider the fact that he will be infiltrating Marley when he grew out his hair?”
Isayama: “Since he was supposed to be a hospitalized patient, he actually should’ve kept a cleaner hairstyle.” [T/N: A little vague, but this basically sounds like Eren didn’t mean to grow his hair out as a disguise]
“Were there any cases of when you let the characters’ behavior and dialogue develop organically?”
Isayama: “In general, I let the characters evolve on their own. I don’t remember things after I draw them. I can’t look at my storyboard calmly right after I finish them, so Bakku-san (Kawakubo) is the one who reads them objectively.”
“Following up on that answer: Bakku-san will immediately read your storyboard (In less than one day) after you submit them to him?”
Isayama: “Since he has been waiting for the storyboard to arrive, in most cases he will read them in one or two hours after I give them to him.”
“Did they (Eren and Levi) resolve the confusion of when Eren said ‘midget old man (chibi oyaji)’? Or did Eren apologize?”
Isayama: “Levi is not concerned about being referred to that way. But after Eren said it and Levi thought about the moniker by himself later, he seemed hurt. He probably thought “So Eren sees me like that….”
“Any plan to draw the four-year period back on Paradis island?”
Isayama: “That’s something I can’t tell you for now. (Kawakubo also chimed in here and said: “Isayama-sensei won’t tell you anything, but please look forward…”)
“Kenny said he will never go to a brothel. Does Levi think the same way?” Isayama: “Because it’s an environment that Levi had been part of since childhood, it seems like he considers prostitution as just another ordinary job.”
“What is Eren’s current body weight?”
Isayama: “If I have to answer that now - he indeed gained some weight because he has grown taller. However, he has a rather slender body.”
Chef Levi: “When the characters lived in the castle [T/N: Not sure if this meant Utgard or the SC headquarters], who made the meals?”
Isayama: “Everyone. Everyone knows how to cook, because they are soldiers.”
“So it doesn’t matter if someone is a new cadet or not?”
Isayama: “Ohhh. In that sense, maybe those who are in higher ranks don’t cook.”
“Then can Levi cook?”
Isayama: “I think he can.”
“Does he hold the knife in a reverse fashion?”
Isayama: “He holds it the normal way. If he holds a cooking knife in reverse, he would just seem like a cocky person (Laughs}.”
Bloodtypes (Again): “Please tell me the blood types of Shingashina Trio.”
Isayama: “If we are talking in the sense of normal blood types, then Eren is B, Armin is O, and Mikasa AB.”
Anime Changes: “At the end of Season 1′s OP, Eren’s eyes turned red. Was it an effect of him turning into his titan form?”
Isayama: “It’s because the anime was completely at director Araki’s discretion. In the original work, it was not designed like that.”
Eren, Levi, & Cleaning: “I feel that Eren has been together with the Captain for a long time. Will their actions or language be influenced by one another?”
Isayama: “For Eren, [the thing that influences him the most is] the cleaning. It is not because he likes cleanliness, but more that he has to do it - otherwise he will get scolded.”
“Does Eren have a cleaning skill he is very good at?”
Isayama: “It would be that — dusting. [T/N: Isayama’s original word here means “beating/knocking and dusting”. It can mean dusting general objects or dusting a futon, during which you hang the material outside. Judging from his next sentence saying Eren could make a stick for cleaning, Isayama was likely referring to him beating a futon and dusting it that way.] Maybe he would make a stick from tree branch and then wrap it with clothing or cotton.”
“Then how will Levi react to it?!”
Isayama: “Ohh, wouldn’t Levi want to see it (Laughs)? Although he wouldn’t consider it as good work, he would be quite surprised [T/N: There is a sense of “caught off-guard” in his feeling].”
Another Character Death: “There have been a lot of character deaths up to now. Is anyone going to die in the future?”
Isayama: “I don’t even know, but I’ve decided for one person to die. It’s like when I draw the storyboard and I suddenly realize - ‘Huh? [This person] just died?’ But for other characters, I still don’t know.”
