Anime is becoming more and more popular with global audiences. With so many series to watch, it can be tempting to use a free website like GoGoAnime to binge your favorites. However, doing this isn’t legal or safe.
What is GoGoAnime?
GoGoAnime is a website allowing visitors to stream popular anime series for free. It does not require users to register to use the service. The website has gone through a number of URL changes in the past to avoid being shut down. Incorrect URLs can lead to risky web pages.
What are the Risks of Using GoGoAnime?
To start, GoGoAnime can put your computer at high risk for viruses. The site is littered with ads, and clicking on the wrong one can infect your PC. Many of the advertisements are for adult websites, and even clicking in an area that looks safe can open an unwanted page. Adblock does not fully remove ads from the site.
Some countries, like India, have banned access to GoGoAnime for promoting piracy.
Anime studios have not given their consent to GoGoAnime to host their works. Legal streaming sites, like Crunchyroll and Funimation, pay fees to anime studios in order to stream their content. This money helps the industry to thrive. Whenever someone watches pirated content, studios and creators lose out on real money. By supporting legal streaming sites, production companies will be encouraged to increase their budgets. This means that they will be able to pay their animators and staff a higher salary.
Creating an anime series is no easy task. Animators, writers, translators, and other staff members work incredibly hard to bring a story to life. While it may be tempting to download a show for free, think about the people behind the scenes. Watching an anime series legally shows them respect and ensures that they are compensated for their work.
Where to Watch Anime Legally
It’s easy to find a legal place to watch anime in 2022. More shows are being licensed every day, and some series are even (legally) being streamed for free!
Crunchyroll is the most popular anime streaming site, and for good reason. The site has over 1,000 anime series and movies to watch. Recently, it was announced that Funimation titles would also be coming to Crunchyroll over the next few months. Subscriptions start at only $7.99 a month. This cost also includes simulcasts and simulpubs, so you can watch or read new content as soon as it comes out. (Yes, Crunchyroll has manga too!)
YouTube also offers some free and legal anime series. To fight piracy, several Japanese studios have begun to offer select series to international audiences for no cost. These channels include Gundaminfo, AnimeLog, Ani-One Asia, and the Crunchyroll Collection.
Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video all have sizeable anime libraries. While Netflix tends to focus on more popular series, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video each have some lesser-known series as well. A Netflix subscription costs only $9.99 a month, while Hulu is a bit cheaper at $6.99 a month. Amazon Prime Video is included in a Prime subscription for $139 a year. Those not wanting a Prime subscription can also enjoy Prime Video for only $8.99 a month.
