Analyse the growth and transformation of the anime industry in North America alongside the increasing accessibility of anime streaming. From disjointed episodes uploaded to YouTube in parts, to illegal fan-subbing websites, to today’s officially licensed streaming sites like Crunchyroll and Netflix, how and where fans watch anime has drastically changed. Examine the ways this has impacted anime’s popularity (and vice-versa) as well as the viewer experience. How has it affected shows that are not licensed to streaming services? What happens when a service fails (see: Amazon’s Anime Strike)?
Anime streaming has been a contentious topic for a long time because in the early days, most if not all of it was illegal. Since watching the streaming videos was easier than buying the licensed product, the anime studios both in Japan and the US lost tons of money, and some people in the anime industry have even given whole panels at cons explaining about the perils of streaming. A lot of the policies of legal streaming sites like Crunchyroll--as well as the new technique of simuldubbing--were developed to deter illegal streaming or make it less profitable. – Debs5 years ago
Thanks @Debs! That makes a lot of sense. If you have any recommended sources that talk about this, let me know. I wonder if I can find any sources that talk about why some illegal sites have remained, despite the prevalence of legal streaming? – Eden5 years ago