The demand for anime is growing among consumers, and hence many streaming services are providing anime programs to their clients. KissAnime happens to be one of those platforms that quickly attracted so many fans of animated productions. However, its interesting business and aftermath shutdown also raised quite a few questions of whether this kind of website is safe and lawful to use. In this article, the reader will be introduced to KissAnime, get to know sites similar to it, and get answers to crucial questions about its usage.
What is KissAnime?
KissAnime is a website with a lot of anime shows and movies to watch, and everything is free. It can be considered one of the most popular sites which started early from 2010 due to its large library, easy access, and it did not ask for an account or paid subscription to watch anime. The website was available in res, and HD, and presented both dubbed and subbed popular shows.
Before 2017, technically speaking, KissAnime was operating in a rather gray area by providing the users with content, all without actual licensing rights. It was the go-to source which most people relied on to get their Anime fix if either they were not financially strong enough to pay for anime streaming services or anime streaming was not available in their respective countries. But because of copyright-related issues, the drastic growth that KissAnime received over the years has forced it to shut down.
Best Alternatives to Watch Anime
Here are the Lists of the kissanime alternatives Top 3 Legal alternative of KissAnime:-
1. Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is one of the legal sites where users can enjoy anime with a huge amount of authorized content, ranging from anime, to series, films, and even some manga to choose from.
Crunchyroll simplified has two levels when it comes to users: free and premium. Crunchyroll is available in many languages so that it reaches out to anime lovers in every nook and corner of the world.
2. Netflix
Netflix is a new hero for the world of anime streaming with an increasingly growing catalog of anime series and films. Thus, from the famous mainstream anime series, such as Naruto, Fullmetal Alchemist, or Dragon Ball Super, and from the original Netfest series, including Devilman Crybaby or Castlevania, Netflix offers for the broad masses a diversified series of anime.
As it can be observed, one of the strengths is that Netflix is compatible with devices which range from mobile phones to big screen televisions. It also boasts high-quality streaming and thus makes it one of the best platforms of streaming for those having a huge concern over the picture and sound quality.
3. TubiTV
TubiTV is a free ad-supported service streaming TV and movies, with a pretty good-sized amount of anime available. A fairly comparable service would be Crunchyroll, or possibly Netflix, though TubiTV has a decently good amount. It is an ad-supported application, so users can watch their favorite anime free of charge, though there will be commercials from time to time.
TubiTV has a user interface available for web browsers, smartphones, and smart TVs so fans who do not wish to subscribe monthly or annually to other sites can enjoy the anime. Of course it may not be up to date with the newest releases but TubiTV should suffice those who want to watch nostalgic anime and popular anime.
Do I Need a VPN for KissAnime?
During its years of activity, KissAnime received tons of questions from users. Among the popular ones was whether the site requires a VPN. A VPN is a mechanism through which one can browse the internet using a new IP address and all the connections being made over the internet are encrypted. Many users used VPN for KissAnime for different reasons.
KissAnime is probably the most infamous name as it was banned or restricted in several countries. In more technical terms, owing to a VPN, users could change their IP address so that it would resemble that of a country where the website was accessible. It’s also good to know that even though you are using a VPN to access KissAnime, you are not protected in totality, or specifically, this site is not legal to use. Always be cautious of new Streaming Service Providers that are not related to the law.
Is KissAnime Legal in India?
KissAnime is a pirate site and was strictly prohibited in India as well as in most legal territories of the world. It didn’t carry a license, thus making it erase anime content that was illegal under copyright. This video sharing is prohibited in India as in many other parts of the world since it infringes the rights of copyright on any form of media content.
KissAnime was banned in several Indian ISPs for copyright infringement or violation of the copyright law. Many users tried to bypass it by using VPNs, but the fact was not making the site legal. Watching contents on KissAnime itself wasn’t exactly unlawful, since users themselves were not hosting these contents. Still, getting these downloads is an easy way to attain such material; the consumer, however, is likely liable for her actions when brought to the attention of law enforcement agents or copyright owners.
Of course, it’s much wiser and less sinful to watch anime through such legal services, such as Crunchyroll, Netflix, or others that have a license for anime distribution in certain countries.
Why Was KissAnime Shut Down?
KissAnime went dark at the end of August 2020 and left millions of anime enthusiasts frustrated. It was a result of several years of legal pressure put upon the website by its copyright owners and respective governments. The final nail in the coffin came when Japan literally implemented some new rules to battle online piracy and to continue safeguarding anime artists’ rights.
The laws that came in 2021 targeted not only the websites that hosted the pirated content but also those who had links to the same content. Would it be naive to think that one of the largest piracy sources established for anime would remain unscathed – KissAnime felt the blow. The website administrators posted that the site would remain permanently closed and all the files as well as anime content pulled off of the servers.
The disappearance of KissAnime became a significant win because it meant that piracy could no longer thrive within the anime industry and began to protect the people that fuel the industry, from script writers to animators to voice actors. While some whined that it’s no longer possible to watch anime for free, it was refreshing to hear that illegal downloads hinder the production of new, quality anime shows.
Is KissAnime Safe to Use?
No restrictions were in place for the KissAnime that may have safeguarded the audiences from the improper material and even had the content completely tampered with. Each time the audience allowed their curiosity to get ahead of them and clicked on certain ads or links, they were possibly exposing their data to others or being infected with a virus.
These reasons indicate that KissAnime could never be considered the site it is safe to use. Although the site avails itself as a platform for offering free anime streaming, it is surrounded by a lot of danger factors which out factor the advantage. Now there are a lot of safe and legal sites to watch anime shows and movies much better than kissanime.
Conclusion
KissAnime is an anime site that was highly used, although it was considered a pirated site because it provided free downloads for quite many Anime series. Although it had millions of users around the world, the site was unlawful, and through copyright infringement, it was closed. Sadly, it closed the chapter for many anime fans, but it also led to more official streaming sites to pop up.
To you anime enthusiasts who would like to know the ways about watching your favorite cartoon legally and safely, Crunchyroll and Netflix, and also TubiTV provide a pretty good array of anime material. Apart from services in promoting the business of anime, it also provides an improved and safe means to stream anime.
Meanwhile, we can only bid farewell to a service like KissAnime, not switching to it, but choosing legal sites that respect the authors and provide a more positive experience.
