“In addition to the techniques inherited from our predecessors, the time has come where it seems there is nothing that cannot be expressed with time and money, taking modern technology into account…
Manga that are fearless and challenging are overwhelmingly popular. How do you imagine such a sensation?
It would be reckless, but worth it. Such a challenge will set your heart ablaze no matter the outcome.”
– Shinji Higuchi, director of ATTACK ON TITAN
(From “Shinji Higuchi Special Effect’s Field Notes: Visual Plans and Sketches” pg. 522, 2023.)
Attack on Titan began life as a dark fantasy military manga from Hajime Isayama in 2009, depicting a world where mankind is on the brink of extinction under the presence of monstrous man-eating humanoids called Titans. In 2013, the series received an anime adaptation that took the world by storm. And in 2015, this beloved story would come out with a two-part live-action adaptation directed by Shinji Higuchi, who prior was known for his special effects work on Shusuke Kaneko’s Gamera trilogy. Unfortunately, as Attack on Titan had the world in a frenzy during the mid-2010’s, the hype was unable to guarantee its live-action project a success. Critics felt the story failed to capture its source material’s sprawling and gripping apocalyptic narrative effectively, thus leaving its potential unfulfilled. Fans, however, were much more harsh, citing that there were far too many deviations for such a take to even bear the Attack on Titan name. And so, Attack on Titan’s reputation was set in stone as yet another failed attempt at adapting a celebrated manga into live-action.
But what many may not know about the nature of these films is how exactly they came to be. One would even ask when watching this epic two-parter “how did it come to this?” Despite what some may believe, Attack on Titan had a rough start, but a largely smooth production cycle. This is a tale of creatives trying to make sense of a world that exceeds the limitations of live-action filmmaking in an attempt to make it more tangible than ever.
Advancing the Giant
The earliest rumblings of a live action Attack on Titan movie came out in the year 2011, 2 years after the manga officially began publication. At that point, October 2011, Attack on Titan was on its 26th chapter. Toho, the company that is most famously known for the Godzilla series, made the announcement that they had plans for a live action adaptation of Hajime Isayama’s manga, scheduled for a 2013 release. This live action project was to be directed by Tetsuya Nakashima, known for Kamikaze Girls and Memories of Matsuko. Given his experience in depicting human drama, Nakashima was deemed a good fit for the project.
In that same month, there was a casting call for performers to play Titans and panicked civilians in a shopping district. This was where it was discovered that this version of Attack on Titan was to take place in modern era Japan. But while other specifics about the production are unknown at the time of this piece, it would not be until the following year in 2012 where Nakashima stepped out of the project, due to what was said to be creative differences.
After Nakashima had left the project, Attack on Titan was in a state of limbo, as no other filmmaker wanted to take on the project, as making such a thing was said to be “impossible.” But, this would change when tokusatsu filmmaker Shinji Higuchi would take on this Titan of a production. Higuchi has admitted to being a fan of Attack on Titan, recognizing Isayama’s love for tokusatsu media such as The War of the Gargantuas and Ultraman.
Alongside Shinji Higuchi would be writer, film critic, and political journalist Tomohiro Machiyama, someone who Isayama looked up to greatly– even basing the character Tom Xaver on his appearance.
– Tomohiro Machiyama, screenwriter
With the combined efforts of Higuchi and Machiyama, they had put together a 90-page manuscript that adapted the first 3 volumes of Attack on Titan, from the Fall of Shiganshina to the Battle of Trost. While the goal was to be as faithful to manga as possible, there were some changes. One of which was having Levi be the main character, as he was the most popular character in Attack on Titan, as season 1 of the anime was airing at the time.
Upon completion of their draft, Higuchi and Machiyama took it, and pitched it to Hajime Isayama himself. However, things took quite a turn after Isayama looked at their draft. Essentially, Isayama liked it, but he didn’t like that their draft was a copy-and-paste of his work. He encouraged them to go with a different story, as it would allow more room for creativity [5]. At this point, the then-airing anime was already telling the manga’s story, so another adaptation of Attack on Titan to tell the exact same story at the same time would have been needless. This would allow Higuchi and Machiyama to push their creativity by not restricting themselves to just the manga. After all, Attack on Titan is a very ambitious story to adapt, as even the anime has faced its own share of issues along the way. But, this was especially the case for a Japanese live-action film production, as it would have been very expensive to make.
