This morning a 41-year-old arsonist used gasoline to set fire to the first studio at Kyoto Animation. The resulting fire has at last count killed 33 people, 12 men, 20 women and one of unidentifiable gender, according to the Kyoto Fire Department. Another 36 people are reported as injured. The arsonist, who it is said had not worked for the studio, was heard yelling "Die!" as he was setting the fire.
According to Anime News Network, Sentai Filmworks may establish a Go Fund Me in support of KyoAni, but no web address will be published until Sentai's establishment and KyoAni's acceptance of the funding has been verified.
Personally, I feel terrible about this senseless and violent attack on an art studio whose mission was to enthrall and delight its audience. My heart goes out to the employees of Kyoto Animation and their families.
Such a sad event, and burns of any kind are no joke so it's tragic that even among the survivors there's already at the very least one that has suffered limb amputation according to reports, "hopefully" it's limited to the legs as having compromised arms as artists would truly be the worst. And it certainly leaves a bad aftertaste to know that it was where they trained employees so there were many young among their ranks. May the dead rest in peace and the survivors have a swift recovery.
