a2zanime.com
An anime hosting website, A2zAnime, was created around September 2019. They have made some improvements since their startup date, such as adding a search bar and favoriting specific anime.
The website claims to provide host-specific links instead of hosting the streams. Links are collected by staff members and website users. There is a Discord community that makes suggestions on what titles should be added. A2zAnime also has a Frequently Asked Questions section that is quite helpful.
Website Design
The website's design is straightforward. There are not many sections and most of the content flows together. It is not unattractive, but I believe there are better ways the website could break up their titles to be more aesthetically pleasing.
The A2zAnime logo is interesting. The A2z letters are in red. A anime character portrait is framed in between text with Anime in white on the opposite side. The logo is eye-catching and memorable. It matches the website's theme perfectly.
The website uses the popular night mode color scheme to give a modern and sleek look. There are also no advertisements on this website. The only ads I managed to find were Donate buttons to keep the website up and running. I'm not sure I would classify it as an advertisement, but even those buttons were minimal.
Content
A2zAnime has a large selection of anime. I counted over 3000 titles and found that nearly half were available in multiple languages. Some of the titles were labeled with "Coming Soon" but most were full series. A large portion of the shows were also available in Chinese, English, and Japanese.
The user can select an episode and it will take them to a page with details on the episode. On the right hand side of the page is a list of related articles.
There is a Schedule feature on the primary menu. It functions similarly to a television guide. There are categories for Today, Tomorrow, and then the following days of the week. In the sections are anime titles listed that release new episodes on those days. The user can select an episode and it will take them to a page with details on that episode, such as cast and crew information, detailed synopsis, reviews, and more. On the right hand side of the page is a list of related articles.
Overall, I am impressed with the Discord server and the community that is thriving there.
Desktop & Mobile Accessibility
The sound quality isn?t great, but it works.
I think the desktop browser is a perfectly decent way to access the website. The layout is decent. There are a few confusing sections. It took quite a while to find the sidebar menu. After finding it, some of the buttons attached to it didn't work either. As for watching the videos, I think it's okay. The sound quality isn't great, but it works.
There is not an available app, so I tried out the mobile browsing version of A2zAnime. Mobile is actually better than the desktop. At first glance, it looks like it has more features. After looking a little bit more, I believe it is just laid out better. The navigation of it is a little smoother than the desktop. I would suggest mobile viewing over desktop viewing when available.
Positives
There are a lot of good things about A2zAnime. It's really refreshing for a website to be so new and have so many features right off the bat. The site has only been around since September 2019 but it's grown quickly.
In addition to the extensive library of anime titles, A2zAnime also offers a large number of dubs and subtitles in multiple languages. This makes it easy for viewers to find what they're looking for, whether they're looking for Japanese shows with English subtitles or vice versa.
If you're an anime fan and you're looking for a place to chat with other fans and engage in some fun activities, then the Discord server at A2zAnime is definitely the place for you! The creator of the website started this discord to bring people together, and there are plenty of channels to get involved in. Whether you're looking to chat about shows, movies, or just have some fun, A2zAnime's Discord is definitely worth joining!
The website is missing an About Us section, but they make up for it with the Frequently Asked Questions portion of the site. The site answers how best to contact them. Another popular question answered is when will popular titles be uploaded.
Negatives
Although A2zAnime is a great site, there are some flaws. Most of them will likely be fixed in time. Overall, I am impressed by what the creator has achieved in such a short amount of time.
A frustrating issue I experienced with the website was that the load times were almost unbearably slow. I am unsure of the reasoning behind the slow load times, but hopefully, it is resolved swiftly.
The website's organization was poor. The anime section is unimpressive looking and there are titles listed alphabetically on more than 30 pages. There is a menu bar with options to filter the titles, but it would be improved if categories were broken down more stylishly. Functioning well is all that matters in this case.
One issue with desktop site design is the sidebar menu. It is difficult to find and it is not highlighted enough to draw attention. Another problem with it is that some of the features are listed like Community, Staff, and Contact. I realized that these were Coming Soon features, but it would be best to leave them off entirely if they don't function or send the user to an error page.
Improvements Needed
There are a few improvements that would benefit A2zAnime. Many issues will likely be resolved in due time. Since the website is still young, I believe it is in a transitional state of growing pains, but will continue to improve.
There is one improvement I would like to see from this website: it should have a more interesting layout. It works, but it is bland and leads the viewer's eye in one direction. It can be slightly boring.
Another suggestion I have for the site is to expand the community. It is clear that there is a large community behind this website. The Discord is well managed and maintained. The chats are very active and interesting. It would be nice to see that sense of community infused into the website, instead of using solely Discord.
Summary
These sources can be videos, images, or articles. When a viewer clicks on one of the links, A2zAnime loads the content for that link. This way, viewers can easily find anime content to watch.
Anime streaming websites are growing in popularity. Although A2zAnime has only been operational since September 2019, it is a great option for streaming anime online. The website operates by hosting links from outside sources. These sources can be videos, images, or articles. When a viewer clicks on one of the links, A2zAnime loads the content for that link. This way, viewers can easily find anime content to watch and keep up with new releases!
Another great thing about the website is its community. The A2zAnime Discord is well maintained and very active. There are many channels on the server to provide tech support and website suggestions. Some other channels available are role-playing, memes, music, spoilers, and voice chats.
A2zAnime has a few negative aspects, but overall it compares favorably to other streaming services. The positives vastly outweigh the negatives, and I am confident that the website will improve with time. For now, users can participate in the online community to give feedback.