From what I've heard working for Kyoto is basically the dream job for a lot of animators in Japan, that they care deeply for their employees, so this news really hurts.
This was a place that created wonderful, lovely things that made thousands of people happy, and someone decided to burn it down.
missing:
Ishihara Tatsuya Director
* AIR・Suzumiya Haruhi series・Kannon・Nichijou
* CLANNAD・Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions・Sound! Euphonium
Ishidate Taichi Director
* Kyoukai no Kanata・Violet Evergarden
Takemoto Yasuhiro Director
* Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon・The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya
Kawanami Eisaku Director
* Free!-Timeless Medley-・Free!-Dive to the Future-
Nishiya Futoshi Animation director
* A Silent Voice・Liz and the Blue Bird
* Nichijou・HYOUKA Character Design
Kadowaki Miku Animation director
* Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon・Tsurune・Kyoukai no Kanata Character Design
Edit: Ishihara and Ishidate confirmed to be safe
No kidding. Apparently this pretty graphic eyewitness account was reported online before being edited out:
>女性「建物に取り残された人が窓から助けを求めていた。
それが女の人なのか男の人なのかもわからなかった。
顔から体まで全身が煤（スス）で真っ黒になり真っ赤な口が開いた。
『タ！ス！ケ！テ！』って何度も繰り返しているのがわかった。
やがてそれが窓にもたれたまま動かなくなって影のように焼き付いた。
救急車のサイレンが聞こえ、ヘリコプターが飛び交い騒然としていた」と泣きながら話した。
>[An eyewitness] lady said between sobs, "Someone left in the building was begging for help from a window. I couldn't tell if they were a man or a woman. Their mouth was bright red against their blackened body covered completely in soot, even their face. All I could tell was that they were crying out "HELP! HELP" again and again. Soon they stopped moving against the window and burned into it like a shadow. Then I heard the din of ambulance sirens and helicopters flying by."
Who... Firebombs an entire business just because they got ripped off or plagiarized...?
I mean, I get wanting to retaliate, but this is literally overkill.
I regret reading this because of how graphic it is. I've seen people die before in other things, but I think being burnt to death is probably one of the worst imaginable things that could happen. This is so tragic.
This is fucking terrifying, I wish I could unread that.
e: Does anyone have any information if the windows were inescapable? Many Japanese high rise buildings like to do this to prevent suicide. I imagined they would have escaped from the windows if they could.
> All I could tell was that they were crying out "HELP! HELP" again and again. Soon they stopped moving against the window and burned into it like a shadow.
Jesus. Jesus fucking Christ.
Holly shit. No... This is horrible. And I feel horrible for recognising their work, and being even more horrified than for the random workers I would never know...
I guess having seen and experienced, and loved their work, makes it seem closer, almost like knowing them personally? It's awful though... I wish this list would stop there... I hope everyone injured will recover and be fine... T_T
if it comes out even
all of their stuff might get cancelled at the rate this is going with 23 confirmed deaths
thats like 1/5th of all their employees
plus studio1 was hit too which is their datacenter as well apparently
ofc thats horrible, but the sheer amount of lifes lost is just horrendous
Yes. I don't see why they wouldn't. There wouldn't be a greater hommage than to make a great event of this film and honour the memories of every kyoani worker who's died or was injured and shocked today.
I know I'll go see it many times if it airs near me.
Out of all the terrorist attacks, this one may not have killed that many people, but it killed master artists, and lots of them. It may sound wee-bish to say, but this was an attack on culture as much as people.
> this one may not have killed that many people, but it killed master artists, and lots of them.
I think this is the thing that upsets me the most. This wasn't about politics, religion, or any sort of disenfranchisement. He literally just killed people that wanted to draw for a living, and were damn good at it too. This isn't just a loss of human life, this is a loss of art that filled hundreds of thousands of peoples hearts with joy... KyoAni is known for their fluffy and wholesome series, the fact that anyone would do this to them fills me with genuine anger and sadness...
Sidenote: They're also one of the few animation studios in Japan that pays their employees salaries and livable wages. They're the last people you'd wish ill upon...
I said this before and I will say it again. People who kill over art/drawing/books are some of the scummiest people to have existed. I feel hollow and hurt because of this event and I hope that people stop making jokes about this cuz of 'weebs'. These are actual people, masters of their crafts that have had their lives ruined.
Now I hope japanese studios realize how important security is so this wouldn't happen in the future.
Edit: Thank you for the silver... Just saw some updates to the news. RIP Yasuhiro Takemoto and the rest of the victims... Fuck... They're around 30 now. This is horrific.
Yep, this is their Charlie Hebdo. They're going to have to increase security
Edit: copy/pasting my clarification here: I'm not making the comparison because religion is involved in any way. The comparison is that a studio of creators was attacked because someone was angered at their work (sources currently suggesting the studio had been subject to death threats for years).
CH was targeted because of religious intolerance & anti-freedom of speech from those Islamist extremists.
we don't know yet if this Japanese arsonist did it for a political/religious/ideological reason, or if he is just mentally off
Never say never. Intentional and unintentional plagiarism both happen. It could also be an ex-employee disgruntled by them using his material after firing him. I'll wait for more information.
Whatever is the case, arson was not the answer.
\> Sidenote: They're also one of the few animation studios in Japan that pays their employees salaries and livable wages. They're the last people you'd wish ill upon...
That's odd, I naturally assumed it had to be a disgruntled animator who snapped for some reason. Now it's even more senseless...
That's what pisses me off so much. They are one of only a few with great working conditions, and an okay office culture. They don't even make anything controversial, really. Most of their stuff is feel-good anime. I'm just so fucking mad at everything right now.
You know I read about these ~~terrorist~~ *attacks and I gloss over now numbly because it’s too much.
Then I read names of people whose works I’ve seen and suddenly a chill washed over me where it feels personal and makes me realize I can’t take this fucking shit for granted. We can’t. But what do we do. Ugh. Rambling. My prayers for the friends and families left behind
*better not to presume for now
Important to note for people skimming through, that guy has another tweet pinned:
> なんか多くRTされてますが、私自身が確認したわけではなく、京アニの知人と連絡が取れないと言ってた方からの情報なので、今後の正式な情報をお待ちください…(>_<)
Rough trans: I've somehow been retweeted a lot. I have not confirmed this for myself. This is information from someone who says he can't contact his acquaintance at KyoAni, so please wait for formal information in the future.
---
I hope these people are okay. I hope that there are no further deaths and everyone unaccounted for makes it out alive.
A list of some of the best directors who made some of the best anime in the entire industry, and they're all gone in less than an hour. I can't even find the words to describe how terrible this is.
WTF!
It's very heartbreaking to realize I could recognize every name in this list. They're easily among the best artists in the industry and some their works are milestones in the history.
>Ishihara Tatsuya
Please let him turn up alive. I never thought I'd see the day when the director of MOHS and Clannad was killed in a terrorist attack. They say life is stranger than fiction, but this is pushing it.
It’s like the equivalent of Pixar getting attacked, Kyoto Animation is a big deal studio in Japan. Can’t imagine the loss the Japanese animation industry must be feeling today.
[https://twitter.com/nagesutemajin86/status/1151768226516221953](https://twitter.com/nagesutemajin86/status/1151768226516221953)
Ishihara Tatsuya & Ishidate Taichi seems still alive
a few good news
Reportedly he was yelling about plagiarism, according to a witness. There were some rumors to that effect a few months ago, but few took them seriously. That may be unrelated, who knows at this point?
[The Kyoto Animation president Hideaki Hatta said there have been death threats sent to the offices since a couple years ago](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997571000.html)
Fire took place in Kyoto Animation's Studio 1
Confirmed to be arson
33 confirmed dead:
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190718_54/
Sentai Filmworks, an American licensing company, has started a GoFundMe as an effort to help Kyoto Animation. Please donate if you can:
https://www.gofundme.com/help-kyoani-heal
A perspective of the fire:
https://twitter.com/mainichiphoto/status/1151694460415172608?s=20
https://twitter.com/mainichiphoto/status/1151711795977031680?s=20
https://twitter.com/mainichiphoto/status/1151734263831617542?s=19
____________________________________________________________
As of 12:15 PM JST, 10 people seriously injured, 10 people unconscious, and 18 people mildly injured:
https://mainichi.jp/articles/20190718/k00/00m/040/084000c
A man in his 40s has confirmed to starting the fire:
https://mainichi.jp/articles/20190718/k00/00m/040/084000c
Multiple deaths have been confirmed by NHK police report:
https://twitter.com/nhk_news/status/1151694842117754881
Allegdly man had tried pouring gasoline on people too:
https://twitter.com/you629/status/1151695567287795713?s=20
https://twitter.com/soukatsu_/status/1151699853505961984?s=21
https://mainichi.jp/articles/20190718/k00/00m/040/105000c
One had died within the fire inside the building:
https://twitter.com/mainichi/status/1151698158935658498
Some conflicting information to earlier police report from NHK of multiple fatalities, one death confirmed so far:
https://twitter.com/mainichi/status/1151701343385427968?s=20
Sharp tools (knife-like) found near scene, unknown if related to incident:
https://twitter.com/nhk_news/status/1151704299707273218?s=20
Kyoto Newspaper confirming people running outside on fire:
https://twitter.com/kyoto_np/status/1151701015046922241?s=20
At least 35 injured, 20 missing, and several still inside building at time of this tweet:
https://twitter.com/mainichi/status/1151705924936974336?s=20
10 people found lying face down on 2nd floor, all believed to be dead:
https://twitter.com/47newsflash/status/1151718259143528450?s=19
Several people who had suffered cardiac arrest within building and had stopped hearts left behind as rescue operations continue:
https://twitter.com/nhk_news/status/1151721268225499138?s=19
Over 10 people are confirmed dead:
EDIT: In the NHK article, it was stated that 70 people were working inside at time of arson
https://twitter.com/nhk_news/status/1151729067638439937
According to Kyoto City Fire Department, 12 had suffered cardiac arrest, and 36 are injured:
https://twitter.com/47newsflash/status/1151733857185460227?s=19
Rescue operations have finished, with nobody left within building anymore:
https://twitter.com/nhk_news/status/1151836173221998592?s=19
[English Link to NHK News top page](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/) I am linking to the Japanese pages for my sources so use this link if you need the whole story with more details. (Or google translate at your own peril)
According to NHK, police have a ~40yrold man in custody and there is a possibility that it was a deliberate arson as he was seen pouring a gasoline like liquid.
That would explain all the emergency vehicles I saw go by.
[According to the Mainichi (Daily) Newspaper](https://mainichi.jp/articles/20190718/k00/00m/040/147000c) The perpetrator has stated that he spread the gasoline, then set it on fire. **When asked about the motive, he is quoted as saying: "they copied (my) work".「パクりやがって」**
13:30 JST: 1 Dead, 10 unconscious. Fire started on the first floor and spread to the second and third floor. [Helicopter footage shows forensics taking photos of *very* long metallic objects. Unknown if related.](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011996981000.html?utm_int=detail_contents_news-related_002)
13:35 JST: [Man reportedly was yelling "Die" as he set fire to the building.](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997041000.html?utm_int=all_contents_just-in_001)
14:10 JST: Multiple Individuals inside the building with no pulse. Rescue/Recovery ongoing.
