[/floatl]Sky: Could Manga Inspire A Murder?
An Italian prosecutor's argument that the brutal slaying of Meredith Kercher was inspired by a violent manga comic has thrown a spotlight on the Japanese animation genre. Miss Kercher was found in her bed with her throat slit open - a day after she wore a bloody vampire costume to a Halloween party in Perugia [align=left]. Giuliano Mignini claimed the gruesome murder was carried out after student Raffaele Sollecito, one of the suspects in the case, acted out a dark fantasy stemming from his manga collection. The prosecutor made specific reference to a comic found in Sollecito's possession called The Last Vampire, that featured scenes of a naked female body slashed with a sword. Mr Mignini's theory was ridiculed by the defendents' legal team - but it is not first time manga has been associated with vicious crimes. Manga has been directly linked to a death in Belgium, in which a note found next to the victim's mutilated body referred to a Japanese comic called Death Note...However, the cause and effect link between violence and manga made by some commentators frustrates and angers fans of the comics. They point out that within manga there are numerous subtypes and that many are highly respected forms of art...more...
