Attack on Titan’s Global Impact Award: A…

On May 25, the Crunchyroll Anime Awards will honor Attack on Titan with its first-ever Global Impact Award. This accolade celebrates anime that transforms pop culture and leaves a lasting worldwide legacy. In light of the negative feedback some fans expressed following the manga’s 2021 conclusion, which soured discussions around the anime adaptation, it’s heartening to see the series receive official acknowledgment for its cultural significance.

Attack on Titan has transformed from a story about colossal beings consuming humans into a profound exploration of humanity’s perpetual cycle of destruction. Creator Hajime Isayama meticulously crafted the series’ journey, evolving from its intimate beginnings to increasingly expansive themes. Both the manga and its anime adaptation were skillfully developed, with each narrative arc building upon the previous one, revealing Isayama’s strategic intention to initially present the story as a conventional shonen adventure that delves into much deeper themes about humanity’s cyclical nature.

The release of each manga chapter greatly impacted me. The themes of Attack on Titan, focusing on human nature and hope for a brighter future—along with the notion that everyone is the hero of their own story—resonated profoundly with me, particularly during the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests following George Floyd’s death. Thus, it was disheartening to witness newer fans, who discovered the series during lockdown, distort the narrative into a simplistic male power fantasy.