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MangaDex was hit by a major wave of DMCA takedown requests in mid-May 2025. Initial reporting said that more than 700 series disappeared in selected languages. A later response attributed to MangaDex put the broader impact at approximately 7,000 titles. Those figures should not be treated as a simple contradiction: the first was an early estimate, while the later number appears to have reflected a wider or more complete count.
The removals affected chapters or series associated with a long list of publishers and rights-holders, including Kakao, Naver, Lezhin, Suiseisha, Kodansha, Houbunsha, WEBTOON, One Peace Books, Toomics, NTT Solmare, Square Enix, Manta/Ridi, Alphapolis, Shinchosha, Shogakukan, WWWave, Mag Garden and Bunkasha. The available reporting does not establish that every company issued an identical notice, or that every title named in coverage was removed by the same rights-holder.
What happened to MangaDex?
Between roughly May 14 and May 16, 2025, readers began reporting that manga chapters and series had vanished from MangaDex. Early coverage cited an estimate of more than 700 affected series in certain languages. On May 19, a follow-up citing MangaDex’s own response reported that approximately 7,000 titles had been removed in selected languages after requests made around May 16.
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The safest way to describe the event is therefore:
MangaDex initially reported that more than 700 series had been hit, before a later platform response put the broader impact at approximately 7,000 titles in selected languages.
No complete, public title-by-title reconciliation of the two counts has been documented in the material reviewed. The difference may reflect the distinction between series and titles, separate language editions, a larger set of notices processed after the first estimate, or a later accounting of removals. It would be misleading to present either figure as a precise universal count of every chapter removed worldwide.
Which manga were reportedly affected?
Early reports named well-known titles including My Dress-Up Darling, Oshi no Ko, The Quintessential Quintuplets, The Apothecary Diaries, Black Lagoon, Bleach, Blue Box, Dragon Ball, Golden Kamuy, Heavenly Delusion, Solo Leveling and The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity.
The presence of officially published titles was significant. Many of the works mentioned in early coverage were already legally available in at least some languages, including English. That does not mean an official edition existed in every country, for every chapter, or in the language a particular reader wanted. It does explain why rights-holders had a stronger basis for policing unauthorized copies of some of the material.
At the same time, a title being named in reporting does not by itself prove that every edition, language version or chapter was removed. MangaDex’s catalog has historically contained user-uploaded material in multiple languages, so the practical effect could vary from one reader and territory to another.
What does a DMCA takedown actually mean?
A DMCA takedown is part of a notice-and-takedown process established under Section 512 of the U.S. Copyright Act. A copyright owner or authorized representative sends an online service provider a notice alleging that specific material infringes copyright. A qualifying provider can preserve safe-harbor protection by meeting statutory requirements, including designating a copyright agent and responding expeditiously to sufficiently compliant notices.
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That process is important, but it is not the same thing as a court judgment. A takedown notice is not a judicial finding that every allegation is correct, and the MangaDex purge should not be described as a court-ordered seizure unless a separate court order is documented.
Can removed material be challenged?
Under the DMCA framework, a user may have a counter-notice route when material was removed because of a mistake or misidentification. The service provider may restore the material after the statutory process unless the copyright owner takes appropriate legal action. A counter-notice is not a guaranteed way to restore content, however, and it requires the user to make legally significant representations.
In practical terms, the purge shows the trade-off built into notice-and-takedown systems: platforms can remove large amounts of material quickly to manage legal risk, while users may have limited visibility into which notices caused individual removals and how disputed claims will be reviewed.
Did MangaDex shut down?
No. The reported MangaDex response said that the site was not shutting down. It also said that NamiComi had accepted management of the site and domain, with no transaction taking place.
According to the reported explanation, takedown requests had increased so rapidly that MangaDex’s small team could no longer handle the compliance workload alone. NamiComi was described as having a legal framework intended to support longer-term operations.
This does not establish that MangaDex became a fully licensed manga catalog. The narrower and better-supported conclusion is that the platform continued operating under a reported management arrangement while facing a substantially greater copyright-compliance burden. “Went legitimate” and “became licensed” are broader claims that would require title-by-title licensing evidence.
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What can readers use instead?
There is no single legal service that replaces every series, language and territory represented on MangaDex. The best option depends on the publisher, country, language, release schedule and whether a reader wants digital access or a physical collection.
VIZ Manga and Shonen Jump
VIZ describes Shonen Jump as offering free same-day chapters for many series alongside a subscription vault containing more than 20,000 chapters. VIZ Manga is a separate service with free chapters for selected simulpub titles and a subscription library of more than 10,000 chapters.
