This latest news from Australian anime publisher Madman Entertainment comes bittersweet. First launched in 2014, AnimeLab quickly became Australia and New Zealand’s leading, homegrown anime streaming service, featuring a library of works that spanned across multiple US publishers, had a recognisable name Aussies could be proud of, and was actually fairly well designed in the user interface department compared to other offerings. In fact, when the relationship between Funimation and Madman Entertainment grew stronger at the beginning of last year, it was AnimeLab which was retained while FunimationNow’s library was merged into it for both countries.
But it seems like they are changing their approach on this, with it today being confirmed that AnimeLab will now be Funimation Australia/New Zealand.
A big G’day and Kia ora to Funimation Australia/New Zealand! We’re thrilled to share the news today that AnimeLab will soon become Funimation!
With exclusive benefits to being a part of the global Funimation family, plus the same local team you know and love, your world of anime is about to get a whole lot bigger.
AnimeLab
The transition is set to commence on 17 June 2021, where active subscribers to AnimeLab will be able to use their current login credentials on the Funimation website. Not everything appears to be going away immediately, with things like separate AnimeLab social media channels remaining active for the time being.
A frequently asked questions section is available HERE, although there is still a bit of vagueness behind some matters. Some interesting takeaways are:
What will happen to Anime Festival?
We have nothing to announce about Anime Festival at this time, but stay tuned to our social channels, where we will update you if anything changes.
What will happen to Madman Anime?
Madman Anime will continue to operate its online store at https://www.madman.com.au, as well as bringing you anime theatrical releases on cinema screens in conjunction with Funimation, home entertainment releases, and collectibles.
Will all content that is now on AnimeLab still be available on Funimation?
We are working to make sure that as many shows as possible are made available on Funimation as AnimeLab transitions over, including even more anime content, the dubs you know and love, and much more.
Will Funimation have all the same functionality/features that I’ve experienced on AnimeLab?
The AnimeLab and Funimation technical teams are working very closely together to bring you the best user experience on Funimation possible, including a brand-new app refresh!
What will happen to AnimeLab?
For now everything will continue as normal, however starting from June 17th, you can log into Funimation using just your current AnimeLab details.
This will give you a bunch of new features and things we have seen requests for that Funimation supply, such as Closed Captions, control over subtitles, PS5, LG TV, Nintendo Switch and a heap more. That isn’t where the fun is stopping we are going to continue and evolve together with Funimation.
AnimeLab will continue for now, to give you some time to head over to Funimation and get started. However, in the near future, AnimeLab will close and Funimation will be your go-to place for all the latest simulcasts, news and exclusive content!
Things change, and here’s hoping that the transition from AnimeLab to Funimation will have minimal impact on the availability of shows (especially those not licenced by Funimation or Aniplex in the US) or the quality of services going forward – and an overall net positive for ANZ anime consumers.
I feel like AnimeLab was one of the first services to put the power of the newest anime in our hands, and Madman Entertainment have thrived at making content available to us on a frequent basis. With that in mind, it is hard not to feel a little apprehensive that a change in guard could see us left as an afterthought in the long-term. But if the Australian and New Zealand teams are still involved on a daily basis, here’s hoping this is just a worry and not an eventual reality.
