British teacher murdered by Japanese hentai collector?

[Paul]

The popular conception of anime and manga in the UK has always been edgy and sensationalist, but it took another turn for the worse today after it was reported that British teacher Lindsay Ann Hawker was murdered by a Japanese hentai manga fan. Detectives are investigating the property of prime suspect Tatsuya Ichihashi, who it is said could well have been playing out a "sick fantasy" from his graphic novels by burying Lindsay's strangled body in a bath of sand.

"Murdered British teacher Lindsay Ann Hawker was strangled after her hands and feet were bound with plastic cords – echoing the grisly images of Japanese Manga comics."

"It emerged that prime suspect Tatsuya Ichihashi had stalked the pretty 22-year-old in the week before her naked body was found buried in a bath of sand at his flat."

"Ichihashi, 28, has been on the run since fleeing barefoot from police when they called at his apartment in Ichikawa, east of Tokyo, to question him about Hawker. Detectives are probing the possibility that comic book fan Ichihashi had played out a sick fantasy from one of the stories in Hentai Manga – piles of which were found in his flat."

Read the full story at thelondonpaper website. The article was featured on the front page of today's thelondonpaper newspaper, the headline reading "Manga Twist To Bath Murder". Thanks to shh227, Solo Tremaine and jeremy1985 for reporting this news.

[Sy]

I wonder how this is going to reflect on Japanese culture. It's already a grey area and now with Johnathan Ross' program and Kelly Osbournes shining light onto their culture (as innacurate as it may be), this is the last thing we need. It's a horrible thing but lets face it, it happens all the time and all over the world.

Oh whatever, this may have no effect on anything but I can only imagine that it will.

[Kurogane]

Thats one hardcore otaku

[Lupus]

Yes, let's mention how bad Japanese Culture is with this article, even though it has really nothing to do with the murder!

[Paul]

All I can say is that I hope this doesn't "go nuclear" in the UK. The last thing we need right now is for anime and manga to be scapegoated and tarnished as the so-called evil influence on this sick murderer. While this chap may well have acted out some scene from one of his hentai graphic novels, that just means he is extremely messed up.

Knowing the UK press's view of Japanese culture (and especially the liberal content in anime\manga, because apparently "cartoons are for kids!!!!!"), this could get twisted into a shitstorm about protecting our children, lack of censorship and at worst, a witchhunt for "those sick bastards" who watch anime and read manga.

Tatsuya Ichihashi is a psychopath. Whether he was reading hentai or The Daily Mail, I suspect he would still end up doing this.

Incidently, someone buy the Daily Mail tomorrow and look out for their story on this. I'll wager the word "filth" is used at least once.

[Ryo Chan]

[Sy]

There's usually a copy lying around at college. I'll have a look out for it.

It really saddens me. The moment anime starts to get steadily more and more accepted in the UK we get a shitstorm of bad press about various things Japanese. Then again nobody cares unless something is negative. Just really.. ugh.

[kupocake]

I think this is a dead-end for anyone trying to make it sensationalist attack on UK manga, since, though it involves a British woman, the case happened in Japan and anything they can attempt to get censored isn't actually available in the UK. Sure, it can't help perceptions of Japanese exports, but i'd be more worried about what kind of image it gives Japanese people through the eyes of the British. Expect Tabloid Xenophobia rather than a 'Ban this Filth!' reaction.

edit: though it's a boo-hiss thing to advocate censorship around these parts, would it really hurt Japan to have a few less illustrated rape fantasies?

[Sy]

[Chaz]

If things like Hentai manga give this murderer an idea to kill with a bath of sand, why not rip off the "Saw" movies? They do the exact same thing!

This is just another lame attempt on banning something they can't stop coming to the UK.

[Ark]

This is a somewhat connected issue.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/ram/2007_13_tue_03.ram

The experts brought on pretty much admitted that there was no evidence that looking at bizarre pornography turns you into a murderer. The excuse given by one of them for wanting it banned was that "you wouldn't want one of your relatives going out with someone who looks at this stuff" which made no sense to me at all. I'm against graphic sexual violence but I don't know how people can think that by looking at it you're going to become a pervert. Would these same people claim that looking at gay porn could make you gay?

[Sy]

[shh227]

Well I got the newspaper today and I was so shock to find it on the front page saying "manga twist to bath murder", I had to take my time to understand what this was about. Anyway they just simply claim that the murder copied this from a hentai manga, but really this does'nt really bother me. Its not going to ban manga in the UK or any thing like that.

[Sy]

Front page? Ugh.

[Espy]

Something tells me that by the end of this the anime community will have it's own Jack Thompson.