Even as Kyoto Animation tries to move on, it recently announced its plans to build two memorials in honor of the victims of this tragedy. It has been nearly four years since the arson attack in 2019, which took the lives of 36 employees. Only one will be open to the public. But KyoAni’s desire to commemorate the fallen remains palpable, even as it tries to move on.
It sounds surprising at first how it’s taken this long to have gone ahead. There’s a bit more to it than just delays, however. As reported by SoraNews24 a few days after the attack at KyoAni’s Studio 1 in Kyoto’s quiet Fushimi ward, President Hideaki Hatta remarked how:
“If it is possible, I would like to turn the site into a park, and erect a monument [to the deceased].”
Though this sentiment was echoed by the family members of some of the deceased, issues quickly arose with the other residents. As covered by the Mainichi Shimbun on Christmas 2019, the local neighborhood association sent a written request to KyoAni over concerns that those ideas might disrupt the local community:
According to the town council president, the reason is that “if too many people continue to visit the site, it will destroy the peace and quiet [of the local residents].” At a meeting held on April 14, the 23 subscribing households agreed to the idea.
A Long Time Coming
It seems, however, that a compromise has finally been reached. Though the exact location of the public memorial has yet to be specified, according to NHK, it will almost certainly be near KyoAni’s headquarters in neighboring Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture. Meanwhile, its private cenotaph would be placed on the site of Studio 1, which is known as still being “used for the company’s business purposes.” Whichever the case, it’s a long time coming:
To conduct a full-scale study, the bereaved families and the company will establish a new organization that will hold its first meeting in July and hopes to compile a draft of a request to the local government by the end of this year.
The group aims to establish a memorial by July 18, 2024, five years after the incident occurred.
You can expect the trial of arsonist Shinji Aoba beforehand, however. As covered by J-List‘s L. B. Bryant, it’s slated to begin on September 5, 2023. The final verdict, though, is expected by January 25, 2024. This may be bittersweet at best for fans, survivors, and the families of those who perished. Nonetheless, it’s still reassuring that justice is being served.
https://twitter.com/oricon_anime_/status/1656217307881013248
There’s another silver lining in all this. The arson attack, one of Japan’s worst mass killings since the Second World War, was devastating, yet KyoAni has risen like a phoenix. It’s seen in the quality of its works and the endurance of its distinct in-house culture. Despite it all, the studio has slowly but carefully kept that familiar spark alive. All the while, its animators continue to honor those who are no longer with them.
On a lighter note, J-List has some KyoAni-based items for sale. Also, we invite you to leave your thoughts on the studio and its future below!
