Anime Fans Are Mourning the Loss of AnimeKai — Here's What Happened to the Website

For years, AnimeKai served as a solid source for anime fans to find and stream their favorite Anime videos. Then, suddenly, it stopped working and the users who had utilized the website for so long appropriately freaked out. Now, many are wondering what happened to AnimeKai's website and if it will come back at some point.

AnimeKai was, at one point, one of the largest streaming websites out there for streaming anime in a way that wasn't exactly above board. But, as piracy websites go, AnimeKai lasted quite a while. So much so that users sort of figured it would always be around. Until, of course, it wasn't, leading them to wonder what happens next.

According to one of the moderators on the official AnimeKai Reddit page, there was a fire at the data center for the website. There have also been issues for a while with the website in general. And, because of that combination, the developers made the decision to shut down AnimeKai for good as a streaming website.

"Due to all the recent issues with the site ... Especially with the data center being on fire, the developer has shared that he will no longer be continuing the project and it is time for all of us to move on," the Redditor wrote. They added, "We highly suggest you export your bookmarks/anime list to save, so you can import it to a new site or you can upload it to your AniList account or your MyAnimeList account so it is never lost. If somehow something changes we'll notify you, but for now please save your lists."

Users also noted that, when they tried to access the website, they were met with a notice on their screens to drive home the fact that AnimeKai was no more. The message, per a screenshot in the Reddit thread, said, "As you see, with a lot of things recently, we're unable to continue running the project. It's time to back up your list and find a new home for your anime journey."

If you try to go on the AnimeKai website, you might be met with a perpetually loading screen. Or, like some users reported in the past, the website might automatically redirect you to anikai.to. That appears to be another way to stream anime, though it's not totally clear if it's on par with what AnimeKai was to its avid users.

One thing that the website's developers don't want the users to miss out on, with the website shutting down, is the community they have built. Not only will the subReddit remain up, but there is also a Discord for the community of former AnimeKai users to get together digitally and continue to discuss the content that drove them to use the website so much in its heyday.