Attack on Titan "made a lot of noise" but lacked long-term appeal for being too complex, according to former Dragon Ball editor Kazuhiko Torishima. Torishima is a legendary figure in Shueisha, serving as Dragon Ball editor and later promoted to Shonen Jump's editor-in-chief after the magazine suffered a sharp decline following the conclusion of Dragon 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 on Attack on Titan.

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By Suzail Ahmad

Attack on Titan Made a Lot of Noise But Didn't Sell That Well

Torishima thinks Dragon Ball's simple structure is key for its long-lasting success.
He believes manga with complex stories and difficult themes might drive readers away.

Torishima was asked by DB-Z about a previous comment he made, when he stated that there was "nothing to learn" from Dragon 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 that Dragon Ball's strength lies in its simplicity, comparing it to Tom & 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 that Attack on Titan caused a lot of noise but didn't sell that well and stopped selling once the manga was over, unlike Dragon Ball and Naruto. This suggests he believes Attack on Titan has 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 with Attack 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 Titan fans 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 comparing Dragon Ball and Attack on Titan doesn'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 also talked about One Piece during 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 Titan is available to stream on Crunchyroll, subbed and dubbed in English and other languages.

Source: DB-Z

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Release Date: 2013 - 2023-00-00

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Matthew Mercer
Josh Grelle

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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.