18 votes

How do you watch your anime?

Streaming? Downloads? Torrents, file sharing over IRC?

36 comments

  1. [5]
    clerical_terrors
    Link
    I'd been using CR for a little while now, but they keep not having what I want to watch so I might actually go back to torrenting at this rate.

    I'd been using CR for a little while now, but they keep not having what I want to watch so I might actually go back to torrenting at this rate.

    10 votes
    1. [4]
      cfabbro
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Between CrunchyRoll, Funimation, Netflix, Hulu, etc... I can usually "legitimately" find the anime I want to watch so long as its not too old, brand new or obscure... but yeah, I still have to...

      Between CrunchyRoll, Funimation, Netflix, Hulu, etc... I can usually "legitimately" find the anime I want to watch so long as its not too old, brand new or obscure... but yeah, I still have to torrent a fair amount too. Anime is far, far more accessible in the West than it ever used to be, but unfortunately piracy and fansubs are still often the only option (other than spending an absolute fortune on imported physical media, that is). This is also especially true of Japanese/Chinese/Korean shows that aren't anime (e.g. Gaki No Tsukai). I also wish Manga would catch up in terms of English availability too, since they still usually require tracking down torrents or downloading off fan translation sites.

      10 votes
      1. [2]
        Emerald_Knight
        Link Parent
        Movie availability is usually nil. I can typically get by without pirating the content I want to watch, but when a movie is essential to the timeline of a series, piracy more often than not ends...

        Movie availability is usually nil. I can typically get by without pirating the content I want to watch, but when a movie is essential to the timeline of a series, piracy more often than not ends up being the only option.

        8 votes
        1. clerical_terrors
          Link Parent
          I suppose you could always pay the premium for a DVD or a Blu-ray but who has that kind of money to burn on movies you might never watch again?

          I suppose you could always pay the premium for a DVD or a Blu-ray but who has that kind of money to burn on movies you might never watch again?

          4 votes
      2. clerical_terrors
        Link Parent
        I know that a lot of issues with streaming services come down to licensing being an antiquated waste of red tape, but it's just frustrating to go to Crunchyroll because you want to watch a popular...

        I know that a lot of issues with streaming services come down to licensing being an antiquated waste of red tape, but it's just frustrating to go to Crunchyroll because you want to watch a popular anime, only to find out there's no legal way in your region to watch it. I'm not big on defending piracy as some kind of positive good, but CR and other companies remain unable to address the service problem as far as I'm concerned.

        3 votes
  2. what
    Link
    I use the fantastic Anyme app on Android. It integrates really nicely with MAL, and lets you stream from various websites directly in the app. I’ve used CR in the past, and would love to use a...

    I use the fantastic Anyme app on Android. It integrates really nicely with MAL, and lets you stream from various websites directly in the app.

    I’ve used CR in the past, and would love to use a service that supports studios while streaming, but at this point, I feel that CR is a shitty service that only survives because there’s no competitors.

    8 votes
  3. [3]
    Whom
    Link
    I have access to Crunchyroll, Netflix, and other legal sources...but they're so far outmatched by the convenience (and quality ofc) I get by torrenting that I do that anyway. I don't have any...

    I have access to Crunchyroll, Netflix, and other legal sources...but they're so far outmatched by the convenience (and quality ofc) I get by torrenting that I do that anyway. I don't have any ethical issues with piracy, so it's my main way to go. I'll only ever use the legal sources I have access to if I want to use something like a Chromecast or AppleTV, though even then Web Video Caster from a pirate site is probably a better option.

    5 votes
    1. [2]
      IffyBog
      Link Parent
      Two questions. Do you use a vpn when pirating? Do you mind sharing where to pirate from?

      Two questions.
      Do you use a vpn when pirating?
      Do you mind sharing where to pirate from?

      1. Whom
        Link Parent
        I do now, though anime is one of the things where you have to care the least about if you're using one or not. Still, I don't torrent if I don't have access to a VPN, but I'm particularly paranoid...

        I do now, though anime is one of the things where you have to care the least about if you're using one or not. Still, I don't torrent if I don't have access to a VPN, but I'm particularly paranoid about that kind of thing. You should also be able to get away with DDL if you don't care about quality options and focus on airing anime.

