Two unnamed individuals were recently arrested by police in Kumamoto, Japan on suspicion of illegally distributing chapters from the popular manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump before its official release date.
The arrests occurred in January and March 2023. The suspects admitted to one instance of early distribution but denied the other.
Items confiscated from the suspects, including phones and magazines, were displayed publicly by the Kumamoto police.
These items showed images linking the suspects to the well-known manga piracy website OPScans, which was dedicated to illegally sharing chapters early from popular series like One Piece.
Following the arrests, OPScans has shut down completely as of February 5, 2024.
In addition to OPScans, the arrests have impacted the broader manga piracy landscape. Several other major websites dedicated to early unofficial distributions of Weekly Shonen Jump series like One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen have preemptively closed operations to avoid potential legal issues.
This represents a major disruption in the manga piracy ecosystem in the aftermath of the arrests in Kumamoto this January and March.
OPScans and Other Major Websites Shut Down
The day after the arrests, Weekly Shonen Jump’s publisher Shueisha issued a statement that was reported by Oricon News. Shueisha said it considers illegal pre-release leaks of manga chapters to be extremely harmful.
It damages the manga artists and writers by spoiling their work before its intended release. It also unfairly spoils stories for law-abiding fans, especially younger readers.
Kodansha, another major Japanese manga publisher, also revealed it is cooperating with the ongoing piracy investigation.
On its website, Kodansha said the recent arrests mark an important step toward addressing the “malicious problem” of manga piracy.
The company pledged to keep supporting investigative efforts and take proactive countermeasures against illegal distributions.
Both publishers clearly conveyed a tough stance against leaks and pirated copies. They want to prevent the spread of leaks to protect both the creators and consumers of manga.
The statements lend supprt to the police actions while promising continued diligence against unauthorized distributions in the future.
Shutdowns Signal Temporary Respite in Piracy
The arrests have sent shockwaves through the manga leaking community. In response, many leakers and pirate sites have preemptively shut down their online operations to avoid potential legal consequences.
Along with OPScans, other major groups like Scanpiea and website starzunion.com have gone offline. Popular leakers have closed related Twitter accounts and Discord servers used to spread early chapter distributions.
While a positive for publishers, these shutdowns may only be temporary preventative measures rather than a permanent end to leaks.
Since phones were confiscated in the Kumamoto arrests, leakers likely worry police can trace other online identities back to them even if posted anonymously or under pseudonyms.
The two suspects may have participated in multiple or even rival Discord groups for sharing leaks.
Manga is a multi-billion dollar industry, with top manga apps generating hundreds of millions in revenue from reader purchases last year.
Late 2023 saw publishers increasingly protect copyrights, such as Kakao Corporation successfully blocking development of the piracy app Tachiyomi in December.
These actions signal a tougher anti-piracy push as the arrests also demonstrate.
The recent shutdowns show leakers recognize distributing unofficially early poses growing legal hazards. However, given the immense manga demand, some may return or restart operations if enforcement appears to relax.
For now though, the risk is likely too high amid the publishers’ and police crackdown.
More About Shueisha
Shueisha is a major Japanese publisher headquartered in Tokyo. Founded in 1925 as a spin-off of Shogakukan focused on entertainment content, it became an independent company the following year.
Today, Shueisha publishes some of Japan’s most popular manga magazines across different demographics.
Major magazines include the Weekly Shonen Jump line for male youth, numbering among the highest circulation publications in the world, as well as Jump SQ, V Jump, Weekly Young Jump, and Grand Jump.
These magazines serialize manga series by many top Japanese artists.
Shueisha also holds a stake in Viz Media, an American publisher distributing translated volumes from Shueisha series and others to English readers in North America.
Through its magazines and Viz, Shueisha provides a platform for both new and legendary manga creators to reach vast domestic and international audiences.
Its series and characters contribute billions to global media franchise value each year.
