Japanese news outlets are pressuring the police to release the names of the rest of the victims.
KyoAni has dismantled the memorial in front of Studio 1.
The Japanese Government will now be treating the donations to Kyoto Animation as “disaster relief” rather than revenue and so they are offering a tax break to both the donators and the studio.
The arsonist had submitted several novels to KyoAni's contests.
The arsonist's arrest warrant has been updated to include 35 counts of murder, 35 counts of attempted murder, arson of an inhabited structure, as well as a number of other criminal offenses.
However, people are debating whether the arsonist will be spared the death penalty due to mental illness.
This year's Kyoto Animation novel-writing contest is being suspended indefinitely.
Likewise, this year's Enjoy! The World Of KyoAni And Do event is looking like it will likely be canceled as well.
It turns out that lots of animation materials were housed in a location separate from Studio 1 and are being displayed in an exhibit. The exhibition was planned prior to the arson attack but the materials were sent afterward.
"An unprecedented atrocity has robbed many of our friends and colleagues of their bright futures and has left many deeply injured. News from all over the world tells us that amazingly many number of people has sent us their hearts and prayers, which are like candles in the darkness, for those of us trapped in the darkness of deepest grief.
There are many friends and colleagues who are hospitalized and suffering, fighting for their lives. Please give us some time.
We promise that Kyoto Animation will continue to create animation that help people have dreams, hope and impress them. Kyoto animation will continue to make its employees and staff lead happy lives, and contribute to society and local community. I assure you that Kyoto Animation will not give up, we will not go quietly into the night…we will not vanish without a fight!"
– Kyoto Animation Co. CEO Hideaki Hatta KyoAni’s attorney said they have confirmed that the company DID receive a novel for their light novel contest from a person with the same name as the arsonist, and from an address that matches that of the suspect’s apartment.
He went on to say that the novel was formally eliminated from the contest in the first round of the judges’ evaluations. “We have confirmed that it has no similarity to any Kyoto Animation works,” he added.
Since setting up their dedicated bank account for donations, KyoAni has received over $10.8 Million USD from over 50,000 donors with 10 Million Yen ($92,600 USD) coming directly from X Japan frontman, Yoshiki. But KyoAni's attorney has estimated that between financial support for surviving family members, medical support for injured survivors, and company-related business operation recovery expenses, the total cost could be as high as $94 Million USD.
There are a number of regulatory issues to deal with in handling such large sums of money, and the attorney says that KyoAni may establish a special foundation to oversee the administration of the funds, in order to navigate Japan’s laws regarding compensation to victims of crimes and work-related deaths and injuries.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has also called upon relevant government organizations, such as the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, to provide Kyoto Animation with the support it needs in this difficult time. He stated that a nonpartisan, all-party diet group has proposed support measures for the victims and the company. The proposal includes suggestions of tax breaks for donations, and providing support for animator training.
Junichi Uda, in-between animator for Chunibyo, K-ON!, Free!, A Silent Voice, Tamako Market, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, Nichijou, HYOUKA, Liz and the Blue Bird, and Sound! Euphonium.
Yoshiji Kigami, director for Munto, Shin Dosei Jidai: Hawaiian Breeze, Last War of Heavenloids and Akutoloids, Sora o Miageru Shōjo no Hitomi ni Utsuru Sekai, and Baja no Studio. Episode director for Violet Evergarden, Tamako Market, Sound! Euphonium, K-ON!, Dragon Maid, Myriad Colors, Nichijou, Beyond the Boundary, Clannad, Lucky Star, Chunibyo, and Free!. Outside of KyoAni he was a key animator on Grave of the Fireflies and Akira, and worked on many Doraemon and Crayon Shin-chan films.
Ami Kuriki, key animator for Violet Evergarden, Liz and the Blue Bird, Free!, Sound! Euphonium, A Silent Voice, Dragon Maid, Chunibyo, and Myriad Colors.
Sachie Tsuda worked in painting, finishing, clean-up animation, and special effects for Lucky Star, Clannad, Haruhi, K-ON!, HYOUKA, Nichijou, Tamako Market, A Silent Voice, To Heart, Violet Evergarden, Free!, and Liz and the Blue Bird. She also worked on several Crayon Shin-chan and Doraemon films, as well as Kiddy Grade, Inuyasha, Pokemon 3 - The Movie, and Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid.
Futoshi Nishiya, character designer for Free!, HYOUKA, Nichijou, A Silent Voice, Liz and the Blue Bird, and Haruhi. Animation director for Clannad, K-ON!, Sound! Euphonium, Haruhi, Lucky Star, Chunibyo, and Beyond the Boundary. He also worked as a key animator.
Keisuke Yokota, production manager for Clannad, K-ON!, HYOUKA, Chunibyo, Sound! Euphonium, A Silent Voice, Tamako Market, Violet Evergarden, Free!, Sound! Euphonium, and Beyond the Boundary.
Mikiko Watanabe, art director for Violet Evergarden, Beyond the Boundary, Dragon Maid, Myriad Colors, and Amagi Brilliant Park. She also provided background art for Nichijou, K-ON!, Free!, Liz and the Blue Bird, and Chunibyo.
Yuki Omura. Omura was only 23 years old. In 2016, Omura was awarded with an Honorable Mention Award at the 101st Nikaten Design Category. At the time, he was a second-year student at Tohoka University. Tohoka University posted a statement on Friday confirming that a graduate of the school's modeling program died in the fire. Omura graduated from the university in March.
Yuka Kasama. Kasama was only 22 years old. Kasama loved to draw as a child, and from high school wanted to study art at university. Kasama's dream was to enter the animation industry. Kasama was a graduate of Osaka Seikei University.
Yasuhiro Takemoto, director of Lucky Star, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, Full Metal Panic (Fumoffu & Second Raid), Clannad, Haruhi Suzumiya (series & Disappearance), and Nichijou has been confirmed dead.
Naomi Ishida, color designer for The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, A Silent Voice, and Liz and the Blue Bird has also been confirmed dead. Tragically, her parents believed she normally worked at Kyoto Animation's 2nd Studio building and presumed she was alive until they couldn't get a hold of her.
KyoAni Studio 1's server was isolated in a separate room completely surrounded by concrete on the building's first floor. Therefore, the server was protected from both the fire and the water used in firefighting efforts and miraculously ALL the data on the server has been recovered without damage!
Yoshiki's statement:
“I’ve held concerts around the globe, and in every country I perform in, many animation fans come to my shows and support my music. I am truly grateful to them. I also want to do what I can to support the artform of Japanese animation, which is a treasure in our world and a form of cultural development.
My heart aches as I think of the pain of those who lost family members. I hope my actions can be of some small comfort to the people who have been affected by this tragedy, and I hope that others will continue to do so too.”
Sentai's GoFundMe has passed $2 million
KyoAni has set up a special bank account to receive direct donations and so far has received over $5.7 million with 1,000,000 yen donated by HYOUKA author
BANK NAME : THE KYOTO SHINKIN BANK
SWIFT : KYSBJPJZ
BRANCH NAME : MINAMI MOMOYAMA BRANCH
BRANCH NUMBER : 048
ADDRESS : 16-50, YOSAI, MOMOYAMA-CHO, HUSHIMI-KU, KYOTO-SHI, KYOTO-HU, 612-8016 , JAPAN
ACCOUNT NUMBER : 0002890
ACCOUNT HOLDER : KYOTO ANIMATION CO.,LTD., REPRESENTATIVE DIRECTOR, HATTA HIDEAKI
The money raised will be going to the victims and their families to help them with any costs, and will be used for the reconstruction of the company.
The lawyer representing Kyoto Animation tweeted out a statement clarifying what was lost. He said that "although all the paper-based material that was in Studio 1 is gone, not all of KyoAni's paper-based material and data were in Studio 1 at the time." He concluded the tweet by saying that they "are investigating the possibilities of recovering the data from the first studio." Though he didn't say whether this would be through back-up of the servers in the studio or other means.
At the time of the fire, the company's current announced projects were: a new anime project for Sound! Euphonium, a new Violet Evergarden episode and film, an all-new Free! film, a second season for Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, an adaptation of Hiro Yuki's 20 Seiki Denki Mokuroku novel, and the Baja no Studio: Baja no Mita Umi anime short.
