Attack on Titan Makes Its Political Debut Under Japan's New Prime Minister

Attack on Titan has never been shy about engaging with politics. Despite this, it's still somehow surprising to see Japan's own Prime Minister openly quoting the hit anime and manga franchise. While the shout-out might seem innocuous, the actual context of the line from Attack on Titan makes it downright chilling.

In a December 1st speech at the FII Priority Asia Summit 2025 conference, current Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi addressed potential investors from Saudi Arabia.

Toward the end of her speech, Takaichi acknowledged the popularity of franchises like One Piece and Demon Slayer in Saudi Arabia. The relatively new Prime Minister then concluded her speech with a direct quote from Attack on Titan.

Today I would like to conclude my speech with a famous line from "Attack on Titan." "Just shut your mouths. And invest everything in me!!"

Attack on Titan's "Shut Your Mouth" Line Is One of the Series' Most Chilling

While the line might sound good on paper, the context of it from the actual Attack on Titan manga makes the quote come across as somewhat insulting to the investors Takaichi spoke to.

The quote comes from Attack on Titan chapter #19. The chapter comes directly after Eren has fully unveiled his Attack Titan form. This led to him being arrested. At the trial, the government is trying to decide what to do with him and whether he can be an asset to the Survey Corps or whether it would be better just to kill him.

In the middle of the trial, Eren rakes the court over the coals for failing to seriously consider the military benefits of having a Titan on their side. The line is Eren essentially calling his captors out, and more specifically, it's him questioning their intelligence.

Unfortunately for Takaichi, the broader context of the series doesn't make her quote any better.

Eren Jaeger Is the Villain of Attack on Titan, Not The Hero

While fans may debate Eren's morality, Attack on Titan makes it clear that Eren is a villain. By the end of the series, Eren Jaeger has become a literal monster, committing genocide on a scale that leaves the world a smoldering husk that's only able to recover because a handful of people were brave enough to stand up to him.

In this light, Eren's "Shut your mouths and invest everything in me!" quote is a disturbing hint at just how far he'd fall.

With Takaichi's hard-line right-wing politics and the nationalism at the heart of Eren's descent, it's difficult not to see the quote as more than a little chilling, even with an outsider's perspective.

Given all this, Takaichi's quote raises plenty of red flags. Maybe it was intentional, and Takaichi knew full well what she was saying, or maybe not. Either way, the context of the famous Attack on Titan quote paints a much different picture than initial appearances suggest.