Funimation and VIZ Media Provide Free Anime Via Hulu

by dtshyk
Sep 24, 2008 6:16 AM | 37 Comments

A major US video streaming service Hulu (http://www.hulu.com/) opened a free Japanese anime channel on September 23rd. Funimation, VIZ media and GONG are providing their licensed titles. Three series "NARUTO", "DEATH NOTE" and "Mushihi" are already available. Hulu is going to provide "Ikkitousen", "BLEACH", "Basilisk", "BLACK BLOOD BROTHERS", "Kiddy Grade", "Tsukuyomi -MOON PHASE-". "Peach Girl" and "School Rumble" for free. These anime are only available to US users.

Crunchyroll has been vigorously encouraging anime distributors to provide free anime, but Funimation and VIZ Media oppose to Crunchyroll's business model, which allows the illegal user-uploaded materials. Their deal with Hulu may have an intention to restrain Crunchyroll.

Source: Anime! Anime!

Edited=============
VIZ Media announced that they will provide "NARUTO", "DEATH NOTE", and "BLEACH" on a P2P video streaming service JOOST (http://www.joost.com/). The animations will be the original version aired in Japan, not the edited ones for the TV airing in US.
JOOST official blog says they keep on collecting anime, and aim to become the largest legal "original version" anime sharing web site.

Source: Anime! Anime!

20 of 37 Comments Recent Comments

But I don't use Hulu. Shit sucks.

Oct 23, 2009 12:58 PM by Hybrid00

Hulu is going to charge its user on 2010

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2354672,00.asp#

Oct 23, 2009 12:42 PM by theanimeis

dtshyk said:
These anime are only available to US users.

Well aren't I special.

Oct 9, 2008 3:38 PM by ukonkivi

Well hulu is a kick ass site since this is the legit way i can watch Heroes and other NBC shows whenever i want and they have a 720p stream also. Its streaming but you can hardly see any difference even when you see it on a 42" HDtv.

also, theeres little dots on the bottom for advertisments at the most, they're 19 to 30 seconds long. and for fucks sake what is so important in your life that you cant give up a few seconds of your time to help watching show's "legally'" get their due pay?

i swear kids these days...
looking for free stuff and they still bitch about it.
ungrateful little... (expletives)

Oct 9, 2008 3:12 PM by Ranivus

If we did...Nah, it's impossible.There's NO way.

Oct 7, 2008 6:34 PM by aqffnetlikes

CCZilla said:

Plate said:

Gin-iro said:
ads every 10 minutes

Oh, fail. I was going to watch Hitchcock Presents on Hulu but now, screw them, I'm going to torrent it.

OH NO! I have to sit through a 30 second ad like everyone else has to when these shows air on TV! Oh, woe is me! The website hates me! I'm gonna use the illegal option just to stick it to them for this one insignificant complaint!

Man, grow out of your diapers. It's one ad about every 10 minutes for a 25-minute show. Big effin' deal. I think it's a great idea. The ads are there so the site can still, I dunno, run? Some people have no patience.

Hardly anybody cares anyway. Do you seriously think everybody on this site has watched anime legally?

Oct 6, 2008 11:40 PM by Drunk_Samurai

The day I have to pay for anime is the day I stop watching.

Oct 6, 2008 3:27 PM by NewTypeX

Plate said:

Gin-iro said:
ads every 10 minutes

Oh, fail. I was going to watch Hitchcock Presents on Hulu but now, screw them, I'm going to torrent it.

Oct 6, 2008 12:21 PM by CCZilla

why are people saying they hate the ads? ads are the only way they can make money and still give us something "free". plus, the ads are only 10-30 seconds long. some people just get on my nerves when everything doesn't go their way all the time.

oh and i think its good they are fighting crunchyroll. yes they do have mods to check on uploads, but they can only take something down when a mod logs in, right? so until that mod logs in, their is illegal anime streaming--not good.

most of us torrent or watch streaming anime nowaday but change is for the better, even if it is discouraged at first.

Oct 6, 2008 8:09 AM by dabazzinator

To bad I never stream anime, but this site seems good to promote anime and for the people who think its wrong to download or stream licened anime.

Oct 5, 2008 11:24 PM by Inevitable

Interesting, just getting ready to watch School Rumble as a matter of fact.

Sep 25, 2008 9:43 PM by JTSlayer

More free, legal anime is ALWAYS a good thing! There's even a few series I want to see that got put up~

Sep 25, 2008 3:18 PM by Anomalous

THIS IS AWESOME!:D

THEY'VE FINALLY REALIZED HOW IMPORTANT WE HAVE ON THEIR BUSINESS!!!

Sep 25, 2008 2:16 PM by aqffnetlikes

LoveWifeLunch said:

babynaruto1 said:
By the way, what is the website address for Hulu?

Goddamnit just use Google. Whenever someone says to go to a website, you Google it. 95% of the time whatever you're looking for will come up.

Maybe I choose not to Google it, huh? Maybe I want to interact more with people online, ever thought of that?

*Ends this discussion*

Sep 25, 2008 10:20 AM by KidRyan

WAIT... subbed anime online? Good job. Unfortunately I live in Canada. It's certainly a good thing that they're extending some ridiculous copyright laws over here as well so that we can share these kinds of things.

I just hope I don't get sued for linking websites in the future.

Sep 25, 2008 4:16 AM by asandari

They're right about the Crunchyroll part, this is a great thing for streamers, since I download from fansubbers, I don't care tho'.

Sep 25, 2008 3:01 AM by Ilyaoh

Hulu only for US T_T
Hooray for Crunchyroll.

Sep 25, 2008 12:27 AM by zefiriss

Umandsf said:
Well, good news, I guess. Maybe I'll look at these shows that people keep talking about without having to spend any money or having a nasty devil bothering my conscience

I agree with my devil when he says to DL more anime.

This is alright, but ads every 10 minutes? Thats pretty stupid.

Sep 25, 2008 12:06 AM by Drunk_Samurai

hmm, this is quite good.

Sep 24, 2008 11:27 PM by WingsOfLight28

Gin-iro said:
ads every 10 minutes

Oh, fail. I was going to watch Hitchcock Presents on Hulu but now, screw them, I'm going to torrent it.

Sep 24, 2008 11:25 PM by Plate

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