The rebranding of Aniwatch to HiAnime marks a significant development in the world of anime piracy, particularly given Aniwatch's status as the largest anime piracy site globally. The decision to change the domain name comes amidst increasing infamy and pressure from various entities seeking to shut down the site. Speculation suggests that a recent site blocking order in India may have played a role in prompting this rebranding, considering India's status as Aniwatch's biggest user base.

Despite the rebranding, the transition to HiAnime appears to have retained much of Aniwatch's functionality, with user accounts and watchlist records being transferred seamlessly. However, some users have voiced concerns about the similarity of the new name to an adult-oriented anime site and the increased prevalence of pop-up ads on the platform.

The rebranding of Aniwatch underscores the ongoing debate surrounding anime and manga piracy, which has been further fueled by recent developments such as Funimation's end-of-service announcement and the arrests of individuals involved in leaking major manga titles. While efforts are being made to address issues related to accessibility and compensation for affected users, piracy remains a contentious issue within the anime community.

Source: Aniwatch, Torrent Freak