Another anime-obsessed murder suspect apprehended, another day.

I have an idea, let’s just assume all murders in Japan are linked to anime and other associated pop-culture fetishes and I’ll just report the ones that aren’t. That should cut down our crime-related posts about 75%, I think.

21-year old Ryo Katsuki has been arrested in connection with the murder of 5-year-old Yukimaro Narita of Chiba Prefecture. Though the writeup at the Daily Yomiuri avoids the term otaku when describing Katsuki, it’s pretty plain that this is the main thrust of their article. In fact, the way its’ written, the label ‘otaku‘ almost feels like an elephant in the room. Just call it what it is, people.

Katsuki’s apartment is on the third floor of a six-story condominium building near the crime scene.

During a four-year period from May 2002, he frequently visited a rental video shop located near his residence, sometimes once a week, renting up to 10 or so CDs and videos at a time, according to the sources.

He rented CDs of young pop idol singers, and videos of anime, foreign and samurai movies.

Since the girl’s body was found, he has been interviewed frequently by media organizations as a resident of the neighborhood. During the interviews he told the media that he wears wooden clogs in imitation of the protagonist of the popular anime “Gegege no Kitaro,” in which a ghostly boy named Kitaro stars. He also told investigators that he likes scary stories such as the suspense novels of Edogawa Rampo and goes to a nearby library every day.

He tended not to go out after Sept. 21, but had been going out frequently since mid-October, conversing with friends or reading manga and books at convenience stores, according to the sources.