Happenings Popular legal JAV storefront R18.com is closing down

[NretsewThePerv]

so this just crossed my feed. R18.com was one of the few legal sites where people can buy, stream and download JAVs (Japanese adult videos) and it seems they will be shutting down for undetermined reasons

the news comes from the JAV publisher ZENRA on Twitter

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1572039922378510336

even though I can't find an exact reason for the closer. ZENRA suspects it might not just be due to credit card compliance but also issues with upper management not wanting to look for alternative payment processing outside of japan

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1572040573120544768

none the less if you had ever used R18 to buy a JAV you should prob look at downloading and saving what you can before they shut down

considering R18.com was one of the few sites where you could legally acquire JAV in the west I think this is mostly just going to push more people to pirate. granted who the fuck is paying for porn in the first place amiright. still, it is sad to see a means for people to support what they love to die off. even if I never used the site myself

What's everyone else's take? do you think its shitty management? credit card companies and banks being cunts as always? or what are some of your other theories as to why this site has decided to close up shop

---

update: Zenra has posted a blog post about the closer for anyone interested

https://www.zenra.net/blog/breaking-news-r18-permanently-closing (archive)

 

[Vosgy]

From what I've heard of Japanese management, them not working to work outside of Japan does not surprise me in the least. Seems very plausible.

 

[grapedApe]

I'll take japan maintaining their creative freedom over bending the knee to fucking hypocritical americans/canadians.

I hope this isn't a sign of a bigger threat coming soon but considering how loud the hypocritical conservatives are recently about banning porn (yet complain about the left censoring their bullshit), NCOSE's agenda to ban it worldwide, the attacks on visa for continuing to serve pornhub and forcing visa/mastercard to push asinine standards for perfectly legal content I'd assume this news is going to get much worse very soon.


edit: More to this mystery from scanlover

Sturmtruppen said:

Guys, honestly, I appreciate the many of you who always tried to support JAV and JAV actresses by buying the movie on R18 but right now I'd say NOT to buy anything from Fanza. Whatever the reason is, they are asking for people to pirate their movies, so just give them what they want. I wouldn't use VPN or whatever to circumvent their blocks.

 

[Narmy]

Looks like they only sell censored stuff so nothing of value is lost.

 

[YakuInTheFlesh]

I really hated their DRM solution. They had some stupid 3rd party Videoplayer you needed if you downloaded their files. It's really sad to see. There are some JAVs I haven't found anywhere besides on R18. I hope there will be something new.

Looks like they only sell censored stuff so nothing of value is lost.

It's almost like it's a company based in Japan where you can't sell uncensored pornography. I highly doubt most Studios keep raw footage on hand anyways.

 

[Halo]

I really hated their DRM solution. They had some stupid 3rd party Videoplayer you needed if you downloaded their files. It's really sad to see. There are some JAVs I haven't found anywhere besides on R18. I hope there will be something new.

wonder if they'll drop the retarded DRM or if they're just fucking people over completely.
well if you have anything from there guess it's time to sit down and record it

although wonder if this would work for them

Remove DRM from R18/DMM: View videos your way! - Jav-It by jav-it

As mentioned to my Patreon supporters, I have managed to get a proof of concept working for removing the DRM from encrypted R18 / DMM videos. So now, instead of being forced to use 'rPlayer' which is...

jav-it.itch.io

 

[Narmy]

It's almost like it's a company based in Japan where you can't sell uncensored pornography. I highly doubt most Studios keep raw footage on hand anyways.

Do they even do business inside of Japan? Looks like the site only has an English and Chinese language option.

And anyway that is not really a good excuse. Porn in the US used to be illegal as well but the law was actually fought in court and that's why we enjoy free speech now. I think it's dangerous to normalize censorship by saying "well they have no choice", since they actually do. I couldn't care less about a company who deals in porn yet refuses to take the choice to fight for free speech.

 

[YakuInTheFlesh]

well if you have anything from there guess it's time to sit down and record it

There is r18-ripper which works quite well. I'm currently using it with someone else's account (If someone is willing to share their credentials just DM me or smth).

Do they even do business inside of Japan? Looks like the site only has an English and Chinese language option.

And anyway that is not really a good excuse. Porn in the US used to be illegal as well but the law was actually fought in court and that's why we enjoy free speech now. I think it's dangerous to normalize censorship by saying "well they have no choice", since they actually do. I couldn't care less about a company who deals in porn yet refuses to take the choice to fight for free speech.