These are official digital options, but neither should be presented as a universal replacement for MangaDex. Licensing is title-specific and may differ by country. A series can be available in one VIZ service, unavailable in another, or restricted outside the supported territory. Readers should check the current catalog and local availability before subscribing.
MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA
MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA is Shueisha’s official international manga magazine service. It is especially relevant to readers following Shueisha properties and current stories from Japan. The service says that proceeds are passed to artists.
MANGA Plus is not a complete substitute for every title removed from MangaDex. Its catalog, free-reading rules, subscription features and regional availability can differ by work. Some current chapters may be available internationally while older chapters or complete back catalogs are not.
K MANGA
For Kodansha material, Kodansha’s official K MANGA service is a particularly relevant legal option. K MANGA offers officially translated works, popular Kodansha titles and limited free daily reading.
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The service should be treated as a Kodansha-focused option rather than a universal manga library. The cited service information is U.S.-focused, and availability, reading limits and access rules may change. A reader looking for a specific title should search K MANGA directly rather than assume that every Kodansha series is present.
Print manga and omnibus editions
Physical manga remains another lawful route when a title has an English or local-language edition. Publisher catalogs include multi-volume collections such as the Attack on Titan Omnibus and xxxHOLiC Omnibus. That supports the broader category of licensed print collections, but it does not mean that every manga removed from MangaDex has a physical edition.
For a specific series, readers should check the publisher’s catalog, local booksellers and the edition’s publication territory. An omnibus may collect several original volumes, while a digital edition may have a different release schedule or licensing status.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does the event mean for creators and platforms?
The purge highlights a problem that is more complicated than “piracy site versus publishers.” Removing unauthorized copies can protect copyright owners and improve the position of licensed editions. But legal access remains uneven when a work is unavailable in a reader’s language, delayed in a region, limited to a particular app or missing from official services altogether.
That gap creates pressure on platforms to build stronger rights-management and notice-processing systems. It also raises a practical question for creators and translators: can lawful distribution models provide global reach without making niche comics inaccessible?
NamiComi’s published creator-license template illustrates one possible model. The template describes worldwide, non-exclusive digital rights for a defined initial term, with optional modules for print rights and separate merchandising provisions. It is evidence that such a licensing framework exists; it is not proof that any specific MangaDex uploader, translator or affected series entered that agreement.
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For creators evaluating a platform, the important questions include who owns or licenses each right, where the work may be distributed, how long the term lasts, whether print and merchandising are separate, how revenue is handled and what happens when the agreement ends. For readers, the practical question is simpler: whether a desired work is actually authorized and available in their territory and language.
What remains uncertain?
- The public reporting reviewed does not provide a complete title-by-title explanation of the change from the initial 700-plus estimate to approximately 7,000 titles.
- The figures refer to selected languages or a broader selected-language count, not necessarily every MangaDex title worldwide.
- The named companies were connected to the enforcement reporting, but the evidence does not show that they all issued identical notices or acted through one coordinated notice.
- A removal does not by itself establish a court ruling on the merits of every individual claim.
- Official alternatives change over time, and catalog, pricing, language and territory details should be checked immediately before signing up or buying.
The lasting lesson is that copyright enforcement can remove unauthorized manga at platform scale, but enforcement alone does not solve the access problem. Readers who want to continue legally may need to move between several official services, publishers and physical editions—and may still find that a particular title is not licensed where they live.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did MangaDex shut down after the DMCA takedowns?
MangaDex reportedly continued operating after the May 2025 takedown wave. Its response said NamiComi had accepted management of the site and domain, with no transaction performed. That does not mean the catalog became fully licensed.
Why did the reported number change from 700 to 7,000?
More than 700 was the initial estimate reported on May 15, while approximately 7,000 came from a later response attributed to MangaDex. The difference likely reflects a broader or later count, but no complete public reconciliation has been provided.
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No. A DMCA notice is part of a copyright notice-and-takedown process, not a judicial ruling. A notice can lead a service provider to remove or disable access to material without a court deciding the merits of every claim.
Where can readers legally read manga removed from MangaDex?
Potential legal alternatives include VIZ Manga and Shonen Jump, MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA, K MANGA and licensed print editions. Catalogs and availability vary by title, language and territory, so no one service replaces every MangaDex upload.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: MangaDex was not simply erased by a court order, nor did it necessarily lose only 700 series. The May 2025 event began with an estimate of more than 700 affected series and was later described as approximately 7,000 titles in selected languages. MangaDex reportedly continued under NamiComi management, while readers were left to combine official services such as VIZ, MANGA Plus and K MANGA with licensed print editions where available.
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