The Best Streaming Platforms for Watching Anime Posted Aug 10, 2021
The concept of video streaming was still a novelty just a decade ago, but today, it’s just a fact of life for most people. Companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Disney have made it easier than ever before to watch just about anything you could possibly imagine.
While streaming platforms began offering boxsets and movies from the back catalogs of studios, they have diversified their offerings more recently, introducing newly-released shows directly to their platforms, and even commissioning much of their own.
One of the biggest growth areas in recent years has been in the streaming of live sports. In the US, most major sports leagues have their own Over The Top (OTT) streaming platform, such as NFL Game Pass and NBA TV, while third parties like Amazon have been buying the rights to many international competitions.
Video streaming of live sports allows fans to watch games from wherever they are, which is something that is key for those that enjoy using free bet promotions to place wagers on games while they’re not at home, especially if they’re making prop bets while the play is live.
Another key area of growth for streaming platforms has been anime. Today, it’s possible to find new and classic anime content on many major and specialist services. If you were wondering which ones are the best, then check out these companies.
Netflix
Netflix is the market leader in video streaming, a position it holds because it was one of the first companies to offer such a service. While the company started out with boxsets of shows like 24, the company is now best known for its Netflix Original content.
Fictional series like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards were some of its early successes, while it has also ventured into documentary shows like Formula 1: Drive to Survive.
In recent years, Netflix has been focusing on growing its library of niche content, providing regional shows in different languages in an attempt to attract more viewers in non-English speaking markets.
Anime has also been another area of focus, with the platform acquiring the rights to content from companies like Studio Ghibli and high profile shows like Neon Genesis Evangelion, as well as creating its own original shows like SWORDGAI and Devilman Crybaby.
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is the leader in anime streaming. Unlike Netflix, anime isn’t a small part of a much bigger catalog for Crunchyroll - anime is all it offers.
Crunchyroll has one of the biggest libraries of anime videos on the planet, with thousands of options to choose from including One Piece, Naruto Shippuden, Peach Boy Riverside, Goldeny Kamuy, and The Aquatope on White Sand.
Perhaps the best thing about Crunchyroll is that it is free, meaning you can stream all of its shows without having to hand over a single penny, though if you want to watch in HD or get access to new shows sooner then you’ll have to upgrade to Crunchyroll Premium.
In more recent years, Crunchyroll has begun to branch out, adding video games to its portfolio. As you’d expect, all of its titles are anime-inspired, including Mitra Sphere, Grand Summoners, and Princess Connect! RE: Dive.
If that’s still not enough, Crunchyroll Manga offers hundreds of manga comics that you can read right from your smartphone or tablet.
Funimation
Funimation is another dedicated anime streaming service, with a wide selection of choices. It shares many of Crunchyroll’s qualities and claims to have more than 10,000 episodes in its library.
Depending on which country you’re in, Funimation has one of the biggest collections of Dragon Ball content you could want. It also has tons of new shows added each week, including Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S, Sonny Boy, and The Dungeon of Black Company.
What makes Funimation stand out is that the streaming service offers more dubbed content than anywhere else. This is great for anyone that doesn’t enjoy reading subtitles or simply wants to enjoy the animation more.