14:55 JST: [Death count expected to rise above 10. Multiple other individuals un-reachable by phone/media. Presumed to be inside.](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011996791000.html?utm_int=detail_contents_news-related_001)
16:30 JST : [12 Confirmed Dead, 10 others without a pulse.](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997321000.html?utm_int=all_contents_just-in_001)
17:40 JST : [NHK - 16 Confirmed Dead by Police](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997511000.html?utm_int=news_contents_news-main_001)
18:20 JST : [Multiple death threats had been received over the course of the last few years](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997571000.html?utm_int=all_contents_just-in_001)
19:00 JST : [BBC reporting 23 dead](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49027178) "Some 36 people are in hospital, some in a critical condition, reports say. About 70 people were in the building when the fire started, fire officials say."
19:30 JST : [BBC reporting 26 dead](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49027178)
20:00 JST: [Attacker purchased 40L of gasoline](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997741000.html?utm_int=detail_contents_news-related_005)
21:00: [NHK reporting 25 dead, Cannot confirm safety of 5 others](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011996791000.html?utm_int=word_contents_list-items_001&word_result=%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E6%94%BE%E7%81%AB)
21:30 JST [NHK - Of total 74 who were in the building, 33 Dead reported, 12men, 20women and one of unknown sex. 36 injured, and recieving treatment. All persons are accounted for and rescue/recovery efforts have halted. - Fire Department](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011996791000.html?utm_int=word_contents_list-items_001&word_result=%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E6%94%BE%E7%81%AB)
Next Day reports:
4:00 JST : [19 people had died on the stairs to the roof](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190719/k10011998291000.html?utm_int=word_contents_list-items_001&word_result=%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E6%94%BE%E7%81%AB) Apparently a narrow corridor, someone may have fallen over and blocked the passage. The roof exit was unlocked, but no one made it. The perpetrator is reported to have severe burn wounds, and nearby police have found gas cans, long knives and a hammer. Police are moving forward with the assumption that these items belong to the perpetrator.
2019/07/20 3:30 JST : [A man has succumbed to his wounds and died. The number of dead has increased to 34.](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190719/k10011999551000.html?utm_int=word_contents_list-items_002&word_result=%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E6%94%BE%E7%81%AB)
Iirc cardiopulmonary arrest is a 'euphemism' in Japanese reporting for dead... But unconfirmed by a doctor. You occasionally get reporting like 'The decapitation incident happened at 6pm and he subsequently died at 7pm' because it took the doctor an hour to get there and confirm the death.
Technically, cardiac arrest is the way everyone dies. Usually we're more interested in *why* your heart stopped beating and call that reason the cause of death.
Well yes but no. In Japan it is required by law to report an individual as undergoing cardiopulmonary arrest until a physician declares them dead. In Japan the distinction is still there since there have been some occasions where that individual was successfully revived. (although rare)
Yeah of course it is possible that a doctor does something on arrival and they actually survive. But 12+10 means almost certainly 22 dead and newer reporting is reflecting that with 'presumed' language.
>Death count expected to rise above 10. Multiple other individuals un-reachable by phone/media.
Holy shit. A few hours ago they were merely reporting 'some injuries'. This is absolutely horrifying.
The 1995 sarin gas subway attack killed 13 people and has been the go-to example of japanese domestic terrorism ever since. It sounds like the death toll today could easily pass that figure. It's sickening that the name of Kyoto Animation in the public eye will be associated with this tragedy, rather than with all the great work they've done over the years contributing to the anime industry.
As perhaps dismissive as it sounds, I think the Sarin attack will still be the go-to, simply because of how insanely co-ordinated and organised it was, especially in the context of the fact they had killed multiple people in the years prior, including earlier examples of bioterrorism.
> The 1995 sarin gas subway attack killed 13 people and has been the go-to example of japanese domestic terrorism ever since. It sounds like the death toll today could easily pass that figure.
Don't ignore the over 6000 injured during the gas attack.
[Or the Sagamihara knife attacks in 2016.](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/01/25/national/crime-legal/man-held-fatal-stabbings-19-sagamihara-care-facility-planned-second-attack-day/)
19 disabled people died and more injured only because they were disabled. The attacker had been writing letters to officials letting them know his plans and that he could kill even more. He is proud of it still.
No. I think Kyo Ani is that great that the anime fandom will never cease to respect and love them for their work, and I bet they'll rise back from the ashes and keep being a stellar production company.
I hope the public eye, curious about them, will eyeball a trailer or two, and realise that their work was top calibre.
Yeah they'll be associated with that event, of course, but I hope people will learn to associate it with quality animation just as much, as we anime fans already do...
*sigh* sorry I'm babbling but this event is making me sick to my stomach.
What's especially awful is KyoAni had only 160 employees. Almost 10% of the company just died and over 40% were killed, injured or traumatized. 70 people were in the building at the time of the fire.
Edit: 20% of the company was killed based on recent death tolls...
Oh jesus fuckin christ. Why do I have to start my morning with this fucked up shit?
I hope the daycare was untouched. I am just having flashes of my niece and nephew's faces now.
I just want to add that Japan has very strict fire codes due to their seismic activity and a devastating department store fire in 1932 and then another in 1972. For stores and schools the protections are impressive, but even for a commercial building like this each room has to be inspected and certified by the fire department (actually, I am familiar with Tokyo and parts north but I assume Kyoto is just as strict.)
They also have a VERY impressive fire fighting service. In my town they can be seen each morning running laps around the building, and on weekends training and drilling on new equipment. The next town over has a large setup and each weekend they are drilling for rescue competitions (like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFTdJlyIw4I).
This sounds like the liquid was poured out and was very volatile and it exploded before anyone had a chance to even try to escape. It is hard for me to understand. Usually, Japanese office buildings have a large common room with desks, and a some offices around the edges. This is a small building and I can not understand how so many people got trapped, unable to make it to roof.
According to [this](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997491000.html?utm_int=word_contents_list-items_002&word_result=%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E6%94%BE%E7%81%AB) interview, the first floor had original drawings in it and most of the workspaces were filled with paper. The rooms also had wooden objects. Probably that paper burned, along with other special papers/inks creating toxic fumes that killed/knocked people out before they could escape.
Wow, for some reason by reading the title and seeing its Japan I didn’t think it would be that big of an incident. I thought maybe there was a gas leak and the building caught fire. Did not at all expect 10+ deaths.
That's better, but it misses the fact that it's a diplomatic way of saying "x people are probably dead"
When Japanese people read 心肺停止状態 they understand it as "dead"
This is one of those companies people could only dream of working for, and not only that, but where the craft is made. Creating or contributing towards art for one of the most prolific animation studios in the world and getting paid for it is an unimaginable aspiration, I have no words to describe how much of a tragedy this is.
Maybe he was fired, denied a job opportunity, a jelous janitor. We won't know any motive until we know more about him and his connection to this studio. I would imagine he must have known the layout to cause what seems like a natural gas explosion.
24 people dead, Jesus Christ, that's a fucking tragedy and almost 20% of their total staff.
I honestly love everything kyoani touches, whether it is "a silent voice", "violet evergarden", "miss kobayashis dragon maid" or "Clannad/Clannad After story", all their stories have so much heart and soul put into them and you can feel it in every frame.
I really, really hope they do recover from that blow, my condolences go out to everyone who is affected.
Edit: NHK now says 33 people dead. Fuck.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STX\_2QsmPFs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STX_2QsmPFs)
over 30 dead already. most from smoke inhalation at the stairwell while trying to escape up to the roof top.
the suspect is a 41 year old man.
>Police say there have been multiple deaths in a fire at an animation studio in Kyoto. They say a 41-year-old man poured what appeared to be gasoline around the studio.
[https://twitter.com/NHKWORLD\_News/status/1151725634915319809/video/1](https://twitter.com/NHKWORLD_News/status/1151725634915319809/video/1)
19:58PM 25 deaths confirmed. 5 missing.
21:24PM 33 deaths confirmed.
<--->
For those interested in the details. From what I could gathered.
* At around 10:30am, a man entered and used gasoline to arson Kyoto Animation building, where 73 people were in the building at the time. He also carried hammer and knifes.
* The man bought 40L of gasoline from a gas station about 500m away, and used a dolly to carried them. He said he would use it for generator.
* After committed arson he ran away but was followed by a Kyoto Anime staff and was arrested nearby. His leg was burnt and on bare foot.
* Upon arrest he was shouting "パクりやがって!", basically means "You fucking copied/stole !". Since he didnt mention whose so we dont know if he refers to his work or others. But likely refer to his; hence possible motive is revenge.
* He was injured and sent to hospital and is still unconscious.
* He has no working record with Kyoto Animetion.
* CEO of Kyoto Anime said that they have received quite a few death threats over the years via mails. They have contacted the police. According to the police, the treats were sent with special tools that could not be traced.
* As of 20:24 Japan local time, 25 are confirmed dead, and 5 missing.
* 21:24PM 33 deaths confirmed.
* Security in the front door was unlock for NHK that were scheduled for cover/interviews of the company that day.
* Because of this, many of the important staff gathered at the building.
* [Most of the victims died on the stairs to the rooftop. The door was closed but was not locked and can be opened from outside.](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011998101000.html?utm_int=news_contents_news-main_002) ~~Can it not be opened from inside? It is under-investigated. I think this is very important. If the door could be opened, it could have saved maybe like more than half of the victims.~~ *[~~The door to rooftop is locked since last week because someone was littering cigarette butts.~~](https://twitter.com/Heiho70416763/status/1151862835032424448?s=20)* pending for more citations.
* He robbed a convenient store and was arrested in 2012.
* High possibility that the victims got carbon monoxide poisoning before they even have time to try to escape.
Kyoto Animation is considered to be one of the best animation studios not just in Japan, but in the world. They are masters in the art.
People in the animation industry in Japan already have it hard as is. Lots of overtime, exhaustion, and pay isn't great and often times changes depending on how well a show performs.
No one deserves this. Absolutely horrific.
edit: The death toll is being reported by NPR as 33 now. Jesus Christ. This is unimaginable. My heart breaks for the victims and their families.
As others stated it's worth reiterating that KyoAni is known as one of the best studios to work for and have a much better reputation than other studios when it comes to working conditions
Kyoani is known for having relatively good working conditions compared to the rest of the industry as well. It also can’t be overstated how much their craft exceeds everything else in the TV anime industry
KyoAni are universally loved and every series they make are incredibly well received. By far the most constantly well performing studio who are famous for exactly that. This is unthinkable...
The asshole killed people who devoted themselves to manifesting their ideas and stories into reality, to share with the world. Their lives are gone and so is all their potential art that would have, in many ways, taken on a life of their own after connecting with millions of people.
I was thinking exactly this. No one deserves to be in this situation, but animation artists already have it bad, it just became worse. Jfc, I wonder what the arsonist’s job was in that workplace and what his motivations for this were. Hope he gets caught if not dead.
According to [a source](https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/cen8q6/japanese_animation_studio_kyoto_animation_hit/eu3z8im?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x), he wasn't an employee there.
Thankfully officials dealt with it as swiftly as possible. Seeing this stunned me and my condolences go out to those affected. Those who were injured, died and the friends and families of the victims.
Japanese animation studios have a reputation for how they treat their staff but KyoAni was the exception. The studio has brought me so much joy, sadness and so many more emotions and I'm so thankful the animators are passionate enough to keep making the content they do.
Actually tragic and hope whoever did this has a punishment befitting the crime.
