Animators, Industry Pros Speak Out Against Anime's Worst Leak to Date

The anime industry is dealing with one of its biggest leaks in recent history.

By Megan Peters

When it comes to television and film, there is an army behind everything you watch. From writers to assistants and creators, it takes a village to make something fun for the whole fandom. For anime, that number is doubled as it takes so many animators and actors to bring your go-to shows alive. Now, several of those pros are speaking out against the industry's recent leak as it marks one of the worst in recent years.

For those unfamiliar with the situation, well – it is an ugly one. Earlier this week, torrent sites were flooded with unreleased anime episodes from hit IPs like Ranma 1/2, Terminator Zero, and Dandadan. The leak, which appears to have sprung on 4chan, has gone on to target a number of upcoming shows. From Re:Zero season three to Mononoke and even Arcane season two, nothing is safe, and now industry pros are speaking out against the horrific leak.

Taking to social media, animators like Kass Chapa were quick to remind people that this massive leak is anything but funny. It is impacting a large number of animators who have been waiting anxiously to see their work debut on time. And what's worse is that this leak will only make work harder for those who bring anime series to life.

"This is our hard work. It is meant to be released on its due date, something we, as animators, really look forward to. It is incredibly disrespectful and just straight up annoying. You think you are doing some kind of service to the community but you are not. Studios will only doubt our veracity and honesty. Which they already do, btw. I hope they sue whoever did it," Chapa shared.

Adding to the conversation, a number of voice actors have since warned fans to stay far, far away from the leaks. Stephanie Sheh, who's known for their work on Bleach and Sailor Moon, laid things out plainly for netizens.

"I know it's tempting but please don't watch the leaks. We all work so so hard to bring you these shows as fast & good as possible. When there's a leak all studios end up getting punished just in case it happens again. We're often asked to jump thru expensive & inconvenient hoops," the actress shared.

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At this time, no streaming service or studio has addressed the leak publicly. If you are eager to watch shows like Dandadan, we're going to stress that its official release will be worth the wait. Set for an October launch, Dandadan will go live this fall alongside the new Ranma 1/2 anime while Netflix's Terminator Zero is set to launch later this month. So please, have patience and have respect for all those who worked hard to bring these impacted series to life. 

What do you think about the industry's big leak? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!

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