Anime Higurashi cancelled due to Axe Murder Incident

Unless you're really out of the know, you should've heard by now that the second season of Higurashi has been cancelled on at least one network due to an axe murder in Japan. A girl killed her police officer father in a style very similar to Rena in a scene in the Higruashi manga. Another anime called School Days was also delayed (but no one but my H-game obsessed friend cared about it) but has apparently come back on the air and finished. Originally, Higurashi would only be delayed too....

ANN article with updates

Now as I'm not a big fan of Higurashi, I can't give much insight, other than my friends are rather upset. I was surprised it hasn't been brought up here as it is still big news over various anime forums, blogs and lj communities.

I also heard a rumor that a second ax murder was attempted. Any knowledge on this?



Anyways, share your input. What you think this means, what message it should get across, whether or not the networks are doing the right thing by trying not to upset viewers still in shock over the murder, so on and so forth. Keep in mind that Japan isn't a country as murderous as the US. It's not an everyday occurence as it is on our side of the pond. Just think about it like this: suppose there was a show over here where some scenes involved a gunman going in and shooting up people. Say this show was on before the Virginia Tech Shooting or another school shooting. Would it be wise of the networks to temporaily pull the show so as to not upset sensitive viewers who would see similarities in the shooting and the scene in the show?



Perosnally, I hate to say this to Higurashi fans, but I think the networks were in the right. People are still in shock over the incident. While it's bad for the fans, the anime should be delayed until this whole thing blows over, even tho the scene with the weapon in question occured last season.

 

Meh. People will kill people no matter what is on the tv.

Don't even get me started on blaiming games or tv for their volience is just ridiculas. Anyway...

They stoped airing it more out of the "tragedy" of the incident.

That's were I am okay with it.

So air it in a week.

What?

I get over things fast.

Like when episode 3 of Black Jack didn't get aired due to it having an earth quake. You can watch it now. But I would have been fine with it waiting a week.

 

Once again, I'd like to stress that Japan's murder rate is very low, especially murders like this. A murder like this really does have the same effect over there as a school shooting does over here.

The fact that this happened well over a week ago and is still big news is evident that Japan still hasn't recovered from it. While some people are able to move on in a week, other people, especially those who live in the perfecture it happened in, need more time.

 

I get both of your points, ladies.

While it IS true that murder rate is low, specially a certain kind, related to the anime. Though to me, it's dumb to blame something for one's mistake, I can understand the situation.

However, like Basher said, (I don't wanna copy so I'll paraphrase ) death and murder were around long before the cameras could be rolling, and the games could be created.

I'm a big gamer/anime freak, so though I watch casual stuff like Lucky Star and AzuManga Daioh, or play games like Guitar Hero or Enchanted Arms, I still find myself watching and playing things like Gears of War (Blowing heads off, litterally), Manhunt (Excecutions, bloody ones, over and over XD), Guitar Hero (I contradict my previous statement because when I play GH against someone, it's a massacre), Trigun (GUN!), and Elfen Lied (Blooooooooood!) respectively.

Does this mean that I go blow people's heads off, excecute them, massacre their family, use guns, or do all the things Lucy (from Elfen Lied) does? Nope.

Again, this doesn't mean I'm siding, I like to be in the middle. I mean, seriously, me between FR and Basher? Yes, please!

(don't say you didn't see that comment coming from me! ^.^)

-Seishin

 

Okay two weeks. Heh...

Though it really is me.

It is nice to see them care though. You know the tv station for the feelings of the victims and families.

But to me. They dont have to watch it. I bet others dont care what happened. Not to be mean but thats life.

Warm wishes go out to the family from me. But in two weeks give me back my darn show. Me bad I know. Heh.

One stopped because of "school girls" and "violent murders."

"Officials have not directly linked either series to the murder case."

And they should because...

 

Some of you guys are missing the point. We're not talking about whether Higurashi is to blame. I have the exact same opinion you guys do about that but that's not my point here. That'll be what the next thread I'm making will discuss.

I mean, we could sit here and argue whether or not the Guinea Pig snuff film Flower of Flesh and Blood was what caused Tsutomu Miyazaki to go and kill, rape, and all the horrific **** he did to those poor little girls (and oh god, the things he did to the families after...****ed up son of a *****.) when really Miyazaki was just one big ****ed up freak with a deranged mind that just decided to re-enact something he saw in Flower of Flesh and Blood on one of his victims. (don't know wtf I'm talking out? Go to Wiki and look up "the Otaku Murders" I warn you now, this is grisly stuff, even for real life. It literally seems like something out of a horror film.) We all know that unless the person is mentally messed up, games and tv don't cause you to commit these things. We all know that so let's not waste any posts on this thread acting like a broken record.

That's where you're wrong. ALL of Japan cares. It's still big news there. Don't assume things about another country because you're desensitized to this stuff as an American.