High School AU: “The High School AU is very popular among fans. Will you make it into a complete story?”
Kawakubo: “Isayama-sensei is very into the idea of doing a spin-off.”
Isayama: “I’m very concerned about its quality. I think I can only do that if I have the chance to learn about American culture in-depth, and draw it in a detailed fashion.”
Levi in the High School AU: “What’s the color of janitor Levi’s jumpsuit in SnK High School AU?”
Isayama: “Deep blue. I based its model on the game Life is Strange.”
On Fanworks: “Have there been times where you came across ‘secondary creations’ of your work (e.g. Donjinshi and/or fanart)? If so, what perspective do you have of them?”
Isayama: “There are times when I have come across them. That alone has already made me happy. Like, people are creating new types of ‘fun’ out of Shingeki. I don’t mind no matter how you are having fun with it.”
On SnK’s Manga’s Ending Date: “Have you decided on when to finish this series? Have you ever considered timing its completion with the Tokyo Olympics (In 2020) somehow?”
Isayama: “I’m now working on the manga without any decision about the ending date. But [Kawakubo and my] shared idea is to finish it quickly. Five years ago, we decided to finish the series in three years (Isayama and Kawakubo laugh together).”
Erwin as a Character: “What’s the role of Erwin in the work Shingeki no Kyojin?”
Isayama: “For the protagonists, it is necessary to have a charismatic superior, and that ;person is Erwin. I think he never broke into cold sweat. It would be wrong for him to get that nervous/anxious.”
Revisiting Erwin and Bertholt in Flashbacks: “I find it hard to draw Erwin in flashbacks, because I feel there was already a perfect ending for him. But for Bertholdt, I haven’t finished drawing him…”
Bertholt’s Family: “To be honest, I didn’t think much about his family. If I’m going to consider it right now, he is probably performing his tasks (e.g. Being a child warrior) for the sake of his father.”
Why Bertholt was Chosen for Colossal Titan: “He had his own hidden opinion towards the fact that he was asked to take on the most important responsibility. Well, I think [it’s because] he could do anything [physically], so [he might think] ‘I can also grow mentally stronger in the future [by doing this].’”
On Character Deaths: “But I don’t think the characters literally ‘died.’ Even if they died in the story…well…they still often appear somewhere else. [T/N: We’re not sure if he meant they would appear in the story again or appear in another form, such as in the anime or merch]
Kawakubo is Nervous About these Q&As (LOL): “Things like this… I… I am not remembering all the things Isayama-kun is saying here. There is going to be trouble for me later when we make guidebooks for things like birthdays or other stuff.”
Janitor or Thief?: In the High School AU where Levi entered Eren’s room, he entered through the window.
Eren & Alchol (Again): “Does 19 y/o Eren drink alcohol?”
Isayama: “I think he drinks, but how should I put this…there is ‘compliance’ in the manga industry regarding adolescent law [T/N: To prohibit mangaka from drawing illegal situations. In this case, the legal age in Japan to drink alcohol is 20]. Maybe it would be fine to draw alcohol? As long as it is not in the anime.”
On Spin-Offs (Also combining this Tweet): “How should we consider the relationship between SnK spin-offs and the original manga?”
Kawakubo: “Kyojin Chuugakkou (Jr. High)’s author had creative freedom.”
Isayama: “Regarding ACNWR, I talked roughly in advance with the author about things that could happen in the underground world.” [T/N: OP mentioned her memory was not clear and she could be wrong]
Isayama’s own design was that Erwin noticed thug Levi in the underground and decided to draw him into the Survey Corps.
On Levi’s Return: “Recently I haven’t been drawing Levi in the manga. Sorry that I drew a far too smooth/straightforward return for him when I finally made him appear again.”
On Mike’s Death: “What were the feelings of Levi and Erwin and others when they heard of Mike’s death? It was necessary to have their feelings depicted in the manga, right?”
