Kyoto Animation Arsonist, Shinji Aoba, Withdraws Appeal, Death Sentence Likely to Be Finalized

Shinji Aoba, who carried out the horrifying Kyoto Animation arson attack in 2019, has taken a step toward finalizing his death sentence. On January 28, 2025, the Osaka High Court confirmed that Aoba withdrew his appeal the day before. His legal team might still dispute this, but experts say the decision is likely final.
In the early hours of July 18, 2019, Aoba entered Kyoto Animation’s Studio 1 in Kyoto’s Fushimi Ward. Armed with gasoline, he set the building on fire, killing 36 employees and injuring 34 others. It was one of Japan’s deadliest mass murders and left an emotional and creative void in the global animation community.
NHK reported comments from the victims’ families. A father who lost his son, an animator, said only Aoba could explain the reason for withdrawing the appeal and viewed it as a possible attempt to take responsibility.
A mother of a female animator who died in the fire said she wanted to understand his reasoning but felt there could be no other sentence than death for the loss of 36 lives.
During his trial in 2022, Aoba claimed he attacked the studio because he believed it had plagiarized his work. His lawyers argued he wasn’t mentally fit to be held accountable, but the Kyoto District Court dismissed this and sentenced him to death in 2023.
Kyoto Animation has slowly moved forward since the tragedy. The studio released Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S in 2021, with late director Yoshiji Kigami among its credited contributors. Upcoming projects for 2025 include Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid: The Lonely Dragon Wants to Be Loved and CITY THE ANIMATION.
Founded in 1985, Kyoto Animation created some of anime’s most beloved works, including A Silent Voice, Violet Evergarden, K-On!, Sound! Euphonium, and The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Despite its hardships, the studio continues to inspire fans worldwide.
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