Kyoto Animation fire: Fundraiser set up to ‘help heal’ Japanese anime studio after deadly blaze

The crowdfunding page raised more than $325,000 in just a few hours

A fundraiser has been set up to raise money for Kyoto Animation, the Japanese anime studio which on Thursday suffered an arson attack that is believed to have killed at least 30 people.

Sentai Filmworks, a US-based licensing company for anime, have launched a GoFundMe page to ‘help heal’ the studio.

At the time of writing, the page has raised more than $325,000 of its $500,000 goal.

The fundraising page reads: “On July 18, 2019, an arsonist set the Kyoto Animation studio on fire injuring several people and leading to the loss of lives. Details on this unbelievable act are still developing.

“Sentai Filmworks hopes to help the KyoAni team during this time of need and asks that you join us in this endeavor.”

Tributes from thousands of animators, comic book artists and fans have been flooding in on social media.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the incident was “too appalling for words” and offered his condolences to those affected by the tragedy.