The anime and manga publishing powerhouse that is Viz Media has recently released a select few anime classics on YouTube for fans to watch for free. While many anime fans are certain to have watched a series or two on the list, this is the perfect time to catch up on all the other hits you may have missed.
The anime-viewing experience has transformed radically over the decades, from being traditionally available primarily through live television programming to becoming widely available through a variety of streaming platforms. Even then, YouTube has yet to become as big of a name in reliably viewing anime, but that may be about to change.
Of the many series that Viz Media owns the rights to, it has made full episodes for Inuyasha, Death Note, Mr. Osomatsu, Sailor Moon, Naruto, and Hunter x Hunter available to watch on YouTube for free. The episodes are all organized into playlists by series, each with original Japanese audio and English subtitles. Most of these series are available in their entirety, even with their episode counts reaching the hundreds. Mr. Osomatsu is the only series without its full run of episodes available for free.
For anime newbies, this is a great opportunity to try out different iconic anime series without a subscription to any of the numerous streaming platforms. Although, only fans of subbed anime will be able to take full advantage of this exciting occasion. This could represent a shift in anime streaming options, especially if Viz Media continues to release full episodes of other popular anime series on YouTube or if other anime and manga publishing companies follow suit.
Viz Media has certainly picked some undeniable anime hits to release full episodes of for free and even anime veterans are sure to flock to YouTube for their viewing pleasure. There’s certainly something for every anime fan, from the Shonen aficionados to the Bishoujo enthusiasts. Feel free to binge all 37 episodes of the psychological mystery, Death Note, or the first two seasons of the light family-comedy, Mr. Osomatsu.
As popular as these series may be, they haven’t captured the heart of every anime fan and some may hope to see other series become available on YouTube in the future. Additionally, Naruto is a series known for its filler, and out of the 220 available episodes, many fans consider almost half of them to be filler. Still, Viz Media’s release of several hit series on YouTube may be a step in the right direction for broadening anime streaming accessibility.
Source: Kotaku