There’s so many streaming platforms today to choose from to watch our favourite shows and some of us use them to stream our favourite anime.

From Crunchyroll, Funimation, and even Netflix, these services bring the bulk of new shows to the world, along with an array of older titles. However, there’s not many that offers free streaming. Some do offer free 1 month trial but you’re going to have to pay after the trial is over.

But anime fans, don’t fret as there is another way for you to stream your favourite anime for free. Thirty Japanese animation studios including Toei Animation, Nippon Animation, Shin-Ei Animation, and Tezuka Productions have joined forces in order to launch Animelog. This will be a new YouTube channel that will allow users to stream various anime titles free of charge.

With the closure of major anime piracy site Kissanime, people are looking for other platforms to stream their anime for free. Though I understand the need for a free platform as many can’t afford a month subscription, I wouldn’t encourage piracy as it makes sense to monetise those unlicensed shows and Animelog doesn’t represent the radical shake-up to the industry that some claim.

So what’s coming up Animelog? There’s a lot to choose from including some fan favourite classics such Hayao Miyazaki’s directorial debut Future Boy Conan (image at top) and the Tezuka manga adaptation Black Jack. The 1980 remake of Tezuka’s pioneering Astro Boy and Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata’s 3,000 Leagues in Search of Mother are also set to join the new platform. The stated goal is for 30 companies to provide 3,000 titles within two years, clocking up 300 million views per month.

For now, Animelog is only accessible in Japan so unless you can speak Japanese, you may not be able to understand but don’t worry as there are plans to add subtitles, including English and Chinese. It’s worth noting that Animelog is by no means an exclusively Japanese venture. It was launched by Analyzelog, a digital solutions company formed in 2018 with backing from U.S.

So are you guys excited for the news? What anime are you looking most forward to watching on the new platform?