JJK, One Piece Animator Slams Overseas Fans For Embracing Anime/Manga Leaks & Celebrating Leakers
In a recent series of tweets, Animator Souta Shigetsugu, known for his work on Jujutsu Kaisen, One Pieceand Attack on Titanexpressed frustration with overseas anime fans who eagerly anticipate and celebrate leaks of unreleased content.
The animator wondered how many reading and viewing experiences might have been ruined because of leaks and criticized not only those who engage in piracy but also the fans who encourage this behavior.
Interestingly, Shigetsugu’s comments come on the back of Jujutsu Kaisen fans on X praising leakers for making the manga chapters available to them on social media platforms before its official release.
“Of course, I know the majority of fans are good people, but I often see some overseas fans, who call themselves ordinary fans, eagerly awaiting leaks or expressing gratitude to those who leak content. It really frustrates me when I see pirated footage of anime films being circulated right after they’re released in theaters overseas,” Shigetsugu posted.
“How many reading and viewing experiences have been ruined because of leaks? While those who leak and spread the content are obviously terrible, what annoys me even more are the so-called ‘ordinary’ fans who appreciate it or take it for granted. Don’t act like it’s something to be enjoyed…,” he added.
Shigetsugu pointed out that leaks also reveal sensitive information about anime staff and production details, which should remain confidential until officially disclosed.
He then went on to say that the idea of simultaneous release of Japanese anime movies across the world was a bad idea, even though that’s what oversees fans craved for.
According to him, as soon as a movie released overseas, pirated footages can be seen circulating online. He noted that this was something which rarely happened when an anime film released in Japan.
He hoped that there would always be a gap between the Japanese and overseas release of a movie.
“Worldwide simultaneous releases of Japanese anime films are the worst. If it were only in Japan, theater camrips almost never happen, but as soon as it’s released overseas, the pirated footage gets circulated practically on the first day. So, I really wish there would be a delay between the Japanese and overseas release dates. I completely understand the anticipation of overseas fans, but overseas camrips happen every time…“
Popular anime and manga series have been a victim of early leaks, as they almost always ended up on the internet before its official release.
While Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece and other manga are shining examples in this sphere, a recent overseas mishap includes multiple episodes of Taste, Ranma 1/2, Re:Zero and other anime being leaked online before their official release date.
The users leaking the content on SNS platforms also gain significant following, giving rise to a whole leak culture surrounding it.
However, the crackdown on such leakers has been intensifying. A recent example includes the U.S. Court passing an order for the disclosure of information about the accounts which leaked Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer anime content on X.
