A little weird on the naming side of things, but fourzerofour is a solid distro site for the latest anime. While the lack of resume support is a downer (tested on IE, Firefox, Getright and FlashGet), the good download speeds I got from the site more then compensates for that.

Oh yes, did I tell you it’s a hassle-free direct download site too?

1) fourzerofour

• Media Server Speed: Quite Fast
• Media Server Content: 17 ongoing anime series (e.g. Busou Renkin, Code Geass, Death Note, etc.).
• Update Frequency: Very Frequent
• Video Format: All HQ formats, i.e. avi (HQ), .mkv (HQ), .mp4 (HQ)
• Note: Hassle-free site, i.e. no registration or forum posting required to download anime. Download accelerators not supported, and no resume support.

Here’s another good anime distro site for new releases. Yep, that’s three in a row now.

As per this sort of sites (I really should make a WordPress category out of it…), we’re looking at the latest episodes from the latest series, with uploads of episodes as soon as possible after release.

There’s only one thing I’d like to see improved: The categorisation of anime series available for download. Currently, it’s arranged by fansub group, and while this approach is effective enough, it would be great if there could be a(nother) list arranged by series name instead. If you’re like me, and barely gives a damn which fansub group subs a series, I’m sure you’ll understand why this would be an improvement.

1) Anime Defilers

• Media Server Speed: Above Average
• Media Server Content: Around 4 completed (e.g. Black Blood Brothers, The Third, Air Gear, etc.) and 27 ongoing anime series (e.g. Shounen Omnyouji, Kekkishi, Soukou no Strain, etc.).
• Update Frequency: Very Frequent
• Video Format: All HQ formats, i.e. avi (HQ), .mkv (HQ), .mp4 (HQ)
• Note: Free registration required, but forum posting is not required.

Just as its name implies, AnimeAlliance is an anime direct download site created from the merging of several established DDL sites, such as Sushi Bar Network, Lopki.com and Codain Anime. As such, it shouldn’t be surprising that it’s pretty huge and downright diversified in what it hosts.

From anime to music and ahem… hentai, the admins (and of course, contributing users) have covered most bases (it seems manga is upcoming). And best of all, the site is completely hassle-free. No registration or forum posting is required to download.

And to think the site is still in beta.

1) AnimeAlliance

• Media Server Speed: Above Average
• Media Server Content: 73 completed series (e.g. Tenchi Muyo, Evangelion, Full Metal Alchemist, etc.) and 33 ongoing series (e.g. Black Lagoon: The Second Barrage, Busou Renkin, Code Geass, etc.), plus around 17 movies (e.g. Ghost in the Shell: Innocence, Appleseed, etc.) and 50 anime OSTs (e.g. Basilisk OSTs 1, 2, and 3, Eureka 7 OSTs 1 and 2, etc.).
• Update Frequency: Very Frequent
• Video Format: All HQ formats, i.e. avi (HQ), .mkv (HQ), .mp4 (HQ)
• Note: Hassle-free, i.e. registration or forum posting not required to access downloads.

Here’s the first anime direct download site I’m posting about after my months of obscurity. So, forgive me if I sound a little out of place here and there.

Now, Anikei is a sort of mega-site made up of 3 smaller sites, or rather 4, now that teamskn.net (which was featured earlier) has also merged in.

And just like teamskn.net, they host the latest episodes from the latest anime series, and are definitely up-to-date. In fact, I’ve found them to be faster than National-Anime in many a number of cases, and they serve just as many episodes.

1) Anikei.com

• Media Server Speed: Quite Fast
• Media Server Content: Around 400 of the most recent episodes from ongoing series (e.g. Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru, Kanon 2006, Pumpkin Scissors, etc.), plus some anime OSTs (e.g. NARUTO ED15 Single, Bartender OP ED Single, etc.)
• Update Frequency: Very Frequent
• Video Format: All HQ formats, i.e. avi (HQ), .mkv (HQ), .mp4 (HQ)
• Note: Free registration required to download, but forum posting is not required.