        Nyaa is the default place to go for anime torrents if you don't have access to private trackers. I wouldn't go around asking for links, though, since this site seems to take the stance of it being okay to talk about, but not okay to share links to or actively participate in piracy somehow through the site.

        3 votes
  4. Cleb
    Link
    My internet is not modern, to say the least, and when I try to stream things I often end up having to wait for something to buffer multiple times and it just ends up being irritating rather than...

    My internet is not modern, to say the least, and when I try to stream things I often end up having to wait for something to buffer multiple times and it just ends up being irritating rather than entertaining. I torrent for convenience and don't really have any qualms with piracy either. I am also just someone who is comforted by having a hard copy/file of something on my device instead of having it streamed to me.

    5 votes
  5. [7]
    eve
    Link
    Now I use vrv because my brother has an account. Previously I would use random anime streaming sites with no particular preference as they would go down relatively quickly. I'm glad that I get to...

    Now I use vrv because my brother has an account. Previously I would use random anime streaming sites with no particular preference as they would go down relatively quickly. I'm glad that I get to use a legit streaming service now mostly because the quality is so much better and it streams so well.

    5 votes
    1. [6]
      cfabbro
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      How is VRV anyways? It's not available in Canada yet, but that's never stopped me before. ;) I am just curious if it's really worth the extra cost and effort to get over just my regular...

      How is VRV anyways? It's not available in Canada yet, but that's never stopped me before. ;) I am just curious if it's really worth the extra cost and effort to get over just my regular Crunchyroll sub.

      edit: Oh crap, I didn't realize VRV had both Cruchyroll and Funimation in the same package! So even at $10/mo VRV would actually save me money since I am currently paying for both services separately.

      2 votes
      1. [5]
        eve
        Link Parent
        I enjoy it! I think that the amount of other channels available is really nice. There's a lot of cool shows I've been able to watch or that I want to watch that I otherwise wouldn't be able to,...

        I enjoy it! I think that the amount of other channels available is really nice. There's a lot of cool shows I've been able to watch or that I want to watch that I otherwise wouldn't be able to, like French animated shows, that make it worth it. It's a good way to broaden horizons and sample other types of animation.

        2 votes
        1. [4]
          cfabbro
          Link Parent
          Ah neat. Got any non-English/non-Japanese animated show recommendations? I am always down for broadening my horizons. p.s. I edited my last comment before I noticed your reply here. I will...

          Ah neat. Got any non-English/non-Japanese animated show recommendations? I am always down for broadening my horizons.

          p.s. I edited my last comment before I noticed your reply here. I will definitely be getting VRV since I didn't realize it included Crunchyroll and Funimation in the same package which I am currently subbed to separately. So thanks for saving me $3/mo by reminding me to look in to VRV. ;)

          1 vote
          1. [3]
            eve
            Link Parent
            Haha no problem! And the most recent one I've watched is Lastman (there's gore, sexual nudity, etc.). It's a French animated show, and I really enjoy the style and the story. They have both subbed...

            Haha no problem! And the most recent one I've watched is Lastman (there's gore, sexual nudity, etc.). It's a French animated show, and I really enjoy the style and the story. They have both subbed and dubbed and the dubbed has really good voice actors.

            1 vote
            1. [2]
              cfabbro
              Link Parent
              I normally only go with dubs if there is no other option or it's especially well done (e.g. Studio Ghibli films). Looking at a quick trailer for Lastman, the voice acting actually seems pretty...

              I normally only go with dubs if there is no other option or it's especially well done (e.g. Studio Ghibli films). Looking at a quick trailer for Lastman, the voice acting actually seems pretty good though, so I might give it a try even if the French is slightly better. Thanks for the recommendation, it looks pretty interesting and the art style pretty great too, so I will definitely check it out.

              Is it all about boxing or is that just the initial premise for how the characters meet? The trailer I watched didn't show much and the synopsis on imdb is pretty vague so it's hard to tell what the show is really about.

              1. eve
                Link Parent
                Boxing is integral to it, in the way that it progresses the story. But there are larger, mystical/magical elements that over-arch the entire show. The show does a good job at revealing information...

                Boxing is integral to it, in the way that it progresses the story. But there are larger, mystical/magical elements that over-arch the entire show. The show does a good job at revealing information at a good pace without being too vague. Like you don't really know what's going on in the first episode but the intrigue is radical. So it's hard to summarize without giving away a fair bit of information.

