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Attack on Titan"made a lot of noise" but lacked long-term appeal for being too complex, according to formerDragon Balleditor Kazuhiko Torishima. Torishima is a legendary figure in Shueisha, serving asDragon Balleditor and later promoted toShonen Jump’s editor-in-chief after the magazine suffered a sharp decline following the conclusion ofDragon Ball. He retired from Shueisha a few years ago.
At the 2025 Japan Expo in Paris, Torishima reviewed Toyotaro’s first original manga,Lost Samurai. He gave broad insights into the manga industry during multiple interviews, and this is how he ended up commenting onAttack on Titan.
Attack on Titan Made a Lot of Noise But Didn’t Sell That Well
Torishimawas asked by DB-Zabout a previous comment he made, when he stated that there was “nothing to learn” fromDragon Ball, which stirred a lot of discussion among fans, who claimed the story teaches friendship, courage, and other values. He was surprised to learn this comment had sparked heated discussions but proceeded to reaffirm his vision:he maintains thatDragon Ball’s strength lies in its simplicity, comparing it toTom & Jerry. It’s supposed to be fun, without much to be retained. He also believes this is one of the main reasons why Dragon Ball is such a long-lasting success; it follows a simple structure.
Then, he added that there are lots of complex manga out there and that he talked to people from a German publishing house,and learned thatAttack on Titancaused a lot of noise but didn’t sell that well and stopped selling once the manga was over, unlikeDragon BallandNaruto. This suggests hebelievesAttack on Titanhas a complex story, and it might be related to why he thinks the series hasn’t sold that well. However, at the same time, it seems Torishima is not too familiar withAttack on Titan. Here’s his original comment:
There are many manga out there with complex and difficult themes. They don’t make you want to read them. The other day, I talked to someone from a German publishing house, and he said that Attack on Titan made a lot of noise, but in the end, the manga didn’t sell that well. After the anime ended, the manga stopped selling. But look at Dragon Ball and Naruto—they keep selling even after the anime is over. So what’s the difference? In Dragon Ball and Naruto, readers experience the world through the character’s eyes. It’s not so much about the story itself, but the fact that the reader is taken on a journey by the character. Thanks to that simple structure, both adults and children are captivated.
Attack on Titanfans quickly reacted to this statement, rebutting that the manga has been one of the most influential in the past decade and has had a global impact. Some also claim that the story being complex is what makes it good. Others also added that if all manga follow a simple structure, they will look mostly the same. Many argue that comparingDragon BallandAttack on Titandoesn’t make much sense, since they are very different when it comes to the story and its goal.
Torishima Also Commented on One Piece
While Torishima’s comments are once again causing a stir, it’s unlikely that he wanted to spark discussions. He is known for his unusually blunt and candid remarks, unlike most Japanese executives at such events. While he is not necessarily right, he is probably just sharing his opinions on the manga industry.
In fact, Torishima alsotalked aboutOne Pieceduring Japan Expo. It is known that he initially opposed the serialization of One Piece because he thought that Oda had a confusing writing style and couldn’t take the best out of the manga. At the event, he clarified that he had nothing against the story or the characters and that there was an internal and divisive debate about whether to approve One Piece or not, but he decided to greenlight it. But he also added that he thinks the story has gotten worse, and he believes that this is because Oda “won” over his editors.
Attack on Titanis available to stream on Crunchyroll, subbed and dubbed in English and other languages.
Attack On Titan
Cast
Based on Hajime Isayama’s widely popular manga, Attack on Titan is a dark fantasy anime set in a world where humanity lives behind walls to protect themselves from massive creatures known as Titans. Over the course of four seasons, the story takes plenty of unexpected twists and turns, almost evolving into a different type of series in the process.
