Summary
In an impressive new collaborative project on X,Attack on Titanfans have joined together to documenteach pop culturereference they noticed in the series. Every fan knows that no detail was spared inAttack on Titan.From out-of-this-world foreshadowing, to incredibly detailed character backgrounds, to incomparable worldbuilding, the manga’s author has proven to be one of the best storytellers of all time. However, the depth of details inAOTgoes much deeper than fans think.
Hajime Isayama is known to be a lover of pop culture, which played into the success of his series,Attack on Titan.The story is undeniably funny, relatable, and thrilling, often referred to as, “The Walking Dead” of anime. Furthermore,AOTis one of the best-selling manga of all time, with over 140 million copies in circulation as of November 2023.
Isayama has also expressed his appreciation for pop culture on social media. During the peak season ofGame of Thrones,the author stated that he was an avid fan, would often post fan art on his blog, and regularly recommended the series to his viewers. Additionally, he mentioned that the series would inevitably influence his own work. In more ways than one,Isayama has proved that he is a huge fan of pop culture, and fans recently took it upon themselves to document each reference inAttack on Titanin a hilarious new fan project.
Meme References in AOT: A Thread
Lengthy Fan Project Proves How Many References Fans Missed on the First Watch
In early July, the thread was originally started by@jai__in4k on X.As fans dug deep intoAttack on Titan,more and more references were discovereduntil the post reached 17.7 million views.The first meme posted to the thread was of the“stressed scribbling boy” found in the manga.
Another iconic meme that fans found was in the anime. Everyone remembers the classic “man checks out another woman” meme. This time, they are replaced with Bertholdt, Reiner, and Annie in a hilarious comparison.
Finally, Isayama also poked fun at America’s most popular TV show,Breaking Bad.Saul Goodman fromBetter Call Saul’sofficial X account posted about Chapter 124 back in 2019. An image of anAOTmanga panel was shared, depicting Saul Goodman as a Titan.
Isayama Has Always Been the Master of Hidden References
From Pop Culture to Foreshadowing, Attack on Titanis Filled to the Brim
Hajime Isayama’s hidden references run deep within his story. For example,one pivotal moment of foreshadowinghappened within the first few episodes ofAOT:Armin predicts Eren becoming a villain. However, whileAttack on Titanfans may be aware of Isayama’s masterful foreshadowing, the pop culture references in his series may be news to most. Hidden references are the perfect way for artists to pay homage to their inspirations, andAOT’screator does it best. Just as Isayama has taken inspiration from Western media,he has also encouraged American artists to do the same for Japanese media.
In pop artist Billie Eilish’s newest album,Hit Me Hard and Soft,she referencesSpirited Awayin her song,CHIHIRO.In celebration of its success,Isayama sent Eilish a personalized drawingalongside his iconic characters fromAOT.Isayama isn’t only the master of hidden references, he encourages other artists to honor their inspirations in their own work.
The impressive new fan project on Twitter, documenting the number of pop culture references inAttack on Titan,isn’t only hilarious, but also proves how Isayama has brilliantly incorporated his inspirations into his stories and thus kept his it relevant years later.
Attack On Titan
Based on the manga, Attack on Titan is a dark-action fantasy series set in a world where humanity has been corralled into walled cities from fear of monstrous human-eating Titans that exist outside of them. When protagonist Eren Yeager’s mother is killed in front of his eyes at a young age, his thirst for vengeance leads him to join an elite group of soldiers created to fight back against the Titan menace.
