My Take
Okay, I have a soft spot for Isayama, because here's a guy who built one of the most ferociously plotted manga of the century and still insisted he couldn't draw. That early rough art? It only makes me love Attack on Titan more, because you watch him level up panel by panel while never once losing the grip on his sprawling web of foreshadowing. Eleven-plus years, thirty-four volumes, and he lands the plane. That takes a stubbornness most people don't have. And then I find out the brain behind all that dread and despair is out here watching MMA and going full fanboy for Momoiro Clover Z, and honestly it cracks me up. The contrast is everything. He swung for something huge, refused to soften it, and pulled it off. Quiet weird genius, and I'm here for it.
Overview
Hajime Isayama is a Japanese manga artist born on August 29, 1986, in Oyama, Hita, Oita Prefecture. He is best known as the creator of Attack on Titan, which ran in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine from 2009 to 2021 and was collected in 34 volumes. The series became a global phenomenon, spawning a critically acclaimed anime adaptation and earning Isayama multiple major awards, including the 35th Kodansha Manga Award and the special 50th-anniversary Fauve Prize at the Angouleme International Comics Festival. He debuted in 2008 after winning the 81st Weekly Shonen Magazine Newcomer Manga Award with his short work orz.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Hajime Isayama
- Name (Japanese)
- 諫山創
- Reading
- いさやま はじめ
- Born
- August 29, 1986 (age 39)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Tiger (Tora)
- Origin
- Hita, Oita Prefecture, Japan
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Freelance (published by Kodansha)
- Active years
- 2009–present
- Occupation
- Manga artist
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Oita Prefectural Hita Rinko High School
- University
- Kyushu Designer Gakuin (Manga Department)
- Debut
- 2008 — placed in the 81st Weekly Shonen Magazine Newcomer Manga Award with orz, debuting in Magazine SPECIAL
Awards & achievements
- 2006 — Kodansha Magazine Grand Prix (MGP) Honorable Mention (prototype of Attack on Titan)
- 2008 — 80th Weekly Shonen Magazine Newcomer Manga Award Special Encouragement Prize (HEART BREAK ONE)
- 2008 — 81st Weekly Shonen Magazine Newcomer Manga Award (orz)
- 2011 — 35th Kodansha Manga Award, Boys' Category (Attack on Titan)
- 2021 — 3rd Noma Publishing Culture Award (Attack on Titan, series completion)
- 2023 — 50th Angouleme International Comics Festival, Special 50th-Anniversary Fauve Prize (Attack on Titan)
Timeline
- 1986Born in Oyama, Hita, Oita Prefecture
- 2006Submitted the prototype of Attack on Titan to the Kodansha Magazine Grand Prix and received an honorable mention
- 2008Won the 80th Weekly Shonen Magazine Newcomer Manga Award Special Encouragement Prize with HEART BREAK ONE, and placed in the 81st award with orz, marking his debut
- 2009Attack on Titan began serialization in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine
- 2011Won the 35th Kodansha Manga Award (Boys' Category); anime adaptation announced
- 2013First season of the Attack on Titan anime aired, becoming a massive hit domestically and internationally
- 2018Announced his marriage via blog
- 2021Final chapter published in the May issue of Bessatsu Shonen Magazine (released April 9); series concluded at 34 volumes. Received the Noma Publishing Culture Award
- 2023Received the Special 50th-Anniversary Fauve Prize at the 50th Angouleme International Comics Festival
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Married (spouse details private)
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Hobbies
- Watching mixed martial arts
- Fan activities for Momoiro Clover Z
- Listening to film critic Tomohiro Machiyama's radio program
Specialties
- Manga creation
- Martial arts (hobbyist level, punching bag practice)
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manga | Attack on Titan | Story and art | 2009 |
| Manga | HEART BREAK ONE | Story and art | 2008 |
| Manga | orz | Story and art | 2008 |
| Manga (collected volumes) | Attack on Titan (complete, 34 volumes) | Story and art | 2010 |
6. Links
- Official sitehttp://blog.livedoor.jp/isayamahazime/
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%AB%AB%E5%B1%B1%E5%89%B5
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.