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A 45-year-old Japanese man, Shinji Aoba, has been sentenced to death for an arson attack that took place in 2019 at a Kyoto animation studio. The attack claimed the lives of 36 people, mostly young artists, and left several others injured. This incident was one of the deadliest in recent years in Japan and sent shockwaves through the anime community. Aoba pleaded guilty to the crime, but his lawyers tried to argue for a lighter sentence on the grounds of "mental incompetence." However, the judges dismissed this claim and stated that Aoba was fully aware of his actions. Chief Judge Masuda stated during the ruling that "the defendant was not mentally insane or weak at the time of the crime." He also expressed the gravity of the situation, acknowledging the extreme seriousness and tragedy of the death of 36 individuals, and the indescribable fear and pain experienced by the victims. The incident deeply affected Japan, prompting national mourning. The public and media closely followed the case, as it was one of the most shocking events the country had witnessed in decades. Many of the animation staff lost their lives as they became trapped on the upper floors of the studio when the fire quickly spread. Prosecutors argued that Aoba, who was an author, carried out the attack because he believed his work had been plagiarized by Kyoto Animation. According to their claims, Aoba wrongly believed that a novel he had submitted to a contest organized by the studio had been stolen. In July 2019, he entered the studio during a regular work day, poured gasoline on the ground floor, and set it on fire while repeatedly shouting, "Drop dead." Aoba himself suffered severe burns covering over 90% of his body in the fire and was arrested after he recovered from his injuries. The families of the victims were present in the courtroom during the sentencing, many of whom were seen wiping tears as the judge read out the details of Aoba's crime.