But despite his feedback, Isayama was still more than happy to work with Higuchi and Machiyama, and was brought on board for creative decisions. Attack on Titan would then proceed with a budget of 3B yen, which at the time was a little under $24.78M, making it one of the most expensive Japanese film productions ever– which officially began on May 11th, 2014, and ended on August 17th of the same year [7], with post-production wrapping up on June 9th, 2015.
A Cruel World
In addition to Hajime Isayama was his editor Shintaro Kawakubo, as well as special effects director Katsuro Onoue, modeling director Yoshihiro Nishimura, writer Yusuke Watanabe, and producers Yoshihiro Sato and Aki Yamauchi. They all worked with Higuchi and Machiyama to create a new world of Attack on Titan from the ground up. One that has that same familiarity in terms of characters, worldbuilding, and scope, all while being unique enough to stand out, with the addition of looking to films such as Kihachi Okamoto’s The Battle of Okinawa [8], Ishiro Honda’s The War of the Gargantuas [9], Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind [8], and Gareth Evans’ The Raid [5] for influence.
“… for this film it was important to get a feel for the world it was set in.”
– Katsuro Onoue, special effects
(From “Eiga Hiho,” Oct 2015.)
Additionally, former Power Rangers stuntman Keiya Tabuchi of Stunt Team Gocoo would direct the action and stunt choreography, and composer Shiro Sagisu would score the films’ soundtrack. Other noteworthy crew consists of production designer Toshio Miike, cinematographer Shoji Ehara, special effects cinematographer Keizo Suzuki, VFX cinematographer Keiichi Sakurai, and Kiyotaka Taguchi behind digital compositing.
Adapting a work from one medium to another is like translating a language. Sometimes, an exact literal translation doesn’t always work, as it potentially puts the intent of what’s being translated at great risk of being lost. Hence why it’s called “adaptation–” taking one thing, and adapting it into a different form. One has to understand why the original is effective, and convey it in a new way that stays true to its original meaning. This was the philosophy when it came to this production, as Isayama said to Higuchi…
“Feel free to make whatever you can and make it something that is interesting… something that only live action could do… make it your own thing.”
(From “Attack on Titan Theatrical Program,” 2015.)
One of the first of big changes that were made was to convert Attack on Titan’s well-known European-like setting to Japan. Specifically, a post-apocalyptic Japan. If anything, this change was made more out of necessity, as it would serve as the foundation for the themes and worldbuilding that could come to follow. While the original fantasy-like setting for Attack on Titan was beautiful, this new post-apocalyptic setting incorporated a post-modern blend of agricultural and industrial aesthetics that almost make this future tangible, as if the possibilities of this world becoming our own is very believable. This is especially conveyed through concept art by Evangelion character designer Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, who successfully captures the beauty of Attack on Titan’s landscapes. This is further shown by the filming locations in Gunkanjima, as well as Ibaraki and Kumamoto Prefecture, with some additional sequences in Toho Studio 8 [11]. These settings show that despite how broken the world can be, it is still full of life.
– Aki Yamauchi, producer
It is worth noting that this new setting for Attack on Titan possesses a striking similarity to the original one-shot from 2006, in that the story is set 100 years into the future, where the Titans take over after a military experiment has gone awry.
Another change to compliment this new setting was to have the soldiers use military transports instead of horses, as the latter would have been too costly and timely for their actors and stunt performers to perfect [8]. The transports were designed in different scales: 1/1 for in person shots, 1/6 for wide shots, and 1/9 for shots with Titan actors and other scale models, such as the outer wall, and dolls that stood in for the soldiers.
For the wall, they built a partial 1/1 set piece for the actors, a 1/9 model for the Titan actors and other miniatures, and finally, a full 1/25 model for scenes with the Colossal Titan [11].
While use of horses in the manga was to convey just how technologically distant the characters were, the addition of military transports in this new setting conveys an element of classism, which goes into how the world is divided in these films. Within Wall Sotono, the outermost wall, lie the agricultural districts, mostly consisting of farmlands, vast and open fields, and villages. Within the middle wall, Wall Nakano, are the commercial districts, where it’s fairly advanced, but neither too modern or traditional. And finally, there’s the innermost wall, Wall Okuno, consisting of government districts, skyscrapers, and so forth, being the most technologically advanced area of this walled civilization. The final draft of the script even mentions that at the very center is the Tower of Babel, where the government runs their operations, plotting what they can to ensure what they call stability.