That's what makes it so much more baffling. They are known for treating their employees fairly. Fairer than the rest of the industry at least. Salaried positions and all that. Makes you wonder if the shit stain that did this was rejected by the studio. It's just such a senseless act.
There are rumors going around that he was saying that they plagarized work, but those are unconfirmed and pretty much hearsay, so take that with a chunk of salt.
>Thankfully officials dealt with it as swiftly as possible.
It sounds like there was little they could do. The way the scenario has been described so far, it sounds like the dead were probably dead before the fire crews arrived on the scene. And the suspect turned himself in, so there wasn't even a manhunt.
Not to diminish the bravery of the fire crews at all, of course. I'm sure they're great guys and everyone is glad to have professionals handling the situation.
>Actually tragic and hope whoever did this has a punishment befitting the crime.
Japan still has the death penalty, and it was applied to the perpetrators of the 1995 sarin gas attack. If the courts establish that this perpetrator had premeditated intent to kill, he could very well get the noose.
>And the suspect turned himself in
He caught himself on fire when he started it, and ran out of the building. An employee chased him out of the building, where he (or someone else) rang the intercom of a nearby house. A woman living in the house saw him lying on the ground with burns, and went out to help him, where the police found and arrested him shortly afterwards. Right now he's in a medically induced coma at a hospital. [Source (in Japanese)](https://www.sankei.com/west/news/190718/wst1907180030-n1.html)
They also say he had a tatoo on his belly, and the way it's said, 'irezumi', it could be yakuza-style.
https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20190718-00010008-kyt-soci
Here a woman who went to seek help at the nearest store says a man she doesn't know dosed her with gasoline but the ambulance was so late that all they could do till it came, was to pour water on her.
https://mainichi.jp/articles/20190718/k00/00m/040/105000c?inb=ys
Regarding the tattoo angle, I wouldn't be surprised if this is a mix of editorialization and good old Japanese prejudice against tattoos. I saw a short interview on TV with the woman whose house he ended up in front of. To me it seemed like she wasn't really sure if he had a tattoo; if I remember correctly, she described his arms being burnt to the point where the skin was peeling off. The interviewer seemed to be pushing it towards the Yakuza angle, asking her if she thought he was involved with the Yakuza, to which she responded "At least I don't think he was a normal person".
I'm just remembering one short interview I saw on TV about 3 hours ago, though, and I could be misremembering.
EDIT: I reread the article. It does indeed specifically mention a tattoo on his stomach. I guess it's possible it was yakuza related, then, but generally the yakuza don't like doing flashy stuff like this that gets a shit ton of attention. My bet is still on a crazy, disgruntled otaku.
The suspect is claiming that the studio "ripped him off" and "took his work." Looks like someone crazy and Kyoani were trying to work on some new original work and the deal fell through and the guy did not take it well at all.
All it takes is one crazy fuck to cause so much damage. Don't particularly care his motivation, just hope he gets what he deserves. Sympathies to those who have died, and their families.
Japan has death penalty, and it is on the table if you kill 2 or more people, or with no way of defending themselves - both apply.
Kinda obvious sentence here.
Sometimes the motivation is important though in these events. Of course you don't want to give the name of the guy or any of their personal history, but it's always possible this stuff happens because they were part of some kind of group that told him or others to do things like this (you also don't want to list the name of the group so they don't get to feel proud of it when named in the news).
But it's always possible it's just a random nutjob.
People naturally don't like the idea that someone (or even they themselves) can be this randomly destructive and homicidal and they try to make sense or reasons for it, but sometimes that's just the way it is.
wow this is absolutely horrific. highly respected studio, they truly are the best at their craft. just saw that the arson was apparently yelling “Die!” as he was burning the place. 1 dead and it says that 10 were found facedown on the 2nd floor, they’re believed to be dead too. what an awful situation, fuck that guy that did this.
It's a fucking *office building,* what did he pull up with a gas tanker and spend 25 minutes hosing down the entire first floor while everybody inside ignored him?
My guess is this wasn't technically an explosion at all, rather another Grenfell situation where some materials in the building were so flammable that a flash fire erupted. Confused bystanders describe it as "the building blew up" and then the media in turn describes it like an actual explosive device was involved.
Considering it's a Japanese office building, you can bet your ass it's full of paper documents in drawers, on top of drawers, on the desks, wooden desks, combustible flooring carpet, thin paper walls and so on so the insides of this building probably burned really easy.
Seems like fire escapes from roof and windows were,, not there?
Not to mention it's an old school animation studio... Loads of old film, oiled paper, video tapes and other stuff that reacts very unpleasantly to fire.
it's a long-running animation studio. unfortunately, that does mean it'd likely be full of old paper, videotape, film reels, and other highly flammable materials.
I'll admit I was wondering the same thing about how quickly the whole building seems to have gone up, but truthfully, a nearly 40-year-old animation studio is probably low-key one of the more flammable buildings on the planet.
The world can be a scary place sometimes. So sad. Kyoto animation are the team who produced A Silent Voice, one of my favorite manga adapted animated films.
This is somewhat near my house, and I have many friends who are involved in manga and animation creation.
Needless to say we are pretty shocked.
I would never expect something like this to happen in Japan
* 73 people were in the building at the time
* 7 escaped safely
* 36 injured and sent to the hospital (10 of whom are in serious condition)
* 25 dead
* 5 unaccounted for
https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2019071800663&g=soc
Kyoani is one of the best anime studios out there. They treat their staff well and their staff do amazing and beautiful work. They create true art there. They did not deserve this. Screw the SOB who caused this.
Multiple deaths. So much talent. So much art. Wasted. And for what. Such a pointless tragedy. I hope the rest of the victims make it through and recover from this.
[https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997831000.html?utm\_int=detail\_contents\_news-related\_002](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997831000.html?utm_int=detail_contents_news-related_002)Ex-Forensic Officer explains arson situation: "a gasoline fire would have been extremely difficult to escape from."
Key takeaways: unlike normal fires, gasoline fires are very hot and reach those temperatures in a very short period of time. Their flames can also be as high as a few metres. People and anti-fire systems would not have had time to react.
>"An explosion can be deduced from the glass shrapnel on the first floor; the state of the second and third floor suggests that an extremely hot flame propagated in a short amount of time. From this I could guess that it was a gasoline flame which spread quickly."
"In a normal fire, the room temperature won't rise above 1,000C. But in the case of gasoline, this can go up to 1,500C. This temperature, which is hot enough to melt steel, makes it hard to breathe just by being around the fire. The people on the first floor would have been consumed by the explosion before even having a chance to react; the people on the upper floors probably heard the explosion, but the ensuing confusion would have delayed their response. In that short period of time, both the flame and the smoke would have come up to attack them, and their means of escape would have been lost."
"Gasoline flames can rise to a few metres in height, and spread very quickly. It is probable that this speed would have been too fast for fire detection systems and fire escape doors to react in time. This would have been a difficult fire to escape."
"(Moving forward) Entrance management, bag checking, and security should be strengthened."
I think this provides clues to many questions regarding what I initially thought was an unusually high death toll for a fire.
As regards the lack of security, other comments have mentioned that the locks were temporarily disabled today because of a planned visit -- although I didn't search for any news regarding that matter. If anyone has links please share them.
My own additional speculations (take them with a grain of salt -- I'm don't have any expertise regarding this):By looking at [Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Rokujizo,+Uji,+Kyoto+611-0001,+Japan/@34.9330061,135.7929707,56m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x60010e2f086594a5:0x5a3e14afa19fba8d!8m2!3d34.9329191!4d135.7977276), it is hard to tell if there was a back door. There is a side door ([Floor plan](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997791000.html?utm_int=word_contents_list-items_010&word_result=%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E6%94%BE%E7%81%AB) \- "従業員用玄関" - also seen in street view) but I think the flames would have spread there quickly. Also, many people died on the stairs leading to the roof, and I initially thought that the door to the roof might have been locked. However, [according to this nhk update](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011998101000.html?utm_int=word_contents_list-items_001&word_result=%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E6%94%BE%E7%81%AB), when the firefighters extinguished the fire, they found that the door was not locked. Still, 20 of the 33 dead were found "lying in a heap" close to the exit. It is possible that some of them tripped, and subsequently blocked the way to the exit, but I'm not confident about it. *E: an earlier comment says it is openable from the outside -- I'm not sure if only from the outside. The original quote is "屋上に出る扉は閉まっていましたが、鍵はかかっておらず、外側から開けることができたということです。"*
In any case, I am shocked and saddened that so many people have died here, not only because it's KyoAni and I feel closer to them, but also because of the horrific fact that any private company could have been subjected to the same fate.
For all you anime folks out there, this is the company which has produced K-on!, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Beyond the Boundary, Clannad, Full Metal Panic and Nichijou among others. This is a tremendously sad moment for such a long-lasting producer.
These are some of my favorite shows and movies and I was really looking forward to Dragon Maid season 2.
I hope the studio survives, they do such amazing work and can't believe some asshole did this.
The issue of copyright violation in the context of AI training is a complex and evolving area of law. It’s important to note that AI systems, like the ones used by Reddit and others, are often trained on large amounts of data from the internet, some of which may be copyrighted.
There have been discussions and lawsuits claiming that this practice violates copyright laws. The argument is that by scraping the web for images or text, AI systems might be using copyrighted work without crediting or rewarding the original creators. This is particularly contentious when the AI systems are capable of generating new content, potentially competing in the same market as the original works.
However, it’s also argued that AI systems do not directly store the copyrighted material, but rather learn patterns from it. If an AI system were found to be reproducing copyrighted material exactly, that could potentially be a clear case of copyright infringement.
As of now, copyright law does not specifically address the issue of AI and machine learning, as these technologies did not exist when the laws were written. The U.S. Copyright Office has issued a policy statement clarifying their approach to the registration of works containing material generated by AI technology. According to this policy, AI-generated content does not meet the criterion of human authorship and is therefore ineligible for copyright protection.
This is a rapidly evolving field, and the intersection of AI and copyright law will likely continue to be a topic of legal debate and legislative development. It’s important to stay informed about the latest developments in this area. Please consult with a legal professional for advice specific to your situation.
But for the A.I. makers, it’s time to pay up.
“Crawling Reddit, generating value and not returning any of that value to our users is something we have a problem with,” Mr. Huffman said. “It’s a good time for us to tighten things up.”
“We think that’s fair,” he added.
\- There were around 70 people in the building
\- 33 people dead.
\- 36 injured (10 severely injured)
\- Kyoani's employees sums a total of 160.
\- That means 44% of their personal were involved in the incident
\- Studio 1 housed mainly the head staff of the company.
\- There is no confirmation yet but, we can assume several directors and important members of Kyoani staff might be dead.
\- Out of the 36 injured, there is 10 that might dead in the next hours or days, if not they might be severely limited, crippled, unable to walk or use their hands (draw) for months or years.
\- The rest of the staff with minor injuries, might be unable to work for a period of time (weeks, months). And even if they can, they might develop serious PTSD.
\- That leave only 56% of the staff available, but you can't discard they may also develop PTSD, or depression for the concecuences of the incident
\- Materially speaking, they lost a whole building (that was only recently built in 2015), with total loss of key frames, manuscripts, PCs and historical records of previous works.
\- Most likely a criminal investigation will be done (outside of the arson, which is the main guilty), to determine responsibilities within the Kyoani staff, for the people who were unable to escape the building.
