Yesterday morning I received the news that an arsonist had set fire to a Kyoto Animation studio, killing more than 30 people and leaving many more injured. My heart goes out to those killed and hurt in this attack, as well as to their families.
Kyoto Animation has a long track record of delivering beloved shows to anime fans around the world, and the company has long been famous for maintaining great working conditions in an industry filled with exploitation and abuse of employees. They are a beacon of positivity within the anime world. It’s painful to know that the creators of some of my favorite shows are no longer with us and that their families have lost loved ones, but memories of them will live on through the art they created.
Sentai Filmworks has been hosting a fundraiser to help the victims and their families, which has collected $1.315.546 as of me writing this piece. If you want to contribute, follow the link below. Reading the comments of those who donated has been heartwarming, it’s great to see the anime community around the world come together to help out.
I will not deviate from the regular release schedule of my reviews because, frankly, the perpetrator doesn’t deserve to disrupt more than he already has. I have stickied several reviews of Kyoto Animation shows to the frontpage, however.
Thank you for the link.