While one might expect that hit shows like House of the Dragon, Shogun and Arcane would be some of the most pirated series, given how they dominated last year, the results are shocking as it's revealed that none other than anime and 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 an article by Variety that sources Muso, 8 of the 10 most pirated series in 2024 were anime, with only The Boys and House of the Dragon making 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.

1. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3 (Spring)
2. My Hero Academia Season 7 (Spring)
3. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 (Spring 2024 -- first aired in 2023)
4. House of the Dragon Season 2
5. Dandadan Season 1 (Fall)
6. Tsukimichi: Moonlight Fantasy Season 2 (Winter/January 2024)
7. The Boys Season 4
8. Solo Leveling Season 1 (Winter)
9. Tower of God Season 2 (Summer)
10. Blue Lock Season 2 (Fall)

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+ ing the market, manga hasn't seen the same level of increased accessibility. Many popular Japanese manga still do not have English publications, such as Hajime no Ippo, Basara, Touch, Captain Tsubasa, and many more. While Kingdom and Jojo's Bizarre Adventures: Steel Ball Run's English publications have 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 as One 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, and it'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 launched a 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 and anime as widely available and affordable as possible.

Source: Variety.