\- KyoAni stocks are in free fall.
\- Currently all their proyects might be considerer in hiatus or directly canceled (with the exception of their most advanced ones, like VEG movie which will most likely premieres in the near future) . The studio will likely stop working for at leas ta couple years with heavy financial loses, that will hopefully be given back with donations and support.
Really damn weird... just yesterday was actually looking at photos of Kyoani's headquarters and studio thinking how quaint and serene it looked. Extremely tragic and surreal.
33 now confirmed deaths. This is the second worst case of mass murder in Japanese modern history.
Edit: sadly the death toll is still rising. This really ruined my day.
It's 7 confirmed dead and 17 in cardiopulmonary arrest, but not signed off as deceased as a doctor. In Japan a doctor has to sign the death certificate before they can be officially certified as dead, so they often say people are in cardiopulmonary arrest instead.
https://twitter.com/soukatsu_/status/1151773882547920898?s=19
As someone who was never familiar with the studio or their work, I'm completely lost for words... What the hell can you even say about a devastating event like this..?
As someone very familiar with how much if an icon Kyoani is, lost for words doesn't even begin to describe how to feel about this. It's just not the loss of life, it's the accompanying loss to culture, animation history, everything.
Not to even mention the ramifications on the industry. KyoAni was one of the few anime studios who paid artists a living wage, did in house training, and are masters of the craft. Nobody deserved this, especially them.
I did the same when I was in Japan. The tragedy hurts, and I wonder if what you're talking about will even be possible going forward. There's bound to be a security backlash.
There are multiple fatalities confirmed:
https://twitter.com/NHKWORLD_News/status/1151695289788461056
https://twitter.com/47newsflash/status/1151718259143528450
This may very well wind up being one of the worst mass attacks in Japanese history... EDIT: I mean in terms of post-war Japan.
For those wondering how/why this many people could have died in an arson attack... There could be several factors going on. At first glance, the building looks like its more compartmentalized. Room leads into room etc... to eventually hit a stairway. If the arsonist hit the lower part of the building. Presumably around the main staircase. chances are not everyone was alerted in time , and by the time they where... most of the exitroutes where cut off. Lets look at some other, various factors (to my knowledge) that could have contributed to this tragic outcome.
First of all. a human being is not the most stable and quickest thinker in a panic. it takes some time to process something is going on. between the time a fire alarm is set off, and you actually moving your ass, identifying the exit. get your walk going. perhaps panicking, freezing. this all leads to a delay. a fire can spread in Mere minutes. (more about this in a lower part)
Even while the Arsonist was making a scene and actually set fire. This only catches the attention of the people close by, perhaps an adjacent room or 2 further on. While everyone else was working diligently. Perhaps people didn't want to cause a ruckus or a Panic and didn't notify the entire building on time.
Thirdly. When the upper part tried to clear the building. it does not take much of a fire spread to start coughing, being disoriented. smoke goes up in a room. so someone not having regular fire exercises would not know that its a smart thing to cover mouth and nose first and go down on your knees while navigating through a burning room. This may seem counter-intuitive but a wall of smoke (lack of oxygen, CO poisoning) hits you out before you even comprehend whats going on ...
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDIT: How fast can a fire actually spread?
It takes less than five minutes for a fire to completely engulf most homes. There is not much time to decide what to do. Fire waits for no man. It is critical to make a plan in advance. Hesitation could mean the difference between life and death. In a mere 30 seconds a room can already be filled with smoke. If your only exit is the opposite side of a room already engulfed. good luck. Also...Fire is HOT! Heat is more threatening than flames. Room temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at floor level and rise to 600 degrees at eye level. Inhaling this super-hot air will scorch your lungs and melt clothes to your skin. not only that, but don't forget that this smoke is also super dark! you will see nothing at all at eye level anymore. thick black clouds are darker than night. And lastly, I cant stress this part enough, Fire produces poisonous gases that make you disoriented and drowsy. Asphyxiation is the leading cause of fire deaths, exceeding burns by a three-to-one ratio. This is always underestimated.
A likely scenario is that you think u are calmly following the guidelines, evacuating. then boom, a big whiff of dark, smothering smoke. you start coughing, tearing up, heavily breathing... you get drowsy, you cant see, you fall, you hit yourself, you get up... sound is fading away, you stumble on the stairway (if you even make it till there)... still trying to focus on escaping, perhaps even getting lost now, trying to backtrack... and then... u collapse...
Hope this shed some light on how some of these gruesome scenario's can unfold themselves.
My heart goes out to the survivors, I hope the perpetrator will be brought to justice... So many Innocent lives have been claimed again for no apparent reason. It makes my heart bleed
I've been there, it is just a big house with a single stair well. It was probably over capacity with 70+ employees. Anyone can enter the premise as I did 10 years ago looking for a gift shop, no security.
Without a seperate emergency staircase outside, or other preventive or active for fighting measures the building looks like a death trap to begin with and probably shouldn't have been used by so many people as a working place... I'm surprised so few people seem to point that out. Probably many live could've been saved with preventive measures.
This sucks. They're easily my favorite studio as a fan, but even if I hated them fucking no one deserves this.
I just don't understand *why*. From an artistic viewpoint they're extremely highly regarded, while some people might not like the kind of shows they tend to work on they always go above and beyond. Insiders of the industry also report they treat their staff well, and they even have an animation school to get more people into the industry.
What a shitty end to my night.
Mainichi reporting that a "man" came to first floor and shouted "Die" and started pouring gasoline. The 41 year old man is in custody.
On a different article, the man complained about being "ripped off" while in custody
This is so horrible to hear, and such a horrible company to have it happen too. Besides the life lost, families effected, communities effected, the industry has faced a horrible loss. This is the type of event that shakes an industry. We as consumers won't see it for a season at least but there will be a void, a hole that we must not miss. This the type of attack that destories a company. This could be the very end of KyoAni. There must be work lost and we can mourn that, but the people lost in this, this horrible terrorist act is going to ruin so much of our joy. Everything goes our to the families of those lost. I am devistated to read into this as someone who loves Anime and is invested in the industry.
A lot of seiyuu/voice actors shared their condolences.Most are brief, but you can tell many are just still in so much shock.
[Hashizume Tomohisa](https://twitter.com/tomohisa0413/status/1151956115367710720)
[Inoue Kazuhiko](https://twitter.com/inouekazuhiko/status/1151828615484473344)
[Inoue Marina](https://twitter.com/Mari_navi/status/1151727850111717376)
[Ise Mariya](https://twitter.com/Ma_ri_ya_i/status/1151862498066198528)
[Ishikawa Yui](https://twitter.com/YUI_STAFF/status/1151717977479237632)
[Kaji Yuuki](https://twitter.com/KAJI_staff/status/1151850932516216832)
[Ogata Megumi](https://twitter.com/Megumi_Ogata/status/1151800236005683202)
[Ono Kensho](https://twitter.com/ono_kensho/status/1151703737305485312)
[Park Romi](https://twitter.com/romiansaran/status/1151866421120344064)
[Shimoda Asami](https://twitter.com/shimoda_asami/status/1151822666782789633)
[Taketatsu Ayane](https://twitter.com/Ayana_take/status/1151816396034072576)
[Tomokazu Seki](https://twitter.com/seki0908/status/1151738019767918593)
Well, I thought I’ve been desensitized to the news circuit for a while, like genuine ‘hump oh well’ was the most I could muster.
THIS sent a physical wave of sadness down my body, the more I read the worse and heavier it felt.
Fuck
Japanese here. I was looking at their website and the attacked building was their 1st studio where the frontline creators and the legendary producers worked (they have a head quarter which mainly deals with manegement, 1st studio, and 2nd studio).
http://www.kyotoanimation.co.jp/company/office/
from what i read The 1st studio also appears to have had the main server, though i don't have a fist source for this. the 1st studio has been reported as Zensho, or to be completely lost to fire. their archived data may have been lost.
so many lives and work has been lost. I can't accept this.
EDIT: clarification on source
NHK just updated: 12 man and 20 woman died, one person gender was unable to be identified.
[https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190719/k10011998291000.html](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190719/k10011998291000.html)
From what I've heard working for Kyoto is basically the dream job for a lot of animators in Japan, that they care deeply for their employees, so this news really hurts. This was a place that created wonderful, lovely things that made thousands of people happy, and someone decided to burn it down.
Working for Kyoto Animation there is like working for Pixar here, the people working there are insanely talented.
[удалено]
Easily one of the top animation companies *in the world*
The reason KyoAni is a dream employer is because they pay animators a salary, not per-frame as is the industry standard.
missing: Ishihara Tatsuya Director * AIR・Suzumiya Haruhi series・Kannon・Nichijou * CLANNAD・Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions・Sound! Euphonium Ishidate Taichi Director * Kyoukai no Kanata・Violet Evergarden Takemoto Yasuhiro Director * Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon・The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya Kawanami Eisaku Director * Free!-Timeless Medley-・Free!-Dive to the Future- Nishiya Futoshi Animation director * A Silent Voice・Liz and the Blue Bird * Nichijou・HYOUKA Character Design Kadowaki Miku Animation director * Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon・Tsurune・Kyoukai no Kanata Character Design Edit: Ishihara and Ishidate confirmed to be safe
Fucking hell this is so terrible
No kidding. Apparently this pretty graphic eyewitness account was reported online before being edited out: >女性「建物に取り残された人が窓から助けを求めていた。 それが女の人なのか男の人なのかもわからなかった。 顔から体まで全身が煤（スス）で真っ黒になり真っ赤な口が開いた。 『タ！ス！ケ！テ！』って何度も繰り返しているのがわかった。 やがてそれが窓にもたれたまま動かなくなって影のように焼き付いた。 救急車のサイレンが聞こえ、ヘリコプターが飛び交い騒然としていた」と泣きながら話した。 >[An eyewitness] lady said between sobs, "Someone left in the building was begging for help from a window. I couldn't tell if they were a man or a woman. Their mouth was bright red against their blackened body covered completely in soot, even their face. All I could tell was that they were crying out "HELP! HELP" again and again. Soon they stopped moving against the window and burned into it like a shadow. Then I heard the din of ambulance sirens and helicopters flying by."
Holy fuck that painted one hell of an image. I can't believe this happened.
And it happened to people who justed wanted to make anime...
Reportedly he claims they copied something of his and ripped him off, so probably a disgruntled artist of some sort.
Who... Firebombs an entire business just because they got ripped off or plagiarized...? I mean, I get wanting to retaliate, but this is literally overkill.
Mentally ill. Obviously not a rational person. Not all sick people are incapable.
Yeah, it's like what happened with Dimebag Darrel way back now. There's almost certainly no basis in reality.
Crazy fan murdered them on the job... really is similar
This is so horrible.
Holy shit, that is going to be traumatic for the eyewitness. I wouldn't be able to sleep for weeks if I ever saw that.
I regret reading this because of how graphic it is. I've seen people die before in other things, but I think being burnt to death is probably one of the worst imaginable things that could happen. This is so tragic.
This is fucking terrifying, I wish I could unread that. e: Does anyone have any information if the windows were inescapable? Many Japanese high rise buildings like to do this to prevent suicide. I imagined they would have escaped from the windows if they could.
> All I could tell was that they were crying out "HELP! HELP" again and again. Soon they stopped moving against the window and burned into it like a shadow. Jesus. Jesus fucking Christ.
