The manga industry in Japan has become a billion-dollar one and it goes without saying that it's among the most profitable in the whole country. The manga industry has continued to grow rapidly, particularly with both anime and manga gaining mainstream popularity worldwide over the past few years. While the popularity of manga is undeniable, it must be said that a massive factor in its popularity abroad is due to piracy. Back when manga weren't as easily accessible, piracy was the only thing fans could rely on outside of Japan.
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In this era, however, manga is widely available through legal means, and its growing popularity has only led to Japan aggressively pursuing piracy websites. Recently, the biggest manga platform in the world, Bato.to, officially shut down and its operator was detained. This was achieved thanks to a joint effort between Japan and China. With Bato.to’s downfall, fans will see many other websites operated from China fall as well. The manga industry could definitely be shifting very soon.
Bato.to Was The World’s Largest Manga Piracy Website
- Hosted Millions of Works, Including Hard to Find Titles
It's no secret that many manga fans overseas purchase manga work legally through either physical copies or digital releases with apps Manga Plus or Viz Media. But, the medium was first popularized overseas because of manga piracy websites. Manga Piracy websites made these works easily accessible in times when such apps didn’t exist, and officially translation didn't exist either.
When it comes to manga piracy, there are millions of websites out there that host these works. But the biggest out of the bunch was a website known as Bato.to. Bato.to was a manga website giant that hosted millions of series in a multitude of languages, and it was operated directly from China. While Bato.to hosted big titles, it also had hard-to-find series that are either very complicated to find physical copies of, or have been completely discontinued, or have never been released officially overseas. Bato.to’s main medium was manga, but fans also found other things there, such as Korean Manhwa. Regardless, Bato.to’s era is now over after a long run.
Bato.to Has Been Taken Down With A Joint Effort By Japan and China
- Bato.to and other offspring websites have been completely shut down
- As Requested by Japanese Giants Kadokawa, Kodansha, Shueisha, Shogakukan, and Square Enix
Bato.to was by far the biggest manga website in the whole world, but now, this website has officially been shut down. Bato.to was shut down last week by a shocking joint effort made by Japan and China. This move definitely surprised many fans as, in China, many illegal manga websites have been able to thrive over the years without fear of legal persecution.
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This joint effort by Japan and China was especially pushed forward by Japanese giant publishers, notably Kadokawa, Kodansha, Shueisha, Shogakukan, and Square Enix. Not only was Bato.to shut down, but so were many of its offspring websites. Its operator has even been detained in China, and his fate remains to be seen as he faces trial. The operator, along with two other people who have worked and profited from Bato.to could be in very big trouble.
Manga Piracy Might Be Coming To An End with Bato.to’s End
Manga piracy has always been a thing, and it's sustained for decades. For a very long time, easy and legal accessibility to manga was not always an option outside of Japan. Naturally, fans had to turn to certain websites to be able to read their favorite stories. For example, until Manga Plus and Viz Media Online were introduced, fans had no way of legally reading their favorite manga series. Fans had to wait for full volumes to drop in Japan, with no way to read weekly. Not only that, but fans also had to wait for the volumes to be translated and brought abroad, which, for English releases, could take up to two years. But now, reading manga legally has definitely become easier. Fans all around the world can read the big Shonen series weekly through new apps.
Even then, this is only applicable for some series. Not all series are accessible to read online, especially non-Shonen manga. Beyond that, many series have yet to be officially published overseas, and with the loss of Bato.to and other websites, fans could be facing trouble when looking for more niche content. Some long-running and popular manga have not been legally exported or translated overseas, and probably never will, such as Kingdom. This could definitely be a new era for manga content, especially as China has been cracking down on piracy.
Beyond all that, some of the Japanese publishers have showcased an increase in profit after the shutdown of Bato.to. This could be a major incentive for Japanese giants to continue their hunt against illegal manga piracy. Fans could be seeing more websites being taken down over the next few months. However, at the end of the day, it is a never-ending cycle. If Batato was shut down, another giant will eventually take its place, as ending piracy isn't as easy as it seems.