There is also the franchise’s famous Omni-Directional Mobility Gear, mankind’s tool to victory, made up of a gas-powered apparatus that houses a set of interchangeable blades. Considering that the films were heavily emphasizing the horror of the Titans, it was decided that the use of the ODM Gear would be limited.
– Tomohiro Machiyama, screenwriter
Present was also the challenge of the actors and stunt performers having to imagine themselves battling gargantuan behemoths that would later be composited into the final film [15].
Enter the Titans
In the early stages of pre-production, the filmmakers kicked around the idea of having the Titans be portrayed through CGI [11] as seen in concept art by Kouji Tajima [13] and sketches by Shinji Higuchi [1], but it was quickly decided against, as it would’ve taken more time and resources.
“We thought about having the Titans be computer-generated. But that would have taken up too much time and money.”
– Yoshihiro Nishimura, modeling director
(From “Attack on Titan – Deluxe Edition” Bonus Features, Japan, 2016.)
“… we used motion capture technology to animate them… The result was an uncomfortably smooth, uncanny gait… I couldn’t get too attached… There’s way too many Titans. In order to animate so many, no matter how many excellent animators you gathered, it’d still be difficult.”
– Katsuro Onoue, special effects
(From “Attack on Titan – Deluxe Edition” Bonus Features, Japan, 2016.)
Thus, it was decided that they were going to incorporate a heavy amount of tokusatsu in this production. This included having all the Titans be played by real actors, with the exception of a computer-generated infant Titan, and a 2-meter tall Colossal Titan animatronic. As a means to help make Attack on Titan more visually pleasing and modern, Shinji Higuchi came up with a new way to take tokusatsu to the next level through a technique he calls “Hybrid,” where he would shoot scenes with as many tokusatsu elements as possible, and enhance them with computer-generated imagery in post-production.
“… it seemed ridiculous to try and pull off such big special effects scenes, but techniques have made steady progress. Because of our long preparation, what seemed insurmountable was now within the realms of possibility. We brought our plans into reality in this film.”
– Katsuro Onoue, special effects
(From “Eiga Hiho,” Oct 2015.)
The centerpiece of Attack on Titan’s special effects was an animatronic in the form of the iconic Colossal Titan that stood 2 meters tall. This purely analog contraption was operated by up to 12 people at most, and that the hands, fingers, arms, head, mouth, and even facial movements were designed to move [9]. The Colossal Titan would be designed by Takayuki Takeya [14], depicting a much more grotesque and muscular take on the creature.
The Attack Titan (simply named “Eren Titan” in production material) is played by stunt actors NAO and Yasutaka Yuuki, as well as a puppet for close-ups. The transition from manga page to screen was done partly thanks to Kouji Tajima’s design work, creating a look that carries and elevates the original look. There was also Amazing Jiro, who modeled the head for the Attack Titan, whose face is based on Haruma Miura [15]. In addition to a full-body suit, the Attack Titan would also be portrayed by means of an armature that depicted its torso.
However, the Attack Titan suit would eventually be a victim of tragedy. In an attempt to create a realistic body suit, the materials that were used broke down quickly during filming. By the time production had wrapped on Attack on Titan, the Attack Titan suit had completely deteriorated, and was rendered unusable. Only the head exists in designer Amazing Jiro’s collection.
The Armored Titan (or “Shikishima Titan” in production material) is played by tokusatsu stunt actor Makoto Arakawa, also known as Japanese pro-wrestler K666. The design would see several evolutions by artist Kouji Tajima, as it started as a faithful recreation of the Armored Titan’s appearance in the manga with white plating and blond hair, albeit with exposed teeth versus mouth plates. This look would eventually progress into the version seen in the film, bearing a bulkier build, larger shoulders, as well as longer grey hair. Like with the Attack and Colossal Titans, the Armored would have a mechanical model of its head and upper torso used for close-ups, and be depicted through CGI in minor instances.
And lastly, are the Wraith Titans, who are portrayed by various actors in makeup and prosthetics. In some cases, puppets were also made for close-up shots. Several of them are based on various background Titans from the source material. When it came to the performances of these Titans, Shinji Higuchi and Katsuro Onoue told the Titan actors to pretend their favorite food was running away from them [9], and that they needed to eat it no matter what. It was said that the result was terrifying.
