Everything You Need to Know About the Netflix/Crunchyroll Leak

This week we have seen one of the worst anime leaks of the year, where several anime titles had their episodes leaked. Some anime had their entire season leaked. These anime were meant to be simultaneously aired in late August and September but were very unjustly leaked, causing huge inconveniences to the respective platforms, studios, and other beneficiaries.

With several of their series leaked on platforms like X and TikTok, Netflix is reportedly getting to the root of this issue aggressively in order to have the perpetrators punished. While leaks may be convenient for a fan, it is far from convenient for the people who worked hard for the success of an anime. Let us now analyze the information we have on the leaks.

What was Leaked?

Several of the anime that were scheduled to air later this month or in August were leaked.

The anime Dandadan, which was meant to be released in October, had 6 of its episodes leaked.

Re:Zero, one of the top anticipated isekai anime that was to be aired next month, also had its 90-minute special premiere leaked. This leak had a watermark that said “Japan Expo 2024” which suggested that the leak must have happened during the anime expo, which took place in July.

Re Zero Season 3 visual — Re:Zero Season 3 Visual | Source: IMDb

Ranma 1/2 had 4 of its episodes leaked, and Terminator Zero had its entire season leaked. Even the Movie: “Mononoke The Movie” has been reportedly leaked.

Besides these, other popular shows like the Netflix series “Heartstopper” and Riot Games’ Arcane were also leaked.

How Did the Leak Happen?

According to a Netflix agent, a certain post-production partner that worked with them previously was responsible for the leaks. Later, it was revealed that a California-based subtitle provider, Iyuno. Inc was the cause of the leaks. The following is their statement:

“Iyuno is aware of a recent security issue, involving unauthorized access to confidential content. Protecting our clients’ confidentiality and ensuring the security of their content is our highest priority. We are actively investigating this security breach to mitigate any potential risks and identify the responsible parties. When there are material changes or information we will make further statements.“

What are the Consequences of These Leaks?

Animators work hard, only to get underpaid in most cases. To top this off, if one of their works were to get leaked before the release date, not only does it affect their mental state, it also make their studios lose trust in them.

This is the reaction of Kass Chapa, an animator who has previously worked with MAPPA, Cygames, and Science Saru:

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Animators and studios deserve their justice in this matter. This is why Netflix and Crunchyroll should get to the bottom of this issue. No series deserves to have its value diminished in such a way.

What Can Fans Do?

It’s not that what any person does at an individualistic level that can better the situation in big ways. The leaks have happened. They will eventually be removed from most places, but they will still linger. The Damage has been done.

What fans could do, though, is to wait till the official broadcast of the anime to watch them. This may be overbearing to ask, but it could be done by any person who respects animators and the process of anime-making.

The fact still remains that most of the leaks have compromised quality, like issues with their audio. Let’s look at what Stephanie Sheh (VA in Bleach and Sailor Moon) has to say to fans about this leak: