Why Anime?

Anime (Japanese animation) has been gaining popularity lately, largely due to the showings of certain shows on TV, most notably cartoon network. So if you happen to miss one of your favorite anime on TV, you can always rent the DVD from us. We have an inventory of more than 12,000 titles that encompasses anime DVD, anime CD soundtrack, Hentai (adult anime) DVD, Asian movies, Asian TV series including Japanese (J-Drama), Chinese, and Korean (K-Drama) TV series. We have all the newest and most popular anime series like Bleach, Death Note, Naruto, Ouran High School Host Club, Claymore, School Rumble, xxxHOLic, as well as classic favorites such as Dragon Ball, Cowboy Bebop, Fullmetal Alchemist and Fruits Basket. You can keep them for as long as you like, and shipping is always on us! And if you like the anime DVD that you rent too much to part with it, you can always purchase it from us. So check out our selections and rental plans today!

Here's what some of our actual subscribers think about our service... (ratings are based on 0 to 5 stars, with 5 being the best)

"I love yout website! It's a good place to find anime of all types. The shipping is fast and reliable. It takes a little longer then it should to have your dvd's processed when they are returned but thats not a big deal. I cant find a better price anywhere for the value i get. The selection of anime is HUGE. Lot's of animes you wont find anywhere else. Thanks for running a great website and letting me be a member!"
Jason (2 DVD plan) from New Jersey

"From a longtime anime lover and a longtime customer, listen: AnimeLane is an absolute necessity for those wishing to explore Asian pop culture. The inventory grows every single day and with not just the pop titles you would expect, but also with the more eclectic stuff you'd have great difficulty finding anywhere else. It's not just anime they carry, but also imported films, hentai (!!!), music CDs, computer games AND television shows. The introductory pricing is still extremely fair, there is a terrific free DVD program everyone should take advantage of and the quick self-return feature is a godsend. However, what's best about AnimeLane is their top-notch customer service. If you ever have a problem with your account or just a simple question, Caroline will get back to you within the afternoon. I'm talking about a consistent same-day response time. I get emails back from AnimeLane quicker than I do from my own co-workers! How's THAT for service?

I used to be enthralled w/this video store in Japantown SF that boasted the largest inventory of anime, west of the Mississippi. However, the 40-minute commute, annual membership fee and astounding late fees were less than enthralling. AnimeLane is a much better alternative and is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED." *****
Jonathan (8 DVD Annual plan) from California

"your title selection is great customer service is quick and easy, i get most of my top selections, the self return feature is easy and saves time, my sugestions are to keep doing what you are doing because you are doing a great job" ****
Chris (2 DVD plan) from Washington

"I think you guys are great! I'm glad I heard about you! 5 stars! The self return is great, becuase it takes about 5 days for DVD's to get here instead of 10! And I have never received a damaged disk." *****
Julie (2 DVD plan) from Nebraska

"You are by far the best anime rental company out there---a 5-STAR. I have belonged to Anime Deluxe, Anime Florida, Anime Takeout, Green Cine, and Rent Anime. You beat them in all categories. But you Advanced Return feature makes you really stand out. This type of feature may save BlockBuster which has now incorporated a similar feature in their Total Access Plan. Not to worry, BlockBuster and all the others carrying mostly Hollywood products have terrible anime selections. It is the Advanced Return feature which use some better tracking. When the Advanced Return(AR) feature is used, the DVD goes to My Rental History and the Rental Status shows Returned and the Rental Date is the date AR was used. If you could put Advanced Returned Used in the Rental Status along with the Rental Date showing when AR was used, that would be helpful. When Anime Lane actually receives the DVD back, The Rental Date should change to the date you actually received it and the Rental Status should just read Received. The only other thing I can think of is the thin felt-like wrapper we place the DVDs back into before sending them back. They are flimsy and they are tearing and I can see no useful function--surely not any kind if protection for the DVDs. If these wrappers are simply to hold two DVDs in one container, a better light-weight material would do---maybe paper with special fibers for strength." *****
Tony (4 DVD plan) from Florida