                1 vote
  6. Maltaia
    Link
    I used to use a mixture of Crunchyroll and Netflix, but recently I started torrenting. I was never really satisfied with Crunchyroll's service and selection, and I wasn't pleased with how some of...

    I used to use a mixture of Crunchyroll and Netflix, but recently I started torrenting. I was never really satisfied with Crunchyroll's service and selection, and I wasn't pleased with how some of the Netflix releases (e.g. Violet Evergarden) were really delayed in the US. I try to buy blu-rays when an anime stands out, but I feel like between the fansubbers and the selection, the experience is better.

    3 votes
  7. [4]
    Zeph
    Link
    TPB/KAT for older anime that's still running since I can grab entire seasons BAKABT for previous anime that have finished NYAA for currently airing anime

    TPB/KAT for older anime that's still running since I can grab entire seasons

    BAKABT for previous anime that have finished

    NYAA for currently airing anime

    3 votes
    1. [3]
      clerical_terrors
      Link Parent
      I really need to put in the effort and get someone to vouch me into BAKABT sometime.

      I really need to put in the effort and get someone to vouch me into BAKABT sometime.

      2 votes
      1. mackthelife
        Link Parent
        Invites for the site are hard to come by these days, but you can interview on their IRC for an account. It's not as intimidating as it sounds, so it should actually be pretty easy to get in if you...

        Invites for the site are hard to come by these days, but you can interview on their IRC for an account. It's not as intimidating as it sounds, so it should actually be pretty easy to get in if you want to.

        2 votes
      2. Randomacts
        Link Parent
        It is really crazy to me still that bakabt is a closed tracker and even desired. Back in the day you only needed to sign up to search and at some point they went private. Bakabt isn't even the...

        It is really crazy to me still that bakabt is a closed tracker and even desired. Back in the day you only needed to sign up to search and at some point they went private. Bakabt isn't even the best anime private tracker and I would consider that as animebytes but it might be easier for you to get into Bakabt via the interview unless you are already part of other private trackers.

        Edit: lmfao I didn't realize how old this post was. Sorry about that but hopefully you got into the site via the interview.

        1 vote
  8. Bas
    Link
    Private trackers here (so torrents). As far as anime trackers go I've been using AnimeTorrents and BakaBT so far (still waiting on the day I can get into AnimeBytes). I have a seedbox set up with...

    Private trackers here (so torrents). As far as anime trackers go I've been using AnimeTorrents and BakaBT so far (still waiting on the day I can get into AnimeBytes). I have a seedbox set up with Sonarr, Radarr and Jackett for all my automation needs (only for renaming files and grabbing new episodes of running shows, I manually pick releases of finished shows based on video, audio and subtitle quality) and use Plex as my media server. I'm planning on adding rclone with 2 unlimited Google Drive accounts to that but I haven't run out of space yet and am still seeding everything I've downloaded. I'm still fairly new to the whole private tracker and seedbox scene, but it's already turned into quite a big a hobby of mine and I have most of my Plan To Watch list already downloaded and ready to be watched. I don't even have a whole lot of time to watch anime anymore but I absolutely love the convenience for when I do and as a software developer I'm definitely planning on automating more in the future.

    3 votes
  9. musa_totter
    Link
    I'm mostly sticking to legal sources, namely Netflix, FunimationNow, Amazon, and a free Crunchyroll account. (In case you don't know it, https://because.moe is a great resource for finding legal...

    I'm mostly sticking to legal sources, namely Netflix, FunimationNow, Amazon, and a free Crunchyroll account. (In case you don't know it, https://because.moe is a great resource for finding legal streaming sources!) My backlog is growing quickly enough that it's not really holding me back. (I've also slowed down a lot as school has started.) If a movie, OVA, or special for a series I'm watching isn't available on one of those, I'll find a slightly less legal streaming site just for that. I don't find torrenting very convenient, and I'm not 100% sure what would happen if my ISP sent a letter to my parents who own the internet connection.

    2 votes
  10. mrbig
    Link
    Crunchyroll and Netflix.

    Crunchyroll and Netflix.

