Where to watch anime?

[solidray2002]

I wanted to ask you, where does each person go to watch anime? I seem to find the most on Netflix, but not all. Are there better websites? Or are you renting them from a movie rental store? Where is/are your anime source/sources?

[Atria35]

Actually, there are no video rental stores where I live (when I'm at school), so no to that. And the video rental store that's at my parent's doesn't carry anime, really.

For me, it's online (Funi's website, Crunchyroll, Hulu- those all have ones that are airing right now and the ones that haven't yet gotten a physical release, which you don't get on Netflix- and the occasional illegal one for series that aren't licensed).

I've also gotten a very nice selection through my local library. Not only is that free, since I can't afford Netflix, but combined with interlibrary loans I have an incredibly large selection of legal anime availible.

[FllMtl Novelist]

Maybe 25% of the anime I watch is online, using the sites Atria mentioned.

Other than that, Kekkaishi, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and Inuyasha air early Sunday mornings on AdultSwim, and I watch them there. (Bleach and others are there too, but I never get up that early.)

And there are a few anime movies I saw through purchase and rental. Apparently I showed up at the video rental store too late, because they'd already cleared out nearly all of their anime, and the remainders were scattered throughout the rest of the store.

I can't do Netflix, so those are the only ways for me to get anime, as far as I know.

[Agloval]

Leaving aside titles I either buy outright or acquire illegaly, I use postal DVD rentals, mostly. I've also found some cheap stuff second-hand, which can sometimes be as cheap as renting (I bought Gasaraki disc-by-disc that way).

Here in the UK we've only had tentative moves towards streaming anime so far (I would go into more detail but [these arguments are not available in your region]). ANN are streaming a few of this season's shows for the UK, and if I was interested in any of them that's where I'd go. I haven't checked Crunchyroll recently to see if they've got legal streams for British viewers... and I probably should.

Highstreet DVD rental shops seem to be a dying breed now, and those which are still open don't exacly maintain a diverse selection. Maybe Ghost in the Shell in the sf section and a few Ghibli titles. I appreciate the commercial reasons for the demise of highstreet anime DVD rentals, but it saddens me as that was where I first came across anime.

Libraries here are fairly bare of anime too, partly because fewer titles are legally available and partly because, I think, for the general public anime's never really shaken off its mid-nineties tentacular reputation. The manga picture is better (you can't region-lock books, after all!), especially with interlibrary loans.

[TheMewster]

YouTube, baby. Sometimes I do Crunchyroll too, though. I don't watch tv and DVDs much anymore. God bless you!

[ChristianKitsune]

Moved to Anime.
And I'd like to remind everyone for future posts that we don't allow discussion of illegal means to watch anime, but so far I've not seen any.

I also use netflix, hulu, (as Funimation and Viz use this on their sites) and occassionaly CrunchyRoll.

[Edward]

I watch most of my anime on Netflix or Funimation's Youtube channel. I'll buy an anime if it's one I really like, such as FMA Brotherhood.

[Kaligraphic]

Mostly Hulu. Youtube has some complete series (check distributer channels like FUNimation or Media Blasters). Crunchyroll is okay, but their ads are kind of loud and repetitive. Hulu's ads, at least, are reasonably close to the show in volume.

[rocklobster]

I do crunchy roll, hulu, and YouTube.

[Mouse2010]

When I started watching anime, almost everything I watched was on Netflix instant streaming or Hulu. Then I started buying box sets of series that weren't available otherwise or for which only the subbed version was available. (The annoying thing is that sometimes I'd buy a box set, and THEN it would appear on Netflix!). I've only recently started using Crunchyroll.

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned, but I actually prefer having the DVDs if they're affordable, because then I have more flexibility about where to watch it, and I'm not reliant on the internet connection being good.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

Each of these sites has exclusive, legal content to stream, though there is some overlap:

Crunchyroll
Netflix
Youtube
Hulu
Funimation.com
Vizanime.com
Anime News Network
Crackle
The Anime Network

[Kingdom]

I used to use <modsnip: sorry, this doesn't look legal> You can pick different players as well, i think something called megaplayer or something was the best. Usually you could pick whether you want subbed or dubbed, so hope this helps!

[Atria35]

And I'd like to remind everyone for future posts that we don't allow discussion of illegal means to watch anime, but so far I've not seen any.

I used to use [Soon to be modsnipped]

*sigh* And that's why those of us who watch on illegal sites did not mention them by name.

[TheSubtleDoctor]

*sigh* And that's why those of us who watch on illegal sites did not mention them by name.

I'm guessing he wasn't aware that it was an illegal site.

[Atria35]

.... You know, I didn't think of that. I think we need to come up with some criteria on how to tell someplace is an illegal site. This isn't an isolated incident where someone didn't know.

[Midori]

There appears to be a comprehensive and up-to-date list of legal anime websites here:
http://static.lln.crunchyroll.com/forumtopic-535224/legal-anime-streaming-and-download-sites?pg=0

[Atria35]

That's great, Mid! I still think we might need a list/sticky on this site, and a 'how-to-tell', since some people can't tell legal sites from illegal ones. This is the second incident in a month (though both weren't anime sites, both were streaming ones).

[Mouse2010]

I still think we might need a list/sticky on this site, and a 'how-to-tell', since some people can't tell legal sites from illegal ones.

If you think about it, it's even more complicated than "legal sites vs. illegal." Youtube has some legal stuff, because Funimation and other companies post licensed series there, but it also has illegal episodes uploaded by fans. So if you are trying to avoid illegal stuff, you have to read carefully before you watch.

[Atria35]

If you think about it, it's even more complicated than "legal sites vs. illegal." Youtube has some legal stuff, because Funimation and other companies post licensed series there, but it also has illegal episodes uploaded by fans. So if you are trying to avoid illegal stuff, you have to read carefully before you watch.

That's easier to deal with, since if it's not on the channel from the company (and is on the channel of someone called NIlnmjs9878) then you can be pretty sure it's not legally on there.