Thursday, July 18, 2019

In Memoram: Kyoto Animation Fire

I know that by now a majority of you have heard about this. I was crying on and off throughout the day, and by the time I actually decided to make this post, I actually wasn't sure if I should type something up. With how I've been feeling, I figured why not & create this. Perhaps it'll help me vent in someway, and maybe put some of you at ease.

At around 10 A.M. (JSP) on Thursday, July 18th, 2019, a fire broke out at the iconic Kyoto Animation Studio. Said fire would claim the lives of 33 people, with 36 others injured at various stages, and putting many past & potential projects into jeopardy (And possibly putting the company in jeopardy as well). Sadly, this fire was not an accident, but was instead an act of arson. Though details are sketchy, eyewitness reports say a 41-year old man broke into the studio, shouting "Die" & "You ripped me off", and pouring gasoline all over the place. In a moment of irony, the arsonist himself would get injured as well, and is currently in the hospital due to the wounds he received. Further details will come at a later time.

This is.....almost impossible to put into words. Kyoto Animation are one of the good guys of the animation industry in Japan. Almost as kind & pure-hearted as Superman, if I'm being genuinely honest. Where as most other studios seem to jip their employees for their work, Kyoto Animation treated those under their eye with far more care & respect (Not to mention paying them considerably better than a lot of other studios). I hope in time the wounds suffered have healed, and Kyoto Animation comes back stronger than ever.

My final words: to the people of Japan & Kyoto Animation, my condolences to every one of you. To the nimrod who had the gall to commit this act.....I pray that Frank Castle isn't a real person. Cause if he was......well, you know. Anyways, I got something considerably less bleak, so look forward to that.


(Further update: it turns out that the arsonist in question has a bit of a past....not to mention mental issues: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190719_28/)

(Further update 2: According to the president of Kyoto Animation, all physical & digital works were destroyed in the fire)


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If you want some more information on this tragedy, check out the links below

Kyoto Animation Fire (BBC)

Kyoto Animation Fire (Polygon)

Kyoto Animation Fire (ClowfishTV)

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