Dawn of Humanity
Now that this is a story set in Japan, it would need to feature Japanese characters with Japanese names. It was also decided that due to the actors they would eventually work with, the characters’ ages were increased from mid-teens to around their 20’s.
– Shinji Higuchi, director
The idea to diversify the military uniforms also came by giving each of the branches their own distinct look. The Scout Regiment faithfully adapts the uniforms from the source material, the Garrison is more so based off of Japanese WWII uniforms, as the Military Police bears a striking resemblance to the SS officers of Nazi Germany.
Eren would be portrayed by the late Haruma Miura, a self-proclaimed fan of Attack on Titan who connected with the character so deeply [15]. Miura did not mind all the changes and additions that were made for the films, and took up training in mixed martial arts to prepare for his role. In fact, it is said they hired a stunt actor for Eren, only for his skill and talent to get outshined by Miura himself, and who then replaced him.
“I never thought that I would actually be playing Eren… There is a strong sense of humanity I really wanted to bring to the character.”
– Haruma Miura, actor
(From “Movie Magazine Navi” Vol. 58, Jul 2015.)
Eren begins his journey as a rebel who is frustrated by the world around him, while also being oblivious to the existence of the Titans, dismissing them as an old legend, up until he sees them for the first time. Upon seeing this horror, he seeks vengeance upon them for killing everyone in his hometown, as his emotions take control of him. When it came to developing Eren, Isayama wanted not just a typical shonen protagonist, but someone that felt more human.
– Hajime Isayama, author
“… the live action version of Attack on Titan has aspects that are different from the original work, like the story and the setting… but the youth that is trapped in the walls, longing for freedom, is vividly sung.”
– Haruma Miura, actor
(From “Movie Magazine Navi” Vol. 58, Jul 2015.)
Mikasa is played by Kiko Mizuhara– she is Eren’s girlfriend who is separated, thought to be dead, when the truth is that her humanity has been consumed by war, returning as a highly-skilled, yet seemingly uncaring warrior. Despite this being a radically different take on Mikasa, Mizuhara had a lot of fun playing the character, as she too really connected with Mikasa in the source material [15].
“… Mikasa is a beautiful woman as a heroine, but what is also attractive is her extraordinary strength.”
– Kiko Mizuhara, actress
(From “Movie Magazine Navi” Vol. 58, Jul 2015.)
Mizuhara even took up a training program to try and achieve Mikasa’s physique, but despite her efforts, she did not have enough time, though Higuchi reassured her that it was perfectly okay [15].
Mizuhara is also one of the only cast members (the other being Hiroki Hasegawa) to had a body double for the signature Omni-Directional Mobility Gear stunts, but just for one scene where she is portrayed by Yasutaka Yuuki (thus making him the only actor to portray both Eren and Mikasa).
Kanata Hongo plays Armin, and claims to be the biggest Attack on Titan fan in the production [22]. His character is essentially intact as the weak, but intelligent and strong-willed childhood friend of Eren and Mikasa, to then become a genius tactician who would gain the faith of his comrades.
“Armin is the one who sees the story from beginning to end from a human perspective… [He] grows up and perceives the events more objectively.”
– Kanata Hongo, actor
(From “Movie Magazine Navi” Vol. 58, Jul 2015.)
One point of egregious contention surrounding this take on Armin was the fact that he did not have blonde hair in these films. But it is worth mentioning that Armin’s hair in the manga had a more brown coloration.
“I think the most common response was ‘why is [Armin’s] hair black?’ … There are many Armin-like qualities from the original work that made it into the movie. On set, there were many people who loved Attack on Titan. Director Higuchi understood what made the source material so good…”
– Kanata Hongo, actor
(From “Movie Magazine Navi” Vol. 58, Jul 2015.)
Jean, Sasha, and Hange (marketed as ‘Hans’ across all multimedia material for Attack on Titan) are all played by Takahiro Miura, Nanami Sakuraba (Hitomi Miyauchi nowadays), and Satomi Ishihara respectively. They are all very similar to their manga counterparts in terms of characterization and personality, but with some minor changes.
Instead of joining the military for simple luxury, Jean is pressured by his father to join much to his displeasure. Instead of being a lower-class civilian, Jean comes from wealth and privilege, and is oblivious to the Titans at first, while also expressing cynicism to those who joined the military.
