I thought I might as well put together a little image to clear up any misconceptions or confusion within the Attack on Titan fandom concerning the relationship between the Ackerman family and the Asian Clan. Information about the history of the Ackermans and the Asian Clan comes from Chapter 65.
In Gekkan Shingeki no Kyojin Vol. 7, which features a spread on Levi & Levi’s squad, Isayama reveals the whole SNK story has been decided and Levi’s squad death is indeed intended to surprise readers. Also, Levi’s power is needed to defeat the ultimate enemy.
Before the debut of Shingeki no Kyojin, I figured out the story outline. Soon after it was published in Weekly Shonen Magazine, further details were added, in line with suggestions from head editor and editor-in-charge, Kawakubo – the reason why Eren became a titan, the fact that there were traitors among comrades, the origin of the (story) universe.
The whole story has been planned out, but the key is how to convey it to the readers. I always think about the turn of the story on every rough draft I make.The main plot itself however, has been decided beforehand.
When the anime production was started, I took part in meetings to decide on the focus of the screenplay. There, one thing that I requested to the production team is to emphasise on the characterisations. The manga development was done fast enough to entice the readers but, regretfully, it was lacking in ‘depth’ for the characterisation for each cast.
In the second half of first season (episode 14-25), Levi’s squad – which is an integral part for him – made their appearance. Although their airtime was fairly limited, they gained quite some popularity. During those scenes where they appeared, their individualities were brought out through rich portrayal of each personality, the daily activities were also included, and even some comedy (parts) were thrown in – somehow they were brought to life through the anime and made connection (with the audience), to the point that the audience would have thought that these characters would not have died, and that’s what we aimed for. Soon after that episode, they met their end… Which I think was very shocking for the audience.
I have already had this concept in mind when I drew the manga. When it was made into anime, Director Araki and the team were able to grasp the idea and managed to reflect it on the scenes. Even the scenes that are hard to understand in the manga – (such as) Levi’s squad last moments, it become easier to comprehend with the anime.
On the first season, Levi was like a ‘broken’ fighter and that prevented him from being in the front line most of the time. As “the humanity strongest” and because he is way too strong, it didn’t mean that he would be put in the front line all the time. Instead, he was injured and was unable to utilise his full capability. In the upcoming second season, which will be based on the manga, (we see more of) Levi who is being confined from actions for being too strong, finding his way around (for more actions). As the story moves on, the enemies will get more heavy-weighted and it is not possible to defeat them without relying on Levi’s strength.
midnight-in-town 