Attempted Murder in Japan Over POKEMON

[Kkun]

And here I thought Pokemon had died a horrible death in Japan...

[SwordSkill]

[sort-of-off-topic-but-still-related]

There was that recent case too in Japan when a guy killed his mother because he "learned" from Neon Genesis Evangelion about how flawed humans are. At least that's what the prosecution said. Anyway, the guy was found guilty and he's currently serving prison sentence for 14 years.

I have the links to the news site in Mainichi, but since NGE is rather "forbidden" in this board, I'll practice a little discretion and just let it go at that. ^^;;

[/sort-of-off-topic-but-still-related]

[supa dupa ninja]

here we go with the crime and anime topic, one more time...
lesse there was this incident back in the mid 90's where this otaku dude, kidnapped a little girl and burned her alive and left her ashes (and some solid remains) in the parent's doorsteps... which anime inspired this insidious deed?
GUESS!

[Zilch]

which anime inspired this insidious deed?
GUESS!

"My Neighbor Totoro"?

[Inferno]

He tried to KILL his somone with a SWORD because that somone called him a POKEMON!?!? That is soooo freaky!

[Kisa]

Teasing is good, it makes you stronger! Lol, he needs to get over it, its just a show. His actions seem pretty illogical, but I guess this is the type of thing that causes another Columbine so we shouldn't take it too lightly . . .

[skynes]

I'd find this funny if it wasn't so serious. Mainly because of the culture thing, over here being called Snorlax or something is just stupid. In Japan it must be a really BIG offense!

[righteous_slave]

All the comments about the sword brought a question and a memory to mind. Are guns legal in Japan? The memory is associated, somewhere in my boxes I've got a metal magazine with an interview with someone (Blackie Lawless of WASP I think) who commented on the fact that while he was in England, the papers didn't have stories about shootings like we do in America, since guns are illegal in England, instead thier papers were full of stabbings. The crime is still their, just the tools of the trade are different. Anyway, maybe that is part of why the kid brought a sword.

[Straylight]

I expect that most guns are illegal in Japan, like the UK.
Also, I doubt being called a pokemon was the only factor that caused the kid to flip -- I expect that it was probably a prolonged campaign of bullying.

[Gypsy]

Also, I doubt being called a pokemon was the only factor that caused the kid to flip -- I expect that it was probably a prolonged campaign of bullying.

That's what I was thinking as well. It's really amazing how teasing can just build and build, and then eventually there is a final straw. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that this is only going to cause the kid more unwanted attention.

[Kawaii_Angel]

Wow, threatning to kill people with a sword just because people called the kid a Pokemon?Thats just a little bit extreme.I always thought with the bullying idea that they do hrsh tjings to themselfs, my friend did that.........

[DrNic]

Wow, threatning to kill people with a sword just because people called the kid a Pokemon?Thats just a little bit extreme.

Maybe but the kid was probably being bullied really badly. I've been bullied at school before to the point where I wanna kill someone (luckily I'm too nice and sane to do it) and I know from experience (and from seeing other people get bullied ) that it can be really stressful and depressing. So it probably isn't as funny as it sounds.

[Shao Feng-Li]

BWAHAHAHA! Forgive me, but for some reason the whole thing is so stupid, it's funny.

[Uriah]

heh... it is indeed a truly sad thing.

When someone keeps to themself like that or gets into things so deeply, it tends to mess you up. Satan will use ANYTHING he can to screw with you.
I know this because I have also felt like killing people over pokemon, (sad but true). When I was like 10 I really got into pokemon, and pretty much made it my world, things got dang screwed up. Praise the Lord that that's over now...

[Fsiphskilm]

Yea it's no

[YesIExist]

I know this because I have also felt like killing people over pokemon, (sad but true).

Not to be judgmental, but... how did that happen?

