With COVID-19 encouraging us to hibernate inside and unleash our introverted side, we now have more time than ever to watch anime online.
Anime (animated Japanese cartoons) is an obsession. Despite the pandemic, the Demon Slayer movie has already grossed a mind-boggling $102.5M in just 10 days since its premiere on 16 October 2020 – smashing Spirited Away’s record as the fastest film to gross $100M in Japan.
Anime plushies, anime wallpapers and online discussion forums are all a part of fans’ lives.
But what’s the hype? Why is anime so popular?
Why should I watch anime?
Anime is not for children (this is a huge misconception). It resonates with all ages because anime characters highlight human emotions powerfully through their honest and uninhibited expressions.
Supported by fascinating storylines, stunning visual graphics, and enchanting soundtracks, anime grips viewers across the globe. Whether you’re a sucker for Studio Ghibli, Dragon Ball Z, or something more niche – one thing’s clear: it makes sense to stream your anime quickly, easily, and in high quality.
That being said, we give you the best places to watch anime online to help you immerse yourself in the anime world.
Where can I watch anime online?
Founded in 2006, Crunchyroll is arguably the best place to watch anime online – and it seems to be getting better and better every year. There are so many worlds to be explored here: with a full list of genres, movies and new episode releases popping up every five minutes. Dive into classics like Haikyuu, check out new episodes of Digimon, or pick out your most loved Hayao Miyazaki masterpiece from the Studio Ghibli collection. Simulcasts can also let you watch anime the exact moment its released in Japan. New to anime? Say yes to a 14-day free trial for access to the world’s largest anime collection.
9Anime offers an incredible range of genres. There’s a type of anime for everyone including shounen and seinen, plus sci-fi, romance, horror and even vampire. Anime-lovers can watch psychological thrillers like Death Note and Tokyo Ghoul, fantasy adventures like Konosuba, and action-packed sci-fi like the highly-rated Cowboy Bepop. Historical mysteries such as Black Butler are also available to stream and will keep you glued to the action way past your bedtime.
Something you’re dying to watch? The gogoanime website has a jaw-dropping anime list that would take several lifetimes to get through. You’re guaranteed to find what you’re looking for here. Psychological thriller, Parasyte, offers mind-blowing tension and action. New series like Akudama Drive are uploaded at a click of the fingers, and a wonderful variety of anime movies – new and old – are crying out for your attention. What are you waiting for?
Quirky and eye-catching, Contv Anime provides another excellent option for anime fans. Choose from a bunch of breath-taking dramas, cool cyberpunks, sensational supernatural tales, and epic fantasy adventures. Unsure what to watch? Contv has a live anime tv stream on their site to make that decision easy for you. A great starting point for beginners to watch anime online, this one really is worth checking out.
With Masterani, you can choose from a gigantic genre list including Science Fiction, Crime, and Slice of Life, as well as view movie releases listed by year. Oh, and don’t forget the A-Z anime list. Definitely worth a viewing is Assassination Classroom, in which a middle school class enter a race against time to defeat a raging monster that will destroy earth. And similarly, Neon Genesis Evangelion: showing humanity, equipped with bio-mechanical weapons, fighting to save earth from evil forces. With clear English subtitles and anime dating back from the start of the 20th century – you’d be a fool not to watch anime online with Masterani.
Anime Planet is awesome. Fact. Explore over 45,000 anime episodes and create your own list of anime favourites. Even better, anime planet saves your progress so you can jump right back into an episode or film at the exact moment where you left off. Pretty cool, right? There’s also reviews, recommendations and ‘popular this week’ suggestions to help you pick. For your lazy Sunday, switch on The Cat Returns (2002), one of Studio Ghibli’s most captivating works. Other attractive options include Clanned (an entertaining, slice of life comedy), and Blue Exorcist – centred on a boy who discovers he is the son of Satan.
Looking for a new place to watch anime online? My Anime List has set the anime world alight with its seasonal releases. Fall, Winter, Summer and Spring collections all contain anime to watch before you die. The highlight of Summer 2015, Dragon Ball Super (the prequel to Dragon Ball Z) is 131 episodes of pure entertainment. Elsewhere, captivating classics like Bleach, Your Lie in April and Toradora are simply too good to resist. And even better, ‘Top Anime’ series are ranked to help you plan what anime to watch next – with Fullmetal Alchemist and Hunter x Hunter currently at the top. You need to check this one out.
Are you a genuine anime freak? This could be the place for you to watch anime online. Here all the anime you can imagine is neatly classified into popularity, genres, ongoing, and seasons. A favourites tab also delights viewers, who can star what they love and freely come back to their favourites. Sci-fi thriller Steins Gate has rave reviews. Fans can also take in action-packed adventures like The Rising of the Shield Hero and One Punch Man, as well as classic films like Studio Ghibli’s 2002 masterpiece, Spirited Away.
