Bato (website)

Bato (also Bato.to, Batoto and Mangapark) was a website that hosted manga, manhwa and manhua (Japanese, Korean and Chinese comics) illegally. For a time it was the world's largest manga piracy website, with an estimated 350 million visits in May 2025.[1][2][3] It was launched in 2014,[4] operated from China and shut down in late January 2026.[1][2][5][6]

It hosted works translated into more than 50 languages, including numerous user-uploaded scanlations. The website did not allow access from users in China to prevent drawing attention from local authorities.[3][4] Because of the illegal nature of the operation, the website was targeted by organizations such as Japan's Content Overseas Distribution Association and Korea's Kakao Entertainment.[1][2][7] The site's operator is facing criminal charges, and cease-and-desist letters were sent to community members such as social media administrators associated with the website in order to produce a chilling effect and discourage use of the website.[2][7][8][3]

See also

  • HiAnime – File streaming website
  • Nyaa Torrents – File sharing website focused on East Asian media
  • MangaDex – Manga aggregation website
  • Mangamura – Japanese manga piracy website

References

  1. ^ a b c Fox, Jacob (2026-02-02). "The world's largest Manga piracy site has been shut down". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  2. ^ a b c d Hodgkins, Crystalyn (2026-03-16). "Major Manga, Manhwa Pirate Site Bato.to Shuts Down; Chinese Man Suspected as Operator Detained". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  3. ^ a b c Van der Sar, Ernesto (January 29, 2026). "Operator of Bato.to Criminally Investigated in China Following CODA Piracy Complaint * TorrentFreak". torrentfreak.com. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  4. ^ a b "Operator of the World's Largest Manga Piracy Site BATO.TO Criminally Investigated in China - Content Overseas Distribution Association（CODA）" (in Japanese). 2026-01-29. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  5. ^ Van der Sar, Ernesto (January 23, 2026). "Kakao Entertainment Adds Pressure to Bato.to Piracy Crackdown, Operator Identified (updated) * TorrentFreak". torrentfreak.com. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  6. ^ Weatherbed, Jess (2026-01-30). "One of the biggest manga piracy networks has been shut down". The Verge. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  7. ^ a b Nazru, Ami (2026-01-23). "Solo Leveling Publisher Named Following 2026's Biggest Manga Site Shutdown". CBR. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
  8. ^ Maxwell, Andy (May 25, 2025). "P.CoK Webtoon Piracy Fighters Display Plumage as Unorthodox Tactics Pay Off * TorrentFreak". torrentfreak.com. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
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