THOUSANDS OAKS, CA — Local police and medical professionals are investigating the hospitalization of a woman found comatose in her apartment following an attempt to marathon Bones anime Akagami no Shirayukihime (Snow White with the Red Hair). Alicia Weber, 22, was rushed to the hospital after her roommate found her slumped in front of her computer in a vegetative state as the credits to the show’s season finale continued to play on her monitor.

“I can’t believe I didn’t think to warn her,” Alicia’s roommate Jasmine tearfully told reporters. “She usually doesn’t watch anime. You have to build up an immunity before you watch some shows.” Alicia, who according to Jasmine had no prior anime experience, has the Disney classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarves listed as her favorite movie on Facebook and seems to have thought that the Bones anime would be a nostalgic throwback. However studies conducted by respected nerds have shown that anime can have strange effects on newcomers, particularly shows considered to be “less than mainstream.” Akagami no Shirayukihime, widely praised for its glacial pacing and mundane character drama, appears to have been one such show.

Based off Alicia’s infrequent Facebook posts while watching the show, she began noticing strange occurrences during her viewing. During the episode where protagonist Shirayuki spends time bird watching, Alicia posted that several birds had perched outside her window. In an episode where Shirayuki concocts a medicine to cure an ill character, Alicia posted that she had needed to get cold medication from her cabinet. In yet another parallel, during an episode in which Shirayuki accidentally gets drunk Alicia reportedly consumed a large quantity of alcohol—possibly as a means of coping with the show’s meandering plot. It was a few episodes later that Alicia had fallen into her inexplicable coma.

While medical professionals continue in their attempts to revive Alicia, the handful of anime bloggers actually watching the show have been quick to point out that there is no parallel between Alicia’s coma and events in the anime. Fans eager for a second season have already begun hypothesizing about potential coma-related plot developments on various forums. Meanwhile, readers of Sorata Akizuki’s manga remain, as usual, disgusted by their “anime only” brethren.

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