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AniDev offers a comprehensive search system with multiple filter options to help you discover exactly what you’re looking for.

Text Search

Search by anime title with instant, debounced results

Multi-Filter

Combine genres, years, studios, and more

Search History

Access your recent searches (up to 50 items)

Smart Results

Get accurate results with our optimized search algorithm

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Search Types

AniDev supports multiple search modes accessible from the search page:
Search through thousands of anime series, movies, and OVAs with comprehensive filtering options.
1

Navigate to Search

Click on the search icon in the navigation bar or press Ctrl+K (Windows) or Cmd+K (Mac) from anywhere on the site.
2

Enter Your Query

Type your search term in the search bar. Results appear instantly as you type.
3

Apply Filters (Optional)

Refine your results using the filter dropdowns: genres, year, status, format, studio, season, rating, and more.
4

Browse Results

Scroll through the results and click on any anime card to view detailed information.
Search uses debounced input with a 300ms delay to optimize performance and reduce unnecessary API calls.

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Available Filters

When searching for anime, you have access to these powerful filters:

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Genre Filter

Filter by anime genres including:
  • Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama
  • Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Romance
  • Sci-Fi, Slice of Life, Sports
  • And many more…
Multi-select: Choose multiple genres to narrow your search

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Year Filter

Find anime from specific years (1954-2025):
  • Filter by release year
  • Discover classics or the latest releases
  • Combine with other filters for precise results

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Status Filter

Airing

Currently broadcasting anime

Finished

Completed series you can binge-watch

Not Yet Aired

Upcoming releases to anticipate

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Format Filter

Choose the type of content:
  • TV Series: Traditional episodic anime
  • Movie: Feature-length anime films
  • OVA: Original Video Animation
  • Special: Special episodes and OVAs
  • ONA: Original Net Animation
  • Music: Music videos and concerts

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Studio Filter

Filter by animation studio to find content from your favorite studios like:
  • Studio Ghibli
  • Kyoto Animation
  • MAPPA
  • Ufotable
  • And 100+ more studios

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Season Filter

Find anime by the season they aired:
  • Winter (January-March)
  • Spring (April-June)
  • Summer (July-September)
  • Fall (October-December)

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Rating Filter

Filter by content rating:
  • Everyone (G): Suitable for all ages
  • Kids (PG): Parental guidance suggested
  • Teens (PG-13): For ages 13 and up
  • Adults (R): Mature content
  • Mild Nudity (R+): Contains mild nudity
Enable Parental Control in your profile settings to automatically hide adult-rated content.

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Day Filter

Find anime by the day they air (Sunday through Saturday)

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Sort Options

Order your results by:
  • Highest Score: Top-rated anime first
  • Lowest Score: Lower-rated anime first
  • A-Z: Alphabetical order
  • Z-A: Reverse alphabetical order

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Using Multiple Filters

Filters work together to give you precise results: 
// Example: Find action anime from 2023 by MAPPA
{
  genre_filter: ['action'],
  year_filter: ['2023'],
  studio_filter: ['mappa']
}
1

Select Your First Filter

Start with the most important criterion (e.g., genre)
2

Add More Filters

Layer additional filters to narrow results
3

Review Results

See the filtered anime count update in real-time
4

Reset if Needed

Click the reset button to clear all filters and start over

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Search History

AniDev automatically tracks your search history (when enabled):
  • Storage: Up to 50 recent searches
  • Privacy: History is stored per user/session
  • Management: Clear your history anytime from the search page
  • Deduplication: Duplicate searches are automatically removed
Click the history icon in the search bar to open your recent searches. Click any item to quickly re-run that search.
Go to your profile settings and toggle off “Track Search History”. This will stop saving new searches and clear your existing history.

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Search Keyboard Shortcuts

Use these shortcuts for faster searching:
ShortcutAction
Ctrl+K / Cmd+KOpen search bar
EscapeClose search results
EnterExecute search
↑ / ↓Navigate results

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Search Performance

AniDev’s search is optimized for speed:
  • Debounced Input: 300ms delay prevents excessive API calls
  • Redis Caching: Frequently searched terms are cached for instant results
  • Optimized Queries: Database queries use indexes for fast retrieval
  • Lazy Loading: Results load as you scroll
// Debounce hook implementation
const debouncedSearch = useDebounce(searchQuery, 300)

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Search API

Search requests are sent to: 
GET /api/animes/full?query={search_term}&{filter_params}
Example with filters: 
GET /api/animes/full?query=naruto&genre_filter=action&year_filter=2002&status_filter=finished+airing
All search queries are rate-limited to prevent abuse. The default limit is 100 requests per minute per user.

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Search Results Display

Search results are displayed as cards showing:
  • Anime Poster: High-quality cover image
  • Title: English and Japanese titles
  • Rating: User score out of 10
  • Type: TV, Movie, OVA, etc.
  • Episodes: Total episode count
  • Status: Airing, Finished, or Not Yet Aired
Hover over any anime card to see additional information like genres and synopsis preview.

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Frequently Asked Questions

If your search returns no results:
  • Check your spelling
  • Try using fewer filters
  • Use broader search terms
  • Click the reset button to clear all filters
Filter preferences are saved in your browser session. When you navigate away and return to the search page, your last filters will be restored.

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