Kakao Entertainment’s cease-and-desist letter forced Reaper Scans to shut down permanently on May 9. The news shocked me as a regular visitor, though I had seen it coming. The platform’s popularity was staggering – it attracted 10 million monthly visits since its launch in 2019, making it one of the most influential unofficial translation sites.
Many readers keep asking if Reaper Scans is gone for good – and sadly, the answer is yes. The site operated in murky legal territory by providing unauthorized fan translations of various titles, including Kakao Entertainment’s properties like “Solo Leveling: Ragnarok.” The situation became more complex when the site started charging for access to certain translations.
This piece will draw from my personal experience as a former user. I’ll walk you through the events that led to the closure, recent legal changes in the industry, and their impact on both readers and content creators.
The Rise and Role of Reaper Scans
The Rise and Role of Reaper Scans
How Reaper Scans started
Yuki and Helix launched what looked like a simple project in early 2019. They wanted to bring amazing stories from East Asian comics and novels to English-speaking fans worldwide. Many titles weren’t available in English back then, with no signs of getting official translations. Their small initiative grew into something much bigger than anyone expected.
Reaper Scans grew from a small volunteer project into a thriving community that shared a love for manhwa and web novels over the next six years. The site’s team became cultural bridges and helped readers discover content they couldn’t read because of language barriers.
Why it became popular among global readers
Reaper Scans’ success wasn’t just luck. The site pulled in more than 13 million monthly visits by early 2025 according to SimilarWeb data. A different source shows around 10 million monthly visits. Readers flocked to the site for several reasons:
- Rapid releases: They translated content within hours of Korean releases
- Meticulous editing: The translations came with clean visuals, proper grammar, and careful attention to detail
- Clean interface: The site had a user-friendly design unlike many other platforms
- Genre diversity: Readers found everything from action-fantasy to romance
The site’s community-focused approach created a loyal following. People spread the word on Reddit, which made Reaper Scans the top choice for manhwa fans. Their Discord channel grew to about 95,000 subscribers, showing how well they connected with their audience.
The legal gray area it operated in
Reaper Scans’ popularity came with legal challenges. The site worked in the “scanlation” space—combining scanning and translation—without getting proper licenses from original publishers. They said they stopped translations once official licensing was announced, but most creators never gave permission to share their work through the platform.
The site tried to look legitimate by pointing readers toward official platforms when they could. The decision to make money through ads and paywalls for some content pushed them into risky legal territory.
The gap Reaper Scans filled started getting smaller as webtoons and webnovels became more popular worldwide. Official translations started coming out faster, sometimes right after the original release. This set up an inevitable clash with publishers like Kakao Entertainment.
The Shutdown: What Happened and Why
The Shutdown: What Happened and Why
Reaper Scans’ six-year story came to an end in early May 2025. The site’s closure left a lasting mark on the online scanlation community. During its run, the platform operated in a legal gray area that eventually caught the attention of major content publishers.
Cease and desist from Kakao Entertainment
Kakao Entertainment stepped in with formal legal action on May 9, 2025. The South Korean digital content giant and Tapas’ parent company sent a cease-and-desist letter to Reaper Scans. Their legal action targeted unauthorized Korean webtoons and web novels under Kakao’s rights. Kakao’s Global Anti-Piracy Task Force (P.CoK) considered Reaper Scans “one of the most influential piracy sites globally”. The site became a key target in their expanding efforts to curb illegal distribution.
Reaper Scans’ official shutdown message
The Reaper Scans team chose to comply with the legal notice instead of fighting back. Their statement was clear: “After receiving a Cease and Desist from Kakao Entertainment, we have decided to permanently shut down Reaper Scans and stop any and all distribution of unauthorized fan translations”. They reflected on their time: “Looking back, we’re incredibly proud and humbled by the amazing community that has formed around Reaper Scans”. The team thanked their supporters and apologized for any “sadness or inconvenience” their closure might bring.
Is ReaperScans down permanently?