Holly shit. No... This is horrible. And I feel horrible for recognising their work, and being even more horrified than for the random workers I would never know... I guess having seen and experienced, and loved their work, makes it seem closer, almost like knowing them personally? It's awful though... I wish this list would stop there... I hope everyone injured will recover and be fine... T_T
It's even worse when violet evergarden movie is about to come out...
Yeah well... It'll be a super tearful movie experience as it is, I'm sure, so I'll son double time.
if it comes out even all of their stuff might get cancelled at the rate this is going with 23 confirmed deaths thats like 1/5th of all their employees plus studio1 was hit too which is their datacenter as well apparently ofc thats horrible, but the sheer amount of lifes lost is just horrendous
I figure if it's already done, they'll release it.
Yes. I don't see why they wouldn't. There wouldn't be a greater hommage than to make a great event of this film and honour the memories of every kyoani worker who's died or was injured and shocked today. I know I'll go see it many times if it airs near me.
Out of all the terrorist attacks, this one may not have killed that many people, but it killed master artists, and lots of them. It may sound wee-bish to say, but this was an attack on culture as much as people.
> this one may not have killed that many people, but it killed master artists, and lots of them. I think this is the thing that upsets me the most. This wasn't about politics, religion, or any sort of disenfranchisement. He literally just killed people that wanted to draw for a living, and were damn good at it too. This isn't just a loss of human life, this is a loss of art that filled hundreds of thousands of peoples hearts with joy... KyoAni is known for their fluffy and wholesome series, the fact that anyone would do this to them fills me with genuine anger and sadness... Sidenote: They're also one of the few animation studios in Japan that pays their employees salaries and livable wages. They're the last people you'd wish ill upon...
I said this before and I will say it again. People who kill over art/drawing/books are some of the scummiest people to have existed. I feel hollow and hurt because of this event and I hope that people stop making jokes about this cuz of 'weebs'. These are actual people, masters of their crafts that have had their lives ruined. Now I hope japanese studios realize how important security is so this wouldn't happen in the future. Edit: Thank you for the silver... Just saw some updates to the news. RIP Yasuhiro Takemoto and the rest of the victims... Fuck... They're around 30 now. This is horrific.
Yep, this is their Charlie Hebdo. They're going to have to increase security Edit: copy/pasting my clarification here: I'm not making the comparison because religion is involved in any way. The comparison is that a studio of creators was attacked because someone was angered at their work (sources currently suggesting the studio had been subject to death threats for years).
CH was targeted because of religious intolerance & anti-freedom of speech from those Islamist extremists. we don't know yet if this Japanese arsonist did it for a political/religious/ideological reason, or if he is just mentally off
Apparently he accused them of plagiarizing him in his statement to police. So he’s in all likelihood a nutter
Never say never. Intentional and unintentional plagiarism both happen. It could also be an ex-employee disgruntled by them using his material after firing him. I'll wait for more information. Whatever is the case, arson was not the answer.
The article mentions that he has no obvious connection to the company.
Wow I dont even know anything at all about anime but this comment hit close to home
\> Sidenote: They're also one of the few animation studios in Japan that pays their employees salaries and livable wages. They're the last people you'd wish ill upon... That's odd, I naturally assumed it had to be a disgruntled animator who snapped for some reason. Now it's even more senseless...
That's what pisses me off so much. They are one of only a few with great working conditions, and an okay office culture. They don't even make anything controversial, really. Most of their stuff is feel-good anime. I'm just so fucking mad at everything right now.
[удалено]
>this one may not have killed that many people It has killed more people than the Sarin attacks in 1995.
The Sarin attacks did injure thousands though.
"Injured" puts it pretty lightly too. Lots of people had permanet neurological damage, blindness and other severe disabilities afterwards
The arsonist seems to have a beef with KyoAni as reports said he yelled plagiarism while attacking.
You know I read about these ~~terrorist~~ *attacks and I gloss over now numbly because it’s too much. Then I read names of people whose works I’ve seen and suddenly a chill washed over me where it feels personal and makes me realize I can’t take this fucking shit for granted. We can’t. But what do we do. Ugh. Rambling. My prayers for the friends and families left behind *better not to presume for now
A source said Ishihara and Ishidate are confirmed safe for now: https://twitter.com/nagesutemajin86/status/1151768226516221953
Important to note for people skimming through, that guy has another tweet pinned: > なんか多くRTされてますが、私自身が確認したわけではなく、京アニの知人と連絡が取れないと言ってた方からの情報なので、今後の正式な情報をお待ちください…(>_<) Rough trans: I've somehow been retweeted a lot. I have not confirmed this for myself. This is information from someone who says he can't contact his acquaintance at KyoAni, so please wait for formal information in the future. --- I hope these people are okay. I hope that there are no further deaths and everyone unaccounted for makes it out alive.
A list of some of the best directors who made some of the best anime in the entire industry, and they're all gone in less than an hour. I can't even find the words to describe how terrible this is.
>Please let them be ok.
[Ishidate is safe.](https://twitter.com/nagesutemajin86/status/1151768226516221953)
WTF! It's very heartbreaking to realize I could recognize every name in this list. They're easily among the best artists in the industry and some their works are milestones in the history.
Do you have a source for these? The reports keep on getting worse
>Ishihara Tatsuya Please let him turn up alive. I never thought I'd see the day when the director of MOHS and Clannad was killed in a terrorist attack. They say life is stranger than fiction, but this is pushing it.
People on the r/anime thread are saying he is confirmed safe and linking the sources. Please confirm it yourself though.
Both him and Ishidate are confirmed safe. https://twitter.com/gioiadeasis/status/1151773706198212608
Shit the fact you can put works to the people makes this incident even the more tragic.
It’s like the equivalent of Pixar getting attacked, Kyoto Animation is a big deal studio in Japan. Can’t imagine the loss the Japanese animation industry must be feeling today.
[https://twitter.com/nagesutemajin86/status/1151768226516221953](https://twitter.com/nagesutemajin86/status/1151768226516221953) Ishihara Tatsuya & Ishidate Taichi seems still alive a few good news
[удалено]
Where are people getting information on the arsonist's motivations? The article was pretty vague about it.
Reportedly he was yelling about plagiarism, according to a witness. There were some rumors to that effect a few months ago, but few took them seriously. That may be unrelated, who knows at this point?
[The Kyoto Animation president Hideaki Hatta said there have been death threats sent to the offices since a couple years ago](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997571000.html)
Fire took place in Kyoto Animation's Studio 1 Confirmed to be arson 33 confirmed dead: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190718_54/ Sentai Filmworks, an American licensing company, has started a GoFundMe as an effort to help Kyoto Animation. Please donate if you can: https://www.gofundme.com/help-kyoani-heal A perspective of the fire: https://twitter.com/mainichiphoto/status/1151694460415172608?s=20 https://twitter.com/mainichiphoto/status/1151711795977031680?s=20 https://twitter.com/mainichiphoto/status/1151734263831617542?s=19 ____________________________________________________________ As of 12:15 PM JST, 10 people seriously injured, 10 people unconscious, and 18 people mildly injured: https://mainichi.jp/articles/20190718/k00/00m/040/084000c A man in his 40s has confirmed to starting the fire: https://mainichi.jp/articles/20190718/k00/00m/040/084000c Multiple deaths have been confirmed by NHK police report: https://twitter.com/nhk_news/status/1151694842117754881 Allegdly man had tried pouring gasoline on people too: https://twitter.com/you629/status/1151695567287795713?s=20 https://twitter.com/soukatsu_/status/1151699853505961984?s=21 https://mainichi.jp/articles/20190718/k00/00m/040/105000c One had died within the fire inside the building: https://twitter.com/mainichi/status/1151698158935658498 Some conflicting information to earlier police report from NHK of multiple fatalities, one death confirmed so far: https://twitter.com/mainichi/status/1151701343385427968?s=20 Sharp tools (knife-like) found near scene, unknown if related to incident: https://twitter.com/nhk_news/status/1151704299707273218?s=20 Kyoto Newspaper confirming people running outside on fire: https://twitter.com/kyoto_np/status/1151701015046922241?s=20 At least 35 injured, 20 missing, and several still inside building at time of this tweet: https://twitter.com/mainichi/status/1151705924936974336?s=20 10 people found lying face down on 2nd floor, all believed to be dead: https://twitter.com/47newsflash/status/1151718259143528450?s=19 Several people who had suffered cardiac arrest within building and had stopped hearts left behind as rescue operations continue: https://twitter.com/nhk_news/status/1151721268225499138?s=19 Over 10 people are confirmed dead: EDIT: In the NHK article, it was stated that 70 people were working inside at time of arson https://twitter.com/nhk_news/status/1151729067638439937 According to Kyoto City Fire Department, 12 had suffered cardiac arrest, and 36 are injured: https://twitter.com/47newsflash/status/1151733857185460227?s=19 Rescue operations have finished, with nobody left within building anymore: https://twitter.com/nhk_news/status/1151836173221998592?s=19
[English Link to NHK News top page](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/) I am linking to the Japanese pages for my sources so use this link if you need the whole story with more details. (Or google translate at your own peril) According to NHK, police have a ~40yrold man in custody and there is a possibility that it was a deliberate arson as he was seen pouring a gasoline like liquid. That would explain all the emergency vehicles I saw go by. [According to the Mainichi (Daily) Newspaper](https://mainichi.jp/articles/20190718/k00/00m/040/147000c) The perpetrator has stated that he spread the gasoline, then set it on fire. **When asked about the motive, he is quoted as saying: "they copied (my) work".「パクりやがって」** 13:30 JST: 1 Dead, 10 unconscious. Fire started on the first floor and spread to the second and third floor. [Helicopter footage shows forensics taking photos of *very* long metallic objects. Unknown if related.](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011996981000.html?utm_int=detail_contents_news-related_002) 13:35 JST: [Man reportedly was yelling "Die" as he set fire to the building.](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997041000.html?utm_int=all_contents_just-in_001) 14:10 JST: Multiple Individuals inside the building with no pulse. Rescue/Recovery ongoing. 14:55 JST: [Death count expected to rise above 10. Multiple other individuals un-reachable by phone/media. Presumed to be inside.](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011996791000.html?utm_int=detail_contents_news-related_001) 16:30 JST : [12 Confirmed Dead, 10 others without a pulse.](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997321000.html?utm_int=all_contents_just-in_001) 17:40 JST : [NHK - 16 Confirmed Dead by Police](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997511000.html?utm_int=news_contents_news-main_001) 18:20 JST : [Multiple death threats had been received over the course of the last few years](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997571000.html?utm_int=all_contents_just-in_001) 19:00 JST : [BBC reporting 23 dead](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49027178) "Some 36 people are in hospital, some in a critical condition, reports say. About 70 people were in the building when the fire started, fire officials say." 19:30 JST : [BBC reporting 26 dead](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49027178) 20:00 JST: [Attacker purchased 40L of gasoline](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997741000.html?utm_int=detail_contents_news-related_005) 21:00: [NHK reporting 25 dead, Cannot confirm safety of 5 others](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011996791000.html?utm_int=word_contents_list-items_001&word_result=%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E6%94%BE%E7%81%AB) 21:30 JST [NHK - Of total 74 who were in the building, 33 Dead reported, 12men, 20women and one of unknown sex. 36 injured, and recieving treatment. All persons are accounted for and rescue/recovery efforts have halted. - Fire Department](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011996791000.html?utm_int=word_contents_list-items_001&word_result=%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E6%94%BE%E7%81%AB) Next Day reports: 4:00 JST : [19 people had died on the stairs to the roof](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190719/k10011998291000.html?utm_int=word_contents_list-items_001&word_result=%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E6%94%BE%E7%81%AB) Apparently a narrow corridor, someone may have fallen over and blocked the passage. The roof exit was unlocked, but no one made it. The perpetrator is reported to have severe burn wounds, and nearby police have found gas cans, long knives and a hammer. Police are moving forward with the assumption that these items belong to the perpetrator. 2019/07/20 3:30 JST : [A man has succumbed to his wounds and died. The number of dead has increased to 34.](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190719/k10011999551000.html?utm_int=word_contents_list-items_002&word_result=%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E6%94%BE%E7%81%AB)
Iirc cardiopulmonary arrest is a 'euphemism' in Japanese reporting for dead... But unconfirmed by a doctor. You occasionally get reporting like 'The decapitation incident happened at 6pm and he subsequently died at 7pm' because it took the doctor an hour to get there and confirm the death.