(Kawakubo smiled bitterly)
Isayama: “Why did I rush that back then and not draw it properly?”
Kawakubo: “It was too early for a good person to die.”
Clarifying Erwin’s Burial Further: Levi carried back Erwin’s bones and then everyone buried him together.
On Erwin and Levi Touching Hands: “When entrusting the syringe and serum, was there any meaning behind the scene when Erwin and Levi’s hands touched each other’s?”
Kawakubo (Laughing): “Are you asking about Isayama-san’s meaning or Erwin and Levi’s meaning?”
Isayama: “There is no particular meaning. In reality, if this were two real people, it would also be normal for them to touch hands…”
On Erwin’s Mom: When asked about Erwin’s mom’s story…
Isayama: “I’ll start thinking about it from now on.“
Kawakubo: “We need to have a memopad here [for him to help Isayama keep track of all his responses/new ideas].”
On Names: “What was your reason to use German names such as Yeager and Ackerman? Because of the words’ feeling?”
Isayama: “In most cases, I learned about or searched for their meanings after I found their pronunciations to be captivating. Doesn’t the German language sound cool?”
On the Setting: The model of the SnK anime is Germany, but for the manga, it’s not only Germany but a mix of countries. Isayama also referenced castles in Portugal.
More About Levi: “Levi’s face resembles his mother, but his height is like his father?”
Isayama: “Yes. I drew Levi’s great-grandfather with the sense that he would look like Levi with a beard, so Levi resembles his great-grandfather.”
“Sometimes Levi’s bangs seem weird. Why is that?” (This was in reference to the sketch she received)
Isayama: “That’s…’bed hair’…”
“Does the Captain get angry?”
Isayama: “I feel that he gets angry… quite often.”
“Even in private?”
Isayama: “Yah. He can get grumpy for whatever reason…”
Erwin & the New Gear:
Erwin has high alcohol tolerance.
The new Survey Corps uniform is made of leather.
The anti-personnel vertical maneuvering equipment is easier to master than the original 3DMG, so it’s carried by a lot of new soldiers during the Marley battle. Overall, the maneuvering equipment is getting lighter and lighter.
New Gear & Isayama:
For Levi and Sasha (Plus others) - characters who have specialties - they choose equipment based on their own preferences.
Erwin, Levi and Magath don’t break into cold sweats.
The food Isayama likes is Famichiki (See this post for reference).
The sightseeing spot Isayama likes is Shimantogawa (In Kochi prefecture)
On Floch: “Will Floch be the ‘cause’ of anything later in the manga?”
Isayama: “Are you asking about the meaning of his name?”
“Ah…no, I am asking about his mere existence…”
Isayama: “Yep, he will have a very important role.”
“!!! You mean he will have a ‘wild card’ kind of role?” [T/N: OP was referring to a figurative role, i.e. Floch being a plot device in a literary or theater work; Thanks @darlingpoppet for this tip]
Isayama: “Yes.” [T/N: Isayama answered this question without hesitation]
On Chapter 84: “What is the metaphorical meaning of the Chapter 84 title ‘Midnight Sun’?”
Isayama: “The basic idea of the title is that ‘[The sky is] bright even in a dark night.’ Bright, like the sun does not set. In other words… Erwin’s death means the sun has set. But in fact, it still feels like the ‘Sun’ never sets. The title sort of contains this message.”
PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANT, this was Isayama’s Disclaimer at One of the Sessions: “Ultimately, the story resembles a living creature in the way it evolves. My answers during this autograph event are just some of all the possibilities that can happen. I hope you can ask questions while having this idea in mind.”
[T/N: Isayama, forever the King of Vagueness]
Photo sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29
The above contains all the photos/fanaccounts we could find, but if you come across anything that hasn’t been translated yet, please let us know!
Related News: Interviews || Events || Isayama Hajime || Photos: Fantaken || Photos: Isayama Sketches || Translations: Interviews
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