With new episodes magically appearing almost every hour, Animefrenzy is exactly how it sounds. Notable features include an enormous A-Z list, a collection of dubbed anime (for those who prefer), and new releases like The God of High School (a clear pick for action anime-lovers). Dive into historical films like Grave of the Fireflies (1988) on two children who fight to make a life for themselves after Japan is destroyed by World War II bombings. Or slice of life comedy, Lucky Star, which provides a fascinating insight into Japanese culture as we watch 4 girls making funny observations about the world around them.
Head over to kissanime to choose from a wonderful variety of anime. The site lists a number of recommended anime to get you started and its search bar lets you easily find what you’re looking for. The relentless action in Gundam episodes makes an exciting option for a night in, as does the charming slice of life, romantic comedy Fruits Basket – starring cute anime girl, Tohru Honda. For this (and much more) – check out kissanime
Chia Anime is the definition of effortless – offering a free and comforting safe haven for anime nerds. Watch anime on your phone in ultra-clear HD, perfect for your bus ride or pre-bedtime episode. With a weird and wonderful string of latest releases, there’s hours and hours of astonishing anime with your name on it. Spellbinding watches like the Sailor Moon and Sword Art Online are available to stream. There’s also a fantastic range of movies to delve into, as well as a list of spellbinding soundtracks that will wash your troubles away and transport you to another world. Chia Anime is an amazing, all-round anime experience.
Pick from over 4,000 high-quality anime movies, plus a full series list including Inuyasha, Code Geass and Akame Ga Kill. Soul Anime is lightning fast at uploading the latest episodes – and Boruto fans should be quivering with excitement at the chance of seeing brand new episodes right away. There’s mystery and magic to be explored within Soul Anime’s pages. If genres like Aliens, Assassins, Girls with Guns, Demons, Vampires, and Superpowers don’t fuel your imagination, nothing will.
The colourful anime showreel on Anime Lab reminds us why we love to watch anime online. Here, simulcasting is done brilliantly with a ‘simulcasting now’, ‘recently aired’ and ‘simulcast schedule’ all available to viewers. Subbed and dubbed anime shows also come by the bucket load. If you want to jump on what’s trending, Akira, Demon Slayer (the series), Attack on Titan and Log Horizon are well worth your time right now – as well as Kakushigoto, on a father who desperately tries to hide his job as an erotic manga (ecchi) drawer from his innocent daughter.
Just a quick browse makes it plain and clear why Anime Heaven has its name. Free HD anime is the order of play – starring action-packed thrillers like RWBY and Re: Zero. The best anime movies, new and ongoing series, and latest popular releases are all options. For the indecisive among you, the ‘Random’ button places top-quality viewings on your screen at the simple click of a button.
The awesome feature of kissassanime is its weekly release schedule. A comprehensive list of upcoming anime releases are listed almost by the hour, sending fans crazy as they impatiently watch the clock tick down until their favourite anime’s release. Subbed and dubbed anime is also available, plus an immense anime list including Violet Evergarden (about a former solider with prosthetic arms who searches for the meaning behind her former commander’s final words to her). And also kimi no na wa (‘Your Name’), a powerful romance film about a boy and girl who realise they’ve swapped bodies.
Side Reel has a fantastic anime section complete with an outstanding picture quality that makes you rush home from work to watch anime online. Must-watches include No Game No Life, One Punch Man, Fairy Tail, and Noragami (starring a girl whose life changes after being hit by a bus). Fitted with thorough descriptions and ratings out of five stars, anime-lovers flock to Side Reel like moths to a flame to dive into its astonishing anime collection.
A hotspot for free anime movies and series, Anime Take offers an immense range of genres such as Isekai, Supernatural, Samurai, Mecha and Magic. Much admired right now is action-packed My Hero Academia, Given and Rent-A-Girlfriend. Want to try something different? The futuristic Darling in the FranXX is an exhilarating watch. Each anime also comes with comprehensive descriptions and a favourites tab that lets you bookmark those you can’t live without. The end result? Anime Take has to be one of the best places to watch anime online.
Proudly one of the most popular places to watch anime online, 4anime is the happy home of many anime fans. New releases can be viewed super quickly, and users can choose by genre, use the search bar, receive a random recommendation, or simply browse for hours. There’s endless bucket-list worthy anime here. Why not try out acclaimed dramas like Banana Fish and enchanting supernatural mysteries like Bungou Stray Dogs? Particularly entertaining is Yuri On Ice – documenting an overweight, former figure skater’s return to fame after a video of him skating goes viral.
Ah… Netflix. The old faithful. Netflix’s anime collection is outstanding. Log on to get the world’s best anime lies at your fingertips – including Japan Sinks 2020, Food Wars, psychological thriller’s like Erased, and classics like One Punch Man, Dorohedoro, and Attack on Titan. Oh, and let’s not forget sensational Studio Ghibli movies like My Neighbour Totoro, Ponyo, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, and Howl’s Moving Castle. Plus romantic comedies like High School DxD. Whether you’re a curious anime first-timer or an experienced fan – Netflix’s anime range will fuel an addiction and mesmerise you throughout the night.
What are you waiting for? Get watching!
