Columbine: An American Tragedy

***Columbine: An American Tragedy*** (コロンバイン：アメリカの悲劇 *Koronbain: Amerika no higeki)* is a 2018 Japanese animated psychological drama film based on the Columbine High School massacre of 1999. The film is directed by Takami Akai and written by Seishi Minakami. The film follows the perpetrators of the murders, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold as they plan the attack on the school.
The film was released in Japan on April 27, 2018 to stellar reviews. The movies was dubbed & released by Funimation on December 7, 2018.

## Summary

On January 30, 1998, 16-year old Eric Harris and his friend, Dylan Klebold break into a van near Littleton, Colorado and steal tools and computer equipment. Both are caught  by a policeman shortly afterwards, arrested and subsequently attended a joint court hearing, where they plead guilty to the felony theft. The judge sentences them to attend a juvenile diversion program.

As a result, both attend mandatory classes such as anger management and talk with diversion officers. Harris also begins attending therapy with a psychologist, and is prescribed antidepressants by a psychiatrist. They both are eventually released from diversion several weeks early because of positive actions in the program and put on probation. Harris continues his scheduled meetings with his psychologist. Then on February, the two decide to lash out against their school, Columbine High.

For the next days, the two create a group called the "Trench-coat Mafia" in which they wear black trench-coats and obtain guns from two coworkers named Mark Manes and Phil Duran at Blackjack Pizza. They then practice using the guns in a remote forest. On a Tuesday morning, the two place two duffel bags each containing propane bombs in the cafeteria, set to explode at approximately 11:17 a.m, during the "A" lunch shift. They then load the guns and start shooting at 17-year-old Rachael Scott and Richard Castaldo, killing Scott and paralyzing Castaldo. They then kill 15-year-old Daniel Rohrbough and injure 15-year-old Sean Graves and 16-year-old Lance Kirklin. Eric then hurts 15-year-old Michael Johnson and Dylan shoots Lance again. They then shoot at the doors, hurting teacher Patti Nielson and 17-year-old Brian Anderson. The two then go on a shooting rampage in Columbine. Dylan shoots 17-year-old Stephanie Munson in the ankle, but she makes it out alive. Dylan then shoots 47-year-old gym teacher David Sanders, he bleeds to death before he can be taken to the hospital. Eric and Dylan make it to the library and kill 10 students (Steven Curnow, Cassie Bernall, Isaiah Schoels, Matthew Kechter, John Tomlin, Kelly Fleming, Cory DePooter, Daniel Mauser, Kyle Velasquez, and Lauren Townsend) and injure 12 others (Evan Todd, Patrick Ireland, Daniel Steepleton, Makai Hall, Kacey Ruegsegger, Lisa Kreutz, Valeen Schnurr, Mark Kintgen, Nicole Nowlen, Jeanna Park, Jennifer Doyle, and Austin Eubanks), The two then walk to the cafeteria and shoot the propane bombs, detonating them. Realizing they're going to be arrested, Harris and Klebold shoot themselves.

The end credits show the funerals for the victims and the arrest of Manes and Duran. It then shows a speech from then president, Bill Clinton about his support of the families and hopes they carry on.

## Voice Cast

 Dylan Klebold
 Wayne Harris
 Katherine Poole