While one might expect that hit shows likeHouse of the Dragon,ShogunandArcanewould be some of the most pirated series, given how they dominated last year, the results are shocking as it’s revealed that none other thananimeand manga hold the rankings. While this is obviously not great for the anime industry, it does give a glimpse into how the medium is performing overseas.
In anarticle by Variety that sources Muso,8 of the 10 most pirated series in 2024 were anime, with onlyThe BoysandHouse of the Dragonmaking an appearance. This is concerning given how much anime piracy has risen over the years, and this research shows just how widespread it has become, even if anime is becoming more and more accessible recently. However, this also confirms that the medium is more popular than ever, beating out some of the biggest shows of last year. There is a very high demand for anime, and this data shows that the more accessible anime becomes, the larger and faster the market will grow.
Anime Piracy Has Drastically Increased Last Year
Though Manga Piracy Is On The Rise
Shockingly, the most pirated medium last year was manga, which increased from 16.5 billion views in the first quarter to 25.7 billion in the fourth quarter, which is a jump of 50 percent. There was also a 21.82% increase in views between Q2 and Q3, which the spokesperson for Muso said was very abnormal.
Believe It or Not, One of Anime’s Top Piracy Platforms Now Brings In More Visitors Than Disney+
The rise of illegal pirated content is a major problem that is getting out of control, and one popular anime piracy website proves it.
While anime has been becoming more accessible over the past few years, with Crunchyroll as the most popular platform and others like Netflix and Disney+ joining the market, manga hasn’t seen the same level of increased accessibility. Many popular Japanese manga still do not have English publications, such asHajime no Ippo,Basara,Touch,Captain Tsubasa,and many more. WhileKingdomandJojo’s Bizarre Adventures: Steel Ball Run’sEnglish publicationshave recently been confirmed by Viz Media in a shocking turn of events, there are still many others that deserve to be made available to fans officially.
Another reason there is high manga piracy is the speed at which chapters are translated. While simultaneous releases are increasing as of late, there are still other big manga such asOne Piece,Berserk,Kagurabachi, and more that have a time difference between when the chapters are released in their respective magazines and when they are translated. Furthermore, the release of the English volumes comes months later than when the Japanese volumes are released. Add expensive pricing to the mix, andit’s no wonder manga piracy is higher than ever.
Crackdown On Anime and Manga Piracy Is Equally On The Rise
But Manga Being Made More Available Should Be Prioritized As Well
Authorities in Japan have also launcheda campaign to crack down on manga and anime piracy, and they have made a lot of progress. This campaign isn’t just limited to Japan, however, as international leakers are also facing consequences for their actions. While this does ensure that piracy does go down in the short-term, publishers need to make more of an effort to make manga andanimeas widely available and affordable as possible.
