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Attack on Titan Parodies 'We Came by Bike' in Latest Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine

Hajime Isayama had his tongue planted firmly in his cheek when he drew the cover for the September issue of Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine. The cover shows Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and Levi in a group pose, each wearing a serious expression and holding their fists to their chest. The magazine's official Twitter account shared the cover, but didn't acknowledge Isayama's meme reference.

The posing is a direct reference to the 2011 meme "We Came By Bike" or "Chari de Kita," a Japanese photo booth image of four early teen boys posing together. The phrase is written on the image, and for whatever reason, it took off on the internet and became the subject of Photoshop jokes.

Something about the combo of seriousness, the subjects' young faces, and the now out of style fashion tickled web users' funny bones until references proliferated through out pixiv, Nico Nico and more.

This isn't Isayama's first Attack on Titan meme reference. The manga creator drew another jokey cover in for this year's May issue by again drawing the lead cast in the pose of the "Reaction Guys" meme, known in Japan as "Gaijin 4koma."

The picture shows game journalists Matt Casamassina, Craig Harris, Chadd Chamers, and Peer Schneider at E3 2004 Expo after the announcement of The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.

[Via Nijimen]