Kyoto Animation Sparks Speculation With Mysterious New Countdown

The creators of Violet Evergarden and Free are working on something big.

By Evan Valentine

When Kyoto Animation suffered from an arson attack, the anime world rallied around the studio that has made some of the most gorgeous examples of animation in the medium. The incident resulted in the death of thirty-six employees, while also injuring dozens of others. In time, the Kyoto Animation Staff has been able to recover, remembering those who passed while continuing the mission of the production house to create anime. In a new countdown reveal, Kyoto is hinting at a big announcement that is set to be unearthed later this month. Considering the vast library of projects that Kyoto Animation is responsible for, speculation has already begun.

For those who might not be familiar with Kyoto Animation, the studio first swung open its doors in 1985. For decades, the production house has created some of the most introspective, emotional anime projects present in the medium. Kyoto's franchises include Violet Evergarden, Full Metal Panic, K-On!, Free!, and A Silent Voice. One of Kyoto's latest efforts was Sound! Euphonium's third season and final season, focusing on a high school concert band who play to both rise in the musical ranks and learn more about themselves along the way.

Kyoto Animation's Big Reveal

On the Official Social Media Account for Kyoto Animation, the studio simply posted a time and date, hinting at the idea that the production house has something big brewing in the background. Simply stating the date, September 21st, 2024, there were no other details revealed at what Kyoto has in store for anime fans. Considering the effect that the studio has had on the anime world, whatever the reveal is is sure to have big implications for the medium.

What is Kyoto Teasing?

There are several properties that Kyoto has adapted that could warrant a new project in the anime medium. For example, Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid still has a manga that is releasing new chapters to this day, while The Melancholy of Haruhi-Chan Suzumiya announced earlier this summer that a new chapter of its supernatural tale was set to arrive in the manga world. In recent years, Kyoto has brought to an end series such as Violet Evergarden, Free!, and Sound! Euphonium, meaning that they may also be looking to add an entirely new anime to its library. 

Kyoto Animation: A Tribute To The Fallen

It has been five years since Kyoto Animation suffered from the arson tragedy. During the half-decade, Kyoto and fans have been going above and beyond to make sure that the deceased employees are honored. This year, a new tribute monument was erected in Japan that was nearly ten feet tall, depicting thirty-six birds to represent those lost. On the monument itself, a plaque was placed that read, "Passing dreams and passion from one person to the next... Limitless dreams, told through animation. In every line drawn, years of cultivated talent and profound sentiment. From here in Uji, Kyoto, they spread out into the world, taking wing toward our uninterrupted future."

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The arsonist responsible for the tragedy was given the death penalty earlier this year, as the trial determined they were "neither insane nor feeble-minded". While there are numerous countries that do not employ the death penalty, Japan has upheld it in the past, though it is rarely used and the country has only sentenced less than one hundred people to the punishment since the year 2000.

Want to see what Kyoto Animation is planning to reveal later this month? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on all things Kyoto and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime. 

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