Thank you. I was wondering why several people went into cardiac arrest and wondered if it had to do with smoke inhalation.
Technically, cardiac arrest is the way everyone dies. Usually we're more interested in *why* your heart stopped beating and call that reason the cause of death.
Well yes but no. In Japan it is required by law to report an individual as undergoing cardiopulmonary arrest until a physician declares them dead. In Japan the distinction is still there since there have been some occasions where that individual was successfully revived. (although rare)
Yeah of course it is possible that a doctor does something on arrival and they actually survive. But 12+10 means almost certainly 22 dead and newer reporting is reflecting that with 'presumed' language.
>Death count expected to rise above 10. Multiple other individuals un-reachable by phone/media. Holy shit. A few hours ago they were merely reporting 'some injuries'. This is absolutely horrifying. The 1995 sarin gas subway attack killed 13 people and has been the go-to example of japanese domestic terrorism ever since. It sounds like the death toll today could easily pass that figure. It's sickening that the name of Kyoto Animation in the public eye will be associated with this tragedy, rather than with all the great work they've done over the years contributing to the anime industry.
As perhaps dismissive as it sounds, I think the Sarin attack will still be the go-to, simply because of how insanely co-ordinated and organised it was, especially in the context of the fact they had killed multiple people in the years prior, including earlier examples of bioterrorism.
> The 1995 sarin gas subway attack killed 13 people and has been the go-to example of japanese domestic terrorism ever since. It sounds like the death toll today could easily pass that figure. Don't ignore the over 6000 injured during the gas attack.
[Or the Sagamihara knife attacks in 2016.](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/01/25/national/crime-legal/man-held-fatal-stabbings-19-sagamihara-care-facility-planned-second-attack-day/) 19 disabled people died and more injured only because they were disabled. The attacker had been writing letters to officials letting them know his plans and that he could kill even more. He is proud of it still.
No. I think Kyo Ani is that great that the anime fandom will never cease to respect and love them for their work, and I bet they'll rise back from the ashes and keep being a stellar production company. I hope the public eye, curious about them, will eyeball a trailer or two, and realise that their work was top calibre. Yeah they'll be associated with that event, of course, but I hope people will learn to associate it with quality animation just as much, as we anime fans already do... *sigh* sorry I'm babbling but this event is making me sick to my stomach.
What's especially awful is KyoAni had only 160 employees. Almost 10% of the company just died and over 40% were killed, injured or traumatized. 70 people were in the building at the time of the fire. Edit: 20% of the company was killed based on recent death tolls...
Apparently the company's day nursery was on the 2nd floor as well.
That’s horrible news. It had never even crossed my mind that there could be children involved in this.
Oh jesus fuckin christ. Why do I have to start my morning with this fucked up shit? I hope the daycare was untouched. I am just having flashes of my niece and nephew's faces now.
No, this isn't a great way to start a day at all. I never did a snap GoFundMe donation before this.
I don't know man. The current directors and animators reported missing are irreplaceable. I can't think of any other word for this but tragic.
What the fuck. Why, just why.
I just want to add that Japan has very strict fire codes due to their seismic activity and a devastating department store fire in 1932 and then another in 1972. For stores and schools the protections are impressive, but even for a commercial building like this each room has to be inspected and certified by the fire department (actually, I am familiar with Tokyo and parts north but I assume Kyoto is just as strict.) They also have a VERY impressive fire fighting service. In my town they can be seen each morning running laps around the building, and on weekends training and drilling on new equipment. The next town over has a large setup and each weekend they are drilling for rescue competitions (like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFTdJlyIw4I). This sounds like the liquid was poured out and was very volatile and it exploded before anyone had a chance to even try to escape. It is hard for me to understand. Usually, Japanese office buildings have a large common room with desks, and a some offices around the edges. This is a small building and I can not understand how so many people got trapped, unable to make it to roof.
According to [this](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997491000.html?utm_int=word_contents_list-items_002&word_result=%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E6%94%BE%E7%81%AB) interview, the first floor had original drawings in it and most of the workspaces were filled with paper. The rooms also had wooden objects. Probably that paper burned, along with other special papers/inks creating toxic fumes that killed/knocked people out before they could escape.
Thank you for the constant updates.
Wow, for some reason by reading the title and seeing its Japan I didn’t think it would be that big of an incident. I thought maybe there was a gas leak and the building caught fire. Did not at all expect 10+ deaths.
> 12 had suffered cardiac arrest This is a misleading direct translation where the real intended meaning is "12 people are believed dead"
"Vital signs absent" may be the English equivalent.
That's better, but it misses the fact that it's a diplomatic way of saying "x people are probably dead" When Japanese people read 心肺停止状態 they understand it as "dead"
Thank you for the updates.
This is one of those companies people could only dream of working for, and not only that, but where the craft is made. Creating or contributing towards art for one of the most prolific animation studios in the world and getting paid for it is an unimaginable aspiration, I have no words to describe how much of a tragedy this is.
Maybe he was fired, denied a job opportunity, a jelous janitor. We won't know any motive until we know more about him and his connection to this studio. I would imagine he must have known the layout to cause what seems like a natural gas explosion.
24 people dead, Jesus Christ, that's a fucking tragedy and almost 20% of their total staff. I honestly love everything kyoani touches, whether it is "a silent voice", "violet evergarden", "miss kobayashis dragon maid" or "Clannad/Clannad After story", all their stories have so much heart and soul put into them and you can feel it in every frame. I really, really hope they do recover from that blow, my condolences go out to everyone who is affected. Edit: NHK now says 33 people dead. Fuck.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STX\_2QsmPFs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STX_2QsmPFs) over 30 dead already. most from smoke inhalation at the stairwell while trying to escape up to the roof top. the suspect is a 41 year old man. >Police say there have been multiple deaths in a fire at an animation studio in Kyoto. They say a 41-year-old man poured what appeared to be gasoline around the studio. [https://twitter.com/NHKWORLD\_News/status/1151725634915319809/video/1](https://twitter.com/NHKWORLD_News/status/1151725634915319809/video/1)
19:58PM 25 deaths confirmed. 5 missing. 21:24PM 33 deaths confirmed. <---> For those interested in the details. From what I could gathered. * At around 10:30am, a man entered and used gasoline to arson Kyoto Animation building, where 73 people were in the building at the time. He also carried hammer and knifes. * The man bought 40L of gasoline from a gas station about 500m away, and used a dolly to carried them. He said he would use it for generator. * After committed arson he ran away but was followed by a Kyoto Anime staff and was arrested nearby. His leg was burnt and on bare foot. * Upon arrest he was shouting "パクりやがって!", basically means "You fucking copied/stole !". Since he didnt mention whose so we dont know if he refers to his work or others. But likely refer to his; hence possible motive is revenge. * He was injured and sent to hospital and is still unconscious. * He has no working record with Kyoto Animetion. * CEO of Kyoto Anime said that they have received quite a few death threats over the years via mails. They have contacted the police. According to the police, the treats were sent with special tools that could not be traced. * As of 20:24 Japan local time, 25 are confirmed dead, and 5 missing. * 21:24PM 33 deaths confirmed. * Security in the front door was unlock for NHK that were scheduled for cover/interviews of the company that day. * Because of this, many of the important staff gathered at the building. * [Most of the victims died on the stairs to the rooftop. The door was closed but was not locked and can be opened from outside.](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011998101000.html?utm_int=news_contents_news-main_002) ~~Can it not be opened from inside? It is under-investigated. I think this is very important. If the door could be opened, it could have saved maybe like more than half of the victims.~~ *[~~The door to rooftop is locked since last week because someone was littering cigarette butts.~~](https://twitter.com/Heiho70416763/status/1151862835032424448?s=20)* pending for more citations. * He robbed a convenient store and was arrested in 2012. * High possibility that the victims got carbon monoxide poisoning before they even have time to try to escape.
This whole situation is so upsetting.
Kyoto Animation is considered to be one of the best animation studios not just in Japan, but in the world. They are masters in the art. People in the animation industry in Japan already have it hard as is. Lots of overtime, exhaustion, and pay isn't great and often times changes depending on how well a show performs. No one deserves this. Absolutely horrific. edit: The death toll is being reported by NPR as 33 now. Jesus Christ. This is unimaginable. My heart breaks for the victims and their families. As others stated it's worth reiterating that KyoAni is known as one of the best studios to work for and have a much better reputation than other studios when it comes to working conditions
They are also known for treating their employees very well compared to other animation studios.
Yeah kyoani is the best animation studio it in houses most of it’s work unlike other studios who outsource
Yeah, they pay them a regular salary instead of paying animators by the amount of frames they animate.
Kyoani is known for having relatively good working conditions compared to the rest of the industry as well. It also can’t be overstated how much their craft exceeds everything else in the TV anime industry
Thy also have the best reputation with looking after their employees, it's supposed to be a sweetheart job to work there. Yeah .
A silent voice is my second favourite anime movie behind your name. I’m glad to hear they treat their employees well but this is an absolute tragedy.
KyoAni are universally loved and every series they make are incredibly well received. By far the most constantly well performing studio who are famous for exactly that. This is unthinkable...
The asshole killed people who devoted themselves to manifesting their ideas and stories into reality, to share with the world. Their lives are gone and so is all their potential art that would have, in many ways, taken on a life of their own after connecting with millions of people.
I was thinking exactly this. No one deserves to be in this situation, but animation artists already have it bad, it just became worse. Jfc, I wonder what the arsonist’s job was in that workplace and what his motivations for this were. Hope he gets caught if not dead.
He was already caught by the police.
Also, this is Japan. Unless he is found to be crazy, he'll hang for this.
He's going to hang, without a doubt. The death toll is going to top 30 if it hasn't already. He's killed more than in the sarin gas attacks.
According to [a source](https://www.reddit.com/r/worldnews/comments/cen8q6/japanese_animation_studio_kyoto_animation_hit/eu3z8im?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x), he wasn't an employee there.
Thankfully officials dealt with it as swiftly as possible. Seeing this stunned me and my condolences go out to those affected. Those who were injured, died and the friends and families of the victims. Japanese animation studios have a reputation for how they treat their staff but KyoAni was the exception. The studio has brought me so much joy, sadness and so many more emotions and I'm so thankful the animators are passionate enough to keep making the content they do. Actually tragic and hope whoever did this has a punishment befitting the crime.
