How To Watch Anime In India (5 Best Sites)

From discussing whether anime is illegal in India to revealing the 5 best anime websites, this is the YOUR guide to watching anime in India.

A huge fan of anime, but can’t figure out how to watch it in India?

Don’t know which sites are the best to get your daily dose of anime from?

Concerned about potential legal implications over streaming anime in India?

Well then, you’ve come to the right blog post!

I’ll reveal to you how you can easily catch your favourite anime shows in India…

FROM the comfort of your home

WITHOUT needing any VPN’s or anything, and

WITHOUT worrying about legal troubles.

By the time you’re done reading through this post, you’ll know how to watch Naruto, Itachi, and the rest of your fav anime characters in India.

Is watching anime banned in India?

The short answer is: NO, it isn’t.

You can watch Shin-chan in India just like you can watch Chhota Bheem.

However, as with perhaps every real-world issue, it’s a bit more complicated than that.

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Shin-chan was in fact banned in India in 2008, over certain content that was considered unsuitable for young children.

The show was edited and the offending portions removed or replaced with more age and culture appropriate content, and the Censor Board allowed it to be broadcast.

The conclusion: Watching anime in general is definitely not banned in India, however certain shows or certain versions of shows (with inappropriate content) may not be available for viewing.

The issue with watching anime in India

While anime is NOT illegal in India, it doesn’t feature in the broadcasting lineup of most mainstream media in India.

Or, to put it another way,you won’t find a lot of (in fact you won’t find any) anime on Indian TV channels or movies.

Does that mean it’s over? Even though it’s not illegal, you can’t access anime in India?

Nope.

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Catch anime the same way you catch classic, offbeat and all other kinds of high quality content - OTT and streaming websites.

Which brings us to the top 5 websites to watch anime in India.

Netflix

Yes, good old Netflix does have a good library of anime content.

While it’s definitely not the largest library, it has some of the best American and Japanese anime shows like Altered Carbon, Baki, Devilman’s Cry Baby, Dragon’s Dogma, The 7 Seven Deadly Sins, and a lot more.

You should know that Netflix has teamed up with a few anime production houses for original anime content.

Is it free? Unfortunately not. However, they do offer a free trial through which you can check out if their anime offerings are worth a paid subscription.

Visit the Netflix website (anime section)

Crunchyroll

Ask any anime veteran about watching anime, and chances are their first response will be Crunchyroll.

One of the biggest producers and distributors of anime and manga in the world, you can find almost every famous anime in it, like Bleach, Hunter × Hunter, Naruto and One Piece.

It even has its own anime award show!

It offers a smooth viewing experience and you’ll enjoy watching anime on it.

Is it free? There’s a free version with ads, and a paid version that’s ad-free

Visit the Crunchyroll website

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Tubi TV

Tubi is well-known as a purveyor of quality movies and TV shows, so it’s no wonder they have a well-stocked anime collection.

From the user-experience POV, their streaming and site quality (as in loading and other aspects) is quite good.

Among the titles you can catch on Tubi TV are Jin-Roh, Street Fighters and Yukikaze.

Is it free? Tubi is one hundred percent FREE. It’s completely ad-supported and there is no subscription plan. So, it’s not like you’re missing out on premium features by using it to view anime for free.

Visit the Tubi TV website (anime section)

CONtv

As you may have guessed from the name (the “CON” is a reference to Comic Con), CONtv is a site that’s dedicated to featuring comics, katana, anime and other such types of entertainment.

You can watch it directly from India, and catch a glimpse of classics like Mononoke, Samurai Troopers, and Street Fighter.

HOWEVER, if you use a VPN, you can access its US catalogue which has a much larger collection for you to browse and choose from!

Is it free? Just like with Crunchyroll, there’s a free version with ads, and a paid version that’s ad-free.

Note: Please note that you have to create an account to watch their content. It’s free, but you have to create it.

Visit the CONtv website

Anime Planet

Anime Planet is yet another website on which you can watch anime for free in India.

They have a huge library of content for you to choose from. And the entire library is accessible without a VPN.

Some of their most popular titles are Hikari: Be My Light, Pokemon, and Naruto.

In addition to anime, they also have manga.

Is it free? Yes. You can just go to the site and watch your favourite anime, but if you create a free account, your viewing experience may be a lot better.

Visit the Anime Planet website (viewing anime online)

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Watching anime in India - a final word

To sum up, it is completely legal to watch anime in India. However, actually accessing the content may prove a bit difficult, especially to newbies, as most of the mainstream Indian media doesn't carry it.

This is where OTT websites come in.

From traditional sites like Netflix to niche ones like Crunchyroll, and other visual entertainment sites like Tubi TV and CONtv, there are many options for you to get your daily fix of anime from.