Today marks the fourth anniversary of the Kyoto Animation arson attack, and in remembrance of those who have tragically passed during the attack, KyoAni shared an emotional tribute video.
This tribute includes messages from the company along with staff members who had touching words for those who died during the attack.
While it is a solemn collection of tributes, the messages end on a hopeful note, with staff members dedicating their work to their colleagues whom they won’t see again.
Looking Back at the Tragic Kyoto Animation Arson Attack
Kyoto Animation is a long-running anime studio that’s well-known for popular titles such as The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, K-On!, Violet Evergarden, and more.
Exactly four years ago today, in 2019, Kyoto Animation was attacked by an assailant who doused parts of the studio’s offices and several staff members with gasoline before proceeding to ignite it.
This devastating arson resulted in the death of 36 people and 32 injured, making it one of Japan’s deadliest massacres.
It is also the first attack of its kind made against an animation company.
The assailant was arrested by the police after 10 months (as he also suffered burns during the attack), though it was not clear what drove the attacker to commit arson. Reportedly, the assailant accused KyoAni of plagiarism.
Because of the tragic loss of life during the attack, coupled with the studio losing most of its equipment in the office’s Studio 1, KyoAni’s production slate was heavily affected.
This resulted in KyoAni not releasing any new TV anime until 2021 when the studio made a successful comeback with Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid S.
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KyoAni Marks Attack’s 4th Anniversary With Moving Tributes
As today marks the fourth anniversary of the attack, KyoAni held a memorial service which was attended by studio president Hideaki Hatta and bereaved family members.
During the service, a tribute video was shown, which included several messages from animators, staff members, and their families.
In these messages, staff members shared their grief as well as their wish to continue creating works that can be enjoyed by people from all over the world.
While the service was not open to the public, the tribute video was shared on the official Kyoto Animation YouTube channel so that fans of the studio’s works can remember those that have tragically passed.
Despite the tragedy, KyoAni staff members are continuing to create new projects that they hope can bring happiness to fans.
Their upcoming works include Tsurune - The Linking Shot - and Sound! Euphonium 3.
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Source: Japan Times
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