The Fablean anime series that triggered takedown notices from Animeflix.”/> Disney+
Thousands of anime fans were shocked Thursday when popular piracy site Animeflix voluntarily shut down without explaining why, TorrentFreak reported.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the closure of Animeflix,” the site’s operators told users on a 35,000-member Discord channel. “After careful consideration, we have decided to shut down our service effective immediately. We deeply appreciate your support and enthusiasm over the years.”
Before its shutdown, Animeflix attracted millions of monthly visitors, TorrentFreak reported. It was favored by some anime fans for its clean interface, with one fan on Reddit describing Animeflix as the “Netflix of anime.”
“This site was really clean,” wrote one Reddit user. “It’s the best I’ve ever seen. It’s sad to see it go.”
Although Animeflix’s operators have not made the connection to users, TorrentFreak has suggested that the piracy site chose to shut down after facing “considerable legal pressure in recent months.”
Last December, an anti-piracy group, Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), attempted to shut down Animeflix. Then, in mid-May, rights holders including Netflix, Disney, Universal, Paramount, and Warner Bros. obtained an injunction from the High Court of India against several piracy sites, including Animeflix. This briefly resulted in Animeflix being unavailable until Animeflix simply moved to another domain and continued serving users, TorrentFreak reported.
While Animeflix didn’t explain to users why it chose to shut down now, TorrentFreak — which, as its name suggests, focuses much of its coverage on copyright issues impacting online file sharing — noted that “when a pirate site shuts down, voluntarily or not, copyright issues usually play a role.”
For anime fans, the abrupt shutdown has been disappointing due to the difficulty in accessing popular new anime titles and delays caused by studios’ efforts to offer translations in various regions. The delays are so severe that some studios are considering combating piracy by using AI to release translated versions more quickly. But fans worry that this could result in poor-quality subtitles, CBR reported.
On Reddit, some fans have also complained about having to rely exclusively on Animeflix to find out where they left off in anime series that often span hundreds of episodes.
Others asked to be redirected to other anime piracy sites, while some speculated that Animeflix could eventually appear on a new domain. TorrentFreak noted that Animeflix had already shut down once several years ago, but had finally made a comeback. One Redditor wrote, “another hero has passed away, but the will will be passed on.” On another Reddit thread asking “Will Animeflix disappear forever or maybe create a new site,” one commenter complained, writing, “We don’t know for sure. Only time will tell.”
It’s also possible that someone else will pick up the torch and operate a new piracy site under the same name. According to TorrentFreak, this is “likely.”
Animeflix has not reassured users about its return, instead urging them to find other sources for their favorite shows and movies.
“We hope the joy and excitement of anime continues to brighten your days across other wonderful platforms,” Animeflix’s Discord message said.
ACE did not immediately respond to Ars’ request for comment.
News Source : arstechnica.com
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