YouTube Channel Streaming Free Anime Is Being Launched

A YouTube channel streaming free anime titles has been launched.

AnimelLog sees some of the biggest studios in the genre, such as Toei Animation and Kodansha, the teams behind Dragon Ball and Akira, join forces to bring their creations to the masses.

These two powerhouses have also been joined by Nippon Animation, Tezuka Productions, Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions and Shinei Animation.

According to Variety, the hope is to have some 3,000 title available to watch by 2022, with around 300 million views every month.

At the moment, the studios behind it are only targeting a localised audience, but it's understood there are plans for English subtitles to be added in the future.

Tezuka Productions

The channel was officially launched last Friday (7 August) by Analyzelog, a firm that supports digital strategies, with series including Black Jack and Future Boy Conan kicking things off.

It comes after the Association of Japanese Animations reported that last year the industry saw record growth, with earnings totaling a colossal $20 billion (£15bn). The survey also noted that streaming had also grown by 10 percent.

But with immense growth and success comes the dangers of piracy and illegal downloads, and it's claimed by industry insiders that by banding together studios are on a much more secure footing.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Analyzelog said: "There exists a problem of illegal video distribution service these days, but 'AnimeLog' will distribute only officially-licensed animations and operate as a safe channel that families can enjoy together."

Nippon Animation

Earlier this year, Netflix announced that it was uploading 21 Studio Ghibli films to its streaming service, adding them in three batches over the course of several months.

The famous Japanese animation studio is renowned worldwide for its anime feature films, which kicked off with 1984's Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind.

Studio Ghibli has gone on to create some of the highest-grossing anime films of all time including some of their more well-known flicks like Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea and Princess Mononoke.

On 1 February, the streaming site added Castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki's Delivery Service (1989), Only Yesterday (1991), Porco Rosso (1992), Ocean Waves (1993) and Tales From Earthsea (2006).

A month later (1 March), Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind (1984), Princess Mononoke (1997), My Neighbors The Yamadas (1999), Spirited Away (2001), The Cat Returns (2002), Arrietty (2010) and The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya (2013) were all added to the impressive roster.

And finally, on 1 April, Pom Poko (1994), Whisper Of The Heart (1995), Howl's Moving Castle (2004), Ponyo On The Cliff By The Sea (2008), From Up On Poppy Hill (2011), The Wind Rises (2013) and When Marnie Was There (2014) were made available.

Topics: TV and Film

Dominic Smithers

Dominic graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History. Like you, Dom has often questioned how much use a second language has been. Well, after stints working at the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express, along with never setting foot in France, he realised the answer is surprisingly little. But I guess, c'est la vie. Contact us at [email protected]

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