Major Anime Piracy Sites Go Down

In recent weeks, there has been a notable increase in actions against websites pirate anime streamingwhich has led to the closure of several popular platforms operating in Vietnam. Among these sites, AniWave.to, formerly known as 9anime, stands out, receiving a staggering 170 million monthly visitors.

AniWave.to, along with other related sites such as AnimeSurge.to and Anix.to, has decided to abruptly close its doors, issuing a farewell message that has surprised many of its users. In the announcement, the site operators noted that “Now that everything has improved… it is also time to say goodbye… It is difficult to separate from something in which we have invested so much effort and passion, but it is something we must do.“This message ends with a piece of advice that resonates throughout the anime community: “If possible, use paid legal services. It is something we should do to show our respect for content creators and producers.“.

This type of message is not new in the world of pirate streaming. The same tone of farewell was used by Fboxz.to, another popular site linked to Fmovies, which also closed recently. Fboxz.to has racked up over 55 million monthly visitors in recent months, but has now decided to cease operations, urging its users to support content creators through legal platforms.

The wave of closures appears to be connected to a coordinated action by authorities and organizations such as the MPA (Motion Picture Association) and ACE (Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment), who see Vietnam as a key point in the fight against online piracy. This is not the first time that Vietnam has found itself at the centre of such operations. In 2018, the 123Movies site, also originally from Vietnam, was shut down following an international operation. Now, the same fate seems to be repeated with sites linked to Fmovies and AniWave.

These closures are leaving a significant mark on the pirated anime streaming landscape. With the disappearance of these platforms, millions of users are left without access to free content and are urged to opt for legal alternatives. As more information comes to light, it will be interesting to see how the situation evolves and how it affects the anime community at large.

Below is a list of the sites that have closed so far, sorted by monthly traffic volume: