Picture Perfect Paranoia

Off the heels of an announcement of broadcast cancellation of the anime series Higurashi Naku Koro ni Kai following news reports of a second axe murder attempt, The 12th episode of the murder mystery anime aired on TV Tama in Japan’s Saitama Prefecture, Sun TV in Hyogo Prefecture, and Chiba TV in Chiba Prefecture on early Tuesday morning despite their initial decision for a no-go.

From the ANN:

No direct link has been announced between either case and any anime series, but the reportedly violent last episode of the School Days anime series was preempted on all over-the-air television affiliates. Last week, Tokai TV and Kyoto KBS preempted the same Higurashi Kai episode that the three other stations aired Tuesday morning. The last over-the-air station, tvk broadcaster in Kanagawa Prefecture, still lists Higurashi Kai on its schedule.

So it would seem that my hypothesis, and later stand, that “correlation does not equal causation”, has not been proven to be false.

In other news, some are expressing their disappointment over some of its “axe-shaped merchandise” being pulled off store shelves, as it is somehow resembling the supposedly murder weapon used by two related incidents of axe chopping children (if I can recall, one was from Kyoto; this recent one in Nagano). Just how deep the censorship had gone, we’ll never know. At least, it has quelled the rage of millions of otakus of a possible censorship of anime series with violent and bloody themes.

Stay tuned for the impending conclusion of “The Japan Axe Saga”. More at 11.