Kyoto Animation Marks Arson's 3rd Anniversary with Emotional Memorial

Kyoto Animation had no way of knowing one morning in July 2019 would shake the studio to its core, and the tragedy is still too much to bear for many. Three years ago, the beloved anime studio was targeted by a disgruntled arsonist who set fire to one of its main studios. The attack left 36 dead with dozens more injured on the scene. Today marks the horrific event's anniversary, and Kyoto Animation has released a special memorial online to remember those who lost their lives in the attack.

As you can see here, Kyoto Animation uploaded the sobering memorial to its YouTube for fans. The video goes on to honor each of the employees who lost their lives during the arson in 2019. A touching note was written about each of those who died that day. Some of these victims include Yasuhiro Takemoto, Futoshi Nishiya, Yoshiji Kigami, and others.

For those who aren't familiar with the Kyoto Animation arson, the attack was one of the deadliest in Japan following World War II. The ordeal stunned the nation and fans worldwide as the attack was the first in Japan to target an anime studio outright. Police were able to locate the arsonist shortly after the fire was set. After being treated for their own injuries, the suspect was indicted in December 2020 by authorities, and the case is still ongoing.

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Kyoto Animation has undergone untold changes since the 2019 attack. A number of the studio's projects were delayed in the aftermath, but Kyoto Animation has gone on to release a number of top-tier anime since 2019. The attack also sparked new safety measures in Japan to prevent this sort of crime from happening again.