Itachi Uchiha has been a villain we loved to hate but in the last few years we learned that beneath those terrifying eyes lay a person with a heart and many fans of the infamous Naruto series found a special place for the Akatsuki member in their Anime loving heart.
Unfortunately this is not a story about the character but rather the sad news of a young Russian fan who leapt 100ft from an apartment block to his death.
Fourteen year old Leonid Hmelev was a huge fan of the Naruto series and in particular had a special place for the character of Itachi. It is being reported that after watching the death of Itachi, posted a message on a social networking ‘planning an ending’. Leonid left his home and wasn’t found until two days later after he’d taken his own life. His family had alerted neighbours and police about their missing son, speaking about his son, Ivan, his father said:
“I always told him he spent too much time watching the TV—he didn’t know what was reality and what was fiction anymore.“
We’ve known since 2008 that the character was taken out of Shippuden and for the moment many media outlets are focusing on the fact that Russia has the third highest rate of teen suicide in the world and many are speculating that there has to be more to this sad story that the death of an Anime character.
Editor-in-Chief, part-time super villain and hoarder of cats. If you can’t find me writing, I’m probably in the kitchen!
