The arson attack in a revered Kyoto animation studio killed 36 people and injured dozens more.

A Japanese man has been sentenced to death for an arson attack at a Kyoto animation studio in 2019 which killed 36 people and injured dozens more.

The incident, one of Japan’s deadliest in recent decades, killed mostly young artists and shocked the anime world.

Shinji Aoba, 45, pleaded guilty to the attack but his lawyers had sought a lighter sentence on grounds of “mental incompetence”.

Judges rejected this however, ruling that Aoba knew what he was doing.

“I have determined that the defendant was not mentally insane or weak at the time of the crime,” Chief Judge Masuda said on Thursday at Kyoto District Court.

  • QuokkaEnglish
    44•10 months ago

    Japanese stans are next level crazy. Like the stories of idols being murdered and shit by crazed stalkers, I don’t get what breeds this level of extreme response to media.

    • @GONADS125@feddit.deEnglish
      28•10 months ago

      The incels in western society are just as unhinged and bizarre imo. I’m not sure how prevalent they are in Europe, but they’re very much a problem here in the US and Canada.

      • @xmunk@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        14•10 months ago

        In Japan a lot of idols aren’t allowed to be seen as being in relationships… it’s really fucking skeevy.

        • TwinTusksEnglish
          5•10 months ago

          In Japan a lot of idols aren’t allowed to be seen as being in relationships

          Not just Japan, is all Asia. One member of a female korean group said something to the effect of the fans want them sexy and unavaliable.