Currently, when anime fans go online to find Animelab, they face a complicated streaming environment that has changed significantly over the last several years.
The worldwide demand for anime content continues to rise. This has created an unprecedented need for accessible, free streaming platforms that cater to a broader, cross-cultural audience.
However, this boom overlaps with a rapidly fluctuating streaming marketplace, where large companies are regularly engaged in mergers, acquisitions, and geographical reshaping that can overnight affect content offerings and access to the platform.
This guide covers the urgent question: Is AnimeLab available? We will explore the history and future of the platform, discuss the safety of anime streaming, and discover the best way to watch free anime.
What was AnimeLab?
AnimeLab was a popular streaming service that catered specifically to anime fans worldwide. Madman Entertainment launched it in 2014 ,and it swiftly acquired a huge following as a result of its large library and dedication to legal and high-quality content. They could enjoy their favorite anime here, including big titles like Attack on Titan, Naruto, and My Hero Academia.
What was so attractive about AnimeLab was that it had a dual-tier model.
It was a free, ad-supported site that offers thousands of episodes without charge. Thus, it is a great place to watch anime for free.
A paid subscription was also available for those who preferred an ad-free experience, early access to new episodes, and high-definition viewing.
This site was also easily accessible, with applications available for a variety of devices, including Android, iOS, PlayStation, and Chromecast.
Say goodbye to unofficial alternatives, stream official, safe, and free anime now!
What happened with AnimeLab & is it still available?
The clear answer is no. The AnimeLab service was officially shut down in December 2021.
The platform’s retirement resulted from a vast industry consolidation that Sony headed. Initially, it began with the merger of AnimeLab and Funimation. All of AnimeLab’s content and user base were transferred to the Funimation platform. An even more massive change followed this: Funimation itself has since been fully merged into Crunchyroll as of early 2024, with AnimeLab’s content transition. The aim was to establish a single, powerful service that would serve all anime viewers worldwide.
For users of the former AnimeLab app or Funimation, the migration was designed to be as smooth as possible, with previous log-in credentials often still working on Crunchyroll.
Where is AnimeLab content available now?
Crunchyroll has become the primary source of anime for fans worldwide. All anime initially hosted on AnimeLab, including simulcasts and major hits, is now fully accessible on Crunchyroll.
And now Crunchyroll fully operates in all countries previously served by AnimeLab, ensuring that past subscribers do not lose access to their favorite series.
Although AnimeLab no longer works as a separate streaming service, regardless of your location, whether in the US, Australia, New Zealand, or beyond, Crunchyroll is now home to AnimeLab‘s treasured titles.
Key differences and improvements of Crunchyroll
With the switch to Crunchyroll, former AnimeLab users gained very substantial improvements in their anime-viewing experience.
Expanded content library:
The huge content library that Crunchyroll has to offer is far bigger than the original AnimeLab library. The former was a more mainstream platform. However, Crunchyroll offers over 1,300 series, including classic films and niche genres, which is significantly more than what the original site offered.
Enhanced features and functionality:
The capabilities of the Crunchyroll platform are very advanced compared with those of the original AnimeLab app. Some of these new capabilities include.
- Speed and simulcasts. Crunchyroll streams newer episodes an hour after their Japanese airing.
- Multi-language support. Crunchyroll offers subtitles and dubs in languages such as English, Spanish, Portuguese, etc. This is to appeal to a more international audience than AnimeLab, which mainly did dubs in English.
- Offline viewing. Premium Crunchyroll subscribers are able to save episodes so they can watch them offline. AnimeLab did not always make this possible.
Mobile and cross-platform improvements:
As opposed to the poor functionality of the AnimeLab Android app, Crunchyroll mobile applications have better accessibility on iOS, Android, gaming consoles, smart TVs, and streaming devices.
Its app offers support for background downloads, customizable playback speeds, and better casting features that weren’t in the original AnimeLab mobile experience.
Security and legitimacy benefits:
This formal switch helped end the temptation by many to pursue other risky anime lab mod apk files or unlicensed anime streaming sites/apps.
Crunchyroll offers a legitimate and safe site. This helps solve problems associated with malware or data security that the unauthorized versions of the AnimeLab app presented.
