Highlights

  • After years of trial, the families of the victims can finally find some justice as the closing arguments are made against Shinji Aoba, the arsonist who attacked Kyoto Animation.
  • A surprising turn of events occurred as the prosecution argued for the death penalty, countering Aoba’s defense that his actions were due to emotional distress.
  • Despite Aoba showing some remorse during the court proceedings, his lack of genuine remorse and his initial indifferent reaction to the death toll may contribute to the prosecution’s request for capital punishment.


This past week, the closing arguments were finally made against Shinji Aoba, infamous for his arson of the Kyoto Animation headquarters in July 2019. While he was caught after the incident, his trial has been going on for years before a verdict could be reached. Now, we are finally nearing the end of the long ordeal, and the families of the people who were killed by Aoba can have some measure of justice at long last.

The closing arguments by the prosecution were heard on December 7th, 2023, and the final verdict and sentencing are set to be announced on January 25th. Aoba’s lawyer has continued to argue that his actions came from severe emotional distress, and that this should be considered when making the final judgment. However, the prosecution made a surprising announcement on the 7th, when they instead counter-argued that Aoba should be given the death penalty for his crimes.

RELATED: The History Of Kyoto Animation

On July 18th, 2019, Shinji Aoba set fire to the Kyoto Animation studio with gasoline. Kyoto Animation is one of the most famous animation studios in Japan, and is the studio behind titles like Code Geass, Clannad, K-On!, Lucky Star, Free!, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, and more. According to Aoba, he was seeking revenge on the animation studio because he felt that a scene in Tsurune in which the characters are buying discounted meat was stolen from him. The episode, number 5 in the series, aired in November 18th, exactly eight months to the day before the attack. The scene is not important to the plot of the anime.

Aoba claimed that he had submitted an idea to Kyoto Animation that was rejected, but that the idea later was used for the scene in Tsurune without any credit or compensation to him. Thus, he set fire to Kyoto Animation, an attack that resulted in the death of 36 people. It was not until the court proceedings on December 6th that Aoba showed the first sign of remorse for what he did, saying that he would tell the family members of the victims, “All I can say is that I am deeply sorry.”

However, the same day, when questioned if he felt what he did to Kyoto Animation was wrong, Aoba also replied, “It would be easier if that feeling would go away, but it has not gone away, so I have things to think about.” This, of course, earned him little sympathy from the courts, especially recalling that his initial response when told that the death toll was 36 was “Oh, is that so?” In light of his responses and seeming lack of remorse, the prosecution has formally requested capital punishment be considered by the judge.

After more than four years, there is finally an end in sight to the Kyoto Animation arson case. Whether or not it will end in the death penalty is still yet to be determined, but if the prosecution’s points that the act was done out of revenge and without remorse for the crime, it will be the final result. The sentence will finally be released on January 25th, 2024, so the families of the 36 victims have just a little bit longer to wait to see what becomes of Shinji Aoba.

Source: SoraNews24