[Uriah]

I got so spaced out on it, it meant way more to me than it should have, you could say. I tend to REALLY get into things, and I put alot of myself into pokemon, pretty much lived in another world in my mind. Anyways, jelousy of other people, namely the kids who's parents bought them hundreds of dollars of pokemon cards, and the kids would act superior and rub it in when they won (They abvously had better cards than everyone else.)

[Technomancer]

Realistically, the case has very little to do with Pokemon or anime in general. Instead, it should be taken as a problem of society. The fact is, that Japan does have a bullying problem, which has been the basis of a number of disturbing reports. From the basis of the report, I don't know how much this has to do with it, but it's very likely.

[DrNic]

When it comes down to it, bullying is bullying in whatever form. In this case they used Pokemon, but they could have used any method e.g football, computer gaming, pocket money, family social status...even things like Beyblade. It wasn't the fact that they were tormenting him by calling him a pokemon but the fact that they were tormenting him.

My two cents...

[The_Marauding_Maniac]

Agreed w/ DrNic. I liked the show Ok.... But the game was cooler. >.> I wonder how much percent of the bullying was actually Pokémon and how much was plain ol' bullying.

[Kenchii]

This is not surprising that much to me at all. I understand how it feels to be picked on contantly. It doesn't matter that much of really the 'bullie' is/was saying, but being repeptivly being said that certain name, that gets on even the CALMEST persons nerves. Exspecially Japanese teenagers. About 8 of my friends are Japanese and they are VERY sensitive when it comes to teasing, and being called a name. THIS IS SERIOUS...

<Teasing is good, it makes you stronger! Lol, he needs to get over it, its just a show.>

Beleive me, no one needs to be teased in order to be stronger. Would god want you to do that? ...

<ahahahahaha of all the riducless things! hahahha>

I am dissappointed by some people still not taking bulling seriously.

<This isn't funny! People could've died, and I know how it was to be picked on as a kid, it happned to me all the time, its tortue, and no matter how meanless the insults sound, it could have some sort of other meaning that we wouldn't know about. No, I don't justify what he did at all, but I have to say, both sides are at fault.Its not just what your called, its the number of people doing it, imagine almost the whole class constantly going against one kid non-stop everyday? Thats a reality for some kids, its the sad truth, and its horrable.>

I agree with you all the way..

<Maybe but the kid was probably being bullied really badly. I've been bullied at school before to the point where I wanna kill someone (luckily I'm too nice and sane to do it) and I know from experience (and from seeing other people get bullied ) that it can be really stressful and depressing. So it probably isn't as funny as it sounds.>

I agree with you too, I have went though the same thing, but I dont think I am all the way sane..

[Paulo Q.]

Please, take this as seriously as it could have been, for the only difference here bettween a sword and a gun is that the sword is much harder to handle. If he did get a gun it wouldn't be funny at all cause there would have been death.

[Roll]

Seems this incident had to do more with bulleying than Pokemon. He probably would've reacted the same way had they been calling him a bad name that had nothing to do with the series.

[Paulo Q.]

When you have nobody to look up at, or nobody to share thoughts with, the only ones who are left, as the closest thing to a father or a friend, are those heros on TV and those heros kill other people, sometimes for no reason at all. So, no wonder, if he were like this that he tried to kill someone ("just like on TV"). We just gotta keep our eyes open to let no one aside and help who needs help even if they don't know it themselves.

[Haibane Shadsie]

Here I've been borrowing Pokemon Ruby from a friend and playing it... I've been playing Pokecrack! (It's what we call it. Darn games are so addicting! Pokecrack!)

But, yeah, the teasing could have taken the form of anything, and Pokemon was probably just convienent. Very glad it didn't go through. How would one smuggle a sword into school? I'm sure it can be done. I believe some Samurai carried concealed swords. Or, maybe I've just read too much "Blade of the Immortal".

I understand how the bullying can get. I was teased a lot in school. It's most likely the cause of my very bad emotional problems now. I just... never got to the point of trying to kill anybody over it, praise God.

[Kisa]

I wish kids would stop being so mean to eachother . . .