It's not just out of respect for the families. It's also out of respect for the people living in that area who are still shocked that something so grisly happened where they live. And all of Japan too. As I said, the whole country is still in shock.

 

Basher, I'd have to say that your replies to this thread are rather, erm... Ignorant. For one thing, no one has blamed any anime or video games on the murder (yet), so why bother bringing it up? School Days and Higurashi no Koro ni Kai were both delayed only because the stations airing them thought that people would feel uncomfortable viewing them after the whole incident due to similar circumstances, like previously stated. Wouldn't you feel uncomfortable seeing something on TV that reminded you of a horrible murder (not like the ones that happen just about everyday, but, like, something BIG) that happened not far from where you live? Things like that can make people paranoid, y'know.

As for the topic itself, I'm sort of neutral about all of it. It's good that the networks were considerate about the people who would be troubled by School Days and Higurashi no Koro ni Kai because of the similarities with the murder, but... I don't know what to think about all of this. I can see why people are complaining about the episodes being postponed, but hey, at least they'll get their episodes later. School Days' last episode was aired not too long ago (albeit slightly edited), so Higurashi will be back up and running soon, yes?

*shuts up now*

 

^Actually people are wondering if there's a relation between Higurashi and the murder, but no one except an extreme blogger over at the brownbackblogs (which is satire anyways so who cares) is placing the blame on Higurashi, and that guy is just an elaborate troll in the first place.
It's not like the Death Note case or that older Battle Royale case either way tho.



Lol, wasn't the blood in School Days turned black!? XDDDD


And yeah Higurashi is back. episode 13 was aired and apparently...it's the biggest death count yet. Um...wow.



(Brittany, you need to come on more, for serious :'<)

 

Huh. Well, no one's gotten solid evidence about whether or not the girl was affected by Higurashi or not, and no Jack Thompson wannabes have blamed it for the murder yet, so... I'm sticking with what I said. XD Also, Battle Royale case? Is that the one with Nevada-tan, or is it something different?

YES, the blood was turned black. xDD I heard that some of the sound effects were taken out too, but I'm not sure about that one.

(I know, I know... ;o; I'll try harder!)

 

It might've been I'm unsure. Actually, I think it was earlier than that. It was quite a few years ago tho, and I was still a young otaku. The elder otaku I hung around online at the time talked about it.

The incident they mentioned the girl actually tried to recreate a death from Battle Royale, apoparently the one involving a sickle. Once again tho, this was years ago, so my memory is vague. It may have been Nevada-tan (I looked into her before) but at the same time I think it may've been a separate case.


Oh, btw, remember how I mentioned a rumor of a second attempted ax murder? it turns out in fact that there WAS a second axe one! (although the man survived)

Anyone's opinions changed? And ax is not a common weapon in murder as opposed to a knife, so it must be scary to the Japanese that two ax murders by teens against ther parents happened so close to eahc other.

 

Heh. It was brought up because it is in the link that you posted. Are you surprised some of us read it?

"Officials have not directly linked either series to the murder case."

Either series being the two that were canceled on that station. Higurashi and School Days.

Higurashi isn't canceled on 4 other stations still.

If that was true Higurashi would have been canceled on all stations. I do not doubt it being big news. Just that ALL of Japan cares.

This has nothing to do with being desensitized or me being an american. I just don’t live in a hole. Not saying anyone else does.

I just know that not everyone cares and not everyone will be effect by it. That's life.

When people stumble to say or try to say “sorry for your loss.” They are but they probably don’t care. Harsh lesson to learn but you do.

It is in the article. It was actually. They now state it as "possible discomfort to the audience."

Anyway at the time it was in there. So it was brought up. We all also know that they tend to say something like that anyway.

BTW calling some one ignorant is being ignorant.

People will take an offense to that but I truly don’t care. Anyway…

That was before they edited which does happen. As I said "Officials have not directly linked either series to the murder case” was taken out. They give the reason as "possible discomfort to the audience."

So, I think you read the later one. I checked and it is gone. I hate that but it happens. Heh. Take my word for it or not.

I really shouldn’t answer that…because it didn’t affect me when something like that happened and it was someone I knew not well but enough about and lived less then 6 blocks away. There are plenty of movies with beating parents or step parents being killed. So I shouldn't answer.


I will say this out of respect for person who died and for friends, family, neighbors, and etc. Don’t expect everyone to care. It’s sad and shocking we know. Sympathy goes out to the family. But the world won’t stop spinning.

So out of respect for everyone else. Don’t get mad when Higurashi starts airing again which it did.

I am more wondering why the kid did it. What would make a kid do something like that other then tv or anime or etc? There is more to it then that. Kids just don't go do that.


Though I did have this class today about work and the speaker said how his parents death was a good thing. And I first thought money. He said experience and what not. Not murdered but I thought I would throw that out there. There are other people out there that think differentily with death and murder.

I will say this out of respect…insert rest.

So no.