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3 Threat Notes Found at Comiket's Kuroko's Basketball Area
posted on by Egan Loo
The Comic Market (Comiket) Preparations Committee, the organizers of the largest dōjinshi event in the world, reported on Monday that three threat letters were discovered in the area once reserved for Kuroko's Basketball circles. The letters were found after Comiket 83 closed on its second day, Sunday. As a result, the committee discussed the issue with the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center and the police, and then put the event on highest alert for the remaining third day.
The event had decided to bar all Kuroko's Basketball circles from participating after receiving a threat letter on October 29. About 900 fan circles reserved tables to sell self-published items inspired by the Kuroko's Basketball manga and anime, but the committee refunded their entrance fees. According to the committee, the three new letters are considered to be copycat threats.
The 900 barred circles represented about 8% of the total number of circles (11,700) on Sunday. People were allowed, but not encouraged, to sit down and use the former Kuroko's Basketball block as a resting area. The committee's Monday notice discussed the event's increased security patrols and announced bag checks, although ANN's reporter was not subjected to a bag check on Sunday. The committee apologized to attendees for the inconvenience caused by the threats and weekend rain, and thanked them for their support.
Since October, at least 50 locations linked to Kuroko's Basketball creator Tadatoshi Fujimaki have received threat letters with powdered and liquid substances. A source in the investigation 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, and Animate Café Tennoji in Osaka cancelled a planned Kuroko's Basketball collaboration event. Additionally, Banpresto has delayed the start of its Kuroko's Basketball Ichiban Kuji lottery line, and the Comic City Osaka 92 dōjinshi event has asked dōjinshi circles to show self-restraint by not distributing any Kuroko's Basketball-related material at the January 6 event.
Source: Gigazine
