Anime and manga have been popular forms of entertainment for many years now. Originating from Japan, the craze of anime and manga has overtaken the whole world. Normally, anime or Japanese animation is an animated adaptation of a popular manga series. Mangas are similar to the Western concept of “Comic books.”
As the demand for anime and manga is high in Japan and overseas, thousands upon thousands of manga and anime are produced each year.
How do you keep up with so many anime and manga? Several manga update websites exist online to bring you updates on the next episode, fan theories, confirmed adaptations, and onscreen cast. Baka Updates was one such manga and anime update site run by fans.
What is Baka Updates?
The official website for Baka Updates was Baka-Updates.com, and the site was kicked off in 2002 by some avid anime fans. The main goal of the website was to deliver fast, fan-subbed content to anime fans around the world. In the 2000s, popular anime subscription websites such as Crunchyroll, Funimation, and Hulu didn’t exist or didn’t stream anime. So anime lovers gathered to upload fan-subbed content to websites like Baka Updates.
Baka Updates has a sister website called Manga Updates, which is still active and run by fans. Manga Updates has sections like “Forums,” “Poll,” “Translators in need,” and other options. The website is often updated by fans when new manga episodes come out. The website members translate the manga panels and upload them.
What happened to Baka Updates?
The Baka Updates website was officially shut down on October 16, 2016, when the Baka-Updates team posted a farewell message on the website as a farewell. The farewell message is the only thing that can be viewed on the website now if someone visits.
The Baka-Updates team members decided to shut down the website as anime grew popular all around the world. There were more resources for anime and translations in 2016 compared to 2002. Fan-subbed websites are run voluntarily by fans of anime and manga. They make no monetary profit from this work. Maintaining such websites for a long time can be quite exhausting.
Websites like Baka Updates in 2023
If you’re looking for websites that upload fan-subbed anime content like Baka Updates, take a look at these websites:
Fan-subbed anime websites
- AnimeFreak
- AniWatch
- Anime Planet
- AnimeSuge
- 9anime
Fan-translated Manga websites
- Manga Updates
- Mangago
- Manga Owl
- Mangadex
- Manganelo
There are many fan-subbed websites that provide manga translations and anime subtitles. But most of these uploads don’t benefit the anime studio or the manga author. It’s better to use official websites like Crunchyroll, Netflix, Hulu, and TubiTV. You can support the anime and manga production stuff this way.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Here are the answers to some common questions related to Baka Updates.
Why did Baka Updates shut down?
Baka Updates was shut down in 2016 after the website administrators announced the site owners had gotten too busy to dedicate much time to the free website. Baka Updates was established to help international anime fans watch anime with fan subs. But since anime is now premiering with English subs, the admins thought it was the right time to pull the plug on Baka Updates.
Will Baka Updates make a comeback?
The Baka Updates website was shut down in 2016. The website will not make a comeback. But the sister website MangaUpdates is still running.
Where can I watch anime for free?
Many anime websites such as AnimeGo, AnimeFreak, Anime Planet, and KissAnime exist to watch anime for free. But it’s better to get a subscription to support your favorite anime and manga studios.
Which upcoming anime should I watch?
The upcoming animes in 2024 are Moon-rise, Acro Tip, Chained Soldier, and more. Look forward to more anime and Manga updates and participate in the discussions on MangaUpdates.com.
Conclusion
Manga and anime will remain a popular mode of entertainment for many years to come.Baka Updates was one of them. Now, as several websites offer services to watch anime in many languages, the number of fan-translated or dubbed anime works is reducing.
Fan-translated projects are carried out from pure love and genuine interests of the fans. But sometimes, fan-translated works might get copyrighted by the owner. Some websites that show fan-translated work sometimes have ads. And these ads help the site owners earn money from ad revenue. But as the work is someone else’s, these websites may be sued for copyright infringement.
If you’re an avid fan and want to work with the official translating teams of streaming services, try contacting the service teams and see if they’re hiring. Then, you can chase your dream of translating or making content for your favorite show and even get paid for it! A win for all parties involved.
