'Fairy Tail' Creator Asks Fans To Read His New Series Legally

When you think of manga and piracy, One Piece probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind. Sadly, the industry is rife with real pirates who upload issues early, and that doesn't sit well with one Hiro Mashima. So, the famed creator is taking to Twitter to ward off any spoiler-seekers.

Over on social media, the man behind Fairy Tail sent a message to fans waiting for his new series. This month, Mashima is slated to release the first issue of Edens Zero, his new manga. The artist wanted to inform fans the premiere was still on schedule, but Mashima hopes readers will avoid checking out the title illegally.

"This new work will be distributed simultaneously in five languages. The official publication is on June 27th, so any language circulating before then is illegal," the creator shared on Twitter.

今回の作品は5カ国語で同時配信されます。正式発表は6月27日です。なのでそれ以前に出回っているものはどの言語であっても全て違法なものです。読者のみんなには是非本編を読んで楽しんでもらいたいので違法アップロードで作品を見たり、また楽しみにしてる読者にネタバレ画像を流したりは避けてほしい

— 真島ヒロ (@hiro_mashima) June 20, 2018

"I would like every reader to read this story and have them enjoy it, so don't go looking for illegal uploads or show spoilers to readers who are waiting for it."

Of course, the fact that Edens Zero will be rolled out simultaneously should ease piracy. Many readers who pursue illegal scans online do so because of translation delays. Edens Zero will be published in Japanese of course, but other languages like English and Chinese will go live from day one. Sites like Crunchyroll Manga, Kindle, and comiXology will host the multilingual manga, so fans will be able to support the fledgling title legally.

For those unfamiliar with Hiro Mashima's previous work Fairy Tail, the series was originally created by Hiro Mashima. It is set in a fantasy world full of magic, and Natsu Dragneel is a fire breathing wizard with the powers of a dragon, and is in search of his missing foster father, the dragon Igneel. As he and his wizarding guild Fairy Tail get into adventures, Natsu always tries to find a way to succeed. The series ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from August 2006 to July 2017 and has spawned 60 million copies. It was later adapted into an anime by A-1 Pictures, Dentsu Inc., and Satelight in 2009 and ended its first run in 2013. A second series ran from 2014 to 2016, and a third series is planned for a Fall release.

Will you be reading Mashima's new series? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!