Netflix is striking back against ne’er-do-wells who leaked full episodes of its upcoming anime slate, including Terminator Zero (all episodes), Dandadan (six episodes), Arcane (unfinished renderings), Ranma ½ (four episodes), and Mononoke the Movie.
IGN reports that anime streaming service Crunchyroll was allegedly also affected, as the premiere episode of Re: Zero has additionally found its way online. According to a statement from Netflix shared by IGN, “One of our post-production partners has been compromised and footage from several of our titles has unfortunately leaked online. Our team is aggressively taking action to have it taken down.”
Since the initial leak of anime titles on August 6, even more Netflix animated projects have made their way online, including Plankton: The Movie, Spellbound, and Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld. As IGN warns, most of the threads concerning leaked episodes have been taken down, but “screenshotted hyperlinks to episodes still exist.” If you’re a fan of any of the aforementioned properties, be warned: spoilers may abound on social media.
Notably, the leaked media is said to contain “burnt-in time stamps and watermarks,” so unlike the recent House of the Dragon leak, the perpetrator(s) likely have direct ties to both Netflix and Crunchyroll. The creators and animators behind these properties have been vocally upset about the leaks on social media, and a motive behind them remains to be seen. However, as a science fiction/genre media website, we love to speculate.
Is crime its own reward? Has life failed the anime pirates to such an extent, they must now worship evil for its own sake, like the villains of Evil or the cultists of The Seventh Victim? Has a low-level functionary sought the modicum of revenge they were capable of inflicting against the faceless corporate juggernaut they felt slighted by? Or perhaps receiving the “clicks,” was enough for this caitiff of cartoons? Until this animemaniac is brought to justice, we may never know. Speculate in the comments.
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