Here’s Why Crunchyroll Is the Best Streaming Service for Anime Fans
The success of the streaming service has seen a rise in quality Netflix produced anime over the past 12 months. Here are 10 of the best new Anime shows currently available to stream.
© Provided by Business Insider Crunchyroll is a streaming platform focused explicitly on original and simulcasted licensed Anime shows and movies. Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Crunchyroll is an anime streaming service that offers over 1,000 titles and 30,000 episodes of anime.
What Shows and Movies Are on Crunchyroll?
The best anime streaming services: Reviews & RecommendationsBest overall: Crunchyroll.Best for dubs: Netflix.Best for retro: RetroCrush.Best curated: HIDIVE.Best free: Tubi.
Crunchyroll and Funimation are two of the best streaming services for anime fans. Crunchyroll's Premium service works as a one-stop-shop for all things anime, including extras like e-manga and popular East Asian live-action drama series.
If you prefer subs, Crunchyroll might be better, but if you prefer to watch dubbed anime, go for Funimation. Since the selection of shows you can stream is different as well, check out Funimation to see if it has anything that you like that is not on Crunchyroll.
Overall, Crunchyroll has better pricing than Netflix. The cheapest Crunchyroll plan starts at just $7.99/month for an ad-free subscription, and you can even sign up and watch for free if you're willing to watch ads and you don't care about Crunchyroll's premium-only content.
Funimation vs Crunchyroll: Anime content While Crunchyroll's humongous anime library hands down the winner, there's more to the anime on Funimation. Furthermore, both Funimation and Crunchyroll have their exclusives; however, when it comes to individuality, Funimation tends to focus on English anime dubs.
It's difficult to account for every kind of anime fan's tastes but Crunchyroll certainly does the best job of covering as many bases as possible with an enormous range of genres and popular shows. Beyond that, Crunchyroll offers a small selection of live-action dramas and manga.
Paying for a VRV Premium subscription gets you free access to Crunchyroll Premium's features — almost. One exception is the ability to switch between languages in the dubbing or subbing. If you want all of the benefits of a Crunchyroll subscription, you are better off getting it separately rather than bundled with VRV.
Crunchyroll is a legal site, so they wont have a fully updated list of anime since they need to license the shows first, but they do have a decent amount of shows that are updated within an hour of japans release on TV, $7 a month is worth it.
0:128:21Is Crunchyroll Premium Worth Paying For - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOr like i would say hulu's even though hulu's aren't that bad but yeah there's no you're gonna getMoreOr like i would say hulu's even though hulu's aren't that bad but yeah there's no you're gonna get ads if you're going to watch it for free. Now i would say if you're going to watch a lot of anime.
Crunchyroll offers over 1,000 anime shows, more than 200 East Asian dramas to users, and around 80 manga titles as Crunchyroll Manga, although not all programming is available worldwide due to licensing restrictions.
Best Offline Viewing: Crunchyroll Vs. Hulu. Crunchyroll wins when it comes to offline viewing, since it has slightly better features.
List Of Best Anime Websites To Watch Anime Online9anime.to.Amazon Anime.Crunchyroll.com.Funimation.Gogoanime.io.AnimeFreak.Chia-Anime.AnimeDao.More items...•
Ultimately, it's a close call between Crunchyroll and Funimation as the best anime streaming service, and personal preference plays a big part. Funimation’s dubbed anime and its pleasing user interface are both definite wins for their service. But if you’re an anime purist who prefers subtitled shows and a wide range of new releases - and want the largest library of generally quality anime (plus manga and dramas) which can also be enjoyed entirely free of charge - Crunchyroll comes out slightly ahead of the competition.
Despite its general lack of dubs, Crunchyroll’s library is enormous! Granted, so is Funimation’s, but while Funimation has a strong roster of shounen, slice-of-life, and romance anime, Crunchyroll’s breadth of genre spreads out even further, supplying subscribers a wealth of sports, isekai, and mecha anime both new and old. And, though small, Crunchyroll’s library of manga and live-action dramas are a plus.
Crunchyroll’s anime selection is easily superior to Netflix and Amazon Prime, though each have some wins. Netflix is the world’s most popular streaming service; it has a clever user interface that makes intelligent suggestions, as well as famously giving its subscribers the option to download shows to watch offline via their phone or tablet. All of that said, Netflix is certainly lagging behind in the anime department unless you’re in Japan. Granted, it has had a few stand-out Netflix Originals (Violet Evergarden and Devilman Crybaby being the best of the best) and classics like Neon Genesis Evangelion. Netflix is trying hard right now to win over the anime community, but it certainly hasn’t succeeded yet. What perhaps holds Netflix back the most is that it refuses to regularly simulcast anime, which is the anime streaming industry standard. As for Amazon Prime, it offers the smallest selection of anime of the lot and the worst video player, with dreadful subtitle formatting and a hard-to-navigate interface that makes it challenging for subscribers to find new anime. The thing that really stings in 2019 is that Amazon exclusively streams Vinland Saga, one of the best shows of 2019, and Dororo.
While Funimation, for example, doesn’t stream JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Hulu does - although Funimation and Hulu do have a licensing partnership. Hulu also offers a host of classic shows and movies like Cowboy Bebop and Akira along with brand new episodes of hit anime like My Hero Academia at the same time as Funimation and Crunchyroll. But, once again, its lack of simulcasts and ads that can only be removed by paying a higher subscription fee hold Hulu back. Though, admittedly, it does a lot better than Netflix in this regard. VRV, however, is a service that gives viewers access to a handful of other streaming services, which includes Crunchyroll and HIDIVE, as well as offers offline viewing. On paper, this makes it a prime contender for the top spot in anime streaming. But while Crunchyroll alone is available the world over, VRV is exclusive to the US, which is a problem for global anime fans.