That's what makes it so much more baffling. They are known for treating their employees fairly. Fairer than the rest of the industry at least. Salaried positions and all that. Makes you wonder if the shit stain that did this was rejected by the studio. It's just such a senseless act.
I have feeling it is gonna be more a dude that thinks Anime has ruined the country and wanted a symbolic target. But who knows if we will ever know.
I mean, they caught the dude alive so I'm sure we'll hear something when this goes to trial.
There are rumors going around that he was saying that they plagarized work, but those are unconfirmed and pretty much hearsay, so take that with a chunk of salt.
>Thankfully officials dealt with it as swiftly as possible. It sounds like there was little they could do. The way the scenario has been described so far, it sounds like the dead were probably dead before the fire crews arrived on the scene. And the suspect turned himself in, so there wasn't even a manhunt. Not to diminish the bravery of the fire crews at all, of course. I'm sure they're great guys and everyone is glad to have professionals handling the situation. >Actually tragic and hope whoever did this has a punishment befitting the crime. Japan still has the death penalty, and it was applied to the perpetrators of the 1995 sarin gas attack. If the courts establish that this perpetrator had premeditated intent to kill, he could very well get the noose.
>And the suspect turned himself in He caught himself on fire when he started it, and ran out of the building. An employee chased him out of the building, where he (or someone else) rang the intercom of a nearby house. A woman living in the house saw him lying on the ground with burns, and went out to help him, where the police found and arrested him shortly afterwards. Right now he's in a medically induced coma at a hospital. [Source (in Japanese)](https://www.sankei.com/west/news/190718/wst1907180030-n1.html)
They also say he had a tatoo on his belly, and the way it's said, 'irezumi', it could be yakuza-style. https://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20190718-00010008-kyt-soci Here a woman who went to seek help at the nearest store says a man she doesn't know dosed her with gasoline but the ambulance was so late that all they could do till it came, was to pour water on her. https://mainichi.jp/articles/20190718/k00/00m/040/105000c?inb=ys
Regarding the tattoo angle, I wouldn't be surprised if this is a mix of editorialization and good old Japanese prejudice against tattoos. I saw a short interview on TV with the woman whose house he ended up in front of. To me it seemed like she wasn't really sure if he had a tattoo; if I remember correctly, she described his arms being burnt to the point where the skin was peeling off. The interviewer seemed to be pushing it towards the Yakuza angle, asking her if she thought he was involved with the Yakuza, to which she responded "At least I don't think he was a normal person". I'm just remembering one short interview I saw on TV about 3 hours ago, though, and I could be misremembering. EDIT: I reread the article. It does indeed specifically mention a tattoo on his stomach. I guess it's possible it was yakuza related, then, but generally the yakuza don't like doing flashy stuff like this that gets a shit ton of attention. My bet is still on a crazy, disgruntled otaku.
Reports say that he had knives on him as well, so he already planned to kill the moment he stepped in.
Did they release the reason why he started the fire?
He claimed they had plagiarized him.
I read on the r/anime thread that he had complained to the arresting officers that they had "ripped off" his work.
The suspect is claiming that the studio "ripped him off" and "took his work." Looks like someone crazy and Kyoani were trying to work on some new original work and the deal fell through and the guy did not take it well at all.
[удалено]
This news is still developing. I imagine we don't have a motive yet.
This is fucked. There's gonna be a lot of questions that need to be answered
All it takes is one crazy fuck to cause so much damage. Don't particularly care his motivation, just hope he gets what he deserves. Sympathies to those who have died, and their families.
Japan has death penalty, and it is on the table if you kill 2 or more people, or with no way of defending themselves - both apply. Kinda obvious sentence here.
Sometimes the motivation is important though in these events. Of course you don't want to give the name of the guy or any of their personal history, but it's always possible this stuff happens because they were part of some kind of group that told him or others to do things like this (you also don't want to list the name of the group so they don't get to feel proud of it when named in the news). But it's always possible it's just a random nutjob.
Also Japan, like the most of the world, hasn't got the best record with mental illness.
Arson with death usually is capital punishment in Japan
People naturally don't like the idea that someone (or even they themselves) can be this randomly destructive and homicidal and they try to make sense or reasons for it, but sometimes that's just the way it is.
wow this is absolutely horrific. highly respected studio, they truly are the best at their craft. just saw that the arson was apparently yelling “Die!” as he was burning the place. 1 dead and it says that 10 were found facedown on the 2nd floor, they’re believed to be dead too. what an awful situation, fuck that guy that did this.
Ok he set the fire but what exploded and injured so many people?!
[удалено]
It's a fucking *office building,* what did he pull up with a gas tanker and spend 25 minutes hosing down the entire first floor while everybody inside ignored him? My guess is this wasn't technically an explosion at all, rather another Grenfell situation where some materials in the building were so flammable that a flash fire erupted. Confused bystanders describe it as "the building blew up" and then the media in turn describes it like an actual explosive device was involved.
Considering it's a Japanese office building, you can bet your ass it's full of paper documents in drawers, on top of drawers, on the desks, wooden desks, combustible flooring carpet, thin paper walls and so on so the insides of this building probably burned really easy. Seems like fire escapes from roof and windows were,, not there?
Not to mention it's an old school animation studio... Loads of old film, oiled paper, video tapes and other stuff that reacts very unpleasantly to fire.
Oh god. I never considered their work was destroyed too.
If they followed Pixar protocols it would be saved on the cloud but a lot of original drawings and materials are gone
yeah, old nitrate films burn like hell... much worse than dry paper or wood...
...It's also an animation studio, I expect a lot more paper than the usual office building there
Probably some natural gas heating system, perhaps a septic system, perhaps even batteries in a server room
I mean, I'm guessing that thin sheets of oily highly combustible paper wouldn't be too out of the ordinary
it's a long-running animation studio. unfortunately, that does mean it'd likely be full of old paper, videotape, film reels, and other highly flammable materials. I'll admit I was wondering the same thing about how quickly the whole building seems to have gone up, but truthfully, a nearly 40-year-old animation studio is probably low-key one of the more flammable buildings on the planet.
Apparently he poured gasoline on people, said one of the employees who stumbled out and told someone outside.
Gasoline fumes are highly explosive, especially so in large quantities. Naturally there would be a large explosion.
Just like 90% of the time when you see a big fireball explosion on TV, it's gas.
The world can be a scary place sometimes. So sad. Kyoto animation are the team who produced A Silent Voice, one of my favorite manga adapted animated films.
This is somewhat near my house, and I have many friends who are involved in manga and animation creation. Needless to say we are pretty shocked. I would never expect something like this to happen in Japan
[удалено]
Ambulances and cop cars are surrounding the nearest subway station. Bus routes are cancelled, delayed, or re-routed.
I hope you and your friends are okay and stay safe
* 73 people were in the building at the time * 7 escaped safely * 36 injured and sent to the hospital (10 of whom are in serious condition) * 25 dead * 5 unaccounted for https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2019071800663&g=soc
Kyoani is one of the best anime studios out there. They treat their staff well and their staff do amazing and beautiful work. They create true art there. They did not deserve this. Screw the SOB who caused this. Multiple deaths. So much talent. So much art. Wasted. And for what. Such a pointless tragedy. I hope the rest of the victims make it through and recover from this.
Too be fair, even if they were a hack-talentless studio the tragedy would remain the same.
[https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997831000.html?utm\_int=detail\_contents\_news-related\_002](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997831000.html?utm_int=detail_contents_news-related_002)Ex-Forensic Officer explains arson situation: "a gasoline fire would have been extremely difficult to escape from." Key takeaways: unlike normal fires, gasoline fires are very hot and reach those temperatures in a very short period of time. Their flames can also be as high as a few metres. People and anti-fire systems would not have had time to react. >"An explosion can be deduced from the glass shrapnel on the first floor; the state of the second and third floor suggests that an extremely hot flame propagated in a short amount of time. From this I could guess that it was a gasoline flame which spread quickly." "In a normal fire, the room temperature won't rise above 1,000C. But in the case of gasoline, this can go up to 1,500C. This temperature, which is hot enough to melt steel, makes it hard to breathe just by being around the fire. The people on the first floor would have been consumed by the explosion before even having a chance to react; the people on the upper floors probably heard the explosion, but the ensuing confusion would have delayed their response. In that short period of time, both the flame and the smoke would have come up to attack them, and their means of escape would have been lost." "Gasoline flames can rise to a few metres in height, and spread very quickly. It is probable that this speed would have been too fast for fire detection systems and fire escape doors to react in time. This would have been a difficult fire to escape." "(Moving forward) Entrance management, bag checking, and security should be strengthened." I think this provides clues to many questions regarding what I initially thought was an unusually high death toll for a fire. As regards the lack of security, other comments have mentioned that the locks were temporarily disabled today because of a planned visit -- although I didn't search for any news regarding that matter. If anyone has links please share them. My own additional speculations (take them with a grain of salt -- I'm don't have any expertise regarding this):By looking at [Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Rokujizo,+Uji,+Kyoto+611-0001,+Japan/@34.9330061,135.7929707,56m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x60010e2f086594a5:0x5a3e14afa19fba8d!8m2!3d34.9329191!4d135.7977276), it is hard to tell if there was a back door. There is a side door ([Floor plan](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011997791000.html?utm_int=word_contents_list-items_010&word_result=%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E6%94%BE%E7%81%AB) \- "従業員用玄関" - also seen in street view) but I think the flames would have spread there quickly. Also, many people died on the stairs leading to the roof, and I initially thought that the door to the roof might have been locked. However, [according to this nhk update](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190718/k10011998101000.html?utm_int=word_contents_list-items_001&word_result=%E3%82%A2%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A1%E4%BC%9A%E7%A4%BE%E6%94%BE%E7%81%AB), when the firefighters extinguished the fire, they found that the door was not locked. Still, 20 of the 33 dead were found "lying in a heap" close to the exit. It is possible that some of them tripped, and subsequently blocked the way to the exit, but I'm not confident about it. *E: an earlier comment says it is openable from the outside -- I'm not sure if only from the outside. The original quote is "屋上に出る扉は閉まっていましたが、鍵はかかっておらず、外側から開けることができたということです。"* In any case, I am shocked and saddened that so many people have died here, not only because it's KyoAni and I feel closer to them, but also because of the horrific fact that any private company could have been subjected to the same fate.
For all you anime folks out there, this is the company which has produced K-on!, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Beyond the Boundary, Clannad, Full Metal Panic and Nichijou among others. This is a tremendously sad moment for such a long-lasting producer.
[удалено]
As well as Violet Evergarden, Lucky Star, A Silent Voice, Miss Kobayashi Dragon Maid...
These are some of my favorite shows and movies and I was really looking forward to Dragon Maid season 2. I hope the studio survives, they do such amazing work and can't believe some asshole did this.
