Up until a certain point in Attack on Titan, the lives of Eldians were confined within the walls. Everything foreign was a cause of concern. All that the central trio dreamed of was to see what lay beyond these walls, and overcoming them became the main agenda.
During an interview, the producer of the anime, George Wada, shared that this was one of the main reasons behind the international popularity of the series. Overcoming this wall or the metaphorical ‘Wall of Fear’ was a relatable idea for the audience.
Hajime Isayama took inspiration from Japan and its culture to establish this key concept of the series. Here’s how it still relates to the current reality of the country.
Attack on Titan producer explains the “Wall of Fear”
The story of Attack on Titan began with the establishment of the Titans’ terror. Their mere mention was enough to get people shaking in fear. Amidst that intense fear, the sight of the walls became the most comforting as it was the only thing keeping humanity safe.
During an interview with Anime News Network, George Wada explained how the ‘Wall of Fear’ was a key reason behind the series’ popularity. He also shared how this idea originated.
The idea of being isolated within the wall originated with manga creator Hajime Isayama, who was inspired by Japanese culture. The Japanese people can become very isolated and enclosed, so it’s more of a Japanese cultural idea.
This context adds a new layer of complexity to the main idea of Attack on Titan. Initially, the walls were simply seen as a means to protect the Eldians inhabiting Paradis Island. The revelation about Marley’s existence suggested that these walls were not installed to protect, but rather to confine.
During the Edo Period, there was an isolationist policy that strictly limited the contact Japan had with foreign nations and entities. This policy was commonly known as Sakoku. Knowing that this idea was inspired from Japan’s history, the parallels become quite apparent. Even though the isolationist policy is no longer prevalent, the Japanese are still known for their reservations against foreigners and foreign concepts.
History still dictates the behaviour of the current generation and the cycle will likely continue for the future ones as well. Similar to how, the walls that were put in place for protection ended up as a physical manifestation of the psychological restraints that were put on the Eldians. The reality was more manipulative and heinous than it seemed.
What was meant to be protective only served as a restrictive force
Marley always portrayed Eldians in a bad light. According to them, Eldians were the monsters who threatened the world. They were deserving of isolation or their only purpose was to serve as disposable weapons. Hence, they deserved to be oppressed and the Eldians obliged out of guilt that Marley had indoctrinated in their minds. The only option Eldians had was compliance.
They continued to go along with Marley’s policies to survive and repent for their sins. The walls became a physical manifestation of this chokehold Marley had on the Eldians. The whole idea was to break out of these physical and psychological barriers that were put in place to confine the Eldians.
Attack on Titan is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
