The ethical shadow over this practice is undeniable. Distributing a pack with 400 copyrighted characters infringes on the intellectual property of studios like Toei Animation, Pierrot, and Shueisha. No money changes hands (most M.U.G.E.N. content is freeware), but the unauthorized replication of likenesses is legally indefensible. Yet, fans justify their actions through what media scholar Henry Jenkins calls “participatory culture.” These characters are not sold; they are loved . The fan-creator argues that they are filling a void left by an industry that rarely allows crossover fighting games outside of established franchises like Super Smash Bros. In the fan’s logic, a free, buggy, 400-character anime M.U.G.E.N. build is a gift, not a theft.