My Life In Fandom: Anime's Library of Alexandria

It's worse than I thought. It's far, far worse.

#KyotoAnimation CEO Hideaki Hatta: Apart from the human casualties, everything has been lost. All the materials, be it paper or digital data, is gone. #prayforkyoani #kyoani https://t.co/E8RQEeFKuO

— Renato Rivera Rusca （レナト・リベラ・ルスカ） (@RENATOLOGY) July 19, 2019

While Kyoto Animation didn't produce much anime that's in my wheelhouse--just Full Metal Panic--that doesn't mean they haven't put out good work, either in the past or present. (e.g. Violet Evergarden) Neither does it diminish the people who worked there or the respect for the work done. Now, because one man decided to torch the building they were in, 34 people are dead and--as quoted above--all of it is gone.

There are no off-site archives. No backups. Nothing. What dics or files you've got, or can get, is all that remains. The friends and families of both the slain and the survivors are severely and permanently changed, and at the very least I'd ask for some prayers for them if you're unwilling or unable to spare a coffee's worth to help them out by donating or buying their stuff. This is an event very much like the burning of the Library of Alexandria, especially in that its true impact will not be known until years--or longer--after the fact. I can only hope that it will be for the beater more often than not.

Some follow-up from Niche Gamer--bookmark their site and follow them on Twitter; they're good people--on the matter:

Update on the Kyoto Animation attack: the murderer has been named: Shinji Aoba, 41, of Saitama Prefecture. His motive has also been revealed: he claims KyoAni plagiarized his idea for a novel. Another victim has died, the death toll is now 34. https://t.co/08kZcMrKcB

— Niche Gamer (@nichegamer) July 19, 2019

I doubt this suspect will live long past his conviction. As I recall, the penalty for Arson in Japan is severe, and this was the worst since World War II. May the dead rest in peace, and the living find the comfort they need to find the strength they require to survive and recover. Anime fans around the world have been fantastic in their support for Kyoto Animation, and the fakes took no time exposing their black hearts for one and all to see clearly. Mark my words: KyoAni's burning is going to be a watershed event, and we will be dealing with its impact for years to come.