MyAnimeList accounts reportedly hacked in new breach

MyAnimeList is a website for anime and manga fans that offers a list-like system for organizing and rating anime and manga. The website helps users find others with similar tastes and provides a large database of anime and manga titles.

However, the MyAnimeList website was recently reported to have been hacked, with many users being unable to access it. Several anime titles on the site were also replaced by the phrase "LET’S ALL LOVE LAIN.” This cyber attack occurred on May 10, 2023, much to the panic and confusion of fans.

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MyAnimeList was hacked, with anime titles on the website being replaced with "LET’S ALL LOVE LAIN”

MyAnimeList, the largest anime database, was the target of a cyber attack on the morning of May 10, 2023. Several users reported being unable to access the site after it was hacked by an unknown party. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, several anime titles on the website were also changed to the phrase "LET’S ALL LOVE LAIN.”

The phrase has been taken from the anime Serial Experiments Lain. It's a psychological and techno-horror series created and co-produced by Yasuyuki Ueda and directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura. The "Let's All Love Lain" has been used by fans to show their support for the main character of the series, Lain Iwakura.

Serial Experiment Lain aired from July 6 to September 28, 1998, with 13 total episodes. It is considered to be a post-modern masterpiece that explores complex themes such as identity, reality, and takes the concept of modern communication in the cyberspace to a whole new level.

When anime titles on MAL were changed to the phrase "Let's All Love Lain," many users thought it was a prank orchestrated by a website staff or a user. The website had pranked its users on April Fool’s Day by changing the cover images of anime titles and including images of cats on the covers.

However, after the hack, MyAnimeList updated their website and published an emergency notice on their help page, providing detailed information about the cyber attack. They reported that a malicious individual had overwritten their anime database information, modifying all titles to "Let's All Love Lain" while also hampering with user scores on the website.

Additionally, MAL reported that a JavaScript alert had been inserted to display a pop-up to users who visited their profile or list during the attack. As of now, MyAnimeList assured users that their website, apps, and APIs were all put into emergency maintenance as soon as the attack was discovered.