Manga is bigger than ever these days, but its fame has come at a cost. The comic market in the United States is booming thanks to manga, and the medium has experienced similar growth globally. Its limelight has attracted millions, and this includes a number of leaders who share manga spoilers early in search of clout. And now, three major manga leakers were just arrested in Japan for this exact issue.
Accord to authorities in the Kumamoto Prefecture, a total of three foreigners were arrested today for leaking manga. The group was arrested on suspicion of violating copyright laws. The three suspects allegedly posted photos of Weekly Shonen Jump pages ahead of their official lunch, leaving Shueisha dumbfounded by the ordeal.
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We hope that the police’s clarification of the ‘spoiler’ route will help prevent further damage in the future. We will continue to take all possible measures to protect the rights to the works that the authors have put their heart and soul into, and to ensure that readers can enjoy the manga in an appropriate manner,” Shueisha, the publisher behind Jump, shared in a recent statement.
Of course, social media was quick to react to this big news. These major arrests, including 36-year-old Musa Samir, has shaken those tied to the suspects and the spoiler community overall. In recent years, manga leaks have become an expected trend on social media. Certain series like One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen were unlucky enough to be hit with spoilers on X (Twitter) as early as Wednesdays. Now, a slew of popular manga leakers have shut down their profiles entirely following these arrests or have confirmed leaks will be coming later than usual.
For those unfamiliar with the culture of manga leaks, it has become particularly prevalent in the past five years. Social media has made spoilers ubiquitous for many, and depending on a site’s algorithm, many spoilers end up appearing on bystander feeds without permission. Mostly, these leaks come from Japan after booksellers distribute magazines ahead of schedule or under the table. In the past decade or so, manga publishers like Shueisha and Kodansha have been very aggressive in shutting down these operations. And now, this recent arrest has put their efforts on the global stage.
What do you make of this latest manga report? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!