"AnimeLane.com is without a doubt the best place online to rent anime. The prices, selection and service are tough to beat, and the self return feature is an original and convenient feature other services just don't offer. Thanks AnimeLane, for being the best rental service on the net! Keep up the good work, and I plan on staying a member for a long time to come!
Title selections: 5
Customer service: 5
Availability of top selections: 5
Conditions of discs received: 4
Self Return Feature: 5"
Caitlin (2 DVD plan) from Missouri

"Title selections - Rating of 5/5
Customer service - Rating of 6/5
Availability of your top selections - Rating of 5/5
Conditions of discs received - Rating of 5/5
Self Return feature - Rating of 6/5
My comment: I love animelane.com!!! I looked at other "anime" sites and decided to try your company because it was based in California. I had a bad experience with blockbuster.com and was wary at first but I decided to give the "online borrowing" another chance. So far, animelane.com has delivered 100%! You have the best title selections available. So far, all the discs I received were in good condition. The customer service is excellent. I have dealt with Caroline (regarding membership) and she is absolutely wonderful, very professional and very prompt with her replies. Another great aspect of animelane.com is your Self-Return feature. I love the fact I can virtually return my DVDs and receive my next batch all within a week. This is great feature for this anime fanatic. If you want to try animelane.com, but are not sure, TRY IT OUT BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU!"
Reynaldo (10 DVD Annual plan) from California

"Title selections 5+
Customer service 5
Availability of your top selections 5
Conditions of discs received 5
Self Return feature 4
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I LOVE YOUR SERVICE. I WAS A MEMBER OF NETFLIX BECAUSE OF THEIR ANIME SELECTION UNTIL I FOUND YOUR WEBSITE. IT'S PRETTY RARE FOR ME TO COME ACROSS A TITLE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE, AND I F I DO, ALL I HAVE TO DO IS REQUEST IT AND IN A DAY OR SO I GET A POSITIVE RESPONSE FROM YOU. THE INCREASE IN YOUR QUEUE IS A GREAT HELP. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK."
William (6 DVD plan) from Pennsylvania

"Title selections - To the extent that you have all the licensed and released anime titles, I give you 5 stars. The selection of Asian live-action movie and series is also fine, though I am less interested in this than the anime.
I do have a request. If it is possible (ie. legally) to stock anime that has not been released in the U.S., and likely never will be, I and many other fans would be grateful. These would by necessity be region R0 or R1 dvd's with at least English subtitles. English soundtracks would not be necessary.
Customer service - To the extent that your service has been so reliable as to not require any special customer care, I give you 5 stars.
As I stated in a previous email message I sent AnimeLane, I request that you change how you send the "shipping confirmation" message, such that it is sent when the item is actually shipped, and not before. This would represent an important improvement in your quality of service.
Availability of your top selections - Outstanding! I have experienced no serious delays in getting the selections that I want, when I want them. You deserve 4, if not 5, stars.
Conditions of discs received - I have never encountered a problem. Every disc played in my dvd player without difficulty. You method of shipping appears to be entirely adequate. Again, you deserve 5 stars.
Self Return feature - This is your finest contribution to the rent-by-mail service. I presume you have patented it, otherwise I am sure every other company would be emulating it by now. This single feature allows you to compete closely with Netflix without requiring so many separate service centers scattered about the U.S. Needless to say, I give you 5 stars."
Robert (4 DVD plan) from Oregon

"* Title selections -----------------------------------5
* Customer service---------------------------------5+
* Availability of your top selections-----------4
* Conditions of discs received------------------5+
* Self Return feature-------------------------------5+
* Any other comments or suggestions
I realize you asked for a scale of 1-5, but there are just some areas where you folks are far better than some of your competition:
- Customer service: I'm not suggesting that people should expect this from Anime Lane, but I've emailed Anime Lane's customer service at 10PM on a holiday weekend, and promptly received a reply. (Thanks, Caroline! ...though I still think you should have been out enjoying yourself.)
- Conditions of discs received: Almost without exception, every DVD I've received has been virtually scratch-free. This is a stark contrast to another anime service I've used, where some of the DVDs showed up looking like they stored in a box of broken glass. I think your choice of material to serve as a protective sleeve was a good one. Other services use corrugated cardboard, which eventually leaves "grille marks" on the DVDs.
- Self Return feature: Man, what a difference... :-) Great idea!
This is a great service at a good price, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone else out there who is an Anime dork like me. Keep up the good work!"
Brian (6 DVD Annual plan) from Oregon

