As at May 2025, animesite is still down: it went offline on August 2024 when the admins pulled the plug on the site. This shutdown was amid a crack is aniwave down, as several anime piracy websites have been targeted, which left fans searching for options. NAYAG Today+4NAYAG Today+4Updown Radar+4The Escapist+7Know Your Meme+7AnimeMojo. com+7
The Rise and Fall of Aniwave
9Anime / Aniwave: 9Anime, renamed to Aniwaave on 26 May 2021, was one of the popular websites to watch anime online. It achieved overnight popularity with millions of users all around the globe, thanks to the large anime series, and movies collection in its library available for streaming. But, the way it operated left many copyright holders unsatisfied as it facilitated access to licensed content without rights. X (previously Twitter)+2Techy Snoop+2Know Your Meme+2
On 27 August 2024 Aniwave users were greeted with a farewell message on the site which indicated the site had been shut down. There is a previous thread where people explain what the message means if anyone is confused by it: The message was just a message asking to use Legal streaming since Aniwave also ended with a rest in piece and link to Wiz Khalifa – See you again meaning Aniwave is over. The posting on thepiratebay.org was similar to others on other piracy platforms that were also taken down at the same time, a coordinated effort to fight illegal streaming. AnimeMojo. com+2The Escapist+2Los Angeles Times+2Los Angeles Times+1AnimeMojo. com+1
Reasons Behind the Shutdown
The closure of Aniwave is one of the overall efforts by the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) which is made up by large media companies to protect copyrights. In August 2024, ACE announced they were involved in shutting down numerous piracy sites that month, including Aniwave, as one of many actions they’ve done to combat worldwide piracy and the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted content. Los Angeles Times+1Wikipedia+1Wikipedia0 more rows
According to reports Aniwave and its partner sites were run out of Vietnam, which left them open to international enforcement. The coordinated closure sent shock waves across various sites, and millions of users were left without access in what the biggest blow to digital piracy in recent history. Los Angeles Times+3TorrentFreak+3Wikipedia+3YouTube+11YouTube+11Instagram+11
Impact on the Anime Community
When Aniwave suddenly disappeared, one of the most devastating losses to the anime streaming community. Others took to online forums and social media, in order to vent and look for solutions. Reddit threads were awash in talk of the shutdown, with some remembering the site and others suggesting alternatives. AnimeMojo. com+16NAYAG Today+16PUPUWEB+16
The shut down also rekindled the contention surrounding access to anime content, particularly in areas where legal streaming options are sparse to absent. Some fans recognised the significance of supporting the content creators via legitimate means, however others mentioned geographic restrictions and subscription fees as roadblocks. Wikipedia
Exploring Alternatives
Following Aniwave’s closure other anime fans have been looking elsewhere to watch their shows. Some of the recommended sites are:Reddit
- Anicrush. to : Provides a wide selection of Anime series with Soft Subtitles and Ads . YouTube+5AnimeMojo. com+5Wikipedia+5
- HiAnime. to: Formerly known as Zoro, this website is home to a large collection of anime content. YouTube+1Reddit+1
- 1Anime. co: Hard-subtitled anime without ads. Reddit
- 4Anime. gg: Known for the huge no of recommendation list and the easy to use interface.
AnimeOwl. live: Serves hard-subbed anime with no ads.
- AnimeParadise. moe: A self hosting site with a pretty good selection of shows but only has subs. Reddit
- Anitaku. pe: Originally called Gogoanime, this site offers different anime series. Reddit
- Gojo. wtf: Provides hard-subbed anime with no ads.
Of course, it should be mentioned that the legality and safety of these sites can be questionable and viewers must be careful when visiting them.
The Future of Anime Streaming
Aniwave shut down underlines content creators’ war on piracy. And even though there are plenty of legal streaming sites – like CrunchyRoll, Funimation, and Netflix – certain series may not be available, or affordable, depending where fans reside. This gap tends to lead users to unlicensed services. NAYAG Today+14Los Angeles Times+14IMDb+14 [‘…’] The audiences of ‘This Is Us’ and ‘Alan v. Faro’ The 10 p.m. time slot.
To support the anime industry, these accessibility issues need to be solved. Widening availability on legal streaming platforms, reasonable pricing and loosening geo-restrictions could help to bridge this gap and keep fans on the straight and narrow.
Conclusion
Aniwave shutting down was the end of an era for the countless anime fans who used their site to watch anime. It’s missing from the community but it also hopefully serves as a reminder to support content creators in legal ways. How accessibility and the law evolve of course will be much in order to keep anime that is not licensed in your country yet is known worldwide easily available to the fans!
To get to know more about the closedown of Aniwave and what it means, just click on the video below:
