KyoAni President promises upcoming anime movies are still in production, but says “Things are still very far from normal.”
Of the 33 remaining survivors, 27 have already returned to work.
Three employees who returned to work temporarily have since decided they need more time to cope with the stress and anxiety brought about by the attack.
Kyoto Animation as a whole shut down operations for nearly a month at the start of August. The company is continually coordinating with medical institutions to try to provide necessary mental health care and emotional support to its staff, though even with these efforts, a handful of employees have resigned in the aftermath of the incident.
The non-profit Animation for Next Industrial Innovation Conference (ANIC) and the Japan Animation Creators Association (JAniCA) have finished their crowdfunding campaign on Makuake for the victims of the Kyoto Animation arson attack, raising over ¥5.7 Million.
In total, donations to the company have reached over US$26.8 million.
Instead of a previously planned fan event, the studio will hold a "Memorial and Joining-Our-Prayers Service" at the Miyako Messe event hall in Kyoto on November 3-4. The event will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on both days, and admission will be free.
Staying committed to their promise that none of the donations will go to rebuilding the business, the president said that the “best way to rebuild is to look after the families involved.”
Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency will be requiring petrol stations and other sellers to check customer IDs and ask them how they will use the fuel.
The arsonist is no longer bedridden, and is able to sit up in a wheelchair. He’s also regained the ability to speak, and can engage in simple conversations with hospital staff, although he is yet to make any mention of the arson attack.
“Kyoto Animation will not be applying any of the money it received from donors around the world for business recovery, but will be using all of it for the bereaved, the injured, and their families.
The company itself will not retain any of the financial support, including funds coming from government institutions, and will move forward under its own power.”
Apparently the victims in the hospital weren't all out of the woods yet as another one has reportedly died.
Instead of the KyoAni and Do Fan Days event on November 3-4, KyoAni will instead create a place inside the city of Kyoto during that weekend where fans can go to "say their farewells to creators to whom they felt a strong connection through their works."
Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memories Doll has been extended again beyond 4 weeks now. 4th week theatergoers will receive a small shikishi and theatergoers in the 5th week will receive short stories previously offered during the 1st-3rd weeks.
The rest of the hospitalized victims are no longer in "life-threatening" condition, though many are still in intensive care.
The arsonist is likely to stay hospitalized for several more months.
According to the Kyoto Shimbun, many of the families previously said by the police to have denied consent told the newspaper that they had not denied consent and one family had even been requesting that the names be released.
The Violet Evergarden The Movie's January 2020 release has been delayed.
The separate side-story film, Violet Evergarden: Eternity and the Auto Memories Doll, opened in theaters in Japan on Friday. It was originally planned to screen for only two weeks but will now run for three weeks.
At the strong request from the director of the film, Haruka Fujita, every single staff member was listed in the credits including staff with less than a full year's worth of experience at KyoAni. Presumably the names of the victims are also included.
The condition of the arsonist has been changed to stable but he is still unable to communicate verbally.
Some idiot has threatened Visual Arts with a KyoAni-style attack.
