What are the best streaming platforms for watching anime?

Our list for clarity!

During our manga drawing classes, a recurring question comes up: Where can students watch their favorite anime? What are the best sites? There are many options available to watch anime streaming online, but it can be difficult to know which one to choose from in view of the ocean of sites that broadcast them. That’s why we present you a top 3 of the best offers with their advantages and disadvantages to help you make your choice. In this article, we will only focus on platforms that offer free subscriptions (limited or unlimited), failing to advertise for mastodons such as Netflix or Amazon Prime. 

Comparison criteria

Before starting the ranking, we will list the comparison criteria that allowed us to remove 3 sites from the lot. Here they are: 

1. Location:  Some sites are only accessible to certain regions or countries. It is important to choose a site that is accessible worldwide in order to access the content or if you travel frequently, for example. If you are a VPN holder, this point is anecdotal.  
2. Ease of use: A site with a good interface and smooth navigation will make the experience more enjoyable for the user. A good interface should make you want to dive into the catalog and facilitate the viewing of your favorite anime. 
3. Video quality: Even if some sites offer the highest quality anime viewing via their paid format, the basic quality must be suitable. A degraded image to curb the experience and emotions that a good series provides. 
4. Several versions: A good streaming site presents the original version in Japanese, but also dubbed or subtitled versions in other languages. 

Anime Digital Network (ADN)

Link: https://animationdigitalnetwork.fr/

Anime Digital Network is a French streaming platform that offers a large catalogue of anime, including the most popular novelties like One Punch Man, Boruto, One Piece, Fire Force and My Hero Academia, as well as 80’s and 90’s classics like Albator, Cobra, City Hunter, Captain Tsubasa, Cat’s Eye, and Nana. So you have something for everyone!   The service is well organized and easy to use on the web, Apple TV and Android TV. However, the smartphone search function can be improved. It is also important to note that 1080p quality is only available with a paid subscription. This formula offers an attractive price of 6.99 euros per month or 59.99 euros per year. Although ADN is an option to consider for the most popular and recent works, it is not always powered as quickly as Cruchyroll, the platform we will discuss below. Another negative point, the free version of the platform offers a reduced catalogue choice.

Comparison Table:

CRUNCHYROLL    

Link: https://www.crunchyroll.com/fr

Crunchyroll is an American streaming service created in 2006, which dominates the market of online anime broadcasting worldwide. With the recent acquisition of Wakanim (which will occupy the 3rd place in our ranking), it offers a rich and varied catalog. Crunchyroll is available on the website, on smartphone, Chromecast and Android TV, with an easy-to-use interface, even if it is not always very aesthetic and more clutter. Crunchyroll offers many recent series, with each episode available an hour after its release in Japan (which remains very fast), as well as older works in 1080p (except for some titles). From a resolution point of view, the site broadcasts in 480p in free version, which remains pleasant. It is possible to subscribe to Crunchyroll from 4.99 euros per month, but it is important to note that the offline viewing feature is only available from 6.49 euros per month. In conclusion, Cruchyroll is at the top of the ranking from a point of view of the proposed catalogue, but is not the most “userfriendly” platform as we say in the Web jargon.

Comparison Table:

Wakanim 

Link: https://www.wakanim.tv/fr/v2

Wakanim is a French streaming service (one more!) that offers a monthly subscription for 5 euros to access a catalogue of unlimited content, with a free 14-day trial. That is why we are still including it in our list. It also allows you to view each episode free of charge 30 days after its release in exchange for viewing an ad before the video starts and with a limit of 100 minutes between each viewing. However, its catalog is less than that of other similar services such as ADN or Crunchyroll. Recently, Wakanim announced its progressive merger with Crunchyroll, one of the industry leaders, which should increase the variety of content available on the platform. This merger should change the site’s policy.

Comparison Table:

 Maybe you will have a crush on a universe or the characters of one of these series, in which case there is nothing better than taking a comic book/manga drawing class to learn how to draw it and share your interests. Apolline offers courses in Lausanne, Morges, Montreux, Bienne and Delémont. And to deepen your knowledge even more intensely, you can participate in the comic/manga drawing vacation camps that take place all over French-speaking Switzerland during the school vacations!

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