Hajime Isayama, the creator behind the blockbuster fantasy series Attack on Titan, is a famous Japanese manga artist. With his debut manga series becoming one of the best-selling ones of all time and over 100 million copies sold worldwide, it is undeniable that the artist is well-known around the world.
Since his debut, the manga artist has been nominated three times and has received 18 awards for his manga illustrations and storylines. Many anime fans recognize Hajime as the creator of their favorite show, but how much do they know about his personal life?
In this biography, we will understand more about Hajime Isayama's career and lifestyle.
Kim Jung Gi Biography- South Korean Artist
Early Life, Education, and Family
Hajime Isayama was born to parents Mitsuo Isayama and Emi Isayama on August 29, 1986. The artist grew up in Oyama, a town in Japan's Hita region, Oita Prefecture.
Hajime graduated from Hitarinkou High School in Oita Prefecture. Following his graduation, he joined the Kyushu Designer Gakuin's manga design program in the cartoon arts department.
Hajime Isayama, who was born and raised in Hita, has always enjoyed drawing. Image Source: Hajime Isayama Blog.
According to an interview, even as a child, Isayama enjoyed drawing and frequently sketched monsters in his notebook. As a result, Hajime always knew he would one day want to become a comic artist. However, he did not consider himself talented enough, as he was not a particularly brilliant student in the class.
Nevertheless, seeing his friends create their own comics inspired Hajime to pursue his dream of becoming a manga illustrator.
However, Hajime Isayama's father was not particularly fond of his sons' field of interest as he did not think it was a reliable career. His dad thought it would be better if he just got a regular job. Hajime Isayama's mother, on the other hand, was always supportive of her son's decision and would encourage him to continue to work hard.
The manga artist is currently widely acknowledged as one of the world's top manga artists. Hajime Isayama's dad must be glad that his son defied his counsel and pursued his passion instead. Do you believe the artist might have achieved such fame if he had heeded his father's advice?
Hajime Isayama Net Worth And Career
As mentioned earlier, Hajime started to draw characters in his notebook way back when he was a child. However, he only pursued a career as a manga artist after he went to Tokyo at 20 in 2006. In the same year, Isayama won "The Fine Work Award" in the Magazine Grand Prix with the original 65-page one-shot version of Attack on Titan.
When asked where the inspiration for Attack on Titans originated from, the artist said it came from a computer game called MUV LUV ALTERNATIVE that he used to play.
Initially, Hajime sent his work to Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump department, where he was advised to modify his style to meet theirs better. But, on the other hand, the manga artist rejected the idea of altering his style and instead chose to work for Kodansha.
He won the Special Encouragement Award for his work, Heart Break One, in the 80th Weekly Shonen Magazine Freshman Manga Award in 2008. In 2009, his first serial work, Attack on Titan, was published in the Bessatsu Shonen Magazine. The manga got nominated for both the 4th annual Manga Taisho award and the 16th annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.
Eventually, it won the Shonen category of the 35th Kodansha Manga Award in 2011.
Hajime Isayama's career began with the manga series "Attack On Titans," which became one of the most popular manga series of all time. Image Source: Hajime Isayama Blog.
Attack on Titan was released in English by Kodansha USA on June 19, 2012. Since then, the manga has inspired five spin-off manga series, three light novel series, a television anime adaptation, many visual novels, computer games, and a two-part live-action feature. The manga had sold over 100 million copies worldwide as of December 2019, making it one of the best-selling manga series of all time.
The artist also promotes his work through social media sites. Hajime Isayama's Twitter account, which has roughly 160,000 active followers, is full of his artworks and early ideologies.
With millions of fans, the manga series has now become one of the most well-known manga series of all time. Owing to this, Hajime Isayama's net worth is mostly derived from his work as a manga artist. The artist, on the other hand, prefers to keep his finances private.
However, multiple online sites have stated Hajime Isayama's net worth to be around $45 million.
Well, Hajime's manga series books are currently available on Amazon from $8 to $14. There's no doubt that his business is thriving, with 34 book series and millions of fans. The artist must have made a fortune from the success of this series.
Hajime also serves as the tourism ambassador for Hita, his birthplace. Given the artist's fame, he must charge a high price for his work. Hajime Isayama's fortune may rise in the future as a result of his growing career and upcoming projects.
Married Life
Hajime announced on his blog in December of 2018 that he had married earlier that year and wanted to continue growing as an artist alongside his wife. The artist appears to be quite discreet about his personal life, sharing no photos or statements that would expose his wife's identity.
Even though he has never talked about his marriage, there were rumors that Hajime Isayama's wife is Arisa Yamamoto, his former aide. In response to the reports, the artist clarified that he had not married his ex-assistant and even labeled the reports as troublesome.
Even though the artist is reserved about his married life, he is quite active on Twitter, where he shares his day-to-day activities with his fans. Hajime Isayama's Twitter, however, is largely dedicated to his artwork, with very little information on his personal information.
Consequently, there is still no news on Hajime Isayama's spouse on his social media account even after all these years. The artist has made it obvious that he does not want the media to pry into his personal life. Hopefully, Hajime will disclose some information about his married life over time.
Trivia and Facts
- Hajime Isayama does not know how to speak or read English.
- He watches English Series with Japanese Subtitles.
- The artist got the concept of Titan while dealing with a drunk customer at an internet cafe.
