A bit of a loaded update on the KyoAni attack, and none of it really good. Well, one thing is good: the GoFundMe set up by Sentai has hit $1,973,560 as of this writing, and CEO Hideaki Hatta of KyoAni is incredibly grateful for all the support from the world over. Not just the money, but the messages of support. Hatta said that they have been their 'emotional support'. Kyoto Animation has meant so much to so many people, and this is a loss for us all.
Let's talk loss. The number of people who died is reported to be 34 as of this writing. 20 were female, 13 were male and one was of unknown gender. Furthermore, 34 people are reported as injured, with Mr. Hatta reporting that one victim had to have their legs amputated dur to injures sustained in the attack. The status of Director Yasuhiro Takemoto, who worked on Clannad, Lucky Star, and Maid Dragon, is still unknown. Police report that it may take up to a week to verify the identities of the victims. Police reported that many of the victims likely died of carbon monoxide inhalation before the fire reached them.
Hatta confirmed that much of everything held at the studio was lost, all art and data at the studio was destroyed by the fire. Hatta is unsure of the total amount in damages. “The total amount of money in damages? It’s enormous. I don’t know the exact details.” I can't confirm if they had cloud saving or backup servers, but given the severity of the damage to the building, I can't imagine much survived. It's so great, that they'll be demolishing the building. In an effort to spare neighbors the 'gruesome sight' of the building, Hatta will be tearing down the building to construct a public park, ideally with a monument for those who lost their lives.
Now let's talk about the monster who caused all this. I'd use stronger language, and he definitely warrants it, but I'll keep it clean this time. His name is Shinji Aoba. The jackass caught on fire himself, and he was taken to a hospital to recover from his injuries. He hasn't been officially arrested yet, which is just baffling. Aoba claimed that KyoAni stole his novel. KyoAni holds an annual novel competition. There's no record of Aoba submitting anything.
To give some perspective about this motherfucker, back in 2012, he held up a convenience store with a knife and stole ¥21,000, which would be $194.65 today. He got caught and said he “wanted money to enjoy himself” and that he “couldn’t escape like Takahashi Katsuya did in the Aum case”. This asshole was talking up a guy who was involved in a sarin gas attack on a Tokyo subway back in 1995. “Aum” is referring to the Aum Shinrikyo religious group that was responsible, and Katsuya was part of it. He was on the run for 17 years, and was caught in 2012 and given a life sentence.
After Aoba left a rehab center three years ago, he moved into an apartment and proceeded to piss off his neighbors by blasting music, believed to be anime or videogame music. Police were called, but Aoba didn't respond when they knocked on his window. A neighbor tried to get him to quiet down, but this jackass grabbed him by the shirt, threatened to kill him, and finished off with “you are irrelevant”.
That's where we are now. The KyoAni building is going to be torn down and a public park put in its place. 34 people died, and it'll be about a week until they can be identified. 34 people survived with injuries. Shinji Aoba, the piece of shit who caused all this, is in a hospital and has not been officially arrested.
Guess I really couldn't hold my words. Fuck that guy.
