In November 2024, The Last Attack was released in theaters nationwide in Japan, wrapping up the story of Attack on Titan. While the franchise itself is still ongoing with collaborations, merchandise, and games, Isayama himself has stated that he was burnt out for the time being. However, in February 2025, he collaborated with Yuki Kaji on a manga titled, Theory of a Malicious Man and AI - I'm an AI Who Gained Self-Awareness, Is Exploited by a Black Company, Becomes a V-Tuber as a Joke, Goes Viral Which Risks Humanity’s Extinction! But Well, I’m Just an AI, So What Do I Care! - or Soyogi Fractal for short.
Kaji came up with the concept, illustrated by Kai Noshigami, while Isayama illustrated the draft and wrote the story. Along with this small project, in an interview with New York Times, he did state that he had ideas for a new manga and was weighing the possibility of a dark comedy. So the question arises: What kind of story is he going to tell?
Yuki Kaji's Soyogi Fractal: The Story of the AI That Became a YouTuber
Released this spring, Yuki Kaji and Hajime Isayama's newest work, a spin-off of Soyogi Fractal was released in Japan.
The Original Idea
Dark Comedy or Heartbreak?
In another interview with Isayama before Attack on Titan concluded, he was asked if he had any other ideas for future projects. According to him, he had an idea for one since high school, and hoped to see it come to fruition. While not necessarily the same idea, as previously mentioned, he had a dark comedy in mind as his potential "next project", so those two ideas could very well become one. Also, looking at his past works before Attack on Titan, there was orz, which tells the story of Yasuhiko, a high school student who lives a double life as a superhero, fighting monsters that came in from an alternate universe.
His watch manages his stress/excitement levels and triggers a transformation if it gets too high, so when his childhood friend, Aki, transfers to his school, Yasu faces a dilemma where he has to simultaneously protect her while still maintaining his secret from his friends. As it's a one-shot, the conflict is resolved fairly quickly, as Aki discovers his secret and they both decide to face the enemy head on, winning a difficult battle. The chapter ends with a group of students lamenting the possibility of the hero failing, reminding the reader of the grim reality the story takes place in.
Orz has snippets of humor in it, as Yasu's tendency to take off his clothing in public spaces to increase his stress levels, so he can transform, is a reoccurring theme. But there was another one-shot that was submitted to the same magazine, but never saw any published releases, Heartbreak One. Not much is known about it, aside from the title being inspired by Ace Combat 5 and the main character, a cyborg, is Historia's original design. However, with orz's cliffhanger and Isayama's collaboration with Yuki Kaji, he's not out of ideas. Of course, he is human, so rest and self-care are imperative for one's own health and to avoid burnout.
The Original Attack on Titan
Before Eren, Attack on Titan initially had a completely different main character. Here's a closer look at Attack on Titan: Volume 0.
A Side Story or a Snippet?
The Potential of The Great Titan War
In an interview that was included in Shingeki Fly, Isayama stated that he had planned for a one-shot based on The Great Titan War, which took place 100 years before the events of the main story in Attack on Titan. But the idea was scrapped when he decided to delve into Levi's character more in how he "awakened" his Ackerman abilities, along with the reason he holds his teacup oddly. In the same interview, he mentioned burnout again, so it is reasonable to assume that a smaller story would be better, as it isn't too taxing and Isayama's passion for the series wouldn't shine through otherwise.
The possibilities of adaptations of other works such as Before the Fall and Harsh Mistress of the City are very possible, but it's up to Isayama how he chooses to go forward with his career as an artist and storyteller.
