Best places to stream anime in 2023: There’s nothing quite like the feeling of sitting down to watch anime. When you don’t have time to sit down for US-based dramas with hour-long episodes, it’s nice to kick back with half-hour installments of the frantic action, bright colors, wacky comedy, and immersive drama that only anime can provide.
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It used to be that the only way to watch anime was by hoping that your local video shop would stock some titles that you could rent. But in this modern age of streaming apps, there’s really no limit to where you can find content online.
What should you look for in an anime streaming service?
Obviously, the content library will be a central piece of the criteria when choosing the right anime streaming site for you. A close second to that is the price of the service, of course. In addition, considering some other key factors can help set similar platforms apart.
Concurrent stream allowance
Despite a few platforms threatening to crack down on password sharing in recent years, pretty much every mainstream streaming service allows at least two streams at once. This means that a handful of people on different devices or in different households can use the same login info and watch at the same time.
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Large families or friend groups who plan to share an account should probably opt for a service that allows at least three devices streaming at once, or seek a service that offers an “unlimited streams” add-on for an additional cost.
Free trials
It’s always nice to preview a service before you make a monetary commitment. Most movie streaming services offer a free week (or maybe even a month with some more generous platforms) wherein you can browse the full library, test the 4K or HDR upscaling (if you care about that), and get an overall idea of how smoothly the interface runs.
4K and HDR support
People who have gotten used to binge-watching in regular HD on the TV they’ve had since college probably don’t care much about higher-resolution viewing. Others can’t focus on anything but the indistinguishable blobs.
The latter group of people will have to be pickier about the apps they pay for — because while 4K TVs are common nowadays, the content available to stream in 4K isn’t, yet. For instance, Netflix only unlocks 4K and HDR upscaling if you bump your plan to the most expensive one, and HBO Max only offers it for certain movies. Higher-quality viewing will require a certain internet speed, too.
Compatible devices
No one’s going to pay for an anime streaming service that’s impossible to access on their smart TV (or on the streaming device they use to access streaming apps on their TV).
As new services have launched, some have had issues playing nicely with streaming devices like Fire TV and Roku for a period of time, but the bugs tend to shake out in a month or so.
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As it stands now, it should be safe to assume that each movie streaming site we’ve listed below is compatible with the interface of most big-brand TVs, the main mobile operating systems (iOS and Android), top streaming media players (Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV), and gaming consoles (Playstation and Xbox).
Can I stream outside the US?
Signing up for a VPN can open the door to a plethora of international shows and films that aren’t available in America. VPNs essentially allow you to make up your own internet rules by carving out a personal security tunnel in which you browse, stream, or game the way you normally would.
That security tunnel paves the way for location spoofing and getting around location-based roadblocks or censors. All decent VPNs offer a wide selection of servers based in multiple geographic locations.
Picking one of those essentially tricks your ISP into thinking your device is based there, maneuvering around geoblocks and opening the door to international content, like another country’s Netflix library.
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Best places to stream anime in 2023
We’ve narrowed it down to some of the best places where you can get exclusive shows, English dubs, and even live-action Japanese dramas to satiate your inner otaku. Check out some of the best places to get your anime fix right now:
Specs
- Basic: $9.99 per month
- Standard: $15.49 per month
- Premium: $19.99 per month
It’s time to use your Netflix(opens in a new tab) account for more than just rewatching 30 Rock for the hundredth time. The popular streaming service has more than 50 anime titles to choose from, including plenty of exclusive programs.
Aggretsuko — an anime from the creators of Hello Kitty — is one of Netflix’s newest sleeper hits. It tells the story of a red panda named Retsuko who works at a Japanese trading firm.
As the doldrums and stress of her office worker life weighs down on her, she vents her frustrations by belting death metal karaoke at night. Relatable and entertaining, this short anime is definitely worth checking out on your next binge-watching spree.
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Action fans can also check out Devilman: Crybaby, the hyper-violent anime about a young man who becomes a demon and tries to use his power to defend humanity from his own kind. Netflix is also home to plenty of Japanese dramas, such as a live-action adaptation of Mob Psycho 100.
Specs
- Membership: $4.99 per month
Hidive(opens in a new tab) is the streaming service for Sentai Filmworks, an American company that specializes in licensing anime straight from Japan. The service has a very wide selection of classic and modern titles, such as Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise, Grave of the Fireflies, Ninja Scroll, Clannad, K-On!, Angel Beats!, and Highschool of the Dead.
The service also offers subtitles in English, Spanish, and Portuguese, as well as simulcast broadcasts of TV series from Japan for premium members. This means Hidive(opens in a new tab) subscribers can watch brand new anime as soon as it airs in Japan.
