An ONA is an anime that was released first through the internet, streamed through some service, as opposed to having first aired on TV, or being first distributed as physical media (DVDs, BDs.)
Definition
An ONA is an anime that was first made available through the internet, e.g. by posting its episodes on Youtube, Vimeo, Niconico Douga, or by releasing it on streaming services like Netflix, Crunchyroll, Furnimation, Hulu, or Amazon.
The specific platform doesn't matter. It could be posted on Twitter as far as the term is concerned.
The important thing is that the anime was made to be watched on computers and smartphones, through the internet, rather than through a TV.
vs. OVA
The difference between ONA and OVA is that an ONA is an anime that originally "aired" on the internet, while OVA is an anime that originally "aired" on DVDs or Blu-rays.
Both terms are used to refer to anime that didn't air on the TV first, although they might or might not have aired on TV afterwards.
There are various reasons for this to happen. Most of the reasons listed in the article about OVA also apply to ONA:
- Problems with the TV format, number of episodes, or episode length.
- Problems with censorship due to risqué or adult content.
- Budget restraints, TV slots aren't affordable.
- Etc.
Regarding the differences between ONA and OVA formats:
- OVAs have a minimum cost, as they're always burned on physical media, and you also have the costs of getting the product to the client.
- ONA can be posted freely on the internet or kept behind a subscription system.
Both terms only refer to the medium that was originally used to release an anime.
For example, there are OVAs that later aired on the TV, or were made available online. And there are ONAs that were posted free online temporarily, and were later sold as DVDs.
Acronym
ONA stands for Original Net Animation.
This term is based on OVA, which standards for "Original Video Animation," Orijinaru Bideo Animeeshon オリジナルビデオアニメーション.
OVA is a Japanese term, while ONA is only used outside of Japan.
In Japanese
The term ONA in Japanese would be web-anime WEBアニメ, also spelled webu-anime ウェブアニメ.
Examples
Exclusive Content
Some ONA are created in partnership with online platforms that get exclusive rights to the anime, so that the anime can be used to advertise the platform. Such anime may be released on TV or as DVDs at a later date.
- Bounen no Xandou
忘年のザムド
Has a format fit perfectly for airing on TV (26 episodes, 20 minutes each), but instead of going on TV it was published on the Playstation Store. Yes. On Playstation. The game console. That counts as internet, so it's an ONA. It later aired on TV.
Vertical Anime
Some anime are made for smartphones and intended to be viewed vertically. Yes, really. This exists.
Bonus Anime
Some anime are bonuses made available on the internet.
- "Monsutaa Musume on Iru Nichijou" Hobo Mainichi ____! Namappoi Douga
「モンスター娘のいる日常」ほぼ毎日○○！生っぽい動画
A series of 60 very short episodes, around 30 seconds each, that were streamed daily on Nico, available only for 24 hours, with compilations on the weekends.
Doujin Anime
Some anime are made by hobbyists, doujn 同人, and they may have extremely limited budget
- Iya na Kao sare nagara Opantsu Misete Moraitai
嫌な顔されながらおパンツ見せてもらいたい
An NSFW anime adaptation of a doujinshi 同人誌, 6 episodes of 4 minutes, first broadcast on Niconico Douga, before being sold as physical discs on Comiket 94.
References
- Original Net Anime (ONA) - animenewsnetwork.com, accessed 2020-05-09.
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