Watching free anime movies online is one of the facilities that the Internet has brought to fans with streaming technology. Today, websites and applications are specializing in this Japanese movie designs such as Crunchyroll, as well as those that have a diverse catalog, but which also offer this type of fantastic programs, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Today, you can learn the advantages and disadvantages of these and other options, the importance of watching legalized anime content, and how to access them, whether free or paid.

Why watch legalized anime?

Before we start, it is important to understand why it is recommended to watch anime only on sites that offer official support. The main one is the incentive that fans can give to the studios that produce the drawings and, more importantly, increase the demand for more services to be interested in bringing animes to some other countries, with subtitles or dubbing.

Another reason is the care you should take when browsing websites that offer pirated content. Many of them ask for donations in exchange for the service, which is illegal, and they can also use your computer to display intrusive ads, deploy malicious software to your computer, or even use your machine for unauthorized functions such as bitcoin or monero. On top of all this, the content offered on these sites is often illegal.

Check out the list of sites and apps that offers anime movies online (free & paid inclusive):

1. Crunchyroll

For those who like animes, Crunchyroll is the best option to watch legally. Besides having the most complete catalog, with more than 500 animes, the site is constantly updated. Each season of the year, a new season of drawings opens on Japanese TV, and it is safe to say that between 60% and 70% of these premieres usually arrive at the streaming service. Its main attraction is the possibility of watching an episode within one hour after it is shown on television.

There are all kinds of anime in Crunchyroll, with different genres and subtitles in different languages. The service also offers Tokusatsu and Dorama, which are a series of superheroes and dramas, respectively, with real actors. As an effort to garner more audience, Crunchyroll also has 14 unique titles and some movies, such as One Piece, Fullmetal Alchemist and Digimon specials. Finally, fans have recently been able to check out the debut of three dubbed drawings – Rokka no Yuusha, Yamada-kun to 7-nin at Majo and Schwarzes Marken.

Price, advantages and disadvantages

Crunchyroll can be used for free, with advertisements and without access to the newer episodes of each anime of the season. It is also possible to pay a monthly fee that costs from $ 15 per month and provides immediate access to new chapters. There is also a free trial of the premium plan, which lasts 14 days, for those who are in doubt. In addition to accessing the site from the computer or on Android and iPhone ( iOS ) phones , there are apps for video games such as Xbox and PlayStation.

At a disadvantage, there are complaints about how the application works in video games and constant server errors when new episodes of popular anime such as Dragon Ball and One Piece appear simultaneously.

2. Hidive

Hidive (hidive.com), Crunchyroll rival, is another alternative to watching the drawings. The service is similar – users can see what they want, with almost simultaneous transmissions in relation to what passes in Japan. There are still no animated dubs to some other languages, but only some in English.

The series offer is good, but it’s inferior to Crunchyroll. There are some exclusive animes in the sense that they are displayed legally, only in Hidive – which is a good opportunity for users to register and use at least the free account to test the service.

Price, advantages, and disadvantages

Unfortunately, there are no application in any format for this service. You can only watch on the web, in browsers, even on mobile phones. Hidive has already reported that it is working in this regard, but there is still no release forecast. It is also worth noting that the site is heavy and poorly optimized to run on most modest machines.

On the other hand, your subscription is cheaper – $ 4 a month, and can only be paid in dollars. The value covers almost all the functions of the site, but to watch animes in high resolution, 1080p, it is necessary to pay an additional $ 1. For premium subscription, it is also possible to see uncensored animes, in cases of more violent or sensual programs.

3. Netflix

Known for its own production series or landmark films, Netflix is also a competitor in the anime market. The service already presents a series of programs from other studios in the catalog, but offers exclusive animes, with the label “Original Netflix”, although they are not developed by the company – that has exclusive rights acquired, in most cases.

Netflix exclusive animes offer a dubbed option in some languages, but all the others also accompany subtitles in English. There are programs of all types and genres, but also in smaller quantities than in most competitors. The quality of the image depends on the signed plan – from $ 20 a month with “standard” quality (SD and a screen) or $ 28 with high definition (and two screens). You can watch for free for a month on Netflix.

Advantages and disadvantages of Netflix

Netflix has an attractive offer of anime in its service, but not so numerous. The possibility of downloading some of them to watch offline is an additional interesting feature. It’s worth remembering that the service has apps for Android and iPhone (iOS) phones and for more modern SmarTVs and video games.

