Anime Reaction Channels are getting Strikes
A wave of anime reaction channels are getting strikes on two different platforms, YouTube and also Patreon. There are several channels on the internet where a person, a couple or a large group watches an anime and records their reaction.
On Youtube you can find several channels that publish videos of reactions shorter than the duration of the episode, and full of watermarks and such to avoid copyright problems.
Because of this, these channels use Patreon, Patreon is a site where fans can pay to see content from a youtuber they like.
On Patreon, several Youtubers publish their uncut reaction videos, with the total length of the episode as you can see below on this channel (as I am not subscribed, it does not appear for me).
By just paying a monthly fee, you can watch the videos on Patreon, but even that is coming to an end for these Youtubers, as even the Patreon of various reacts is suffering strikes.
Anime Reaction Channels are getting Strikes
In the last week several channels are reporting that they are receiving strikes for watching anime like Shingeki no Kyojin, Naruto/Boruto, One Piece, One Punch Man, Kimetsu no Yaiba etc.
The Studio Gek channel, which is about a group of friends who have never seen anime and who are watching Shingeki no Kyojin for the first time (and loving it), reported that they received 3 strikes on Youtube and that they are thinking of a way around the situation:
The channel of reactions AwakeProductions, which belongs to a girl, reported that her channel received a huge amount of strikes because of Bleach, she has already created an alternative channel for those who want to follow her.
The Animaechan channel that likes to react to a wide variety of anime made a video talking about the situation on Patreon, where several profiles of anime react channels are being suspended from the platform:
The JDanime channel, which is owned by a couple, published on their platforms that the channel will be closed in a week due to One Piece copyright. They don’t know if they will continue with the reactions if the channel is really deleted:
The Rice and Ginger channel, which belongs to a couple who are discovering anime, they react to Shingeki no Kyojin, One Punch Man, more recently ReZero, also suffered problems and they published that they intend to publish their reactions on their own website.
The channel Nani no Anime which is owned by 3 Youtubers received DMCA for react videos of JoJo, Naruto Shippuden and Kimetsu no Yaiba 2, and they had to delete these reacts.
The react channel Re:animated commented on Ruffsenpai’s post (a member of Nani no Anime), and said that his channel was suspended instead of just having the videos deleted, he completes saying: “Not trying to be that guy, but everyone I see being suspended are black” one user replied saying that Animaechan had Patreon suspended and she is white, others who react too.
That's crazy. Yeah, they suspended another creator too. Not trying to be that guy but everyone I'm seeing get suspended is black. I'll hold my tongue for now but if this continues to other black creators I'm on their ass.
— Re:animated (@ReanimatedYT) March 16, 2023
Their Patreon came back later. According to lists circulating around, these are other channels that were affected by the strikes:
- Mario anime journey
- Wes and Steph
- TGL reacts
- Struckbybelz
- Double dragon broz
- Duk reacts
- Helwa
- Brianxstephanie
- AJ Rich
- Dwayne N jazz
- Jerzeyboyz
What’s behind the Strikes?
According to reports from what I could find, the two main companies that are striking on Patreon and YouTube are Viz Media and Aniplex.
Obviously companies are within their rights to prohibit anime from being distributed with their entire episodes on services that require a subscription but many react Youtubers complain about these strikes.
Some channels that received the strikes were suspended on Patreon but many have since returned. Others on Youtube await the end of their channels. More channels may be affected as well.
There are prints circulating on social networks of people sending emails to Viz Media informing the name of channels and that they charge a fee to watch them reacting to anime.