Where to Watch Anime Online After Amazon Strike's Dissolution

Anime fans have been watching anime on the internet for decades. Even before it became legal, fans would stream anime through other means and this created a huge market for anime on the internet, with services like Netflix starting to take notice and offering anime to their subscriptions. But the anime streaming market may be shrinking a little bit, with the recent loss of the Amazon Strike service — a service run by Amazon for anime fans at a small subscription fee that offered prime members an additional exclusive catalog of anime titles. Just last year, Daisuki, a streaming service run by a Japanese cooperative company, also shuttered its service. Other than the major companies like Netflix and Amazon, where should anime fans get their anime fix?

#1. Crunchyroll

Crunchyroll was started a long time ago as a video service for anime fans, and has since evolved with its subscription model to be the largest site out there. With hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and thousands of episodes of anime, it is hard to find a site with a bigger catalog and a bigger collection than Crunchyroll. They even offer frequent Simulcasts, which are streams of the anime shows that play while, or only a few hours after, the show originally streams on Japanese TV. This gives subscribers a fantastic way to enjoy their anime without having to wait for someone else to provide subtitles.

At one point, Crunchyroll had over 900 different anime titles, and it may have even more now. Individuals can also watch anime on the site without a subscription if they are willing to sit through paid advertising and watch in a lower video quality. They also opened an online store selling otaku merchandise. Current anime are typically featured most prominently on the site, including new streaming episodes of One Piece, Ms. Koizumi Loves Ramen Noodles, Digimon Adventure Tri, and the new version of Cardcaptor Sakura.

Crunchyroll's premium subscription starts at $6.95 per month and includes ad-free and HD streaming, along with a catalog of manga to read as well. Simulcasts are available as soon as 1 hour after broadcasting in Japan.

#2. Ani.me

Ani.me is a new anime streaming site started in 2017, with shows sublicensed from anime company Media Blasters. Media Blasters has a long history in the industry, with several sub-companies and niche companies that cater to other markets (such as 18+ anime). It's not surprising to see them support a brand new streaming site, and the Ani.me website also features embedded shows from Hulu and other legal sites.

Currently, the feature streams of Rio: Rainbow Gate, Girl's High, and the 1990s anime movie Kite. Each show is streamed at 1080p and currently available to both subscribers and the public. Ani.me's list of shows is smaller than some of the others, yet it still features several popular shows. The site also reports on trending anime news, with features on first impressions of anime and announcements of show premieres in North America.

#3. Funimation

The Funimation official website features an entire catalog of Funimation's dozens of anime shows. Funimation is probably most well known for incredibly popular shows such as Fullmetal Alchemist, and its Brotherhood counterpart, Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Cowboy Bebop, Attack on Titan, and more. Most of the anime that are incredibly famous and popular today are Funimation titles.

Funimation offers a unique streaming service, which offers access exclusively to Funimation's catalog of anime, for a small monthly subscription fee. Funimation is best known as being a dubbing company, so you get all of their English dubs with your subscription. Dubs often feature well-known and famous voice actors such as Vic Mignogna or Greg Ayres.

Funimation is definitely the site for people who fall squarely on the "dubs" side in the "dubs vs. subs" debate. For fans who prefer their shows in the original Japanese but with subtitles, they can still switch many shows to the subtitled version, but other services like Crunchyroll focus more on subtitled anime.

#4. Hulu

While I hesitated to add Hulu to this list, it is still one of the most popular sources for anime (still outside of companies like Netflix and Amazon, as I'm presuming you already have subscriptions to those sites). While sometimes Hulu cuts back on its anime catalog, and occasionally people panic when they think anime shows are expiring from Hulu, it is still a top site for anime — especially if you already have a subscription.

Naruto fans will especially like Hulu, as it includes Naruto, Boruto, and Shippuden. Hulu also includes several other popular shows like One Piece, FMA, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and even new titles like My Hero Academia. Most recently added include Basilisk, Cardcaptor Sakura, Kino's Journey, and Black Clover.

In the end, as many people have Netflix and Amazon Prime already, they only need just one supplemental site for their anime fix. Supporting a legal anime streaming site, rather than some shady website, also gives back to the anime industry and helps creators make even more amazing shows. What's your favorite site? Join the conversation @ryankopf with the hashtag #myanimesite.