In 2019, a fire roared in urban Japan. Shinji Aoba, a 45-year-old Japanese man, has been sentenced to death for a fatal arson attack on Kyoto Animation studio in 2019, which resulted in the deaths of 36 people and injuries to dozens. The incident is one of Japan’s most severe mass killings in recent times, mainly claiming the lives of young artists, and sending shockwaves through the Japanese animation community.

Aoba pleaded guilty to the crime, though his defense sought leniency citing his alleged “mental incompetence.” This plea was dismissed by the court, with the Chief Judge stating that Aoba was fully aware of his actions at the time of the attack.

The prosecutors argued that Aoba initiated the attack because he believed the studio had plagiarized a novel he submitted to a contest they held. He attacked by dousing the studio’s ground floor with petrol and igniting it, intending to kill, though he later expressed regret and guilt, admitting he had not anticipated the high death toll.

Despite suffering severe burns himself, Aoba was arrested post-recovery and stood trial. The attack decimated over half of the studio’s workforce, with many survivors left dealing with the psychological aftermath and trauma.

As Japan still enforces the death penalty for grave offenses, Aoba now faces execution by hanging, a fate decided amidst emotional testimonies from the victims’ families.