Disney, Netflix & Crunchyroll Leave Anime’s Most Underrated ’90s Fantasy Show Trapped in Licensing Hell

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People who enjoyed the original anime and its sequel will soon lose access to stream the beloved ’90s fantasy series.

HIDIVE announced that the 1998 anime series Sorcerous Stabber Orphen will be removed from its platform on March 31st. Currently, no other major streaming services offer the show, meaning this will be the last day U.S. fans can legally stream it.

Sleeper Action-Fantasy Hit Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Exits HIDIVE

The anime Sorcerous Stabber Orphen: The Wayward Journey, which first aired on TBS in 1998, is based on the light novel series by Yoshinobu Akita and Yuuya Kusaka. It’s a unique take on the swords-and-sorcery genre, following Orphen, a once-promising black sorcerer. His involvement in a risky plan ultimately leads him on a quest to find his missing sister, Azalie.

Azalie has been transformed into a powerful dragon, and Orphen is desperately trying to find a way to change her back. He must also shield her from those who would hunt her, all while staying one step ahead of his own enemies. The first Sorcerous Stabber Orphen anime series originally aired for 24 episodes and gained a dedicated following.

A year after the first series, a follow-up season gave fans 23 more episodes of exciting fantasy action. Like the original, Orphen: Revenge received mostly positive reviews, though it didn’t gain as much attention as some other shows at the time. Currently, both seasons have an average rating of 7.1/10 on IMDb, based on over 340 reviews.

A new installment in the Orphen series began in 2020. While it hasn’t received quite as much positive feedback as previous versions, that hasn’t stopped it from being released. So far, Studio Deen’s Orphen has a total of 48 episodes, plus an original OVA.

In 2023, Studio Deen released the fourth and final season of their Orphen adaptation, titled Doom of Dragon’s Sanctuary, bringing the main story to a close. Although all four seasons produced by Studio Deen are currently available on Crunchyroll, fans shouldn’t see this as a huge relief. The original Orphen series is leaving streaming platforms soon, and many consider the Studio Deen version to be inferior to the one created by J.C.Staff.

Sorcerous Stabber Ophen is available for streaming on HIDIVE up through March 31.

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2026-03-07 07:08