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July 6 2026
Seven men have been arrested in Vietnam — the operators behind HiAnime, the largest anime piracy site on Earth.
For six years, they streamed Japan's anime to the world without paying a single creator.
More than 100 websites. Over 26,000 stolen episodes and films.
The operation pulled in roughly $12.85 million in advertising revenue — money that never touched the studios, animators, or artists who made the shows.
At its peak, HiAnime was the most visited pirate site on the internet, with over 300 million visits in a single month.
Japanese publishers like Shueisha have spent years pushing for exactly this kind of crackdown.
This week, it finally happened. Vietnamese police, working with U.S. Homeland Security, took the whole network down.
Four of the seven are in custody. The other three can't leave their homes while the investigation continues.
Japan's animators work some of the longest hours in the industry — and for six years, someone else cashed the checks.
Seven men have been arrested in Vietnam — the operators behind HiAnime, the largest anime piracy site on Earth.
For six years, they streamed Japan's anime to the world without paying a single creator.
More than 100 websites. Over 26,000 stolen episodes and films.
The operation pulled in roughly $12.85 million in advertising revenue — money that never touched the studios, animators, or artists who made the shows.
At its peak, HiAnime was the most visited pirate site on the internet, with over 300 million visits in a single month.
Japanese publishers like Shueisha have spent years pushing for exactly this kind of crackdown.
This week, it finally happened. Vietnamese police, working with U.S. Homeland Security, took the whole network down.
Four of the seven are in custody. The other three can't leave their homes while the investigation continues.
Japan's animators work some of the longest hours in the industry — and for six years, someone else cashed the checks.