Copyright law is still a tricky business when it comes to international markets. Anime, which has a solid global fanbase and an impressive library of titles, has varying laws to cover different shows depending on the time and place. You don't have to be a member of or know about a niche anime streaming site, either. There's plenty of anime on YouTube that you can watch for free, and that doesn't mean pirated shows. It just means anime titles that either aren't currently covered by copyright or are owned by someone who doesn't object to their distribution.
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When something falls through the cracks, anime fans are there to like and subscribe. A vibrant and active community of fans keeps a watchful eye on these kinds of details, so free anime on YouTubeCopyright laws are always changing, so some of the following titles might change without notice. That's a good excuse to get that YouTube app running and take a look at them quickly.
10 Sherlock Hound
It looks a lot like Goof Troop in a Wild West setting with a steampunk aesthetic. It has an interesting history as the result of a collaborative effort between the Italian broadcasting corporation RAI and a Japanese animation company, Tokyo Movie Shinsha. It originally aired in 1984 and 1985, and unlike other entries on this list from the same era, it hasn't seen any sequels or further development but it has been remastered. The DVD rights have changed hands a number of times in the past few years, which might be why it's currently available for free on YouTube.
9 One-Punch Man
What stands out about One Punch Man is that it's a superhero series that's both a serious story and a clever satire of the genre. At its core, it's a character study of a hero so overpowered that he can take out anyone or anything, no matter how fearsome, with a single punch.
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Saitama, the main character, is searching for an opponent at the same level of power which proves to be nigh impossible. The setting is an alternate universe populated by a number of superheroes and all of them seem to have their issues. Fans of superhero satire like The Tick will appreciate the smart writing in this show.
8 Demon Lord Dante
Not all of the anime available for free on YouTube is vintage material or on a level intended for kids. There's something for those that love the horror genre too, so if you enjoyed recent shows like Castlevania you'll also like Demon Lord Dante.
The franchise consists of a manga that dates from the 1970s which was rebooted in a long series of comics at the turn of the century. The anime series dates from 2002 and follows high school student Ryo Utsugi's unwitting transformation into a demon. Bloody rampage follows in this early example of the horror genre.
7 Mobile Suit Gundam Wing (Remastered Version)
This is the vintage series that originally debuted in Japan way back in 1997, but it's been remastered and looks great, even for free on YouTube. It was the first Gundam series to be imported for North American audiences and is essential viewing for all fans of mecha, science fiction, or big giant robot anime in general.
Bandai Entertainment, the former owner of the very lucrative Gundam franchise, closed its doors in 2007. Right Stuff Inc. picked up the name and distributed the series in both Blu-Ray and DVD form in 2017. It's been a few years and the rights have lapsed, making the original series available for free on YouTube.
6 Mahou Sensou (Magical Warfare)
The media library for Mahou Sensou consists of light novels, a series of manga, and one season of anime that dates from 2014. Crunchyroll owned the rights back then, but in the years since that seems to have run out, and the 14 episodes of anime that make up that single season are currently available for free on YouTube.
The story focuses on Takeshi, a student with a talent for kendo. He meets a girl named Mui Aiba, who accidentally turns him into a magician. He enrolls in the Subaru Magic Academy and his adventures evolve from there.
5 Sailor Moon - The Original Series
When you go by the numbers, this is one of the most popular anime series in all of history, and the global franchise that it began is still going strong. The full-length Crystal films are currently showing on Netflix and the manga that Naoko Takeuchi created in 1991 has been imported into North American comic book form.
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Other entries in the Sailor Moon universe include video games, a theme park, even a show on ice. With the modern OVA from 2012 now available, the original show is still worth a watch for the history and nostalgia, and it's available for free on YouTube.
4 Hajime no Ippo
Sports anime is a popular genre, and of course, there's a selection for those fans too. Hajime no Ippo started out as a serialized manga about a boxer, and its anime adaptation aired in Japan between 2002 and 2003. It was released under the name Fighting Spirit when it was distributed by Geneon Entertainment in 2003. The story is mostly about the drama surrounding the characters and ends up being more of a study in story development than sport, but that's what a lot of this genre is about anyway.
3 Samurai Champloo
The hip-hop soundtrack and anachronistic style of the introduction might give you the wrong impression, but most of this show takes place in the Edo Era of Japan. The plot follows the main character Fuu and her two wayward guides, Mugen and Jin, on what seems like an aimless journey to find a samurai who "smells of sunflowers."
Although the three main characters themselves are fictional, they travel through a time period in which Japan was going through some serious social and economic changes. For the most part, it's a comedy adventure, and it's gorgeous to look at, but it has a few moments of gravitas that will take you by surprise.
2 Spice and Wolf
A kinder and gentler story that's told in a European fantasy aesthetic, the romance of Spice and Wolf still has some deeper themes beneath the beautiful animation and heartwarming characters. This is a story of pagan gods and magic in a world in which the Church is assuming power told through the eyes of a forgotten deity and a traveling merchant.
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Like so many anime in this genre before it, Spice and Wolf was a series of light novels before it was adapted into an anime series. It ran on Funimation in 2010, and this same version is what you often find when shopping for box sets and DVD versions.
1 Super Milk Chan
In case you don't have a lot of time to watch any anime immediately and are worried about missing the copyright window, here's a suggestion that probably won't get picked up for a while. Super Milk Chan aired in the 1990s in Japan and Cartoon Network had the show on as part of their Adult Swim lineup in 2004 but outside of that, it's hard to find a market for something so weird.
It's reminiscent of other anime of the time with its exaggerated style and irreverent and wacky plot twists, which feature the adventures of Milk and her robot maid, Tetsuko, and her pet slug, Hanage. In case this isn't already weird enough, that means "nose hair" in case you had any doubts about what you're getting into with Super Milk Chan.