These are the anime direct download sites featured this week (in chronological order):

1. himura-KAORU.com - .rmvb Anime and J-Drama Direct Downloads Site
2. MrPC’s Anime Direct Download Site - An Update
3. OtakuTalk - Naruto and Bleach Direct Downloads Forum
4. no-sry.net - Anime Direct Downloads Site
5. AnimeOverkill.Net - .rm Anime Direct Downloads Site
6. Bleach Exile - Bleach Direct Downloads Site

For more anime DDL sites, you can check out last week’s wrap-up.

Unless you are already a master of the various textual sound effects used in anime and manga, check out this comprehensive glossary featured over at Boing Boing.

A short preview:

gucha = smashing, crushing (see also gusha)
guchi guchi = wet sound? twisting sound? We’re not sure.
gui = grab (see also gaba, gu, gyu)
gui = gulp
Gunya = sudden mental realization
guon = the sound of a dryer. For the sound of a washing machine, see goun

Okay, I’m exaggerating a little with the post title since these sites weren’t really dead in the first place - just temporarily down. But anyway, exaggeration or not, these sites are back up, alive and kicking:

1. JaguarPowered (reviewed here) was down a while back, but it’s returned.
2. Shareparadise.net (featured here and here) was experiencing some problems a few weeks back, but it’s okay now.
3. AnimeFairGround.com (reviewed here) was shut down recently, but it has returned in the form of AnimeGround’s “free anime series per month” section (featured here).

It’s a pity I can’t report the same for Anime-Treasures.com though.

Anime direct download sites come and go. Some might last for years, though most last for mere months. This shouldn’t be a surprise given the nature of their business model (i.e. donations, ads, etc.).

So, let’s see what has happened within the last few weeks. In no particular order:

1. JaguarPowered (reviewed earlier) is temporarily down, presumably due to bandwidth concerns due to DMCA enforcement by its host.
2. Teamskn.net (a.k.a. Nyao.be) has switched to a forum post-for-download system.
3. Avluis.com (reviewed earlier) is dead. Reason is unknown.
4. Shareparadise.net has been suspended, presumably due to DMCA enforcement or resource overuse (e.g. bandwidth or CPU usage). Up again, at http://www.shareparadise.org/community.

So, did I miss anything?

Edit: Jaguar - admin of JaguarPowered - just commented that he has temporarily closed down JaguarPowered due to DMCA enforcement by his host.

Another Edit: Shareparadise.net is up again, but at a different domain for now, i.e. http://www.shareparadise.org/community.

A comment by illuvthisstuff reminded me that it was about time I actually posted about this. Nyao.be - the well-updated and fast anime direct downloads site I featured earlier - is dead, somewhat. Actually, it’s only that particular domain that’s dead.

So, you can still use Teamskn.net to connect to the site. Everything is still ok, but it does mean that the site has lost an excellent mirror.

Chiisana.net is down temporarily due to lack of bandwidth this billing month. According to their site announcement:

Due to lack of bandwidth for this billing month, we will not be distributing any more anime this billing month! The 15th of each month is the beginning of the new billing month, so we will start distributing anime again then, please come back then!

In addition, Chiisana.net’s admins answer a few oft-asked questions, like why Chiisana.net is in Japanese. So, while waiting for the 15th to come by, give the site a visit to find out the truth behind the mysterious Chiisana.net.

AnimeOtaku.info - an excellent anime downloads forum - has been taken down temporarily due to personal (or actually, not-so-personal) reasons. If you have been on the forum even on a semi-regular basis, I think you’ll agree completely with what Ranma says:

Well I’m sorry to say that i lost interest in the site because of the actions i see from the mods and members, it’s really sad to see how people acts toward each other.
when i started the site i wanted a place to make friends instead it turned to be a place where people just fight. they even fight from the simplest thing. i spent a lot of time/money to keep the site going but from what i see it all becoming a disaster ..
the main reasons that got me to do this:

• Members doesn’t read the rules, create multiple accounts and fight with each others.
• The site became a spaming place , full of nothing but crap.
• Mods just abuse their power and ban members who doesn’t get along with them.

But luckily, Ranma will be bringing the forum back up in a couple of days. Yay!

With the recent downtime experienced by anime.c.la, I’m sure many didn’t expect it to come back up. After all, it must have been chugging some huge amounts of bandwidth - with no sustainable and reliable revenue source funding it.

But, plug in anime.c.la into your browser and you will find a working page with a French notice, but anime downloads are still not up. If you’re interested in the notice, read below for a Babelfish-translated version:

Animate-Network is back! Ca says anything to you?! The largest site of download of animated at the time! The site with due closing because of lacks of uploadeur.. But this problem will not reproduce any more because we henceforth will use Club-footed 100mbps for uploader and will make the distro episodes

What does “Club-footed 100mbps” mean?

Edit: Christopher provides a much better translation in the comments below.