Sasha is still the fierce huntress who is yet a joyful comedic relief, but then forms a bond with Armin, using her marksmanship to compliment his strategic mind. Her home village was also overrun by Titans, which had led her to join the military as a way to provide for those who lost their homes during these times of turmoil. To prepare her for the role, Higuchi recommended the 2011 Korean action drama War of the Arrows to Sakuraba/Miyauchi, to which she praised before transferring this point of reference into her performance [15].
Out of all the characters in the film, Hange is easily the most faithful to her manga counterpart, down to her mannerisms, personality, and interestingly enough, was the commander of the Scout Regiment before that responsibility was even given to her in the manga. In preparation for her role, Ishihara went as far as to go to voice actress Romi Park [15], who voices Hange in the anime. During filming in Ibaraki Prefecture, Ishihara would occasionally wander off set to take in the gorgeous scenery [15].
“I consulted a lot with Romi Park, the voice of Hange in the anime. She taught me how I should make my own version of Hange stand out. We even worked on how I would speak (laughs) … I was [then] able to become Hange.”
– Satomi Ishihara, actress
(From “Movie Magazine Navi” Vol. 58, Jul 2015.)
Souda, played by Pierre Taki, fills in the role of Hannes, a Garrison officer who has had some history with Eren and his family. Though here, Souda almost feels more like a father figure to Eren, as he’s willing to do what he can to protect him, because of a promise he made to his mother.
Lil and Fukushi are played by Rina Takeda and Shu Watanabe respectively. They are more like Hannah and Franz in the manga in that their bond shows how war can tragically tear loved ones from one another.
Satoru Matsuo is Sannagi, a farmer who enlists so he can support his family after everything is said and done– a gentle giant who’s very outgoing and protective of his comrades. He is also known for his immense strength for a human, as he is capable of hurling a Titan over his shoulder, due to how light Titans actually are, despite their large size.
Director-General Kubal is portrayed by the legendary Jun Kunimura. Kubal is an amalgamation of the commanders of each of the three military branches in the manga, being Erwin Smith, Dot Pixis, and Nile Dawk. He dons a uniform that is very reminiscent of an SS officer’s uniform during WWII, and his character was based on former North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il [8].
Then there is the infamous Captain Shikishima, played by Hiroki Hasegawa.
“I would’ve loved to have played a character like Tetsuro Tamba (laughs)… Shikishima is a mysterious character with no clear identity. His constant chuckling gives him the air of a mysterious hermit who knows all secrets. [He] is also described as a trickster. In fact, Shikishima has a sort of madness to him, and based on his appearance ravenously eating apples, he is like a joker of Kabuki theater.”
– Hiroki Hasegawa, actor
(From “Movie Magazine Navi” Vol. 58, Jul 2015.)
Shikishima is more or less a stand-in for Levi, being the captain of the Scout Regiment, and wearing a purple cloak to signify his nobility. His inclusion did not sit well with a lot of fans. However, one must consider that Levi, despite easily being the most popular character at the time, was not entirely developed when the films were in their planning stages, including negotiations with Hajime Isayama, as it would not be until early 2014 when the Uprising arc would start to emphasize him more.
Aside from Levi, Shikishima serves as a basis for Zeke Yeager– a secret brother of Eren who betrayed their father, and holds the answer to the mystery of the Titans and the world at large for the audience. Shikishima also bears the Armored Titan, like Reiner in the source material. And lastly, he may or may not have influenced Eren’s character development post-time skip; having witnessed the horrors of war and systemic cruelty, Shikishima seeks total annihilation (specifically of the ruling class here) to achieve peace.
Additionally, Hiroki Hasegawa admitted that he was not too familiar with Attack on Titan, which meant he really had to help breathe life to a character who was purely made for this production, someone who is both mysterious and sinister.
“I didn’t know much about the original work. But, with Shikishima being a new character, I didn’t feel a lot of pressure… But I did get a lot of calls from friends saying ‘are you playing Levi?’ (laughs).”
– Hiroki Hasegawa, actor
(From “Cinema Cinema SP,” Summer 2015.)
