crime

Elderly anime fan allegedly threatens to kill man who complained about loud TV

9 Comments
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24

If you’re in your 50s, you’re past the age where you parents can tell you to turn off the TV and stop watching anime, and if you’re unemployed, it’s not like you have a boss to cramp your viewing style either. So on Sept 1, a 57-year-old man in Hyogo Prefecture’s Toyooka City decided to spend the afternoon watching some Japanese animation in his home.

Whether because of his enthusiasm for the art form or the age-diminished capabilities of his ears, the anime fan decided to crank the volume on his speakers. The man also had his window open.

Unfortunately for the rest of the neighborhood, that didn’t just let in fresh air, but also let out the booming sounds of his anime. It’s one thing to share your passion for Japanese animation with other fans at a convention or club screening, but in general broadcasting the audio of whatever episode you’re currently watching to everyone in the general vicinity is a poor way to go about enjoying the hobby. Eventually, a 50-year-old man who lives diagonally across the street from the anime fan came over to complain about the noise, which is when, according to the younger 50-something Toyooka resident, the anime fan became even more inconsiderate, grabbing a katana with a 46-centimeter blade and shouting “I’ll kill you!”

The sudden transition from annoying otaku to violent maniac meant it wasn’t long before the police were summoned. The katana was discovered to be a replica, not a legitimate samurai sword, and although the older man said “I did not wave a replica sword around and threaten [the other man],” police still felt there was enough evidence to place him under arrest.

Source: Kobe Shinbun Next via Yahoo! Japan News via Hachima Kiko

Read more stories from SoraNews24.

-- Japanese senior citizens, 63 and 71 years old, arrested for sickle-armed street fight

-- Old man chases dentist with metal rod, threatens to make him “taste the same pain”

-- Japanese samurai sword ice cream crafted by master swordsmith from famous katana town of Seki

© SoraNews24

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

9 Comments
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Eventually, a 50-year-old man who lives diagonally across the street from the anime fan came over to complain about the noise,

Either the anime fan has the greatest TV speaker system money can buy in 2019, those streets between buildings are super narrow, or the complaining individual has the sharpest hearing in all of Toyooka.

Whatever the case may be, they need to start making a weekly TV show where common folk air out their problems one on one in a studio, with a moderator (preferably Downtown) and a live audience. Anything goes. Ratings would soar!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

relic1980 - totally agree.

And how embarrasing for a journalist to call a 57 yr old "elderly" and no-one picks it up or comments pre-publishing. Years off pension age and decades off the average male life span in Japan. Elderly???

And why the need for classifying ages, esp those over 50 under other "titles"?

Would the same journalist say a "young" 21 yr old robbed a bank? Or a "middle-aged 41 yr old played guitar? Or a "very, very old 81 yr old dropped his ice cream? or a myriad of any other combinations of age and title.

If an age has to be mentioned, then surely we the public can ascertain whether we believe that said age to be young, old or whatever.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

57 is elderly now? I'm 57 and my hearing isn't shot (yet), and whether I watch anime, cartoons, movies or a good documentary I don't crank up my sound enough to disturb others. And as long as I am able to support myself I'll watch what I like. People can think that watching these things are "immature" but as long as I enjoy what I watch it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.

As long as you don't hurt or bother others, that's all that matters.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

It’s really is hard to outgrow anime / manga and now video-gaming. It has that “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” feeling about it. It also does not help that almost half of 500,000 Comiket attendees at Tokyo Big Site are almost reaching the big 40!

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I'd be pretty angry too if I were a loser at 57-years of age and still watching cartoons. Maybe prison will teach him to grow up a little.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

What are the noise laws in that area? Are dogs allowed to bark all day?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"Elderly anime fan"

I believe this means, a creepy old man-child loner with an anti-social disorder who should be living in a mental health institution.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Eventually, a 50-year-old man who lives diagonally across the street from the anime fan came over to complain about the noise, which is when, according to the younger 50-something Toyooka resident, the anime fan became even more inconsiderate, grabbing a katana with a 46-centimeter blade and shouting “I’ll kill you!”

Nutjob

1 ( +3 / -2 )

If your hearing is that bad to turn up the volume that loud then why don't you just use noise cancelling headphones? it'll spare those around you from hearing whatever you're listening to.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

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