"I would rate you as a 5. Always prompt on shipping and have never had a damaged CD, therefore the packaging must be good for the purpose. Always send e-mail notifying of shipping and receiving for both directions. I have never had a failure of any shipment. Thank you for your prompt service.
* Title selections Very Good
* Customer service Very Good
* Availability of your top selections Very Good
* Conditions of discs received Very Good
* Self Return feature Very Good
* Any other comments or suggestions Very Good
Vernon (2 DVD plan) from Alabama

* Title selections - (5 stars) It's quite extensive..their are titles that I want that are not available but its more likely due to no disti picking them up. Not Anime Lanes fault.
* Customer service - (4 stars) well no one has fixed my screen where it says everything is locked. Sometimes u want a series out of order just because you have already seen episodes but it seems Anime Lane has not fixed this yet.
* Availability of your top selections(5 stars) This is where anime lane really shines..everything that i have requested up to date has been sent with minimal delays; even titles that are very popular.
* Conditions of discs received(5 stars) Another area where anime lane shines. The discs are in perfect condition. When i was with (rent Anime) most of their discs were scratched and many were cracked. Anime Lane has never given me even 1 scratched disc. :)
* Self Return feature(5 stars) I love this. I think its unique to anime lane..but its probably the best feature.
* Any other comments or suggestions- Just get more titles PLEASE!! Like Monster or Blood+. I wish Anime Lane would give some sort of freebie thing for long time customers like me. :) I mean i understand anime Lane having an introductory period and then going back to a regular price..but maybe something nice for LOYAL customers??
Sanders (6 DVD plan) from California

its really good you have alot of selection but it would be good if you had a cotact phone number to where we could all reach you at and mayby juat a little faster on the mail that about overal its really good 5 stars thank you.
Juan (4 DVD plan) from Texas

I give your service a 5 star rating
I found your title selection to be immense. I usually get my top selections. The condition of the discs I have received have been excellent. The self return feature is an excellent way of getting the next selections in your queue faster. I would like to see a change in is the number of discs you can have in the queue increased and perhaps think of expanding your distribution locations to speed up shipment time. I have finally found an online rental site that really has all of the anime I have been looking for, Thank you.
Sharon (6 DVD plan) from Illinois

Overall good service. A rating of 3-1/2.
Suggestion: For browse/search feature, instead of showing all the DVD titles that fit the browse/search criteria perhaps grouping them under their respective title and then provide a link to view the individual DVD titles that match. It takes too long to view pages upon pages of individual DVD titles to see what series are available.
Suggestion: For those of us whose lives are so busy, I would like to see a feature that would allow us to put on "pause" on new arrivals until such time that we can enjoy watching anime again. Would also be nice if such a "pause" would also reduce our monthly fee since we would have no DVD's in our possession for that month(s).
Mike (2 DVD plan) from California

You guys are awesome. The service is great and your selection is awesome! You have me checking my mailbox every day. I love that you guys are always adding new titles. Thanks to you I've gained some new favorites. Keep up the good work!
Yaischa (2 DVD plan) from Florida

I have dropped both Netflix and Rent Anime leaving you as my sole provider of Anime enjoyment. I got tired of cleaning the DVDs for Netflix and their older titles were missing volumes. There is nothing worse the trying to watch a series with missing volumes. Rent Anime problem is lack of response when something goes wrong. One of the titles was damaged in shipment and I never received an answer let alone a replacement DVD. The best feature with your service is the self return feature. This alone places you far ahead of Rent Anime. You also provide a greater selection of rental plans and you customer service is second to none. Thanks again for all your help and I am looking forward to my future rentals.
Richard (12 DVD annual plan) from Pennsylvania