Shikishima was inspired by real-world revolutionaries like Che Guevara, but more appropriately, Roshigumi founder Hachiro Kiyokawa [8]. Kiyokawa was a highly educated and very skilled swordsman during the Edo period who sought to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate after the Sakurada Gate Incident where chief minister Ii Naosuke was assassinated for signing the Treaty of Amity and Commerce in 1858. Shikishima in an interview was also called a Kabukimono [15], which is a term used to describe someone as strange or crazy, as the term derives from the word “kabuku”, which means to deviate, especially as Kabukimono were normally ronin, or samurai without masters, and would form street gangs.
And much like Kiko Mizuhara, Hiroki Hasegawa also had a body double for a brief moment in the final film, where he is portrayed by Kazuyoshi Sakuma.
It has become popular belief that the filmmakers removed Levi because his name would have been hard to pronounce, but that is a severe oversimplification. In actuality, it’s so the worldbuilding is more consistent, as everything has taken on a Japanese identity, and a name like “Levi” wouldn’t make it very consistent. But, if this is the case, why keep characters with names like Eren, Armin, Sasha, and Jean? It turns out there are actually a decent amount of Japanese citizens with those names as Machiyama pointed out in an interview. It’s not so much that “Levi” would’ve been hard to pronounce (especially considering its Hebrew origins) but moreso “why would he have that kind of name here?”
– Tomohiro Machiyama, screenwriter
– Yoshihiro Sato, producer
And lastly, Hiana, played by Ayame Misaki– a single mother who joins the military to get support for her child, and grows a liking towards Eren. Her place in the story was intertwined with how it is revealed that Mikasa has been entangled in a one-sided relationship with Shikishima. In Mikasa’s absence, Hiana was to develop feelings for Eren [25], as he slowly reciprocated with her [25]. But when Eren sees Mikasa again for the first time after 2 years, it is hard for them to reconnect, as they see that they have moved on from one another out of unfortunately untrue circumstances.
It is unknown why Hiana’s character was eventually limited. Shinji Higuchi expressed that he himself thought the love triangle amongst Eren, Mikasa, and Shikishima was not needed. He and Tomohiro Machiyama wanted to emphasize how important Mikasa is to Eren– someone he really cares for, and is willing to die for.
– Yoshihiro Sato, producer
Crushing Blow
The first official look at the live action Attack on Titan came in the form of a commercial for the Subaru Forester in January of 2014. Just several months before production finally began. In it, there were two normal Titans portrayed by Hiroko Yashiki and Yoshio Komatsu (with some digital enhancement), and at the end, an impressive Colossal Titan animatronic (also with some digital effects). As a side note, this commercial was a submission to 2014’s Adfest, and has boosted Subaru to be the #1 seller in SUVs at the time.
In November of the same year, Toho released posters of all the characters, to which many fans were mixed. On one hand, there was excitement over the cast in their roles, but on the other, there was confusion over the movie-original characters. But later in December, a new teaser image would be released, showing much more promise. Such is the case with subsequent promotional material.
The first Attack on Titan movie held its world premiere in Hollywood on July 14th, 2015, making it the first time any tokusatsu film had a Hollywood premiere since Godzilla: Final Wars. The premiere was met with a decent amount of praise, with people giving Attack on Titan: Part 1 compliments for being so ambitious for a Japanese film production, according to those who attended the premiere.
Unfortunately, upon their respective releases, reactions to the Attack on Titan movies were rather mixed– especially for the first film, released on August 1st, 2015, as not a lot of people were aware of or even bothered with the second on September 19th that same year. While general audiences were in it for the action and special effects, fans greatly criticized the deviations from the source material. Something that screenwriter Tomohiro Machiyama predicted beforehand.
– Tomohiro Machiyama, screenwriter
Hajime Isayama was confused about the reception.
“… I want to take in the favorable opinions and also the indignant ones, if only to understand them.”
– Hajime Isayama, author
It was even enough to upset modeling director Yoshihiro Nishimura.
– Yoshihiro Nishimura, modeling director
Director Shinji Higuchi had this to say about a review from Cho Eiga Hihan.
– Shinji Higuchi, director
Higuchi would apologize for the comment, as it was only posted in a private Facebook post that was then leaked.
– Shinji Higuchi, director
Satomi Ishihara, responded to the criticism regarding these films in a rather respectful manner.
– Satomi Ishihara, actress
Suspecting that the marketing was to blame, Hajime Isayama suggested that Toho put out a new trailer for both movies that would paint a more honest picture for what audiences could properly expect. This trailer would be packed with highlights, showing off the film’s glorious action and special effects sequences, making it the definitive Attack on Titan trailer.
