This anime DDL site is pretty much self-explanatory, I think. Similar to sites like BleachTV, the site focuses completely on Death Note alone - providing both streaming episodes and direct download of all the episodes via Megaupload.

1) Death Note TV

• Megaupload (Free File Host) General Speed: Average
• Content: All episodes of Death Note released so far.
• Update Frequency: As Soon as a New Episode is Released.
• Video Format: .avi (HQ)
• Note: Hassle-free, i.e. registration and forum posting not required to access downloads.

This site’s grown quite a bit since we last looked at it, but it’s still primarily intended to be a distribution site for a few ongoing series.

Just downloaded the first 3 episodes of Mamoru-kun ni Megami (sounds interesting enough from the synopsis) from the site, so I thought it would be best to re-feature it given its growth.

1) Crazi-pwns-joo.com

• Speed: Above Average
• Content: Recent episodes from 7 ongoing series (e.g. Mamoru-kun ni Megami, D.Gray-Man, Kekkaishi, etc.) and 1 completed series (Zegapain).
• Update Frequency: Very Frequent
• Video Format: High Quality (HQ) file formats, e.g. .avi (HQ), .mkv (HQ), .mp4 (HQ)
• Note: Hassle-free site, i.e. no registration or forum posting required to download stuff. Has some non-kid safe stuff (e.g. Hgame CGs).

Like most anime direct download sites these days, AnimeSeat.com offers downloads through their own media server and through free file hosts.

Stuff on their media server can only be accessed by those who make 15 non-spam posts, while stuff on free file hosts are automatically accessible by anyone who registers.

It must be noted, however, that their free file host archive was built up by scraping from other sites like Da-Anime, rather than through their own uploaders. I highly disapprove of this behaviour, but at least, the admins did clearly state what they were doing, and attributed their content to the true uploaders (unlike some sites). There is still need to link back to the original site though, which they have not yet done.

1) AnimeSeat.com

• Media Server Speed: Unknown (making 15 posts… urgh…)
• Media Server Content: There’s supposed to be several completed series (e.g. Chobits, Full Metal Alchemist, Hunter x Hunter, etc.), but I can only confirm the existence of Hunter x Hunter.
• Posts Required to Access Downloads: 15 posts for media server content, none for free file host content.
• Posts Required Per Download: None
• Free File Host Content: 1 ongoing (Eureka 7) and 15 completed (e.g. Chrno Crusade, s-cry-ed, Shaman King, etc.) anime series.
• Update Frequency: Average
• Media Server Video Format: .rm (LQ to MQ)
• Free File Hosts Video Format: .avi (HQ)
• Note: Free registration required (e-mail confirmation not required). Forum posting is required to download from the site’s own media server, but not for free file host content.

Here’s some stuff that kept me in the loop for the past week or so:

1. Akagi First Impressions
   Ahh… someone who has discovered the uberness of Akagi. Reminds me that I should restart blogging on the series since it has entered a new arc (ep. 8/9) - which BTW seems to be suggesting that Akagi’s crazy skills could actually be more outrageous than we’ve seen so far.
2. The 5 Loli-Sister Collection
   Who in the world can withstand the “insidious whisperings of the Dark-Loli-Siscon-Overlord”? Surely not me…
3. Death Note Movie Out in Japan
   This piece of news would surely be more interesting if I had gotten past Volume 3. Probably time for a restart (urghh, should kill this word from my vocab soon…).

I really need a more imaginative way of titling these posts. Typing “Anime Direct Downloads Site” or “Another Anime Direct Downloads Site” really feels crappy, lol.

Anyway, back to the meat:

1) Anirupt Distro

• Speed: Above Average (had bursts initially, but slowed down)
• Content: The most recent episodes of many ongoing series (e.g. Karin, Magikano, Bleach, Mai-Otome, MAR, Mushishi, etc.) , with a few eclectic choices among them (e.g. Sugar Sugar Rune, MS Igloo)
• Update Frequency: Unsure (should be Frequent, but this has not been the case lately)
• Video Format: .avi (High Quality)
• Note: Free registration required. Episodes are compressed as .rar files. At the moment, uploading has ceased due to a lack of hard drive space on their server.

Damn it. As a sub-only anime fansub watcher, I was pretty thrilled to see Mai-Otome 17 speed-subbed by Farfetched. And what the hell do I get? A parody-sub, and not even a funny one! Yes, it’s the not-work safe type of parody-sub.

Farfetched is farfetched alright. Parody-subs should be labeled as such, or is Farfetched moronic? But I admit, I was equally stupid. Should have guessed from the description at Tokyo Tosho - Quality Speed Sub.

Viz Media recently announced that Naoki Urasawa’s psychological thriller manga - Monster - will debut in the United States on February 21, 2006. The retail price is said to be US$9.99. Read more about the release at Viz Media.

And if you do not know anything about Monster, I might just be able to tempt you to read my review of the anime version of Monster, though unlikely as that may seem.

Okay, I have to admit that I’ve never read the manga version of Monster since I can’t find any English-subbed version online. But the anime is a breath of fresh air and I reckon the manga should be pretty good as well. Given that the US will see their copies of Monster soon, I suppose I could expect some to filter all the way to my tiny country soon enough.

Today, AnimeNation’s Ask John column answers an oft-asked question: How many Americans prefer dubbed anime? John answers that “…based on my observations as an employee of an anime specialty retailer and as a habitual industry observer, I have no doubts whatsoever that the American anime watching population predominantly prefers anime dubbed into English…”

Truthfully, from my experience in anime forums, I thought most would prefer subbed anime. Dubs, in my honest opinion, are generally extremely bad - devoid of the original emotion put in by the Japanese voice actors.

What do you guys think?

anime, subbed, dubbed