In recent days, several unreleased animated series and films from Netflix in 2024 have been leaked and pirated online. The leaked titles include “Dandadan,” “Terminator Zero,” “Ranma ½,” and “Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain,” making it the most severe case of animated content leakage.
According to reports from “ComicBook” and “Hindustan Times,” while leaks and piracy are not uncommon occurrences, this incident represents a significant breach in the anime industry. Shows like Netflix’s “Dandadan,” “Terminator Zero,” reboot of “Ranma ½,” and “Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain” were all impacted before their official release.
The catastrophe began unfolding on the evening of the 6th, when the leakers revealed many episodes on the 4chan social media platform. Piracy platforms such as BitTorrent started illegally acquiring these episodes from 4chan. Initially, only opening and ending themes were leaked, but the situation escalated over time.
For instance, all twelve episodes of the upcoming “Ranma ½” were leaked, while “Dandadan” had episodes three to six leaked. The first three episodes of “Dandadan” were scheduled to premiere in Asia on August 31, with Netflix streaming starting on October 5. Similarly, all eight episodes of “Terminator Zero” fell victim to the leak, which Netflix planned to release on August 29. “Mononoke the Movie: Phantom in the Rain” also found its way onto sites like Nyaa.
In addition, the first episode of the third season of “Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World” was also leaked, with a running time of 90 minutes and a “Japan Expo 2024” watermark.
Stephanie Sheh, voice actress for “Sailor Moon,” urged fans not to watch the leaked content, expressing the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in creating these shows. She emphasized that studios face consequences when leaks occur to prevent future incidents, as achieving their goals comes at a high cost and considerable effort.
Netflix has yet to make an official statement regarding this unexpected leak incident.