Anime Fans Are About to Lose Another Free Streaming Channel
Another free and legal anime streaming channel will be going offline at the end of the month. Anime Onegai is officially shuttering its free programming.
The news was shared on Anime Onegai’s official X (formerly Twitter) account in a post thanking fans for watching its programming. Translated from Spanish, the post reads: “Last day of our free channel [is] September 30th! Thank you for watching our programming. Don’t forget to keep enjoying the series from the catalog we have for you.” Anime Onegai is a legal streaming service targeted at Spanish-speaking audiences, and the loss of its free channel marks another hit for those who enjoy watching anime legally around the world.
Anime Onegai Shuts Down Its 24/7 Free Anime Streaming Channel
The target audience for Anime Onegai’s streaming network includes anime fans in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Some of the website’s most-watched series include the likes of Ouran High School Host Club, Great Teacher Onizuka, Kimi ni Todoke, Katekyo Hitman Reborn! and School Days. The website’s free streaming channel, which will be closed on Sept. 30, is available 24/7 and is in addition to its streaming service as a whole, which appears to be continuing to operate as normal even after this date.
With the loss of Anime Onegai’s 24/7 streaming channel, fans — especially in these Spanish-speaking countries — will have even fewer opportunities to watch their favorite anime series dubbed in their native language. Still, recent months have shown that anime fans around the world are getting exciting new opportunities to watch popular series, with some of the biggest streaming platforms, including HBO Max, Hulu/Disney+ and more, expanding their anime content.
Earlier this year, HBO Max struck an exclusive licensing deal with GKIDS to greatly expand its anime library, including with several hit films like Makoto Shinkai’s Your Name and Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue. Jujutsu Kaisen has also proven to be a standout performer on the streaming platform and has been performing extremely well in Latin America, including many of the countries where Anime Onegai target audience is based.
It’s unfortunate for those who are seeking to watch anime legally to be losing another free streaming channel, especially as Japan has proven in recent months that it is ramping up its anti-piracy measures when it comes to anime and manga content. A new report revealed that the country was able to successfully shut down over 80 illegal anime streaming sites by taking a surprisingly effective move: employing government-supported hackers.
Anime Onegai’s free channel will close on Sept. 30.