While Shinji Higuchi and Yoshihiro Nishimura have shared their thoughts regarding the critical reception of the first movie with comments one may see as unprofessional, it is easy to understand their response. It must be soul-crushing to see something you have been greatly passionate about get slammed without a second thought. There is no denying movies are purely made with the blood, sweat, and tears of hundreds, if not thousands. And by the time marketing was being pushed for the second film, Attack on Titan: End of the World, the damage was already done.
But, it wasn’t all negativity. At the Tokyo premiere of the second Attack on Titan, Haruma Miura expressed his gratitude for not only being part of such an ambitious project, but for working with his co-stars, the production team, and director Shinji Higuchi.
– Haruma Miura, actor
The sentiment moved Higuchi to tears.
As for North American distribution, which was helmed by Funimation (now Crunchyroll), despite giving them a very generous localization treatment, including a lavish Hollywood premiere at the Grauman’s Egyptian Theater with an after-party showcasing behind the scenes footage, it unfortunately didn’t really help matters either. A copy with defective subtitles was mailed to dozens of theaters across America that were either fixed, or unfixed depending on what theater you were in, leading to refunds and the short-lived “I’ve been waiting for this day!” meme, named after the line that was frozen on screen. Later on, Funimation uploaded a whole minute and a half recap of the first movie on their YouTube channel as a means to remedy the mishap, and the company would proceed to hardcode their subtitles with every theatrical release moving forward.
Despite all of this, the films weren’t exactly box office bombs, as they would go on to accumulate more than 5B yen, which was about $46M USD at the time. While the films managed to get Toho their money back, it wasn’t quite enough, as Part 1 would earn about 3.7B yen, or about $30.8M, and Part 2’s earnings would be significantly less, brining in 1.3B yen, or about $15.2M, showing a more than 50% drop in revenue between films. Furthermore, while the first film had a big opening weekend, raking in about 600M yen, or about $5M, the second would open with 327M yen, or about $2.7M. Additionally, Part 2 was released during silver week, where numerous public holidays were taking place, meaning audiences had more free time than usual. And finally, while the films gathered more than 5B yen total, only the first movie was expected to pull in that 5B yen, ultimately meaning that these movies underperformed.
Since That Day
It has been 10 years since the live action Attack on Titan movies were released. Since then, they have achieved a cult status in Japan. They have been nominated for best visual effects at the 2016 Asian Film Awards, receive revival screenings through DreamPass on occasion, and are shown at the Gunkanjima Digital Museum in Nagasaki as a 3-part episodic Special Edition. These movies are admired by tokusatsu filmmakers and performers like Yoshikazu Ishii and Tsutomu Kitagawa. Eren’s actor in the Attack on Titan musical, Kurumu Okamiya, has paid his respects to Haruma Miura, as did a close friend of Miura, Yuki Kaji. Kiko Mizuhara has publicly said that she would love to play Mikasa again [15].
“I’ll do my best again… Let’s do it! But first, I want to retrain my core” (Laughs)
– Kiko Mizuhara, actress
(From “Movie Magazine Navi” Vol. 58, Jul 2015.)
In an interview with Looper after the US premiere of Shin Ultraman, Shinji Higuchi states that he has no plans to revisit Attack on Titan. Higuchi went on to co-direct Shin Godzilla with Hideaki Anno, as well as direct Shin Ultraman, Bullet Train Explosion, and storyboard episode 46 of the Attack on Titan anime.
In an interview with Famous Monsters of Filmland in 2017, Higuchi thinks fondly of the production, but admitted that it’s hard to justify adapting anime and manga into live action [43].
“There are so many good anime and animators in Japan that I don’t think we necessarily need live action movies! The stories are already told so well in anime, we may not be able to do so well with live action.”
– Shinji Higuchi, director
(From “Famous Monsters of Filmland #289,” Oct 2017.)
But the truth is, Attack on Titan stands as an important footnote in the history of tokusatsu cinema. A footnote that may also be the last time we may ever see films like this. And even though tokusatsu’s presence has mainly been regulated to television, Attack on Titan makes for the perfect transitioning point towards films such as, in recent memory, the Academy Award-winning Godzilla Minus One.
