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Shintaro Kawakubo, editor-in-chief of Weekly Shonen Magazine and former editor of Attack On Titan, said that Hajime Isayama is the most cost-effective artist in the industry’s history.
Kawakubo’s remarks came during the Manga Review Contest presents: Four Major Shonen Manga Magazine Editors-in-Chief Talk Session, held in Tokyo on March 15, 2025.
When asked by a young attendee, “Of all the works you’ve been in charge of, which one do you think is the most interesting?”, Kawakubo immediately highlighted Attack On Titan.
He then took the opportunity to talk about Isayama, whom he has known since the manga artist was just 19 years old.
“I met Isayama when he was 19, and as an editor, what I most want to convey to the world is that he is probably the most cost-effective creator in manga history,” Kawakubo said.
He explained that Isayama never resisted or complained about any aspect of Attack On Titan‘s adaptations, including anime, merchandise, and games.
“Isayama has never once gotten angry at someone, complained, or refused any aspect of an adaptation, merchandise, or game project. He has never said, ‘I don’t want to do this,’ even once. He’s truly an amazing person.“
While acknowledging that cost-effective might not be the ideal term, Kawakubo clarified that he meant it as a testament to Isayama’s ability to produce incredibly compelling manga while maintaining an exceptionally positive and cooperative demeanor.
“The term ‘cost-effective’ is from my perspective, so it might not be the best wording. What I mean is that he creates such an interesting manga while also being such a wonderful person. I am confident in saying that Hajime Isayama is the most cost-effective creator in manga history, and since I’ve always wanted to express that whenever I had the opportunity, I took this chance to share it.“
The talk session also featured editors-in-chief from three other major shonen manga magazines: Kazunori Oshima of Weekly Shonen Sunday, Yu Saito of Weekly Shonen Jump, and Hideo Matsuyama of Weekly Shonen Champion. The event was moderated by Ayano Hagiwara, editor-in-chief of Ciao.
Source: Oricon
