If you’re ananimefan, chances are you’re already invested in the world ofstreaming. It’s never been easier to catch up on seasonal releases coming out of Japan, and given the monumental rise in popularity of bothanime and manga, services like the newly-merged Crunchyroll are practically essential. A newcomer to the streaming world, however, has made a notable impact by securing a batch of significant releases from Sentai Filmworks. At a time when we’re all a little strapped for cash, do we really want to invest in yet another streaming service?
This newcomer service, HiDive, originally hit the scene in 2017 but has since grown to become a surprisingly viable contender in the anime streaming space. Backed by AMC Networks, who also own the Sentai Filmworks distribution company, HiDive has grown from a humble re-brand of an existing service to what could be a potential rival against the combined libraries ofCrunchyroll and Funimation. But while competition is always good, is HiDive really a streaming service worth watching in its current state?
HiDive: The Pros
Right off the bat, HiDive makes a positive case for itself with some surprisingly amicable features. Though it comes with just a single subscription tier, its modest price point of $4.99 a month rivals that of Crunchyroll’s lowest tier, which is $7.99. Compared to Crunchyroll’s lowest tier, you also get not one but two simultaneous devices supported as well. It’s certainly an appealing option for anime fans on a budget.
There’s a genuine effort being made in order to compete with Crunchyroll’s vast array of features. While HiDive’s content library is sparse in comparison, the amount of additional options on offer here is surprisingly comparable. Exclusive English dubs, live “simulcasts” based on a show’s broadcast date, and even some live-action titles make for a service that feels feature-complete when compared to its direct competition.
HiDive also incorporates some unique features that you won’t typically find elsewhere.Censored and uncensored releasesof certain shows are available, in addition to being able to change the colors of a show’s closed captioning. If you missed the days of colored, burned-in captions, you can somewhat faithfully recreate them here.
Of course, if there’s any reason to snag HiDive over Crunchyroll, it’ll likely be due toHiDive’s various exclusives. While their offerings may not have some of the biggest names in anime right now, some of these exclusive additions are nothing to scoff at.Akiba Maid War,Dark Gathering,The Demon Girl Next Door, theUrusei Yatsurarevival, and the second season ofMade in Abyssare all stellar shows that you simply won’t be able to find elsewhere.
HiDive: The Cons
But every streaming service has its downsides, and HiDive is certainly no exception. Despite offering unique services and even a “watch party” feature with additional text chat support, HiDive falters in a few important areas. These are just some of the biggest cons of using HiDive.
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The biggest downside to HiDive is its limited content library. You could argue it’s unfair to compare HiDive to the juggernaut of anime content that is now Crunchyroll, but seeing as how the two services are comparable in other aspects, it’s worth addressing. More than double the amount of individual shows and films can befound on Crunchyroll, and name recognition aside, that’s a staggering amount of content for just a few extra dollars.
Historically, the experience of actually using HiDive has seen some mixed reception as well. While utilizing the service via a web browser is fine enough, HiDive’s dedicated apps have seen a significant amount of negative reception. Inconsistent viewing histories, crashes, no default playback options, inconvenient video controls, and more are all notable complaints from the past few months alone. Features found in the web browser version of HiDive are also mysteriously absent in the service’s dedicated apps. Thankfully, the differences between HiDive’s various platforms are all clearly spelled out by HiDive itself.
Is HiDive Worth Watching?
With all this being said, is HiDive currently worth watching? Our wallets are feeling a bit light in the midst of rising costs everywhere else, and given what we now know about HiDive, it may not have the pull of a big-name streaming service. That’s not to say that HiDive isn’t valuable to the right audience, however.
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Ultimately, we think HiDive suits a very specific audience. If you’re the type of anime fan who doesn’t necessarily keep up with the mostpopular anime releasesbut wants an easy way to access some underappreciated titles from both the past and present, there’s a case to be made for buying into HiDive. It’s modest pricing certainly helps. Of course, if you’re the type to also frequently jump between streaming services as you see fit, HiDive is certainly worth trying at least once. A yearly subscription option cuts down 12 months' worth of payments by a good chunk of change if you plan to stick with HiDive in the long term.
HiDive currently has a seven-day free trial for those curious about giving the service a shot. If you have access to AMC’s horror-based streaming service, Shudder, you’re even able to sample a few episodes of HiDive’sDark Gatheringif you’re curious about the service’s exclusives. If you want to skip streaming altogether, HiDive also has a link to Sentai Filmworks' online store, where you can purchase physical copies of your favorite anime shows and films from an official distributor.