-Hajime Isayama, creator of ATTACK ON TITAN
Special thanks to Glenn (@takskat), Saifu (@s_a_i_f_u_13427), Winter North (@gongonfura3), and KaijuX (@TheKaijuX) for helping put this together!
Sources
- Shinji Higuchi Special Effect’s Field Notes: Visual Plans and Sketches, 2023.
- https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-12-06/attack-on-titan/shingeki-no-kyojin-film-to-be-live-action
- https://x.com/hiroo_otaka/status/279096462024007681
- https://myanimelist.net/featured/64/Interview_With_Writer_of_the_Live_Action_Attack_on_Titan_Movie
- Attack on Titan Theatrical Program, 2015.
- https://www.facebook.com/share/1EfuyU7XYn/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Attack on Titan Production Pamphlet, 2015.
- Eiga Hiho, Oct 2015.
- “Tokusatsu Renaissance;” NHK, Sep 2015.
- https://imgur.com/gallery/attack-on-titan-2015-concept-art-uAWJy4Z
- “Attack on Titan – Deluxe Edition” Bonus Features, Japan, 2016.
- https://imgur.com/gallery/attack-on-titan-2015-production-liner-notes-raw-nirz655
- Kouji Tajima Art Works: ZBrush & Photoshop Technique, 2016.
- Takayuki Takeya: Modeling of Fear, 2020.
- “Movie Magazine Navi” Vol. 58, Jul 2015.
- https://x.com/s_a_i_f_u_13427/status/1774088543671062868
- https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2015-08-04/the-cast-and-crew-of-live-action-attack-on-titan/.91231
- https://jp.pinterest.com/kanametonakayoshi37/%E4%B8%89%E6%B5%A6%E6%98%A5%E9%A6%AC/
- Interview w/ Taka Glenn Sawa, TokuTitanCast, 2021.
- https://www.cinematoday.jp/news/N0075095
- Takskat, 2014.
- Cinema Cinema SP, Summer 2015.
- https://yusenki.tumblr.com/post/125769129333/an-interview-with-snks-live-action-producer
- “Attack on Titan: End of the World,” Touji Asakura, 2015.
- “Theatrical Feature Film: Attack on Titan” – Final Draft, Apr 30, 2014.
- https://www.threeifbyspace.net/2015/07/sdcc-2015-interview-with-attack-on-titan-director-shinji-higuchi/amp/
- “Tokusatsu Titan,” Subaru, Adfest, 2014
- https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2015-07-22/live-action-attack-on-titan-writer-warns-fans-of-more-changes/.90765
- http://web.archive.org/web/20230715055026/https://soranews24.com/2015/08/12/attack-on-titan-creator-explains-just-who-should-watch-the-live-action-movie-version-%E3%80%90video%E3%80%91/
- https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2015-08-03/live-action-attack-on-titan-modeling-director-has-choice-words-for-critics/.91208
- https://www.j-cast.com/2015/08/03241857.html?p=all
- https://mantan-web.jp/article/20150919dog00m200009000c.html
- https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2015-10-02/.93663
- “AoT – I’ve Been Waiting For This Day,” Michael Callari, 2015.
- Attack on Titan Part 1 in Less Than 90 Seconds, Funimation, 2015.
- https://eiga.com/news/20150801/12/
- https://www.afa-academy.com/awards/10th/
- https://www.dreampass.jp/search/Attack%20on%20Titan
- https://x.com/crazyaotmoments/status/1765710467886989447
- https://ranran-entame.com/close/87322.html
- https://x.com/kaji__official/status/1284433172092997634
- https://www.looper.com/949570/shin-ultramans-shinji-higuchi-sees-no-reason-to-return-to-attack-on-titan-exclusive/
- Famous Monsters of Filmland #289, Oct 2017.
- https://asianbeat.com/en/feature/shingeki/gunkanjima.html
- https://www.kokuyo-st.co.jp/mag/work/2021/04/000183.html
- CGWORLD No. 205, Sep 2015.
- https://x.com/tyomi_insider/status/1890716734652321804?s=46
- http://blog.livedoor.jp/isayamahazime/archives/4420551.html
- http://blog.livedoor.jp/isayamahazime/archives/8660796.html
- https://www.gettyimages.com/editorial-images/entertainment/event/director-shinji-higuchi-on-film-set-of-attack-on-titan/571030153
- https://www.gettyimages.ca/editorial-images/entertainment/event/world-premiere/564436175