Is Crunchyroll safe: A parent’s guideline
For parents concerned about safety considerations, Crunchyroll, the replacement for AnimeLab, is established with industry-standard security features that make it a secure option for families.
Some of its main safety in-built measures are:
- Encrypted connections. To safeguard the information of its users, Crunchyroll applies HTTPS and SSL to encrypt data and provide a secure browsing and streaming experience.
- Secure payment means. In a case of a premium subscription, Crunchyroll ensures the use of secure payment gateways so as to protect financial data.
- High-quality and legal content. In comparison with illegitimate anime websites such as KissAnime, Crunchyroll provides licensed anime, with no malware or phishing threats.
- Free tier supported by advertising. Like AnimeLab, Crunchyroll also has a free, ad-supported tier, but it pre-vets its advertisements to ensure they are safe. However, parents should be aware that not all ads will necessarily be child-friendly.
Crunchyroll allows a viewer to filter anime based on ratings, including PG, M, and MA15. This can help parents understand what their children are watching.
It also offers functions to turn off mature content, and therefore parental guidance is highly advised to make sure that viewing is age-appropriate.
What parents should know to ensure kids watch anime safely?
In order to provide your children with a safe and positive experience when watching anime, it is essential that parents be an active figure in this process.
While the vast anime world, formerly available on AnimeLab, has now been consolidated into a single, legal platform —Crunchyroll —this does not mean that all content is suitable for all ages.
Understanding anime show ratings
Anime series also have ratings, just as with movies and television programs. As such, Crunchyroll, being a dedicated service, gives ratings for its content. These include.
- G/PG: Generally appropriate, but some fantasy violence can be found in it
- M: Restricted to adults because of either themes, language, or sensitive subject matter
- MA15+: Contains strong themes, violence, and sexual references that are unsuitable to children
Always examine the rating and read the description of the show before you allow your child to watch it. A little research goes a long way.
Preview and pre-screen content
Parents should always preview titles before allowing kids to enjoy these anime works. Read episode descriptions, community reviews on sites, and watch some of the first episodes. This helps with anime series that begin as simple. And then advance to complicated themes touching on death, relationships, or psychological trauma that can be overbearing to children.
Building digital literacy
Explain to your kids the anime’s cultural background, along with how Japanese narration traditions differ from those in Western media. Clear up any curiosities, cultural allusions, character interactions, and thematic information that children might misunderstand. This strategy helps children learn critical thinking and to recognize the artistic worth of anime in a responsible manner.
Crunchyroll parental controls
Crunchyroll also offers native parental control features that allow you to monitor and manage what your child watches directly.
When you create a separate Crunchyroll profile for your child on the platform, you can place age restrictions on their viewing. This will ensure they can only access age-appropriate content.
All of this can be found in the “Preferences” section of your account. A password can also be set to make sure that your child cannot override the restrictions.
Enhancing protection with external controls
To achieve comprehensive and device-wide safety, many parents resort to third-party parental control apps. These tools are not limited to a single streaming platform and can be used to oversee the whole digital life of your child.
FlashGet Kids is one such tool that provides parents with a comprehensive suite of options to control and monitor the online behavior of their children. Be it streaming anime or using other applications. Some of the key features are.
- Browser Monitoring. Blocks out unsafe or inappropriate anime websites and prevents kids from stumbling onto unauthorized and dangerous sites when attempting to watch anime for free.
- App Blocker. Parents can block streaming apps or restrict access to certain hours.
- Screen Mirroring. View the child’s device screen in real-time to know what they are watching or doing.
- Screen Time. Allows you to impose daily or weekly limits on device usage to ensure a healthy balance between online and offline activity.
Final takeaways
To sum it up, AnimeLab is no longer an active individual streaming service. It was completely integrated into Crunchyroll, which can now be considered a one-stop shop for all former AnimeLab content. The transition introduced users to an expanding library, more features, and continued coverage in the available countries.
Nonetheless, safety is essential. Parents and viewers should use only legitimate platforms, not unsafe Animelab mirrors and clones that can be full of malware or inappropriate ads. Parents can use Crunchyroll parental controls alongside third-party apps like FlashGet Kids that promote safe online surfing and can offer parents more control over their kids.
