Not to be outdone by the various Blogspot-powered anime sharing blogs around the web, similar blogs have been popping up on WordPress.com.

Latest Anime is one of them (hat tip to Gary who informed me of it via email), and a very new one at that, so don’t expect too much in terms of content just yet. As usual, the site hosts its anime on free file hosts and does not have its own server. But interestingly, the admins are primarily using Turbo Upload instead of the traditional Megaupload, Gigaone, Oxyshare offerings - though speeds still seem to be average.

1) Latest Anime

• Turbo Upload (Free File Host) Speed: Average
• Free File Host Content: 2 completed (Shakugan no Shana and Trinity Blood) and 6 ongoing anime series (e.g. Strawberry Panic, Black Blood Brothers, Bleach, etc.).
• Update Frequency: Average
• Video Format: .rmvb (LQ to MQ)
• Note: Hassle-free site, i.e. registration or forum posting not required to access downloads. The site only uses free file hosts, i.e. they do not have their own media server. Episodes are compressed as .zip files, so you’ll need software like WinZip to uncompress them.

Here’s another piece of news from my e-mail backlog. There’s a new DDL-related group on Yahoo! Groups called Anime-Sharing [A-S], and it seems to be one of the more active ones this year.

Last year, one of the more active ones I paid attention to was Anime Hosterz - which seems to somewhat be in idle mode this year.

FYI, these groups primarily focus on sharing anime uploaded to free file hosts such as Megaupload, though uploading is not a prerequisite to gain access. Nevertheless, if you have good upload speeds, it’s always nice to contribute back to the group - just like in any anime forum really.

Also note that Anime-Sharing has a wiki, through which anime links posted to the group are listed. This is unlike Anime Hosterz which primarily utilises Yahoo! Groups’ in-built link listing system.

1) Anime-Sharing [A-S]

• Megaupload (Free File Host) Speed: Unknown
• Free File Host Content: 90+ completed (e.g. Aishiteruze Baby, Chrno Crusade, Shakuga no Shana, etc.) and 15+ ongoing anime series (e.g. Air Gear, Saiunkoku Monogatari, Naruto, etc.), as well as 5+ movies (e.g. Blood, Full Metal Alchemist, etc.) and 5+ OVAs (e.g. Prince of Tennis National Championship, Hoi Hoi San, etc.). Also has some manga, drama and anime/JPop music.
• Update Frequency: Frequent
• Video Format: .avi (HQ)
• Note: You’ll need to register for a Yahoo! account to gain access to the individual anime sharing groups. Application for membership into the various groups after getting a Yahoo! account is normally approved automatically (after a CAPTCHA of course). The site only uses free file hosts, i.e. they do not have their own media server.

Update: A-S isn’t new considering that posting activity started in April 2005. My mistake here.

Two anime direct download sites/forums, Shareparadise (coverage here) and HSB Site (review here), are currently testing a script that generates premium Megaupload links for any normal Megaupload link you input into it.

This means that you’ll get the full advantages of a Megaupload Premium account (which you normally have to pay for) for free if you’re a member of one of these two sites (and are from a few select countries, see below). Yes, that’s resume support, multiple download connections, no downloader limits and faster speeds.

Currently, they are making this available to members from a few countries, i.e. United States, United Kingdom and Australia, and are also having some limited tests with Malaysians (not completely sure here, so feel free to correct me). So, if you’re interested, join one of these anime direct download sites/forums, and refer to the appropriate threads.

P.S.: HSB Site seems to be down, so I’ve only linked to the Shareparadise thread on this. If and when HSB Site comes up, I’ll make an update. Moreover, it’s likely you have to be an active member be given access to this script. Last but not least, the two sites are not hacking Megaupload, but are actually paying for accounts.

Update: Apparently, the programme has been expanded to include the Netherlands as well.

Disclaimer: I was alerted to this test by Shareparadise’s admin and given a chance to test the script out a few weeks back, but there was no specific request to feature the script or sites in question.

Only three ongoing series available on this anime DDL site, but it’s hassle-free and fast. Few things are more important than that when it comes to direct download sites (well… at least to me).

1) StarFreeze

• Media Server Speed: Quite Fast
• Media Server Content: 3 ongoing series (Utawarerumono, Soul Link and Demonbane).
• Update Frequency: Above Average
• Video Format: .avi (HQ)
• Note: Hassle-free, i.e. registration and forum posting not required to access downloads.

Here’s another Blogspot blog filled with anime hosted on free file hosts. We’ve already seen three in the past couple of months, so it should already be a familiar sight.

Note that while the admin has announced that the site has moved to a new location, all the anime links have yet to be transferred over. So, I suggest sticking with the old site for now.

1) SuzukaJC’s Anime Media

• Speed: Unknown (too many free file hosts used)
• Content: 58 completed (e.g. REC, Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, Da Capo, etc.) and 3 ongoing anime series (Bleach, One Piece, Kyou Kara Maou ).
• Update Frequency: Average
• Video Format: .rmvb (LQ to MQ), .avi (HQ)
• Note: Hassle-free site, i.e. registration or forum posting not required to access downloads. The site only uses free file hosts, i.e. they do not have their own media server. The site is also currently moving to a new location - which is still under construction.

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 Lopki.com, an anime direct download site that provides anime through three mediums. One: Their own media servers. Two: Free file hosts like Megaupload. And three: YouTube.

So, if anything, this site has gained the distinction of having one of the most criteria to review - as you’ll soon realise.

1) Lopki.com

• Free File Host Speed: Unknown (too many different ones used)
• Free File Host Content: 18+ completed anime series (e.g. Slam Dunk, Shaman King, etc.)
• YouTube Speed: Above Average to Quite Fast (based on general consensus rather than my own testing)
• YouTube Content: All episodes of Elfen Lied, latest 50 episodes of Naruto, and 1 episode of Bleach.
• Media Server Speed: Average to Above Average (they use a range of different servers)
• Media Server Content: 52 anime series, both ongoing (e.g. Naruto, Air Gear, Utawarerumono, etc.) and completed (e.g. Cowboy Bebop, Azumanga Daioh, Trigun, etc.).
• Update Frequency: Quite Frequent
• Video Format: .avi (HQ), .ogm (HQ) [not definitive, more video formats might have been used]
• Note: Free registration required (e-mail confirmation not required), but forum posting is not required to access downloads. Additional registration required to access forum (e-mail confirmation not required). The site hosts hentai as well, but since only donators can access it, the site is kid-safe.

Here’s the second French anime direct download site on this blog (ever). The honour of first will always remain with Anime-Ultime.

“French” here means that the episodes are subtitled in French, so make sure you don’t download unless you understand the language!

1) Kiba France

• Speed: Above Average (most likely faster if you’re in France)
• Content: All episodes of Kiba.
• Update Frequency: Average
• Note: Hassle-free site, i.e. no forum posting or registration required. All episodes were fansubbed by Soai No Naka, and are thus subtitled in French.