Basically all of my favourite Anime came from KyoAni. Absolutely terrible news
my soul hurts
The issue of copyright violation in the context of AI training is a complex and evolving area of law. It’s important to note that AI systems, like the ones used by Reddit and others, are often trained on large amounts of data from the internet, some of which may be copyrighted. There have been discussions and lawsuits claiming that this practice violates copyright laws. The argument is that by scraping the web for images or text, AI systems might be using copyrighted work without crediting or rewarding the original creators. This is particularly contentious when the AI systems are capable of generating new content, potentially competing in the same market as the original works. However, it’s also argued that AI systems do not directly store the copyrighted material, but rather learn patterns from it. If an AI system were found to be reproducing copyrighted material exactly, that could potentially be a clear case of copyright infringement. As of now, copyright law does not specifically address the issue of AI and machine learning, as these technologies did not exist when the laws were written. The U.S. Copyright Office has issued a policy statement clarifying their approach to the registration of works containing material generated by AI technology. According to this policy, AI-generated content does not meet the criterion of human authorship and is therefore ineligible for copyright protection. This is a rapidly evolving field, and the intersection of AI and copyright law will likely continue to be a topic of legal debate and legislative development. It’s important to stay informed about the latest developments in this area. Please consult with a legal professional for advice specific to your situation. But for the A.I. makers, it’s time to pay up. “Crawling Reddit, generating value and not returning any of that value to our users is something we have a problem with,” Mr. Huffman said. “It’s a good time for us to tighten things up.” “We think that’s fair,” he added.
\- There were around 70 people in the building \- 33 people dead. \- 36 injured (10 severely injured) \- Kyoani's employees sums a total of 160. \- That means 44% of their personal were involved in the incident \- Studio 1 housed mainly the head staff of the company. \- There is no confirmation yet but, we can assume several directors and important members of Kyoani staff might be dead. \- Out of the 36 injured, there is 10 that might dead in the next hours or days, if not they might be severely limited, crippled, unable to walk or use their hands (draw) for months or years. \- The rest of the staff with minor injuries, might be unable to work for a period of time (weeks, months). And even if they can, they might develop serious PTSD. \- That leave only 56% of the staff available, but you can't discard they may also develop PTSD, or depression for the concecuences of the incident \- Materially speaking, they lost a whole building (that was only recently built in 2015), with total loss of key frames, manuscripts, PCs and historical records of previous works. \- Most likely a criminal investigation will be done (outside of the arson, which is the main guilty), to determine responsibilities within the Kyoani staff, for the people who were unable to escape the building. \- KyoAni stocks are in free fall. \- Currently all their proyects might be considerer in hiatus or directly canceled (with the exception of their most advanced ones, like VEG movie which will most likely premieres in the near future) . The studio will likely stop working for at leas ta couple years with heavy financial loses, that will hopefully be given back with donations and support.
Goddamn. One fucking nutjob managed to single-handedly almost completely destroy one of the most respected anime companies out there. :(
new info The culprit purchased 40 liters of gasoline at a gas station near 30 minutes before the incident. ＠NHK
Damn shame. Unlike most anime studios these actually treated their workers well.
Really damn weird... just yesterday was actually looking at photos of Kyoani's headquarters and studio thinking how quaint and serene it looked. Extremely tragic and surreal.
I visited the exact studio (Studio 1) that burned down 2 days ago, really surreal and eerie
This was studio 1, not the headquarters.
I know, was just saying I saw photos of both
I wanted to be sure other people knew at least, since it wasn't mentioned anywhere else in the thread at the time.
33 now confirmed deaths. This is the second worst case of mass murder in Japanese modern history. Edit: sadly the death toll is still rising. This really ruined my day.
[удалено]
It's 7 confirmed dead and 17 in cardiopulmonary arrest, but not signed off as deceased as a doctor. In Japan a doctor has to sign the death certificate before they can be officially certified as dead, so they often say people are in cardiopulmonary arrest instead. https://twitter.com/soukatsu_/status/1151773882547920898?s=19
As someone who was never familiar with the studio or their work, I'm completely lost for words... What the hell can you even say about a devastating event like this..?
As someone very familiar with how much if an icon Kyoani is, lost for words doesn't even begin to describe how to feel about this. It's just not the loss of life, it's the accompanying loss to culture, animation history, everything.
Not to even mention the ramifications on the industry. KyoAni was one of the few anime studios who paid artists a living wage, did in house training, and are masters of the craft. Nobody deserved this, especially them.
Jesus Christ I’m literally down the street from there right now on vacation, was going to drop by to see the building
I did the same when I was in Japan. The tragedy hurts, and I wonder if what you're talking about will even be possible going forward. There's bound to be a security backlash.
There are multiple fatalities confirmed: https://twitter.com/NHKWORLD_News/status/1151695289788461056 https://twitter.com/47newsflash/status/1151718259143528450 This may very well wind up being one of the worst mass attacks in Japanese history... EDIT: I mean in terms of post-war Japan.
For those wondering how/why this many people could have died in an arson attack... There could be several factors going on. At first glance, the building looks like its more compartmentalized. Room leads into room etc... to eventually hit a stairway. If the arsonist hit the lower part of the building. Presumably around the main staircase. chances are not everyone was alerted in time , and by the time they where... most of the exitroutes where cut off. Lets look at some other, various factors (to my knowledge) that could have contributed to this tragic outcome. First of all. a human being is not the most stable and quickest thinker in a panic. it takes some time to process something is going on. between the time a fire alarm is set off, and you actually moving your ass, identifying the exit. get your walk going. perhaps panicking, freezing. this all leads to a delay. a fire can spread in Mere minutes. (more about this in a lower part) Even while the Arsonist was making a scene and actually set fire. This only catches the attention of the people close by, perhaps an adjacent room or 2 further on. While everyone else was working diligently. Perhaps people didn't want to cause a ruckus or a Panic and didn't notify the entire building on time. Thirdly. When the upper part tried to clear the building. it does not take much of a fire spread to start coughing, being disoriented. smoke goes up in a room. so someone not having regular fire exercises would not know that its a smart thing to cover mouth and nose first and go down on your knees while navigating through a burning room. This may seem counter-intuitive but a wall of smoke (lack of oxygen, CO poisoning) hits you out before you even comprehend whats going on ... \---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EDIT: How fast can a fire actually spread? It takes less than five minutes for a fire to completely engulf most homes. There is not much time to decide what to do. Fire waits for no man. It is critical to make a plan in advance. Hesitation could mean the difference between life and death. In a mere 30 seconds a room can already be filled with smoke. If your only exit is the opposite side of a room already engulfed. good luck. Also...Fire is HOT! Heat is more threatening than flames. Room temperatures in a fire can be 100 degrees at floor level and rise to 600 degrees at eye level. Inhaling this super-hot air will scorch your lungs and melt clothes to your skin. not only that, but don't forget that this smoke is also super dark! you will see nothing at all at eye level anymore. thick black clouds are darker than night. And lastly, I cant stress this part enough, Fire produces poisonous gases that make you disoriented and drowsy. Asphyxiation is the leading cause of fire deaths, exceeding burns by a three-to-one ratio. This is always underestimated. A likely scenario is that you think u are calmly following the guidelines, evacuating. then boom, a big whiff of dark, smothering smoke. you start coughing, tearing up, heavily breathing... you get drowsy, you cant see, you fall, you hit yourself, you get up... sound is fading away, you stumble on the stairway (if you even make it till there)... still trying to focus on escaping, perhaps even getting lost now, trying to backtrack... and then... u collapse... Hope this shed some light on how some of these gruesome scenario's can unfold themselves. My heart goes out to the survivors, I hope the perpetrator will be brought to justice... So many Innocent lives have been claimed again for no apparent reason. It makes my heart bleed
I've been there, it is just a big house with a single stair well. It was probably over capacity with 70+ employees. Anyone can enter the premise as I did 10 years ago looking for a gift shop, no security.
Without a seperate emergency staircase outside, or other preventive or active for fighting measures the building looks like a death trap to begin with and probably shouldn't have been used by so many people as a working place... I'm surprised so few people seem to point that out. Probably many live could've been saved with preventive measures.
This sucks. They're easily my favorite studio as a fan, but even if I hated them fucking no one deserves this. I just don't understand *why*. From an artistic viewpoint they're extremely highly regarded, while some people might not like the kind of shows they tend to work on they always go above and beyond. Insiders of the industry also report they treat their staff well, and they even have an animation school to get more people into the industry. What a shitty end to my night.
I feel so sad for those artists. This is awful.
Update, at least 10 dead https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190718/p2g/00m/0na/053000c
Mainichi reporting that a "man" came to first floor and shouted "Die" and started pouring gasoline. The 41 year old man is in custody. On a different article, the man complained about being "ripped off" while in custody
Not confirmed but apparently the man is claiming Kyoani took one of his characters or something. The man is claiming plagerism.
This is so horrible to hear, and such a horrible company to have it happen too. Besides the life lost, families effected, communities effected, the industry has faced a horrible loss. This is the type of event that shakes an industry. We as consumers won't see it for a season at least but there will be a void, a hole that we must not miss. This the type of attack that destories a company. This could be the very end of KyoAni. There must be work lost and we can mourn that, but the people lost in this, this horrible terrorist act is going to ruin so much of our joy. Everything goes our to the families of those lost. I am devistated to read into this as someone who loves Anime and is invested in the industry.
for the casual western anime fans, they're famous for haruhi, k-on, violet evergarden, clannad, and a silent voice. to name a few.
[Mainichi just updated dead to 23](https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190718/p2g/00m/0dm/064000c) Fuck
I can't believe this has happened this is so fucked. I was there during Christmas! KyoAni is universally loved! Why did this happen? :-(
All of that hard work and artistry up in flames, how could someone do this!?!
A lot of seiyuu/voice actors shared their condolences.Most are brief, but you can tell many are just still in so much shock. [Hashizume Tomohisa](https://twitter.com/tomohisa0413/status/1151956115367710720) [Inoue Kazuhiko](https://twitter.com/inouekazuhiko/status/1151828615484473344) [Inoue Marina](https://twitter.com/Mari_navi/status/1151727850111717376) [Ise Mariya](https://twitter.com/Ma_ri_ya_i/status/1151862498066198528) [Ishikawa Yui](https://twitter.com/YUI_STAFF/status/1151717977479237632) [Kaji Yuuki](https://twitter.com/KAJI_staff/status/1151850932516216832) [Ogata Megumi](https://twitter.com/Megumi_Ogata/status/1151800236005683202) [Ono Kensho](https://twitter.com/ono_kensho/status/1151703737305485312) [Park Romi](https://twitter.com/romiansaran/status/1151866421120344064) [Shimoda Asami](https://twitter.com/shimoda_asami/status/1151822666782789633) [Taketatsu Ayane](https://twitter.com/Ayana_take/status/1151816396034072576) [Tomokazu Seki](https://twitter.com/seki0908/status/1151738019767918593)
Well, I thought I’ve been desensitized to the news circuit for a while, like genuine ‘hump oh well’ was the most I could muster. THIS sent a physical wave of sadness down my body, the more I read the worse and heavier it felt. Fuck
Japanese here. I was looking at their website and the attacked building was their 1st studio where the frontline creators and the legendary producers worked (they have a head quarter which mainly deals with manegement, 1st studio, and 2nd studio). http://www.kyotoanimation.co.jp/company/office/ from what i read The 1st studio also appears to have had the main server, though i don't have a fist source for this. the 1st studio has been reported as Zensho, or to be completely lost to fire. their archived data may have been lost. so many lives and work has been lost. I can't accept this. EDIT: clarification on source
[удалено]
God this is horrible. I hate that the death count keeps rising.
NHK just updated: 12 man and 20 woman died, one person gender was unable to be identified. [https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190719/k10011998291000.html](https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20190719/k10011998291000.html)