On the other hand, Netflix does not offer animes with a simultaneous broadcast over Japan. The current season’s programs they get are always displayed to the rest of the world late, which may displease fans looking for new animes wherever possible.

4. Amazon Prime Video

The Amazon Prime Video arrived recently to Brazil. Like Netflix, Amazon’s streaming service specializes in movies and series, with its own productions, and also offers animes in its catalog.

There are series that are not found in other services – such as Prison School or Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress -, some options with subtitles, but no dubbing available. You can use the same Amazon default account, which makes it easy to use, but you can not access the content for free.

Price, advantages, and disadvantages

The main advantage of using this service is to watch anime movies without the need to sign an extra price, as it does in Amazon abroad, where there is still the service Anime Strike within Prime Video. In addition, its price here is well into account and can be paid in reais.

On the other hand, having anime with only English subtitles in a service officially offered in an English non-speaking country is a bit frustrating, even if it’s not all. There are apps for TVs, Android phones, iPhone (iOS), and video games, but the service is not as good when compared to other competitors.

5. Looke

Looke (looke.com.br) is an interesting streaming service for being national, allowing rental and purchase (not just subscription), and even have functions like download or list to see later. However, the supply of animes is low. Only a few more famous ones, such as Zodiac Knights, Street Fighter, Akira, Hunter X Hunter, or Ghost in the Shell, are found on the platform.

The animes of this service are in their own category but are also found mixed in the same section of other diverse animations, including children’s or educational films. Some, like Knights of the Zodiac The Lost Canvas, are only dubbed.

Price, advantages, and disadvantages:

Looke offers plans from $ 17 a month and lets you access the entire catalog on just one computer or mobile phone. More expensive plans only increase the number of devices with access to the content and offer rental of new movies included in the subscription for $ 26 a month. Lack of current titles and little variety of animes are the disadvantages of the service.

On the other hand, Looke is versatile and allows you to buy or rent only what the user wants to consume. In the case of a series, you can buy a whole season if you want to see only one or two specific settings. There are desktop apps, Android phones, iPhone (iOS), TVs, Xbox, and PlayStation.

6. Viewster

Viewster (viewster.com) is a British streaming platform that does not offer subscription plans or advertisements – it is 100% free. It is possible to watch series and animes without a subscription. The catalog variety is not large.

Its navigation is made easy and having no signature is an advantage for those who just want to pass the time without worrying. There are no movies, only series.

Price, advantages, and disadvantages

Viewster has apps for most modern TVs or DVRs, plus Android and iPhone (iOS) mobile apps. You can watch anime on as many screens as you want.

The downside is the lack of variety in the small catalog, with less than 30 titles available as at the time of writing this article.

7. YouTube

YouTube is the last service on the list and one that is a risk. There are many unauthorized or copyright-infringing materials posted on Google’s video platform, and there are also official studio channels, which publish content in a legal way. An example is Funimation, which works just outside the country, but offers animes in English subtitles on its official channel.

The classic Toei studio, responsible for past successes such as Changeman and Jaspion, offers tokusatsu – Japanese series with colorful heroes – on its official channel, but only in Japanese and without any captioning option. Of the national services, the only one that offers some form of episodes officially and subtitled, also in YouTube, is Crunchyroll.

Services that have changed

There are streaming platforms that have offered animes in the past and have changed for some reason. One of the examples is the Crackle, of Sony, that counted on programs well-known in its catalog, like Death Note and Knights of the Zodiac. Today, however, the service works only for subscribers to some Internet and cable TV operators and seems to have removed much of the old program from its platform.

There are still those who have closed down, although they have started promisingly. One of them was the Daisuki, a service offered by Bandai Namco, which even had exclusive and good quality animes. Another service is the national WoW! Play, specialized in Tokusatsu and also in anime movies. This lasted only a few months and although the page is still on the air, it does not allow more signatures or watch episodes.

Abroad

Most of the services listed above can be accessed anywhere in the world. The most famous examples, which contain animes, are Funimation and Hulu. Both offer monthly subscriptions and good catalogs but do not work well even with VPN.

Do you know another service to see animes online? Make use of our comment section below to tell us more about other platforms to watch anime movies online.