Just like National-Anime, Anime-DX is a pay-for-use anime direct download service that provides an almost hassle-free “free anime” section.

Basically, they put up 60 of the most recent episodes on their servers for public downloading - where all leechers like us need to do is input a random user/password that is provided at the site (this is to prevent hotlinking).

However, this does mean that, if your download speeds are slow, you may have to repeatedly change the user/pass on your download since the user/pass may change (multiple times even) before you complete your download.

1) Anime-DX

• Media Server Speed: Quite Fast
• Media Server Content: 60 of the most recent episodes available on Anime-DX - all from various ongoing anime series.
• Update Frequency: Frequent
• Video Format: .avi (HQ), .mp4 (HQ), .mkv (HQ)
• Note: Almost hassle-free, i.e. registration and forum posting not required to access downloads, but a randomly generated user/password must be used. Optional premium service available.

It’s inevitable that most of the anime direct download sites available on the net today host only Naruto and/or Bleach. Why? Their sheer popularity. So, just bear with it when multiple DDL sites on these series are featured here.

Don’t worry. There will always be sites that serve other stuff. A first stop to discover those? Anime Field’s type-sorted list.

So, for now, here’s a site that hosts both of the series we mentioned earlier:

1) Saiyan Island

• Media Server Speed: Above Average
• Media Server Content: Recent episodes of Naruto and Bleach.
• Update Frequency: Above Average
• Video Format: .rmvb (LQ to MQ)
• Note: Hassle-free, i.e. registration and forum posting not required to access downloads.

Another Naruto direct download site here. This time, it’s one which hosts both .avi and .rmvb versions - though the .avi episodes are only available for some of the more recent episodes. And from what I can see, they only host their episodes on free file hosts, e.g. SendSpace, RapidShare, etc.

Anything else? Nope. Just check it out:

1) Naruto Bunshin

• Free File Host Speed: Unknown (too many different free file hosts used)
• Free File Host Content: All Naruto anime episodes and manga chapters.
• Update Frequency: Above Average
• Video Format: .rmvb/.mkv (multiple versions from LQ to MQ), .avi (HQ)
• Note: Free registration required to access downloads, but forum posting is not required. Optional pay-for premium downloads section available. Site only uses free file hosts, i.e. does not have their own media server.

This is one anime direct download forum implementation that feels right in my book. WelcomeOtaku.com, though requiring you to post in their forums to access most of the anime they host, still maintains a free media section which is almost hassle-free, i.e. no forum posting required to access downloads (though free registration is still required).

This way, a system to “try before you commit” yourself to posting is established, and is often a magnet for new members. After all, how many of us are willing to post and post and post without a sample of the anime downloads that await us? Not many I think.

Well, some webmasters will certainly disagree, but then, given that a number of anime forums have already embraced this concept (or something similar to it), there are certainly those who do agree as well.

1) WelcomeOtaku.com

• Media Server Speed: Average (tested on free media section only)
• Media Server Content: 54 ongoing (e.g. Innocent Venus, WitchBlade, Tsuyokiss, etc.) and 96 completed (e.g. Ai Yori Aoshi, REC, Gun X Sword, etc.) anime series, as well as 30 OVAs (e.g. One Piece, Happy Lesson, etc.) and 17 movies (e.g. Air, Cowboy Bebop, etc.).
• Posts Required to Access Downloads: None for free media section. 10 posts for ongoing series, 25 to 200 posts for completed series, 40 posts for OVAs and 50 posts for movies.
• Posts Required Per Download: None
• Update Frequency: Frequent
• Video Format: .avi (HQ), .ogm (HQ), .mp4 (HQ), .mkv (HQ)
• Note: Free registration required (e-mail confirmation required). Forum posting is required to access most of their anime. Only the free media section does not require forum posting. Hentai available, but since forum posts are required to access them (40 to 200 posts), the site remains (mostly) kid-safe.