We have been conditioned by well-intentioned mothers to believe that television will “destroy our brains”. This might well be true if one spends their time watching “reality” TV shows that don’t actually reflect reality, the sensationalist 24-hour news cycle, and tasteless drivel that neither entertains nor educates. But if you watch television in Japanese, this otherwise time and brain-waisting activity can become a constructive form of language learning that even mommy should be able to get behind! To that end, here are my top ten favorite tools for streaming Japanese drama and anime series online:
These sister sites offer Japanese language learners one of the easiest ways to view complete Japanese drama and anime series online completely free. Unlike most video sites, GoodDrama and AnimePlus does a fairly good job of organizing videos into seasons and sequential episodes, and includes useful metadata like show descriptions, user ratings, and cast listings so you can learn more about your favorite show’s actors.
Crunchyroll is the best “freemium” source for Japanese drama and anime series available today. In addition to an extremely wide range of sub-titled Japanese programs, they they take things to the next level by offering (Apple TV, XBOX, PlayStation 3, iOS, Android, etc). I end up doing most of my Japanese study on the go, so this has proven to be a major benefit. While you can watch ad-supported shows in standard definition for free on the CrunchyRoll website, you will need to start a free 14-day, and later sign up for a monthly membership ($6.95 USD), if you wish to access CrunchyRoll’s premium features:
“Niko Niko Douga” (ニコニコ動画) literally means “smile videos”, an apt name for this YouTube-esque video sharing site that is sure to put a grin on your face when you see the mountains of free content available. One of my favorite benefits is access to American movies dubbed into Japanese! I can’t stand Japanese movies dubbed into English (what’s the point!?), but going the other direction provides valuable listening input in within familiar, easy to understand contexts. One key differentiator of Niko Niko is the inclusion of user comment overlays on top of videos. You may find this annoying, but try to think of it as just another mode of useful Japanese input. Note that you will need to set up a free account before you can gain access to the site’s videos.
FluentU might not have many Japanese videos available as of writing (they started with Mandarin and Spanish are now expanding to other languages), but their beautiful design, slick interface, and general learning philosophy exactly match what I would include in a language product if I were to design one from scratch. Unlike most of the video sites and apps listed here, they include interactive bilingual subtitles (not just English), allowing you to quickly look up, save, and review any new words you encounter in a video. Best of all, they are hard at work on a that will allow you to take the unparalleled FluentU experience on the go.
Viki users can access Japanese programs for free (ad-supported, standard definition) or buy a premium “Viki Pass” for access to watch high definition programs ad-free, as well as gaining access to exclusive subcriber-only TV shows and movies. One of the site’s best features is the ability to watch videos with English or Japanese subtitles depending on what learning stage you are at.
Kumby is yet another place to stream anime online for free. The upside is that they list just about every anime series you could possible think of. The downside is that the site is riddled with pop-ups and it can be hard to know which buttons are real play buttons, and which are just click bait for pop-ups. Here’s the trick: The red play buttons are usually pop-up bate, while the green play buttons are the genuine article. Unfortunately, you sometimes have to click the red-colored play button first, close the 2 or 3 popups they throw at you, and then go back and click the now green-colored play button. It’s a pain, but hey, free anime dude!
The Japan Foundation offers a host of free skit-based videos for both beginning and more advanced learners. Each video includes a manga version of the skit’s plot and a useful study transcript that can be viewed in one of four different modes:
NHKs koukou kouza (高校講座・こうこうこうざ, lit. “high school courses”) has a seemingly endless supply of free, educational video content. Although the videos are intended for Japanese high school students, the content is actually quite useful for non-native adults as well, especially if you will be teaching English in a Japanese high school. Note that the site uses Windows Media Player, so Mac users will need to download .
Golden Frog’s VyprVPN has been my go-to VPN for many years, especially since it’s one of the few that works in Mainland China. But until recently, I couldn’t recommend them for Japanese learners since they lacked a Japan-based server. As of August 15, 2013, however, they now have a server in Tokyo, meaning you can now use VyprVPN to stream content from Japan that you otherwise must be in country to watch. As an added plus, the VyprVPN desktop and mobile apps allow you to quickly change server locations in a matter of seconds. The only downside is the price: $14.99 a month for VyprVPN (which allows you to use the PPTP protocol with 128-bit encryption) or $19.99 a month for VyprVPN Pro (which allows you to use the PPTP, OpenVPN SSL, and L2TP/IPsec protocols with either 128-bit or 256-bit encryption).
Want more recommended tools and resources for learning Japanese anywhere in the world? Want to spend your time actually learning Japanese instead of waisting precious time searching for materials? Check out my detailed language learning guide, . The guide tells you exactly what to use, how to use it, and why. In addition to the step-by-step guide (available in PDF, EPUB, and MOBI formats), you get 9 interviews with language experts, 5 exclusive discount codes for products I use myself, 10 worksheets and cheatsheets, free lifetime updates, and a free copy for a friend.