Fire at Kyoto Animation

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by SeijiSensei

He claimed he had submitted a script or perhaps a story to KyoAni where it was refused. He then believed he saw his material in a show the studio produced and apparently decided to murder over thirty people in return. It's hard to know how much credence to give the claims of someone who seemed as deranged as this guy.

IMO something simply does not fit in here. The "they stole my idea and made a profitable IP" is nothing new in Hollywood; whether it has really happened or are mere delusions of some no name writers does not change the reality that I have not heard of anyone in the USA being charged with attempted murder (and buying a firearm there is easier than hauling 20 liters of gasoline thru a city) for said reasons.

I think there must be something more to this story, it wont change the fact that he murdered on cold blood dozens of people, but the motivation seems shallow to me.

Maybe at the end of the day there is no further particular motivation from the culprit, but this alternative is even more frightening. I could be wrong but I get the sense that Japan as a society is a powder keg, you have adults routinely being overworked, living unhappy lives day in and day out with no free time to vent and no end to their misery beyond retirement. This is frightening because this might happen again in Japan, it might not be related to anime, manga or any of our hobbies, but that does not mean is less concerning and next time the perpetrator might have a full brain to begin with (this attack successfully killed many people not because he was a genius, but because that building was a fire trap and they had the bad luck of relaxing the security the day he appeared at their doorstep)

[serenade_beta]

Originally Posted by mangamuscle

IMO something simply does not fit in here. The "they stole my idea and made a profitable IP" is nothing new in Hollywood; whether it has really happened or are mere delusions of some no name writers does not change the reality that I have not heard of anyone in the USA being charged with attempted murder (and buying a firearm there is easier than hauling 20 liters of gasoline thru a city) for said reasons.

I think there must be something more to this story, it wont change the fact that he murdered on cold blood dozens of people, but the motivation seems shallow to me.

Maybe at the end of the day there is no further particular motivation from the culprit, but this alternative is even more frightening. I could be wrong but I get the sense that Japan as a society is a powder keg, you have adults routinely being overworked, living unhappy lives day in and day out with no free time to vent and no end to their misery beyond retirement. This is frightening because this might happen again in Japan, it might not be related to anime, manga or any of our hobbies, but that does not mean is less concerning and next time the perpetrator might have a full brain to begin with (this attack successfully killed many people not because he was a genius, but because that building was a fire trap and they had the bad luck of relaxing the security the day he appeared at their doorstep)

Well yes, in the US, people get murdered much more often in greater numbers for equally if not stupider reasons.

[mangamuscle]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

Well yes, in the US, people get murdered much more often in greater numbers for equally if not stupider reasons.

Most of those aren't considered to be on the level of terrorist attacks.

[Yu Ominae]

IIRC, the latest news is that he's being taken to court.

[Magin]

You know, I probably shouldn't be giddy at this thought, but one does sneak in:

Here's what I've heard actually happens when someone gets the death penalty in Japan: they don't tell anyone when the execution date actually is. It could be (hypothetically speaking) as early as the first or second day he goes to death row, or it could be years from now. In other words, he's going to be living each day on death row not knowing if it's going to be the day they take him from his cell and execute him. I'm going to assume this might eventually cause a mental breakdown... not something I should ever be happy about, but this guy is the only exception to "wish no cruelty upon a person".

[Sheba]

If a rich and powerful man like Carlos Ghosn had to flee Japan cuz the living conditions in prison are too harsh for him, imagine how it is for a future death row prisoner of lower social condition like that guy.

[Magin]

I would argue the Carlos Ghosn story is a VERY different incident, but that's completely off-topic.

More to the point, as I said, normally it is a horrendous idea to wish Hell upon anyone, but again, this guy is an exception to that.

I think I mentioned it on an early page, but this murder was also slightly pre-mediated: there were chains found on the escape doors, and normally, KyoAni has as much security as any other place... but they were expecting guests on this day, and our murderer took advantage of the lax security.

Short version is, I stopped seeing this guy as a human ages ago; I see him as a cold, cruel monster that deserves the worst Japan's system can give.

[Cosmic Eagle]

On the contrary, I hope it (the trial and the whole situation) doesn't turn into a spectacle where the public flaunt their worst selves. Way to shit on KyoAni's memory even more if that happens

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

On the contrary, I hope it (the trial and the whole situation) doesn't turn into a spectacle where the public flaunt their worst selves. Way to shit on KyoAni's memory even more if that happens

I agree. I don't have a lot of pity for the perpetrator either, but that's no reason to give up principles.

[Ithekro]

No giving up principles. Just allow the Japanese justice system to work and if justice needs to be done, it should be done.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

On the contrary, I hope it (the trial and the whole situation) doesn't turn into a spectacle where the public flaunt their worst selves. Way to shit on KyoAni's memory even more if that happens

Well said.

[Yu Ominae]

Suspect is already formally indicted by the prosecutors.

It starts.

[ramlaen]

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/202...333101000.html

[SeijiSensei]

For those of us who don't read Japanese: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68090388

The arsonist was sentenced to death, rejecting his attorney's plea that he was "mentally incompetent" at the time he set the fire.