The thick white smoke escaping from the building of the studio Kyoto Animation in Japan could not be dissipated three hours after the start of the fire. Around 10: 30 am local time (3: 30am French time), a forty-something woman would have set fire to a flammable liquid poured into the building, according to a spokesman of the prefecture of police of Kyoto. Trentre-three people were killed and a score is missing, according to the provisional figures relayed by the japanese press, while thirty-five others were injured, ten seriously.

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The company Kyoto Animation has produced its first animated series for television in 2003. Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu! , is an adaptation, in thirteen episodes of 25 minutes of the series of novels of the same name by Shoji Gatô. In the 1980s and 1990s, the studio has worked on films like Akira or the films of Ghibli Kiki the little witch and Porco Rosso.

A Silent Voice , their great success

Since then, the studio is known for its numerous productions such as The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya , voted best series at the festival of Kobe in 2006. More recently, “KyoAni”, as they are nicknamed, has adapted the manga A Silent Voice feature film, the story of the improbable friendship between a young deaf girl and her former bully. The film, directed by Naoko Yamada is released in 2016 in 120 rooms in Japan and 75 theaters in France last August, and has been honored at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival and the Japan Movie Critics Awards.

In 2018, Kyoto Animation launches in the series Violet Evergarden , adapted novels for young adults by the same name. Performed by Taichi Ishidate, the series tells the story of a young girl who, scarred by the war, chooses to become a “doll of memories” automatic, dolls that have the mission to convey the words and feelings of other people in letters. She will be quickly overtaken by his past and must figure out who she is. Broadcast on Netflix, the series was to be the subject of a spin-off, planned for September in japan.

“Take care of you”

the director of The animated film to success Your Name , Makoto Shinkai, has reacted on social networks. “Take care of you”, he sent to the members of Kyoto Animation. There are many lovers of japanese cartoons on the social networks to express their support under the hashtag #PrayForKyoani.

A pool has been put online by the u.s.-based company specializing in japanese animation Sentai Filmworks. She says they want to “help the team of KyoAni during this difficult time” and asked everyone to “join in this effort.” This Thursday in the early afternoon, nearly $ 550,000 was raised.

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