Anime Strike was a subscription-based
video on demand
Video on demand (VOD) is a media distribution system that allows users to access videos without a traditional video playback device and the constraints of a typical static broadcasting schedule. In the 20th century, broadcasting in the form of ...
service for
Amazon Channels, focused on
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series and movies from various anime distributors. The service launched on January 12, 2017, and was closed on January 5, 2018, after which its catalog was incorporated into the
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one- ...
subscription service.
History
On January 12, 2017,
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technolog ...
announced the launch of its first branded on-demand subscription service for Amazon Channels, ''Anime Strike'', "offering more than 1,000 series episodes and movies ranging from classic titles to current shows broadcast on Japanese TV." Anime Strike consisted of shows that were streaming exclusively on Amazon Video worldwide, as well as selected titles licensed by
Sentai Filmworks.
On January 5, 2018, Amazon discontinued the channel, and most of its exclusive content became watchable with a Prime subscription. Following Anime Strike's closure, several previously exclusive titles began streaming on HIDIVE, which also streams titles from Sentai Filmworks and
Section23 Films.
Reception
Anime Strike's announcement has been met with a generally negative reception. Miranda Sanchez wrote an article for
IGN titled "Amazon and Netflix Don't Understand Anime Fans", criticizing the service for its expensive pricing.
[{{Cite web, url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/01/20/opinion-amazon-and-netflix-dont-understand-anime-fans, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320222959/http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/01/20/opinion-amazon-and-netflix-dont-understand-anime-fans, url-status=dead, archive-date=March 20, 2017, title=Opinion: Amazon and Netflix Don’t Understand Anime Fans, last=Sanchez, first=Miranda, date=January 20, 2017, website=IGN, language=en-US, access-date=September 12, 2017]
References
Defunct video on demand services
Defunct subscription services