It doesn't really matter if they serve japanese customers or not. As a company you have to abide by the law of the country that you are registered in. Not everyone wants to pay fines or go to prison over something like this. Also, porn is heavily regulated everywhere in the world and has it's own laws. What kind, what they can show, who they can involve. Porn never was and never will be about free speech.

 

[NretsewThePerv]

Do they even do business inside of Japan? Looks like the site only has an English and Chinese language option.

And anyway that is not really a good excuse. Porn in the US used to be illegal as well but the law was actually fought in court and that's why we enjoy free speech now. I think it's dangerous to normalize censorship by saying "well they have no choice", since they actually do. I couldn't care less about a company who deals in porn yet refuses to take the choice to fight for free speech.

I think there is a difference between, understanding the fact that JP laws on censorship are outdated and should be trashed. but also recognizing that as the reason a lot of JP games and JAVs are indeed censored. and being a dumb fuck gaijin retard screeching about "whys da japanz prron cecorerord reeee" with 0 understanding of the hows and whys at play

you dont have to like it and in fact, you should against it. but you can also recognize the unique circumstances jp porn artists of all stripes find themselves in. fact of the matter is they do, in fact. have no choice in the matter. some companies can get away with it by working with artists to publish works in ways that allow them to be uncensored. most of the time this involves overseas publishing. but from what I understand from most people I've talked to pulling this off can be raver difficult. more difficult than a lot of people realise as they dont see whats going on behind the seen to make it happen

so for the vast majority of JP porn artists and producers. it's just not cost-effective to want to give a shit. or in a lot of indie artists' cases. worth the risk of fines or jail times if the cops just decide to enforce the law on them cuz they feel like it

TLDR just dont be a raging fucken faggot about it and just understand people have been trying to get that shit changed over there for years. The problem is it's too much of a useful tool for the government to slap people they dont like

and tbh id raver these artists be able to even make the kinda shit they do than not be able to make it at all. I can deal with a few pixels here and there my brain can just auto remove since you get to use it if it means I get the shit I want. would be better if they went there and I wish they did not have to be. but if I had to pick between no hentai and hentai

gonna pick the hentai

There is r18-ripper which works quite well. I'm currently using it with someone else's account (If someone is willing to share their credentials just DM me or smth).

doin the lord's work. I hope as much of the site can get ripped and uploaded to free alternatives or find their way into torrents. it would be a shame to lose all that content. that's the real tragedy here considering how outside of a few sketch streaming sites and torrents getting JAV in the west is not easy. even more so subbed JAV. thought I guess its a blessing and a curse it being so niche as it keeps tourists out

 

[Narmy]

I think there is a difference between, understanding the fact that JP laws on censorship are outdated and should be trashed. but also recognizing that as the reason a lot of JP games and JAVs are indeed censored. and being a dumb fuck gaijin retard screeching about "whys da japanz prron cecorerord reeee" with 0 understanding of the hows and whys at play

you dont have to like it and in fact, you should against it. but you can also recognize the unique circumstances jp porn artists of all stripes find themselves in. fact of the matter is they do, in fact. have no choice in the matter. some companies can get away with it by working with artists to publish works in ways that allow them to be uncensored. most of the time this involves overseas publishing. but from what I understand from most people I've talked to pulling this off can be raver difficult. more difficult than a lot of people realise as they dont see whats going on behind the seen to make it happen

This is what I mean by it being normalized. You can criticize Canada's retarded anti-loli laws no problem but once you talk about Japan's censorship you are just a stupid foreigner and should understand they totally have no choice (they do). Sorry but there is no difference between the two.

 

[translation gundam]

this is fucking depressing.

 

[NretsewThePerv]

This is what I mean by it being normalized. You can criticize Canada's retarded anti-loli laws no problem but once you talk about Japan's censorship you are just a stupid foreigner and should understand they totally have no choice (they do). Sorry but there is no difference between the two.

bitching about it every time it shows up is not really doing anything about it except being an annoying faggot is more the point

we all know it's bad. we all disagree with it. you are preaching to the quire here. and clearly, you dont know fucken shit about what you are talking about if you think they do have as much of a choice to break that law as you think they do.

and yea Canada has fucked up laws too. lots of places do. but you dont see us crying about it on unrelated news stories.

again it's really easy to just not be a fucken retard about it while still being critical of it.

 

[NretsewThePerv]

ZENRA has posted a blog post about the closer. ill be updating the OP with it for anyone interested

https://www.zenra.net/blog/breaking-news-r18-permanently-closing (archive)