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Check it out for free(opens in a new tab) for seven days, then get access on iOS and Android devices, along with the web, for only $4.99 per month(opens in a new tab).
Specs
- Premium membership: $5.99 per month
- Premium Plus membership: $7.99 per month
- Premium Plus Ultra membership: $99.99 per year
The studio that brought us our childhood English dubs of Dragon Ball Z and Fullmetal Alchemist have their own streaming service on hand. You can access tons of their licensed anime both new and old with no ads for as low as $5.99 a month(opens in a new tab).
You can even watch simuldubs of certain shows in English as well as get early access to home release dubs.
One of Funimation’s most popular ongoing anime right now is My Hero Academia. Izuku Midoriya has wanted to be a hero all his life — but in a world where everyone has a superpower, he was the only one who wasn’t born with one.
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After inheriting the abilities of the world’s greatest hero, Izuku strives to live up to his potential and become the world’s greatest hero.
Test it out for 14 days(opens in a new tab) for free, then choose which membership suits your needs.
- VRV
Specs
- Membership: $9.99 per month
VRV(opens in a new tab) (pronounced “verve”) is a one-stop shop for everything anime, gaming, geek-centric, horror, and speculative fiction. It’s the Voltron of geek streaming services because it offers other smaller streaming services under one giant umbrella.
A subscription to VRV(opens in a new tab) includes premium access to Boomerang, Cartoon Hangover, Crunchyroll, CuriosityStream, Geek & Sundry, HIDIVE, Mondo, Nerdist, NickSplat, Rooster Teeth, and Shudder.
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Subscribing to these services separately could cost you upwards of $100 a month, but a subscription to VRV is priced at only $9.99. Plus, you’ll get the first 30 days free(opens in a new tab) if you’re a new member.
If you’re a fan of anime, chances are you’re also a fan of what these other services offer too. Come for Crunchyroll and HIDIVE, stay for everything else.
Specs
- Fan subscription : $7.99 per month
- Mega Fan subscription: $9.99 per month
- Ultimate Fan subscription: $14.99 per month
Total anime die-hards will definitely want to check out what Crunchyroll(opens in a new tab) has to offer. With more than 800 shows and counting — including regular updates that feature some of the anime season’s newest shows straight from Japan — you won’t know what to do with it all.
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With premium subscriptions, you can watch ad-free and also see the newest episodes of current anime almost immediately after they air in Japan. Plus, you can view retro shows and movies that you won’t find anywhere else.
One of the hottest anime of Spring 2018 was Megalobox. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of a cult classic manga, the story follows a slum-resident boxer who seeks to test his mettle in the world of metal boxing — a futuristic sport in which boxers use cybernetic enhancements during matches.
The streaming service also has tons of live-action shows too, like a 2015 adaptation of Death Note and various series from the Ultraman franchise.
Specs
- Amazon Prime membership: $14.99 per month
- Amazon Prime Video only: $8.99 per month
Amazon Prime’s streaming service(opens in a new tab) is chock-full of anime shows and movies for you to peruse. You can watch classics like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood as well as tons of episodes from the past and present of the Pokémon series. There are also movies like Satoshi Kon’s Paprika and the original Ghost in the Shell movie to keep you occupied.
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Amazon Prime Video(opens in a new tab) even has a fair share of original programs, namely Studio Ghibli’s Ronja, The Robber’s Daughter — directed by Hayao Miyazaki’s son, Gorō Miyazaki.
It follows the tale of Ronja, a bandit’s young daughter, who befriends a young boy named Birk. Unfortunately, the two discover that they each belong to rival clans, and Ronja must learn how to bridge the gap between her friendship and her familial ties.
You can get Amazon Prime Video as a perk of a Prime membership — along with free two-day shipping, Prime Music Streaming, and members-only discounts — which costs $14.99 per month. Or you can simply sign up for Amazon Prime Video(opens in a new tab) only for $8.99 per month.
Specs
- Hulu (Ad-Supported): $6.99 per month
- Hulu (No Ads): $12.99 per month
If you’ve got a Hulu account,(opens in a new tab) there are tons of options right at your fingertips for getting your fill of anime. It has plenty of the classics like Akira, Ghost In The Shell, and Grave of the Fireflies, plus newer titles like My Hero Academia and Attack on Titan to keep you up to date on the newest shows.
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You can try out Hulu for free(opens in a new tab) for seven days, then sign up for as little as $6.99 per month(opens in a new tab). You also choose add-ons like HBO and Showtime for extra content.
A price hike is on the horizon for Hulu subscribers though. You can expect the ad-free premium plan to jump to $14.99 and the ad-supported option to rise $1 to $7.99.
