Three months since the devastating arson that was committed against Kyoto Animation’s 1st Animation Studio, KyoAni President Hideaki Hatta held a press conference to update the public on the company’s and its employees’ current status.
Of the 33 reported injured, 29 have already reported for work. Hatta stated during the press conference:
“Until July 18, Person A, Person B, and Person C were all at the company. And suddenly, those people all passed away. It’s incredibly tough mentally… Many staff are still feeling extremely stressed. The staff are talking and supporting one another while dealing with starting work again. We are working with medical institutions to provide psychological care."
Hatta also expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support from around the world, mentioning the messages the company has received both locally and internationally. He also thanked everyone who donated to support the studio.
This Thursday, the city of Kyoto announced that the bank account KyoAni has set up for donations has already received a total of 2, 915, 460, 000 yen (approximately 26.8 million). Hatta earlier stated that all donations will go to the families of the bereaved as well as for the medical expenses of the injured staff, and that none will be used for the benefit of the company.
Hatta also talked about the studio’s upcoming projects, such as the delayed Violet Evergarden film and the Free! Film which was slated for a release next summer. He said that as of now, the company is currently working on putting out the Violet Evergarden film after April 2020. It will be remembered that the film was supposed to be released on January 2020, but KyoAni announced last September that the film’s release will be delayed. During this time, they are also looking closely at the situation to see how their future plans will be played out.
Source: Anime News Network