    2 votes
  11. Empyreal
    Link
    I watch everything via my NVIDIA Sheild. Plex for my personal collection, and then Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, etc. The NVIDIA Shield is an awesome device. I purchase as well as torrent what I put...

    I watch everything via my NVIDIA Sheild. Plex for my personal collection, and then Netflix, Hulu, Crunchyroll, etc. The NVIDIA Shield is an awesome device.

    I purchase as well as torrent what I put on my Plex. If I'm checking it out, I torrent. If I love it, I buy it.

    1 vote
  12. [2]
    Hopesedge
    Link
    I just stream it on 9anime, I would use other sources but honestly so much anime is fansubbed and isn't actually watchable online, and since I've watched most of the "big and popular" anime I'm...

    I just stream it on 9anime, I would use other sources but honestly so much anime is fansubbed and isn't actually watchable online, and since I've watched most of the "big and popular" anime I'm now watching those more obscure titles. Detective Conan is a good example, Crunchyroll and Netflix only have a few episodes (~200) of the over 900 there are. Now I'm just used to using 9anime for all my anime, though I have Netflix and will watch series on there if it's available (like Seven Deadly Sins).

    1. clerical_terrors
      Link Parent
      Another streaming site? It feels like these pop up and disappear by the year at this point...

      Another streaming site? It feels like these pop up and disappear by the year at this point...

  13. Jealot
    Link
    Torrents. I don't like streaming sites, they're not as convenient as having it on my PC available at any time.

    Torrents. I don't like streaming sites, they're not as convenient as having it on my PC available at any time.

  14. Randomacts
    Link
    I basically get all my stuff from animebytes including airing unless it isn't on there for some reason. For airing anime sometimes the bot bugs and doesn't grab the smaller fansub releases right...

    I basically get all my stuff from animebytes including airing unless it isn't on there for some reason. For airing anime sometimes the bot bugs and doesn't grab the smaller fansub releases right away but I normally just use rss auto download through qbittorent snag it when airing stuff is uploaded. If it isn't on animebytes I grab it off nyaa as that is the hub of the anime torrent world anyways but stuff is slower than private trackers.

    Perhaps one day we will get official releases that beat the ease and quality of torrenting kind of like we have with steam and I do not torrent games because of steam but as of now torrenting is better in both quality and ease of playback.

    Oh and I throw it all into my plex server so I can play it on all of my devices without any hassle.

  15. guts
    Link
    Just these last days i have been using Anyme app and highly recommended, i used to watch on VRV and Crunchy Roll and moved back again to torrents and streaming sites.

    Just these last days i have been using Anyme app and highly recommended, i used to watch on VRV and Crunchy Roll and moved back again to torrents and streaming sites.

  16. maze
    Link
    My local library has a great collection. So I'm working through that, then ordering more from other local libraries that they're partnered with.

    My local library has a great collection. So I'm working through that, then ordering more from other local libraries that they're partnered with.

  17. JacobM33
    Link
    I used to use Crunchyroll but since they lost the partnership with funimation I've gone solely to torrenting because I mainly watch older stuff and that isn't legally available

    I used to use Crunchyroll but since they lost the partnership with funimation I've gone solely to torrenting because I mainly watch older stuff and that isn't legally available

  18. [2]
    Foreground_World
    Link
    I import the entire Blu-Ray collection and watch them on my 4K TV. Nah J/K I usually torrent for best quality since I'm poor and watch them using VLC on my computer.

    I import the entire Blu-Ray collection and watch them on my 4K TV. Nah J/K I usually torrent for best quality since I'm poor and watch them using VLC on my computer.

    1. Randomacts
      Link Parent
      You are still using VLC? I strongly suggest moving onto something mpv based and you will have a much better experience. https://mpv.io/ https://www.smplayer.info/ Another noteworthy option is...

      You are still using VLC? I strongly suggest moving onto something mpv based and you will have a much better experience.

      https://mpv.io/
      https://www.smplayer.info/

      Another noteworthy option is Plex's Plex Media Player on desktops is powered by mpv so it actually works pretty damn well but that is a whole setup that you may or may not want to do.

      You will want to add

      --profile=gpu-hq

      In the config file on mpv but there really isn't much else that needs to be done.

      https://mpv.io/manual/stable/#gpu-renderer-options

  19. annadane
    Link
    Very carefully.

    Very carefully.

    3 votes