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Yamakan Discusses Criticism of His Comments About Idol Stabbing

Anime director and Ordet animation studio founder Yutaka Yamamoto (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Fractale, Wake Up, Girls!) has received harsh criticism for his comments relating to the stabbing of 21-year-old female singer Mayu Tomita (pictured below left). Yamamoto, also known as "Yamakan," said on his blog that he believes he does not deserve this backlash.

Yamamoto quoted an anonymous article that the Gambling Journal website posted last week criticizing him. He responded, "The amazing thing is this. How long will this country's citizens continue to be satisfied by copying each other? Really, this country yields to the atmosphere, this dirty garbage nation."

He criticized a double standard and biased thinking he perceives among Japanese people. "Isn't it favoritism if this is a female college student, if it's a cute idol? So you want to say that it's OK for a dirty middle-aged man to die, and a cute idol should be protected?"

He concluded by saying, "Live as you please, and die as you please. The world is not turning by your moods alone. I mean, this article too is anonymous. Truly, it's cowardice."

While he wholeheartedly agreed with the widespread condemnation of Tomita's attacker, Yamamoto said last week that he also believes Tomita made a mistake. "For people who work as idols (and similar professions), carelessly blocking a fan is a bad idea," Yamamoto said. "And you can't help how it looks when you return a present."

He went on to say that he takes an attitude where he is ready to fight back at any time. Tomita, on the other hand, was not prepared and so was at higher risk. Unlike ordinary people, he said, professionals need to consider that kind of thing.

Tomohiro Iwazaki (28), Tomita's attacker, was sentenced to 14 years and six months in prison last Tuesday. Iwazaki allegedly admitted that he had stabbed Tomita last May due to her returning a gift he had sent her, without clearly explaining the reason why. He had allegedly been waiting for her at the station to ask her about the gift.

Tomita was in critical condition after receiving nearly two dozen stab wounds on the neck and chest. She later regained consciousness, and is continuing her rehabilitation. She testified in court behind a screen, sharing that she has had difficulty singing or eating due to partial paralysis of her mouth, and that she is also having trouble with her eyesight.

While she was testifying, Iwazaki interrupted Tomita and shouted, "Then you should kill me." He was removed from the courtroom. Before the verdict was handed down, Iwazaki apologized to Tomita and her family, and promised to learn patience in prison. The presiding judge commented that Iwazaki's attack took away Tomita's dreams, and that Iwazaki "must learn to control himself and abide by society's rules while he is in prison."

Yamamoto has a history of being critical of the anime industry. He has declared anime "dead" and criticized the anime production committee system. However, he did like Makoto Shinkai's latest film your name.

Yamamoto announced his next anime project is a crowdfunded film titled Hakubo (Twilight) that is slated for next year.