News

Kuroko's Basketball Dōjinshi Event in Shizuoka Gets Cancelled

Studio You, the company that organizes the Kuroko's Basketball-themed "Shadow Trickster" dōjinshi events across Japan, announced on Friday that it is cancelling the Shadow Trickster event that was planned at the Twin Messe event hall in Shizuoka on April 21. The company noted that it cancelled the event because the event hall received a new threat letter.

Studio You further explained that the company scheduled the event because so far in 2013 it seemed as though the threat letters had stopped and things were returning to normal. But after the event hall received a new threat letter, the venue's staff and Studio You decided to cancel the event.

Studio You revealed, however, that it began looking for a new venue right away after it decided to cancel the event. The company is rescheduling the event for April 27-29 in Toyohashi in Aichi Prefecture. Studio You has already explained the situation to the venue in Toyohashi and received consent from its staff, and the company is also cooperating with local police for the event.

The company had announced the Shadow Trickster Shizuoka event on March 12, one day after Studio You cancelled the Shadow Trickster Osaka 2 event planned for April 7, and asked that any circles planning on selling or distributing Kuroko's Basketball-related dōjinshi or merchandise at eight other area dōjinshi events on the same day to show restraint.

Studio You has cancelled various other Shadow Trickster events since October, including two events in Fukuoka that were scheduled for March 10 and May 6.

Background

Since October, more than 30 locations linked to Kuroko's Basketball creator Tadatoshi Fujimaki have received threat letters with powdered and liquid substances. A source in the investigation of the threats said there is a high possibility that the liquid sent to Sophia University (Fujimaki's alma mater) on October 12 could emit a lethal dose of hydrogen sulfide if vaporized.

Several Kuroko's Basketball dōjinshi events throughout Japan have been cancelled in the aftermath of the threats. The "Shadow Trickster 3" event did proceed without incident at the Big Sight on October 20, shortly after the center received its first threat. The official "Kuroko no Basuke produced by Namco Namja Town" event in Tokyo ended 19 days early as a result of the threats, and Animate Café Tennoji in Osaka cancelled a planned Kuroko's Basketball collaboration event. Comic Market (Comiket), the world's largest dōjinshi event, barred Kuroko's Basketball items and circles in December.

In February, the organizers of the Comic City dōjinshi events barred circles from selling Kuroko's Basketball items at March 17's Haru Comic City 18 event, after they received a request to do so from the management of the Tokyo Big Sight event complex. The same organizers had barred Kuroko's Basketball from the Comic City Osaka 92 event on January 6, and then cancelled February 10's Double Clutch event outright. However, they held the Comic City Tokyo 131 event at Tokyo Big Sight and insisted on allowing Kuroko's Basketball circles. Comic City Tokyo 131 proceeded without incident on January 27.

The Tokyo Big Sight convention center noted earlier this month that it might allow Kuroko's Basketball-related events starting in May "if there is no change in the situation" and if event organizers "have in-depth discussions with the authorities to ensure the safety of all attendees."

[Via Yaraon!]