Danica Davidson
February 12, 2024 
Fukuta Kishimoto, a 25-year-old who confessed to threatening voice actor Yui Ishikawa (who might be best known for playing Mikasa Ackerman in Attack on Titan) has received his verdict for his crimes. He will be put behind bars for one year.
This is less than what the prosecution asked for. They wanted Kishimoto to get 18 months in prison, and noted that Ishikawa is so scared from the threats that they keep her up at night. Besides threatening to murder Ishikawa, it seems that that Kishimoto wrote online that he would also murder her whole family through stabbing and arson. This appears to be a nod toward the Kyoto Animation arson in 2019. All of this makes Ishikawa shake in fright.
Besides threatening Ishikawa and her family, he’s reportedly threatened other people in the anime world, including director TATSUKI. Both Ishikawa and TATSUKI filed police reports over their harassment, and ultimately Kishimoto was arrested late last year. Some anime work even had to be put on hold while people had to deal with Kishimoto’s violent threats.
The defense didn’t try to deny what Kishimoto did, but concentrated on trying to get him a lesser sentence, which they succeeded at doing.
The Tokyo District Court, which was overseeing the case, commented that Kishimoto has been behind bars before for similar crimes, but that his previous incarceration did not deter him from threatening and causing problems again.
Besides playing Mikasa, otaku might know Ishikawa for playing Violet Evergarden in the anime of the same name, Kyururu in Kemono Friends 2, and Honoka Tsumura in Smile Down the Runway, among many other roles. And she doesn’t just do voice acting; as an extra bonus for her Attack on Titan fans, she’s behind the theme song for the anime spoof Attack on Titan: Junior High.
Source: ANN
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
