Dear The Anime Industry, my name’s piracy. It’s NOT nice to meet you.

You probably know me as the pain in the neck that’s spread like a virus without a cure on the internet.

The pain in the neck that’s made it difficult for anime studios, websites and businesses to stream anime online in a way that’s convenient and valuable for anime fans and creators alike. On an international scale.

I’m the reason you have to rely on Crunchyroll and Funimation to stream anime online, but we all know MORE anime fans use pirate sites worldwide than Funimation and Crunchyroll combined.

Yep, and I’m the F’in nuisance that gave birth to your worst enemies online like:

Kiss Anime.

9anime.

Plus so many more that it makes you sick to the stomach, and yet there’s nothing you can do about it because you created this damn problem. The same problem you won’t own up to causing (which is why you can’t solve it).

This is the same problem you’ve decided to blame pirates for causing, because you’re too incompetent, lazy, conventional and comfortable to pull your fingers out your bum and ACTUALLY do something about it.

Hence why you spend more time chasing down pirates than you do working on the root cause itself.

I know those last sentences were a mouthful, but you’ll have to swallow it anyway because you have BIGGER problems to digest.

Let’s focus on a couple of facts to make my point.

1. The service in the anime industry is a load of bulls*** 😑

Have you heard of a man called Gabe Newell? Back in 2011 he mentioned this about piracy:

“Piracy Is a Service Problem.”

Simple, right? But then he went on to say this:

“We think there is a fundamental misconception about piracy. Piracy is almost always a service problem and not a pricing problem. If a pirate offers a product anywhere in the world, 24 x 7, purchasable from the convenience of your personal computer, and the legal provider says the product is region-locked, will come to your country 3 months after the US release, and can only be purchased at a brick and mortar store, then the pirate’s service is more valuable.” – Gabe Newell

Source: Piracy Is A Service Problem – Escapist

Gabe Newell has nothing to do with the anime industry… But that’s besides the point.

His point about piracy (me, basically) is an accurate description of why I exist. Despite the industry.

That’s why as a I sit in my high chair with my feet up like a harem king, I can’t help but laugh at your pitiful attempts to stop piracy online.

I’m talking about pitiful attempts like this:

Japan Takes Emergency Measures Against Anime and Manga Pirating Sites

Japanese government launches Manga-Anime Guardians anti-piracy project

Japan Seeks to Outmanoeuvre Constitution With Piracy Blocking Proposals

Japan Is Protecting Its Anime With Anti-Piracy Hires

Do you seriously believe “taking emergency measures” will stop the pirates I created from streaming anime illegally?

Oh you thought “piracy blocking” is a good enough tactic to put an end to piracy all together?

Are you crazy, Senpai?

Allow me to blow your mind for a second: the reason piracy exists IS BECAUSE THE SERVICE IS BS.

Nothing more, nothing less. And yes, I did just use the B word. I am piracy after all, so controversy is just how I roll anyway.

But let’s get back to the point:

Piracy blocking is a short-term solution and won’t work.

Shutting down pirate websites WILL NOT solve the long-term issue of anime piracy.

My darling pirates can upload and stream anime worldwide faster than Goku can say “Ka-me-ha-me-ha!”. Which means you’re fighting a losing battle, and you’re focusing on the wrong things.

faster than Goku can say “Ka-me-ha-me-ha!”. In sports if a football team is stuck playing defence, eventually they’ll lose. Why? Because a strong offense will always CRUSH a strong defence over time. The anime industry is doing the same thing. Playing defence. Instead of trying to “protect” you need to focus on how to “succeed”. Because that solves everything.

eventually they’ll lose. Why? Because

Do you understand why I exist yet?

Your own laziness and sh** service has made me stronger, faster and more dangerous over the years.

The only reason I exist is because anime fans agree the service is sub par at best. And BS at worst.

For example:

In India, the UK and other countries, “this anime isn’t available in your country” is a common message seen on streaming sites.

Anime, Manga and even merchandise is “region locked” because of your outdated business practices and lack of innovation.

You’ve let the problem (the crappy service) get worse and worse because you refuse to change, adapt or grow with the times.

And so as punishment I, and my pirates are raising our middle fingers to the anime industry. While simultaneously feeling sorry for the working conditions animators are being put through.

Yes, even I, piracy, am capable of empathy and compassion. But it takes more than empathy and compassion to solve a problem.

So you need to start taking this thing seriously, or else the future of the anime industry is bound to look like a horror scene out of Higurashi When They Cry.

Unless you don’t mind that, of course. 😝

2. Piracy exists on a large scale because you keep focusing on things that don’t matter

According to SimilarWeb, Kiss Anime has anywhere between 100M – 130M+ visitors on a monthly basis. A number “legal” streaming sites could only dream of having.

And ALL those visitors go to Kiss Anime to WATCH ANIME. Unlike Crunchyroll.

Isn’t it Ironic how there are more people viewing anime illegally than there ever will be legally, BY A LARGE margin?

And that’s just ONE pirate site. I have many more pirates all across the internet, doing their bidding.

Here’s the most important point though: the anime industry still spends money on DVD’S, despite the fact that DVD’S LOSE MONEY on a yearly basis.

And this isn’t anything new. DVD’S have been losing money since 2005-2007 in general. And the anime industry is hardly any better.

If we look at data from 2015 to 2018, we can see anime dvd’s are still losing money.

Which means you’re wasting money on a product nobody cares about in the 21st century. Praying and hoping that somehow it “works out” despite reality staring you in the face.

And despite that you still have the audacity to complain about the financial losses caused by me… Even though you’re happily wasting money on dvd’s that basically put you in debt on a yearly basis.

Don’t you think you could put your time to better use by focusing on solving bigger issues which would net you more money at a faster rate?

It’s not rocket science to understand that online business is the most scalable type of business model to ever exist in the history of mankind. But it’s not even about that.

If you did your job right and got rid of me, and anime was available everywhere in the world 24/7 without restrictions, you could literally become the next Bill Gates of the anime industry.

And more importantly: anime fans, studios, animators and licensors would all be happy. Because everybody wins, fans get the value they want, and everyone else makes more money.

But that’s not gonna happen (not even close) if you keep wasting your time chasing down pirates and playing defence.

You can only get punched in the face for so long until you have to fight back. Defending is one thing, but you need a strategy to go on the offensive in a way that’s efficient and effective.

But if you wanna keep playing defence that’s fine too.

And if you want to keep focusing on nonsense that’s even better for me.

I’ll just keep uploading anime for free and abusing the industry, the same way you’re abusing your fans by turning your back on them and not giving them what they want.

Is that a little too harsh for you? Good. Because this is the harsh reality the anime industry is facing.

The cover of the anime: New Game might look cute, but behind the scenes the industry itself looks far from “Kawaii” in the slightest.

And resting on your laurels (while pointing fingers at anybody other than yourself) is a hopeless way to improve piracy, and the industry on a whole.

I’ll give you 3 choices, one of which you can control:

Choose to blame pirates (while chasing them down) in a desperate attempt to improve the industry.

Desperately hold onto the past like a petrified little child, hoping somehow that things get better.

Or gather the best minds in the business (that may include me) and let’s put our heads together and work something out. Problems can’t be solved alone, or by chasing short term goals. We need to work together to make it happen. That also means innovating instead of relying on past successes while helplessly clinging onto traditional methods THAT NO LONGER WORK. And lastly, that means focusing on the future instead of living in the 20th century.



By yours truly,

#Piracy

Recommended:

An Open Letter To The Industry About Anime Piracy (Part 2)

This Is Why Japanese Animators Are Underpaid (And Overworked)