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Comic Market Bars All Kuroko's Basketball Circles, Items

The Comic Market Preparations Committee, the group responsible for organizing the largest dōjinshi event in the world, announced on Saturday that the event is "with deep regret" disqualifying Kuroko's Basketball circles from participating due to threats. In addition, other circles are asked not to distribute Kuroko's Basketball dōjinshi, goods, and other materials.

Comic Market (Comiket) 83 is scheduled to run from December 29 to December 31.

The committee apologized for this decision, which it said was made to ensure the safety of the participants and to allow Comic Market to continue running. Comic Market had received very strong demands from the police to cancel the distribution of Kuroko's Basketball items. The event is also stepping up security in cooperation with Tokyo Big Sight event complex (the host of the semiannual event) and the police. The measures included bag checks for hazardous materials.

The event was sent a threat letter on October 29. The committee notified the Kitazawa Police (which has jurisdiction in this case) on October 30 and has been communicating with them and Tokyo Big Sight before making the decision.

Since October, multiple locations linked to Kuroko's Basketball creator Tadatoshi Fujimaki have received threat letters with powdered and liquid substances. A source in the investigation of Kuroko's Basketball threat letters said there is a high possibility that the liquid sent to Sophia University on October 12 could emit a lethal dose of hydrogen sulfide if vaporized.

At least six Kuroko's Basketball dōjinshi events were canceled last month. Tokyo Big Sight received a threat earlier in October, but the "Shadow Trickster 3" event proceeded without incident there on October 20. The official "Kuroko no Basuke produced by Namco Namja Town" event in Tokyo did end 19 days early as a result of the threats.

Shueisha announced last month that Jump Festa, the December festival dedicated to its Weekly Shonen Jump, V Jump, Jump Square, and Saikyō Jump magazines, has cancelled all Kuroko's Basketball events, exhibits, and the sale of tie-in goods.

[Via 0takomu]

Update: A man was arrested in 2008 for threatening Comic Market 74, which was held from August 15 to August 17, 2008 at Tokyo Big Sight. The man allegedly wrote on the 2channel web forum on July 16, 2008, "I'll toss a hand grenade at the Comiket site." Comic Market 74 also implemented bag checks "to prevent people from carrying dangerous items."