A fantastic option for hardcore anime fans and a bonus of non- Japanese speakers.
I rate Funimation a 6.8 on 10. It's a decent option for anime fans, with a fair price and an extensive collection of classics and newer releases. In addition, professional I reviewers generally agree that its library is well-stocked with well-known programs.
Much of its programming is available with English audio (dubbed from Japanese) or Japanese audio with English subtitles, offering customers more options. Another plus for the service is that it introduces new content with dubbing quite rapidly following its Japanese launch.
It works with various devices, and its user interface is simple and intuitive, with high discoverability features. However, the Funimation app's parental controls are a weak point: while it has an "adult content filter," it can't be tweaked, and there's no way to whitelist specific shows or movies.
Funimation does not offer 4K video quality, even though there is very little anime available in 4K HDR (high definition resolution) — it maxes out at a reasonable 1080p high definition.
Funimation Subscription Price
- Funimation's library is available in 1080p for free with advertising for a short time.
- You'll need to purchase any of the three Funimation subscription options to get the whole experience.
- Premium includes two simultaneous streams in addition to the whole library of subs and dubs for $5.99 per month.
- Premium Plus Funimation costs $7.99 a month and includes five simultaneous streams and a slew of extras, including offline viewing, shopping deals, and special events.
- The Premium Plus Ultra plan offers all of the benefits of the Premium Plus tier. Additionally, it offers free shipping, two free rentals every year, and an anniversary gift worth $99 each year.
Features
User Interface:
- The Funimation website is easy to navigate. The shows, for example, pop out thanks to plenty of clear white space.
- Links to other episodes, user reviews, and things from that specific show on the shop may all be found on the show's page.
- The web player is also one of the more attractive I've seen. It's large and open, with few distractions, and it allows you to dim the lights for better viewing.
- You can skip ten seconds forward or backward. Setting up the resolution up to 1080p, switching on subtitles, and moving between language options, such as the simulcast version or the unedited version, are just a few of the possibilities available.
Content catalog:
- Funimation app is entirely dedicated to anime, with over 600 shows and thousands of episodes to choose from.
- Because of Funimation's history as an anime distributor in the United States, it has several well-known titles in its collection, including "Dragon Ball Z," "Fruits Basket," and "Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood."
- Although many of these shows are dubbed into English (and some are also dubbed into other languages such as Spanish and Portuguese), anime connoisseurs may usually view the Japanese originals with subtitles.
Parental controls:
- In the account options section of Funimation, parents can restrict mature content.
- The approach, which solely filters mature shows and manga, is weaker because it blocks the content entirely.
- However, neither service has sophisticated parental control tools like listing or creating multiple user profiles with different settings.
Streaming experience:
- To reduce buffering, Funimation recommends a streaming speed of 2Mbps for SD and 5Mbps for 720p and 1080p, according to its website.
- If you're having trouble buffering or want to save data, the simplest solution is to lower the video quality.
- You may download the available content to view later if you have Premium Plus or Ultra.
What does it lack?
DVR Storage:
- It does not have DVR storage, although you can download content for offline viewing.
Conclusion
Funimation caters to the more serious anime fan. For anime lovers, it is more tightly oriented. The Funimation website has the most extensive library of any platform. In addition, Funimation offers a one-of-a-kind service called SimulDub (which presently applies to around 25 shows), in which it releases a new English language dub the same day the show airs. That's a remarkable turnaround for dubs enthusiasts.
