The publisher that saved Attack on Titan is hosting a competition to rescue previously rejected manga ideas

Attack on Titan may be the gold standard for most manga and anime fans, but it almost didn't turn out that way.

Almost 20 years ago, Hajime Isayama's acclaimed work was turned down by legendary manga publisher Weekly Shonen Jump for not quite aligning with its usual wide-eyed, more fantastical works such as One Piece and Dragon Ball. Then, Bessatsu Shonen stepped in – and the rest is history.

Now, Bessatsu is offering the chance for rejected manga to gain 'revenge' by being revived inside its pages for an upcoming competition.

“Why not take revenge in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine? Even if a project was previously rejected for various reasons, there are surely ideas that can and should be realized now!" the competition premise reads (via Oricon, H/T ComicBook). "We invite you to submit your powerful 'revenge' names for a chance at serialization!”

At least one rejected manga will get published in Bessatsu Shonen, with other prominent candidates being given the opportunity to work with an editor until their project is "realized."

So, this might be the starting point for the next generation of popular manga. Attack on Titan certainly did OK for itself, becoming a worldwide phenomenon and, thanks to The Last Attack, a box office success in its own right.

In fact, Attack on Titan might not be done just yet. Speaking during an appearance at the Beyond the Walls concert in Los Angeles, producer Tetsuya Kinoshita told the audience (via AnimeCorner), "we plan to continue creating films like [The Last Attack], concerts like this one, and various game collaborations moving forward."

If you're interested in diving into the series, you'll need to know how to watch Attack on Titan in order. Then take a look ahead to the year's biggest releases with our guide to new anime.