The Violet Evergarden Gaiden spin-off movie was completed, and will still premiere at Germany's AnimagiC convention on August 2-4. However, projects that were still in production are almost certainly lost: the main Violet Evergarden movie and the TV series for 20 Seiki Denki Mokuroku would likely need to be restarted almost entirely, or will be cancelled. The new Free! movie was confirmed cancelled. All art and equipment were destroyed in the inferno, however, it is possible that some elements survived in partner and assisting studios but whether any of those elements can be re-used with a new staff is unclear. Works that were already published have master files and artwork in the hands of distribution partners and publishers around the world, and are safe, although countless elements from their production that were housed in the KyoAni building are also gone. Projects from other anime studios that Kyoto Animation may have been assisting with may also experience some delays.
Of the 15 people who are seriously injured, some have yet to regain consciousness, and some are in serious condition. At least one victim had to have their legs amputated due to the injuries and another has died in the hospital bringing the total death count to 35 so far.
The police have confirmed the identities of everyone who died in the fire through DNA testing. KyoAni has announced that they do not plan on releasing the names of victims until after their funerals.
Yasuhiro Takemoto, director of Lucky Star, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, Full Metal Panic (Fumoffu & Second Raid), Clannad, Haruhi Suzumiya (series & Disappearance), and Nichijou has been confirmed dead.
Naomi Ishida, color designer for The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, A Silent Voice, and Liz and the Blue Bird has also been confirmed dead. Tragically, her parents believed she normally worked at Kyoto Animation's 2nd Studio building and presumed she was alive until they couldn't get a hold of her.
The staff members from Studio 1 that were able to escape the building, many by leaping from the second story windows, returned to work on July 24. Not even a full week since the incident on the 18th.
KyoAni Studio 1 was not only in compliance with all fire codes, they were awarded in 2014 with a certificate of commendation by the fire department for their fire safety compliance. Tragically, the door to the roof was not actually locked. But it had an unusual two-lever mechanism that could be difficult to operate for those who’d never used it before.
The arson attack has prompted call for stricter gas sale regulations in Kyoto though it is abundantly clear that none of the proposed regulations would have stopped the attack.
Japan’s most prominent cosmetic surgeon, Katsuya Takasu, has offered free treatment for Kyoto Animation arson burn victims. Too bad he's a holocaust denying Neo-Nazi.
An arson attacked the Kyoto Animation No. 1 studio on the morning of July 18.
34 people died in the fire, either from their burns or from carbon monoxide poisoning.
7 people survived the incident with no need for immediate medical treatment.
Japan has the death penalty for multiple murders, and this is the worst attack in Japan in decades.
In Japan, police do not confirm a death at the scene; instead, the victim must be transported to a hospital and a qualified doctor must first confirm the death before police can officially confirm the death.
The arson was a 41-year-old with mental illness and a criminal record. He was treated among the victims and was admitted to a hospital.
Witnesses say that when asked by police at the scene why he had set the fire, the man said “They plagiarized.” Pakuri is the Japanese word for copying another’s art or creative work, though the indistinct nature of the Japanese language makes it unclear whether the man was accusing Kyoto Animation of copying his work specifically, or that of another creator/creators.
So far it appears that the arson had never worked at Kyoto Animation, and no clear point of connection between him and the animation studio has been found.
As of March, Kyoto Animation had 165 employees with an average age of 33, according to its website.
KyoAni had been receiving death threats going back years.
Kyoto Animation has decided to cancel the production of its planned Free! 2020 Summer anime theatrical feature.
Studio 1 has a lot of the director staff and animation directors at the facility. They also have compositing/3D animation there.
Naoko Yamada has been confirmed alive.
Ishidate Taichi has been confirmed alive.
Yasuhiro Takemoto has been reported missing, some outlets have reported that he was confirmed dead but some other outlets have claimed that was a mistranslation.
"My biggest concern with AX is that the con is getting bigger each year to the point where the Los Angeles Convention Center will get way too crowded. I think AX either needs to set up a cap, or relocate AX to a bigger convention center."
