ufotable Suffers From Thefts of Key Animations on Display

by dtshyk
Sep 20, 2010 11:37 PM | 49 Comments

According to the web diary of ufotable, two original key animations of Bakemonogatari have been stolen from ufotable cafe. Polices have already been called in to investigate the case. Kondo Hikaru, the president of ufotable, begs the culprit to return the key animations by mail because the loss of the original illustrations could affect the future production of Bakemonogatari-related anime.

ufotable has been holding exhibitions of key animations at their cafeteria. However, thefts of key animations have been reported almost every year. In December 2007, numbers of Kara no Kyoukai 1: Fukan Fuukei key animations stored in a folder were stolen. In June 2008, a coaster with Sakamoto Maaya's autograph and an official illustration of Touko and Azaka were stolen by breaking the showcase. Kondo said it's possible to tighten the security of the cafe but he and ufotable staff want to trust the moral of the visitors.

In 2009, Tokushima Police arrested four people in their 20 - 60's for stealing three posters of Kara no Kyokai displayed at a CD shop. They deposed that the posters could be sold at high prices at online auctions.

Sources: ufotable web diary, 47news

20 of 49 Comments Recent Comments

Downloading is Copyright Infringement, not theft.

Oct 17, 2011 1:08 PM by Gogetters

MomeRath said:
If your taking some thing thats not meant to be free without paying for it, is that not stealing? weather it illegal or not does change its moral implications

downloading isn't stealing though, it's making a copy. if this news story was about somebody photographing the picture, then it would've been a fair comparison (and a very bland piece of news).

so we know that downloading is not stealing, because it doesn't remove the original. one could argue that 1 download = 1 lost sale, but then they would be an idiot. in fact, for a product as regionally restricted as anime, downloading can actually create more sales, because normally people wouldn't buy a show they were unfamiliar with. there is also the matter of not increasing the ratings and thus ad revenue, but that can't be helped because, for most people, anime just isn't aired in their country.

i hope everybody here can feel a bit less wrong now.

Oct 17, 2011 12:56 PM by spiderexpert

anti-waifu said:
They're original - key animation - drawings.

Animators made hundreds or even thousand of these drawings in an episode of normal TV show.

I know it, and it still affects the future production. I'm pretty sure you know how 'slideshow-tic' bakemonogatari was and obviously, each animations worth more than average animes for bake.

Not too mention they won't be drawn again, ever.

Sep 22, 2010 6:39 AM by ringoo4

Hoppy said:
I would pay a fortune for some key animations like that, but stealing those are absurd especially since it has an effect on the anime. I hope karma attacks the thieves like a piano falling on their heads from a 3-4 story drop.

Oh, sure, because a couple of shitty drawings = a person's life, right ?
If they were stupid enough to leave those key animations out in the open WITHOUT having a backup copy (hard copy or a file on a HDD or whatever), then they deserve to be robbed and maybe next time they'll learn their lesson and not trust creepy otaku.

Sep 22, 2010 6:36 AM by SurferDude

I wonder who stole it.. *laugh*

Sep 22, 2010 2:27 AM by ketan

ringoo4 said:
Amount of trolls and butthurts in this thread highly entertains me.

Plus, it's 'original key' animation. It provides basic templates on various character design etc. It isn't something that can be drawn again.

The amount of idiocy in this thread highly entertains me.

They're original - key animation - drawings.

Animators made hundreds or even thousand of these drawings in an episode of normal TV show.

This is what they're look like:

Sep 21, 2010 6:07 PM by anti-waifu

Amount of trolls and butthurts in this thread highly entertains me.

Plus, it's 'original key' animation. It provides basic templates on various character design etc. It isn't something that can be drawn again.

Sep 21, 2010 5:28 PM by ringoo4

Kipcha said:

MomeRath said:
sounds like there is a lot of "pot calling the kettle black in here"

how many of you are paying to watch these anime?

Oh, yes, just like you paid to watch Highschool of the Dead, I'm sure :/

I'm not the one complaining about theft am I?