Reaper Scans has gone offline for good. The team left no room for doubt when they announced they would “permanently shut down” and end all unauthorized translation work. Their final message urged readers to support official platforms: “Our final, heartfelt request is for you to continue supporting the creators you love by reading official translations on platforms like Tapas, WEBTOON, Wuxiaworld, Manta, Toomics, Lezhin, and Wattpad”. Readers interested in untranslated stories should reach out to publishers directly.
The Bigger Picture: Industry and Legal Shifts
The Bigger Picture: Industry and Legal Shifts
Kakao’s anti-piracy task force and global strategy
Reaper Scans’ closure showcases Kakao Entertainment’s determined anti-piracy campaign. Kakao established P.CoK (Protecting Content of Kakao Entertainment) in 2021 as the industry’s first dedicated anti-piracy task force. This specialized team watches content in multiple languages including English, Chinese, and Indonesian. They removed a staggering 2.25 million pirated episodes between November 2024 and April 2025, which prevented estimated losses of 265 billion won.
P.CoK’s approach goes beyond simple takedown notices. The team infiltrates illegal translation groups, identifies server operators, and works together with international authorities. Their efforts have led to the shutdown of 14 major piracy sites across multiple language markets by early 2025.
Other shutdowns like Tachiyomi
Kakao Entertainment didn’t target Reaper Scans alone. Tachiyomi, a popular manga reader app, received a cease and desist order from Kakao Entertainment in early 2024. Kakao considered it complicit in copyright infringement, even though Tachiyomi only linked to third-party sources rather than hosting content directly.
The pattern continued with MangaDex, which faced hundreds of DMCA takedown notices in May 2025. A MangaDex moderator noted that this was “the first time a takedown happened on this scale”.
Government involvement in K-content protection
Strong government support powers these enforcement actions. K-content represents a vital national export for South Korea, reaching USD 12.4 billion in 2021. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has partnered with Interpol and the Korean National Police Agency to tackle copyright violations.
These partnerships have produced tangible results. The government’s I-SOP Project caught major illegal distribution operators, including those running sites like Noonoo TV and Ajitoon.
The digital world has changed fundamentally for sites like Reaper Scans through these coordinated efforts. The question “is reaperscans down permanently?” points to a new reality – unofficial platforms now face sophisticated, united opposition from industry and government forces committed to protecting intellectual property.
What This Means for Readers and Creators
What This Means for Readers and Creators
Impact on fans who relied on Reaper Scans
Reaper Scans’ sudden closure left a huge void for millions of regular visitors. The numbers tell the story – 12.8 million monthly visits in April 2025 alone. Readers lost access to series they had followed faithfully for years. This hit hardest for stories where translators had already completed over 200 chapters before everything stopped.
The harsh truth stares us in the face. Official translations move at a snail’s pace, when they happen at all. Readers who enjoyed six new chapters weekly on Reaper Scans might wait up to two years to catch up through official channels. Many niche titles might never see an official English release, leaving their fans hanging.
The push toward official platforms
Reaper Scans’ farewell message urged readers to embrace legitimate alternatives: “Our final, heartfelt request is for you to continue supporting the creators you love by reading official translations on platforms like Tapas, Webtoon, Wuxiaworld, Manta, Toomics, Lezhin, and Wattpad”.
Each official platform brings something unique to the table. Webtoon offers free content, Tapas uses an “Ink” microtransaction system, and Lezhin focuses on premium serialized titles. Legal access comes with new challenges – readers must adapt to different release schedules and possibly pay subscription fees after years of instant, free access.
How creators benefit from legal enforcement
This industry change means great things for creators. Copyright serves as creative industries’ lifeline, giving content creators and investors control over their work.
Successful manga and manhwa creators earn through multiple channels. They start with direct sales and expand into anime, games, and merchandise licensing. Unauthorized sharing damages this entire ecosystem.
New platforms like MANGA Plus create innovative ways for fans to support creators. Readers can now watch ads that directly support original artists. South Korea leads the charge by treating K-content protection as a key economic driver. They offer tax benefits to creators and work internationally to fight piracy.
