Since the widespread adoption of high-speed internet, Japanese publishers have struggled to prevent their manga from being circulated on piracy sites. These efforts have produced mixed results, including when these publishers banded together to launch the “Stop! Comic Piracy” campaign in 2019. On July 17, the campaign released an ad globally to thank these readers.
AKIRA ©MASH・Room/Kodansha Ltd. Attack on Titan ©Hajime Isayama/Kodansha Ltd. BLEACH ©2001 by Tite Kubo/Shueisha Inc. Blue Lock ©Kanejo Muneyuki, Nomura Yusuke/Kodansha Ltd. BOKU NO HERO ACADEMIA ©2014 by Kohei Horikoshi / Shueisha Bungou Stray Dog ©Kafka Asagiri 2015 ©Sango Harukawa 2015/KADOKAWA CORPORATION COMI-SAN WA, COMYUSO DESU ©2016 Tomohito ODA/SHOGAKUKAN FAIRY TAIL ©Hiro Mashima/ Kodansha Ltd. JUJUTSU KAISEN ©2018 by Gege Akutami/SHUEISHA Inc kimetsu no yaiba©2016 by koyoharu gotouge/shueisha inc. ou kemono©2019 rei toma/shogakukukan oyasumi punpun©2007 inio asano/sano asano/shogakukukan/shogakukan princess princes Ation Soso NO FRIEREN ©2020 Kanehito Yamada, Abe Tsukasa/The Not-So-Cute Boys of Shogakukan ©Yoko Nogin/Kodansha TOKYO REVENGERS ©Ken Wakui Kodansha Ltd. Vinland Saga ©Makoto Yukimura/Kodansha Ltd. Witch Hat Atelier ©Kamome Shirahama/Kodansha Co., Ltd.
According to Japanese website reports comics natalie,stop! Comic piracy thank-you messages appeared in newspapers in the United States, Italy, Spain, and France. Active X (formerly Twitter) account also posted thank-you messages in the appropriate languages (English, Italian, Spanish and French), as well as messages where fans could find ads in newspapers.
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For you who are reading the official US version,
Thanks.
＼we know. You really love comics, various works, and creators.
So today we put an ad in the newspaper #New York Times to express our gratitude.
Take a look.@New York Times pic.twitter.com/sg49pkzQGx— STOP! Pirate Edition (@stopkaizokuban) July 17, 2024
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To you who read the official version.
Thanks.
＼we know.
I know how much you like comics
All these different works and their creators.so, #worldnewspaper
We will place an ad in the newspaper with gratitude.Received “Thank you” comic… pic.twitter.com/dl8rPCoMda
— STOP! Pirate Edition (@stopkaizokuban) July 17, 2024
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For those of you who are reading the official version.
Gracias
＼lose. How much do you like comics?
All these different works and their creators.so, #nation
We will place an ad in the newspaper with gratitude.“Thank you” in your favorite comic. Please adopt. pic.twitter.com/wYO4h0VoO7
— STOP! Pirate Edition (@stopkaizokuban) July 17, 2024
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Dear friends who have watched the official version,
Thanks.
＼we know.
I know how much you love comics and all the different works and their creators.So, today #republic
With gratitude, we placed an advertisement in the newspaper.
Say “thank you” to your beloved comics.
Accept their… pic.twitter.com/9mURW1siCA— STOP! Pirate Edition (@stopkaizokuban) July 17, 2024
This is a beautiful sentiment from participating comics publishers. However, English-language comics fans are not without criticism. X/Twitter Account July July July, aaaaaah and stuff (@AmiPiki1118) replied STOP! A comic piracy account posted:
IMO to reduce piracy you have to increase usability and accessibility. comic time star/Fengwenshe has tried to expand to an English-speaking audience Facebook The app was launched back in September 2020 and features a number of series. After a few months, it closed and disappeared without a word. Unfortunately, they haven’t done anything like it since. comic time star There are many series, most of which will never get official English localization. And those that do may take years to acquire. Or in some cases, the localization is canceled and then eventually re-localized years later (e.g. blend s & are the order of rabbits)
IMO to reduce piracy you have to increase usability and accessibility.
Back in September 2020, Manga Time Kirara/Houbunsha tried to expand to English-speaking audiences through the Facebook app and launched several series. Then it closed and disappeared without a word after a few months… pic.twitter.com/yUOjqRJO8q– July July July, aaaaaah something like that (@AmiPik1118) July 17, 2024
OtherX/Twitter User criticism is a bit harsh and less specific. X/Twitter User DJ Sumares (@DJ_SSumares) responded: “It’s so interesting to see this. I wanted to ask what steps are you taking to increase the accessibility of comics outside of Japan? Another user Ogata the Wildcat (@Wildcat_Ogata ) also commented on the limited access to the English version of the manga, “If more series were licensed, piracy would be much less. There are many series that I would love to have physical copies of, but there are no English versions, so piracy will be my only option.” choice.Twitter User Absolutely Noah Vale (@AdHocAdHominem) shamelessly replied to Captain Jack Sparrow’s gif Pirates of the Caribbean Movie franchise.
It was so interesting to see this.
I would like to ask, what measures are you taking to increase the accessibility of comics outside of Japan?
— DJ Sumares (@DJ_SSumares) July 17, 2024
If more series were licensed, there would be a lot less piracy. There are a lot of series that I would love to have physical copies of, but they are not available in English, so piracy would be my only option.
— Wildcat Ogata (@Wildcat_Ogata) July 17, 2024
— Definitely Noah Ware (@AdHocAdHominem) July 17, 2024
一X/Twitter User Rej (@RegM0613) criticized several of the initial “Stop!” responses. Comic piracy posts. Although the user was a bit vulgar, he or she noted that “the Mfs in the reply will still lick the boots of their scanner bosses, they are just pests and they are the reason there are less licensed games.” Officially translated English comic ( figures) have been around for years. You all act like you can’t access them. So there’s a clear divide among English comic fans about the news from Stop!
The Mfs in the reply are still licking the boots of their scanner bosses, they are just pests and they are the reason there are less licensed games.
Officially translated English comics (digitally) have been around for years. You all act like you have no access to them. Stop yelling.
— ʳᵉʲ 🍉 (@RegM0613) July 17, 2024
This is a noteworthy move from Stop! Comic piracy targeting comic fans around the world. However, there is some validity to the criticism leveled at the ad. There are a limited number of official English translations of the comic. The manga series that are translated are generally popular series in Japan. But we also have to consider the number of official manga translations currently available. While the content isn’t always presented in the most ideal way, it’s better than nothing. It could be worse, after all. We can go back to those based only on plan (Translator’s note: keikaku means plan).
Source: Stop it! Comic pirated X/Twitter Accounts (Link 2, Link 3, Link 4), comics Natalie, July July, aaaaaah and stuff x/Twitter Account, X/ by DJ SumaresTwitter Account, Wildcat Ogata’s X/Twitter Account, definitely Noah Vale’s x/Twitter Account, Rej’s X/Twitter account
