It’s no exaggeration that Hajime Isayama was a huge draw at NYC anime. The event marked the Attack on Titan manga the creator’s first-ever appearance in the United States and while enthusiasm for the anime is still going strong, it was hinted before he greeted his fans that Isayama was nervous. The manga had spent over 100 weeks on The New York Times’ Best-seller list and has sold over 100 million copies. These are impressive milestones for any work of fiction, but the manga series’ ending has remained controversial, a fact Isayama is well aware of.
Kodansha issued a statement from the manga creator on its Instagram page prior to the convention that read: “I am aware that the ending of Attack on Titan was quite controversial. I am open to receiving people’s honest opinions. However, I would appreciate it if you’d be kind to me.”
If Isayama was nervous walking onto the stage in The Javitz’s packed Special Events Hall, hopefully, the standing ovation put him at ease. I’ve attended a fair share of Japanese guest panels at conventions in the last ten years and have never witnessed a guest get a standing ovation, much less one with