Zukz_Loli_Thighs said:
all those trolls who complain about illegal downloaders:
1. downloading isnt illegal (at least in my country)
2. if germany would actually license good anime i'd buy them

and you guys surely wait for the new aired series to come out on dvd do you?
i mean come on
think before you post please

If your taking some thing thats not meant to be free without paying for it, is that not stealing? weather it illegal or not does change its moral implications

No ones really complaining, I was having a laugh pointing out that people stealing things are putting down other thieves. And yes most if not all of us are downloading/stealing or even just streaming from a not licensed site.

Sep 21, 2010 3:02 PM by MomeRath

I would pay a fortune for some key animations like that, but stealing those are absurd especially since it has an effect on the anime. I hope karma attacks the thieves like a piano falling on their heads from a 3-4 story drop.

Sep 21, 2010 2:55 PM by Hoppy

1) If this keeps happening, why do they put them out in the first place? :/

2) Not surprising somebody would want to steal them.
I remember reading somewhere that cel animations for a series were auctioned off for like a million dollars, lol.

Sep 21, 2010 2:47 PM by SoneAnna

Zukz_Loli_Thighs said:
if you'd actually shown me an article in our law where it says exactly that, i'd believe but just copying something from wiki doesnt really work
fact is in austria we can keep a "private copy" of everything as long as we dont show it/sell it to anyone or provide it on (i dont know the english word for that just copied it from leo) trading markets on the internet

The point is,
even if your law say it's fine to keep a "private copy", but it's illegal to download the copyrighted material from the internet.

And your country is a member of Berne Union (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berne_Convention_for_the_Protection_of_Literary_and_Artistic_Works)
so the works originate from Japan will be protected by the Japanese copyright law in every country that is the member of Berne Union including your country ( Austria, from your profile ).

Summary of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works : http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/berne/summary_berne.html

Japanese Copyright Law:
http://www.cric.or.jp/cric_e/clj/clj.html

TLDR, the last Q&A is about download: http://www.cric.or.jp/cric_e/beginner/beginner.html

Also: http://fumijp.blogspot.com/2009/06/copyright-law-amendment.html

Sep 21, 2010 1:45 PM by anti-waifu

anti-waifu said:

well, it's ILLEGAL in your country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_parties_to_international_copyright_agreements

if you'd actually shown me an article in our law where it says exactly that, i'd believe but just copying something from wiki doesnt really work
fact is in austria we can keep a "private copy" of everything as long as we dont show it/sell it to anyone or provide it on (i dont know the english word for that just copied it from leo) trading markets on the internet

Sep 21, 2010 11:33 AM by Vudis

well, it's ILLEGAL in your country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_parties_to_international_copyright_agreements

Sep 21, 2010 10:33 AM by anti-waifu

all those trolls who complain about illegal downloaders:
1. downloading isnt illegal (at least in my country)
2. if germany would actually license good anime i'd buy them

and you guys surely wait for the new aired series to come out on dvd do you?
i mean come on
think before you post please

Sep 21, 2010 9:59 AM by Vudis

How can the theft of two drawings affect future productions? Surely they could just draw them again. Serves 'em right anyway, everyone knows to trust no one in this day and age. They should have tightened security after the first theft.

Sep 21, 2010 9:09 AM by Touka

Wow really? This is just sad. I hope they learn their lessons soon. -_-

Sep 21, 2010 8:55 AM by Alipio

I dont see how the 2 key animation drawings can effect the future of the production.

Come on, man!

It's not like they dont have the copy of those drawings before put it on the showcase.

Sep 21, 2010 8:05 AM by anti-waifu

Th(d)ickheads better return them >_>

Sep 21, 2010 8:02 AM by Naratchi

MomeRath said:
sounds like there is a lot of "pot calling the kettle black in here"

how many of you are paying to watch these anime?

Oh, yes, just like you paid to watch Highschool of the Dead, I'm sure :/

Sep 21, 2010 7:43 AM by Kippercha

): thats so mean

Sep 21, 2010 7:35 AM by lame-desu

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