Almost a month after the terrible fire in Kyoto Animation’s 1st Studio Building that claimed 35 lives, there is still an outpouring of support for the embattled studio. Earlier this month Yoshiki, co-founder of legendary rock band X Japan, donated 10 million yen to support the victims of the July 18 arson. In his Twitter account, Yoshiki stated that he was in the United States when he heard of the news. His tweet reads,
“I am in the United States. I learned about the Kyoto Animation fire on the local news. My heart aches. Japanese anime, and each one of those creators, is a treasure of the world. I hope they recover as soon as possible.”
The donation he made to KyoAni via his Yoshiki Foundation America was ultimately spurred by animation fans’ love for his work and continuous support for him. He tweets further,
“I’m always doing tours around the world … No matter where I go, animation fans come to my concerts and support my global activities. I’m always grateful to them. And I always want to contribute to the development of Japan’s anime culture, which I consider one of the world’s treasures. I truly share the pain of those who lost their families. I really hope this will assist the bereaved, and also hope that the circle of support around them will expand.”
Besides Yoshiki, just this week Osaka-based game developer Key also offered up 10 million yen in support of KyoAni. Key has been a longtime creative partner of KyoAni and developed games such as Clannad and Air, both of which have been adapted into anime series by the studio.
It will be remembered that Key posted this message on their website shortly after the attack:
“To all employees of Kyoto Animation,
We are struggling to find the words to express the deep sadness we feel about the painful tragedy you have gone through. We wish to offer our sincere condolences for those who have passed away, and are praying for as swift a recovery as possible for those who suffered injuries.
Through the wonderful talents and tremendous efforts of Kyoto Animation, the Key works Kanon, Air, and Clannad have been able to emotionally touch people around the world. The thoughts of our employees, as well as those of fans of our works, are with Kyoto Animation.
We look forward to Kyoto Animation continuing to produce heartwarming anime that stir the emotions and give courage to people in Japan and throughout the world.”