Attack on Titan Creator Shares Why Romance Was Never Their Focus

It seems there are enough romance series in manga to fill all the ships, and yet, fans still want more. No matter the genre, artists are never afraid to slip a meet cute in when need be, and that includes even the most surprising series. Still, some put romance on the side such as stories like Attack on Titan. And now, creator Hajime Isayama is talking about why he’s never focused on romance in his work.

The update comes from the artist himself as Isayama spoke with Crunchyroll during a recent event in New York City. It was there the artist was asked about his aversion to romance, and Isayama said his reluctance to explore such feelings is personal.

“Number one, it was embarrassing to me to write stories about love between characters. The other reason is that if I continued to go into those kinds of tangent stories, we might lose focus on the immediate main plot of the story. So I wasn’t really motivated to go in that direction,” he shared.

Of course, Isayama’s choice to focus on things other than romance does not mean the series lacks it entirely. The story has plenty of ships, and none are bigger than Eren x Mikasa. The manga made Mikasa’s feelings for Eren canon long ago, and the anime has all but affirmed Eren feels the same. However, as many fans know, the story’s final arc pulled the budding romance in a rather unexpected direction. And soon, anime-only audiences will learn whether Mikasa’s love for Eren is enough to sway his current path.

Want to know more about Attack on Titan? You can check out the series’ full synopsis below for all the details. And when you want to brush up on the anime, you can find Attack on Titan streaming on Hulu and Crunchyroll!

“Humanity has been devastated by the bizarre, giant humanoids known as the Titans. Little is known about where they came from or why they are bent on consuming humanity. Seemingly unintelligent, they have roamed the world killing off humankind for years. For the past century, what’s left of mankind has hidden in a giant, three-walled city. People believe their 100-meter-high walls will protect them from the Titans, which are 10 to 20 meters tall. But the sudden appearance of of an immense Titan is about to change everything.”

What do you make of this latest update from Isayama? Do you think Attack on Titan handles its couples well? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.