Being an anime fan gets even harder when you don’t have friends who share your interests. Your friends might not know your favorite characters, and can’t even name a single anime other than Dragon Ball Z. This prevents you from expressing your interests or discussing new episodes.
Thankfully, you can find several anime communities on the web where you can let it all hang out. Online anime communities and networks satisfy your need to talk about your favorite anime and can also give you any updates on the latest anime news.
Best Online Anime Communities
Need a fellow anime fan to talk to? These anime communities have you covered. In the following sites, you can find plenty of active forums where you can have fun and feel comfortable chatting about anime.
Anime-Planet
Not only can you stream anime on Anime-Planet, but you can also view anime and manga recommendations from other users. Create your own account, and you can rate shows, leave reviews, and make lists of your favorite anime and manga.
When you click a show on Anime-Planet, you can rate the show’s characters based on whether you love or hate them. The Anime-Planet community even hosts anime watching and manga reading challenges—after consuming a specific amount of manga and anime, your account’s level will get upgraded. You can complete these challenges even faster by watching anime on these free sites.
If you want to get more involved in the community, make sure to join Anime-Planet’s Discord chat.
Kitsu
Kitsu is a great resource for anyone wanting to take part in a community of anime and manga fans. The site has hundreds of groups that you can join, with some having thousands of members.
In each group, you can create posts and comment on other users’ ideas. On Kitsu, you’ll find groups for anything from funny anime subtitles, Studio Ghibli, My Hero Academia, and even beer-loving anime fans. Whatever group you join, you’re bound to make new friends.
AniList
AniList keeps you updated on the most popular anime, and allows you to participate in discussions. Join in on anime watching challenges or talk with other members about recent episodes. Conversations on Animist aren’t limited to only anime. You’ll also find threads about music, gaming, light novels, manga, and more.
Reddit has one of the biggest anime communities on the web. The r/anime subreddit currently has over one million members. With such a massive number of fans gathered on one platform, you can easily find a discussion that you’re interested in.
You don’t have to stick with just the r/anime subreddit—you have plenty of other anime-related subreddits to choose from. Some subreddits pertain to specific anime shows, which can help you find more focused conversations. For example, you might want to consider joining the r/ShingekiNoKyojinor r/OnePunchMan subreddits if you want to talk about either of those shows.
Best Anime News Sites
When you’re looking for news on the latest anime, you might not know where to find it. In that case, you must check out these anime news sites. They provide you with information about new shows, give you the inside scoop about upcoming anime, and provide you with any behind-the-scenes news.
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is probably the most popular resource for anime news online. Most of the site’s news comes straight from Japan, providing you with accurate information and exclusives. You’ll find plenty of press releases and anime convention reports as well.
To stay updated on the most recent anime, click the New Anime heading. Here, you’ll see a list of the newest anime, along with a thorough description and rating. This is helpful if you want to stay updated on episode release dates.
Anime News Network doubles as a community as well—join the site to partake in discussions on the site’s forum.
CBR
CBR is known for its news on comic books, but check out its great news section for anime. Browse through recent news in anime streaming, find out the future of certain shows, and discover new information about anime-related controversies.
If you get tired of reading news, CBR also has a section titled “Lists,” where you can find quirky listicles about anime characters and shows. Some of these lists can even help you discover the best anime to watch on Netflix!
Kotaku
Kotaku is often flooded with news about video games. So you have to filter the posts using the “anime” tag. This way, you’ll only see anime-related articles and news stories.
The site also has a section dedicated to cosplay. It highlights the best cosplays from different anime and comic conventions, which you should definitely check out if you want to see amazing anime cosplays.
Crunchyroll
Not only is Crunchyroll one of the most popular sites to stream anime, but it’s also a reliable news source for any anime updates. You can find anything from new anime trailers, behind-the-scenes articles, and show reviews.
Multiple articles are posted almost every day, giving you an endless stream of information. You can also use Crunchyroll to interact with other fans. Click the Forums option at the top of the screen to join a conversation or start a new one.
Tokyo Otaku Mode
Tokyo Otaku Mode will overwhelm you with the amount of information it contains. You can sort the type of articles shown by clicking the Anime tab, but why should you limit yourself? The rest of the site houses a ton of articles for anyone who’s interested in Japanese pop culture.
In addition to showing you the latest in manga, you can also find out any convention-related news and check out new Japanese video games. Although some of the site’s categories like “Fashion” or “How To” don’t have recent articles, you can still benefit from the information.
Finding Your Favorite Anime Sites
You don’t have to confine yourself to just one anime news source or community. It’s best to find a handful of anime-related sites to indulge in. That way, you can explore different opinions and news articles.
If you love anime, chances are that you’re a fan of manga as well. Make sure to check out these awesome sites where you can legally read manga for free.
Read the full article: The Best Anime Sites on the Web