Due to licensing agreements, some streaming providers' anime lineups will change. This also depends on which country you live in, as various content may only be available in Japan, the US, or other regions.
They can be prequel episodes or storylines that happen during or after what's seen in a series and act as cool additions for anime lovers.
Crunchyroll currently has about 45 shows in its simulcast roster, while other services have far fewer. Funimation offers a rather unique service called SimulDub (currently applies to about 25 shows), in which it posts a new English language dub on the same day on the show airs. For dubs fans, that's an incredible turnaround.
Anime is a rarified, fan-driven experience, so many streaming services do a lot more than merely serve up shows. For example, both Crunchyroll and Funimation have integrated and lively forum communities. Both sites also offer stores. Funimation has the best, most tightly-integrated shopping experience. As you stream video, the site shows ads for relevant merchandise and physical media. Crunchyroll 's shop is mildly disorganized by comparison, but you do get in-store bonuses and special access to convention events with a top-tier account. VRV lets you leave comments on episodes but that’s about it when it comes to community features. The relatively sparse RetroCrush could use these community features, but a shop would feel out of place on a free service. Hidive lets you create and share chat rooms so you can watch synced videos with friends while adding your own commentary.
Hulu's anime collection isn't large, but it does feature some classics, such as Cowboy Bebop and Ranma 1/2 .
VRV bundles together multiple classic, alternative, and international animation streaming services for a subscription package stronger than the sum of its niche parts.
By the early 2000s, US fans traded illegally duplicated VHS tapes or (if they were lucky) tiny RealPlayer files of their favorite shows on CD-R.
Anime fans have long been at the mercy of gatekeepers. First, it was media importers, who brought over only the series they felt would work with American audiences. Later, it was the fansubbing community, who labored to bring their favorite shows to their peers through file-sharing services of dubious legality.
Along with Crunchyroll’s and Hidive's entire libraries, VRV also has an appealing broader mix of indie and retro cartoons, from Axe Cop to Scooby-Doo, with channels like Boomerang, Cartoon Hangover, Mondo, and Nickelodeon.
The sheer depth of Crunchyroll’s library makes it an incredible prospect. Not only are there more than 1,000 different anime and live-action series to watch, but it also has plenty of manga available to read when you sign up to the premium tiers.
You can split anime off into two main categories; subbed (subtitled) or dubbed (with voices dubbed over). Subbed is how a lot of purists prefer to watch, while dubbed gives a slightly easier entry-point.
Specialist streaming services are becoming more and more common. A focus on niche content means you can enjoy hours upon hours of content away from one-size-fits-all services like Netflix or Amazon Prime Video.
Overall, we’d say Funimation offers a slightly better experience at this time, especially if you haven’t had much exposure to anime . It has a single premium tier, which eliminates some of the confusion with Crunchyroll's multiple subscription levels, and it's also extremely user-friendly in all instances.
Navigating Crunchyroll can be a mixed bag, depending on where you use it. The app is fantastic. Just log in and you’re presented with a wealth of content, which is all easy to scroll through. You’ve got options for different genres, and every dubbed series has clear indicators.
Crunchyroll also has a diverse range of shows to watch and is great for modern anime, up-and-coming shows, and some of the more popular series. If you’re looking for Jujutsu Kaisen or Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon, this is the place to find them.
And while you might think almost every show involves insane backstories starring millennia-old demons, angsty teenagers, and mysterious quests, a lot of the time this couldn’t be further from the truth. Anime is a true slice of Japanese culture, so whether you want to see horror or high school dramas, see a snapshot of someone's life or invest in a psychological thriller, there’s quite literally something for everyone.
What Netflix is to streaming, Crunchyroll is to anime streaming. If you want the biggest library of titles, with a mix of both classic titles like Captain Harlock and new hits like Jujutsu Kaisen, you can’t do much better than Crunchyroll.
While we wait to see what the Funimation/Crunchyroll merger ends up looking like, Funimation remains the other biggest player in anime streaming. Though you can subscribe to both Funimation and Crunchyroll, there is enough library overlap that you’re probably better off picking one or the other.
If you want something more grown-up than the teenage-aimed action shows that other streamers focus on, HIDIVE is the service for you. This streamer prides itself on offering edgier or more cultured shows like Redo of a Healer and Elfen Lied, but also Made in Abyss and the earlier Lupin the Third seasons.
Enough about all these mainstream shows with clean animation and formula-heavy stories; take me back to the good ol’ days! If that’s you, then RetroCrush is your streamer.
Hulu’s anime hub, home to new simulcast anime like Attack on Titan and classic films like Akira . Photo: Hulu
At this point, do you really need someone to pitch you on Netflix? What you may not know, however, is that it has a pretty great anime library too.
If you are new to anime or simply don’t want to commit to a dedicated streaming service just for that medium, then consider Hulu. Rather than license exclusive titles to try and compete with other streamers, Hulu hosts a collection of shows and movies from Crunchyroll, Funimation, and even HIDIVE.
Crunchyroll is the home to “My Hero Academia,” “Naruto, ” “Full metal Alchemist: Brotherhood,” “Fate,” and more. Crunchyroll has kept its crown as our top choice for streaming anime, and for most fans, it’s all you’ll ever need.
Still the largest hub of anime movies and tv series to date, Crunchyroll is inexpensive (free if you don’t mind ads) and has various premium subscription levels that allow for its users to tailor the service to their preference.
The service has some notable anime titles such as “Nichijou: My Ordinary Life,” “Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress” (also available on HBO Max), and “Cowboy Bebop.” Amazon Prime still doesn’t have the same reputation for its anime catalog as the earlier marks on our list, but they’ve developed a solid mix of classic anime along with some lesser-known gems.