Death toll in anime studio arson attack climbs to 33, movie production cancelled

Kyoto Animation president says company has been receiving death threats for years.

On the morning of July 18, the Kyoto, Fushimi Ward studio of anime production house Kyoto Animation was the target of an arson attack when a man ignited gasoline he had spread around the interior of the building. An explosion occurred and the three-story structure, in which 73 people were estimated to have been working at the time, quickly became engulfed in flames, requiring some 30 fire trucks to put out the flames.

▼ The Fushimi Ward studio of Kyoto Animation, whose works include The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Lucky Star, Clanaad, K-On!!, and Free!

残念ながら京アニの放火死亡者33人になったみたいです…。ご冥福をお祈りします。 https://t.co/t3tjn9O59M
—
都バス (@tobus_photo) July 18, 2019

The investigation into exactly what happened is still ongoing, but authorities now suspect the arsonist, 41-year-old man, purchased two 20-liter (5.3-gallon) cans of gasoline at a local gas station, then wheeled them on a dolly to the studio to conduct the attack. The arsonist himself suffered burns in the incident, and was apprehended by police roughly 100 meters (328 feet) from Kyoto Animation’s building.

The number of confirmed dead has no climbed to 33, with fire and rescue personnel finding bodies of the fallen on all three floors of the structure, as well as in its stairwell. A total of 36 Kyoto Animation employees were rushed to the hospital, and only seven are confirmed as having survived the incident with no need for immediate medical treatment. A handful of workers believed to have been in the building remain unaccounted for.

Following the incident, Kyoto Animation has also decided to cancel the production of its planned Free! 2020 Summer anime theatrical feature. The new installment in the company’s popular handsome swim team boys franchise was scheduled for release next year, and word of its cancellation was made through the official <em>Free!</em> Twitter account, with a formal announcement from Kyoto Animation to come the following day.

明日7/19（金）より最新Verとなる予定でした『2020 夏』続報について、公開を中止とさせて頂きます。何卒ご了承賜れますと幸いに存じます。
—
「Free!」シリーズ公式 (@iwatobi_sc) July 18, 2019

“In regards to the planned newest continuation [of the series], Summer 2020, as of July 19 (Friday) we will be cancelling the movie’s release. We thank you all for your understanding.”

It’s uncertain whether the decision to cancel the film’s production, as opposed to delaying its release, is being made out of respect for those who lost their lives or because Kyoto Animation, which has a reputation for extremely high-quality visuals, feels that completing the project, as originally envisioned, would be impossible following the loss of irreplaceable employees and/or already started work on the movie.

Kyoto Animation president Hideaki Hatta (who does not appear to have been at the studio during the attack; Kyoto Animation’s head office is located elsewhere in Kyoto Prefecture) said that in recent years, the company and its employees have received multiple death threat emails, and that these were reported to the police. Investigators are currently looking into whether or not the arsonist was involved in any of the previous threatening messages.

Sources: Asahi Shimbun Digital, Jiji via Jin, Twitter/@iwatobi_sc via Jin
Featured image: Twitter/@tobus_photo
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