Anime studio hit by deadly fire is known for skill, fan base

This tragedy has affect people all over the world. My condolences to all family, friends, and those affected by this!

This was in the US news (ABC) as well, and there is a crowdfunding site that was set up to help. It has already raised over 1 million (US$)

This is so sad. All these hard working youngsters working for our happiness and pleasure knocked down by one madman!!! Prayers to all those workers and their family and friends. May peace and happiness find you once again. Respect.

So sad.

Clannad After Story, Kanon (2006), The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, K-ON! etc. These shows made my teenage years and I have very fond memories of them. And it is sad knowing that people who worked on those shows have been killed in such a vile and disgusting way.

So many lives and talent lost. So many families left ruined and devastated over a senseless act of violence :(

The local news reported that a gasoline station near the company had sold 40 liters of gas which was put into containers and then driven away.

In addition, the animation company president reported death threats had been made.

It might be famous, but its owner was too cheap to put his workers in a safe building.

I won't be surprised if the families of the victims sue the city for failing to enforce the fire regulations. That building was a death trap.

An almost inconceivable act. RIP to the victims.

The article didn't mention how the fire started. Accident or targetted?

What a terrible incident. That studio is located in the southernmost part of Kyoto City, reratively near by Daigoji temple famous as the best cherry blossom seeing spot and Byodoin temple famous as the most beautiful structures in the Middle Ages. It's a typical but beautiful suburbs in Kansai region. I'll send my prayers for the victims in this brutal and worst crime.

33 people died and 30 people in serious condition, almost everyone who was there that day. Pathetic loser ruined many lives. May he suffer hard.

Its easy to blame KyoAni for the building being unsafe, but the scenerio where an arsonist pours 40 L of gasoline everywhere could not be expected. How could anyone expect such a brutal attack?

May they rebuild and become stronger than ever before.

R.I.P

I am really sad and raging with anger at the mass killing of innocent hardworking passionate animation workers.

Hope the almighty God gives the affected families the fortitude to overcome this tragedy.

What an inconceivable act. True horror.

I feel we lack a suitable word for this. "Fire" and "arson" do not do it justice. It's a premeditated act of mass murder.

My only question is:

WHY??

Why did this maniac do this???

Why did he target this company???

If this doesn't put a face on mental illness in Japan then I don't know what will. Hopefully what he thought they did wasn't true.

This is devastating. None of those people deserved to be trapped in that building.

If they had security and a working fire suppression and escape system then more of them would have been saved. It's too late to worry about that in hindsight though.

All studios should take threats seriously rather than blowing them off though.

I think that most of these news sites underestimate how much people cared about KyoAni. Clannad by itself was famous even before Haruhi. Hopefully Violet Evergarden doesn't get pushed back because of this.

If this doesn't put a face on mental illness in Japan then I don't know what will.

We don't know yet if he was mentally ill.

I wish there was a good security unit on the premises to keep crazy people out of the building. RIP

Why did this maniac do this??? Why did he target this company???

I've read reports/rumors elsewhere that he accused them of plagiarism. Not sure how accurate that is.

The Original WingToday wrote (at 12:45 pm JST)

I've read reports/rumors elsewhere that he accused them of plagiarism. Not sure how accurate that is.

People have accused authors/production companies of plagiarism that have been judged in a court of law. Some were uphled while others were dismisses as baseless. Whether or not this person's claim was true, he should have pursued that avenue and not mass murder.

@zichi - my observation too.. why was there not even a fire-escape - surely there must be a health & safety law in the workplace act here in Japan ?

Also, why was door leading to the roof unable to be opened from the inside... the majority of deaths appeared to be on the stairwell leading to that door. The building itself would appear to have been a firetrap.

@OKNewshawk - agreed, though it seems he had been trying to do so, though the Company had more resources than him and had repeatedly defeated his attempts. He was probably mentally unstable at the time, and did not think about the full consequences of his actions. Sadly, His subsequent hanging will not resolve this type of situation arising in future ...