The Real Reason The Attack On Titan Dub Cast Avoided Reading The Manga

Even as anime continues to expand in popularity all over the world, shows like "Attack on Titan" stand out from the pack. Powered by a complex, politically charged storyline and morally gray characters who are at odds with themselves as often as they are with one another, the series has emerged as one of the greatest anime success stories the medium has ever seen (via Polygon).

Based on the manga of the same name by Hajime Isayama, "Attack on Titan" takes place in a world overrun by massive, cannibalistic humanoids that leave the remainder of humanity cowering within walled cities like livestock. As even the walls begin to be destroyed by the creatures, though, humankind must fight back or be wiped out forever. 

Still, even with the importance of the original story to its adaptation, voice actors for the English dub have sworn off reading the source material for a few distinct reasons. Three members of the voice cast for the English dub of "Attack on Titan" sat down with ComingSoon.net to discuss "The Final Season" of the series and why they don't like to read the manga beforehand.

"I always avoid the manga when I'm working on an anime," Bryce Papenbrook, who voices Eren Jaeger in the show, told ComingSoon.net. "Sometimes they don't animate the scenes exactly the same; sometimes there's different things needed in different moments," he continued as Mikasa voice actor Trina Nishimura nodded in agreement.

It's easy to see where the voice actors are coming from here, as having a set blueprint for how you think a scene should look or play out can color how you perform in the scene. Furthermore, many anime make changes from the source material when they adapt, and knowing or expecting twists that your character might not know about yet could affect how a part comes across to viewers.

"I wouldn't want to fall in love with a scene or make a decision on a performance and then never get to do that," Papenbrook went on. "So, my method is not to read the manga, not to look at spoilers, to go in kind of blind and blank; immerse myself in the show and then try to give as truthful a performance right in that moment."

As expected from her enthusiastic nodding, Nishimura heartily concurred. The voice actor said that she had spoken to "Attack on Titan" director Mike McFarland about the issue, and the two had agreed that she should stay as pure as possible regarding the source material. Naturally, this is a very sensible decision in a series that's packed with as many jaw-dropping plot twists as this one is. Either way, look for more giant-fighting action when the series concludes in the upcoming "Final Arc."