Crunchyroll: The worst platform for watching anime?

The Best Anime Here

Is Crunchyroll the worst platform for watching anime... or just the most criticized? 🎥🔥 In this video, we take an in-depth look at Crunchyroll: its history since its acquisition by Sony, its user growth, and why many fans believe it is moving away from the otaku community. We discuss technical issues, user experience, catalog and licensing, pricing, dubbing and subtitling quality, as well as recent controversies (AI subtitles, award decisions, internal criticism of management).  In this video, you'll find:   A review of the Sony purchase and how it changed the platform.  Subscriber data and growth.  A comparison of Crunchyroll vs. Netflix/Prime Video/Disney+ (licenses, investment, catalog).  Technical glitches, real examples, and how they affect the experience.  Debate on automatic subtitles and dubbing: is it smart saving or contempt for human labor?  Are the Crunchyroll Anime Awards fair? Reactions from the community.  Employee opinions and reports on post-acquisition management.  👉 If you're interested in the future of anime streaming, subscribe, leave a like, and comment: Do you think Crunchyroll deserves the title of “worst platform” or can it still improve? 🔔

Transcript

00:00Crunchyroll is one of the best-known anime streaming platforms, acquired by Sony in 2021

00:05for $1.2 billion. Following the purchase, its subscribers tripled to 15 million. However,

00:10this popularity has been accompanied by growing criticism. Competition from giants such as Netflix,

00:16Disney, and Amazon, with million-dollar budgets for anime licenses, makes rights more expensive

00:21for Crunchyroll and gives fans less reason to subscribe to this specialized service.

00:26In addition, specialized media outlets describe Crunchyroll's current management as disoriented,

00:31anonymous employees claim that some executives consider anime to be merely cartoons for children

00:36and avoid hiring true fans or otakus. This has created the impression that Crunchyroll is distancing

00:42itself from its core audience. In this video, we take an in-depth look at Crunchyroll's strengths

00:46and weaknesses, from technical and experience issues to its catalog, pricing, and dubbing,

00:51comparing it to other anime platforms. We'll also cover recent controversies, AI subtitles,

00:57award controversies, and more, to understand whether Crunchyroll really deserves the title

01:02of worst platform or is simply facing common challenges when competing in the global market.

01:07Crunchyroll boasts one of the most extensive anime catalogs in the world. According to the company

01:11itself, it offers the world's largest dedicated anime library, with over 50,000 episodes, 25,000 hours

01:18of content. In fact, review sites highlight that Crunchyroll has more than 1,000 animated series,

01:24ranging from classics to recent releases, covering genres as varied as action, horror, drama,

01:30children's, musicals, sports, and many more. Variety is undoubtedly one of its strengths.

01:35Thanks to this, Crunchyroll usually broadcasts new anime quickly, many simulcasts from Japan,

01:40and always keeps its catalog up to date. Premieres are also localized into Spanish and other languages

01:45almost instantly. Rahul Purini, president of Crunchyroll, said that episodes are simulcast

01:51at the time of the Japanese broadcast and translated into more than 12 languages. Even so,

01:56the platform faces limitations compared to its competitors. Major generalist services have

02:01entered the anime market with Force, Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime are investing in

02:06producing or licensing popular series. For example, a Bloomberg analysis points out that these

02:11companies licensed shows with very deep pockets, making series more expensive for Crunchyroll and

02:16causing many fans to migrate to more generalist platforms. In fact, a recent study revealed that

02:2276% of young fans, Generation Z, watch anime on Netflix, compared to only 58% on Crunchyroll.

02:29Analyst Irina Zhao of Ampere Analysis summed up this trend, Crunchyroll is growing among casual anime

02:35audiences, but not among diehard fans, who tend to prefer Netflix or Amazon Prime for their favorite series.

02:41Comparison with other catalogs, Netflix and Prime, although they have fewer titles overall,

02:46tend to secure the most popular shounen or produce exclusive anime. For example,

02:51Netflix recently released massive titles such as Demon Slayer. Crunchyroll does boast classics

02:56and a huge assortment of series, but sometimes lacks some simultaneous releases or dubbing that other

03:01platforms offer. In conclusion, although its catalog is extensive and diverse, more than 1,000 series,

03:07it does not always include everything that is most in demand by the general public, which leads to

03:12mixed comparisons with its rivals. Crunchyroll offers several subscription plans, including a free one

03:17with ads. In Spain, for example, the Basic Fan Plan costs around €4.99 per month and allows you to

03:24watch all anime without ads on one device. The Mega Fan Plan, $6.49, adds simultaneous streaming on up to

03:32four screens, offline downloads, and access to free games. The annual Mega Fan Plan offers even more

03:38discount for advance payment. In the United States, the scheme is similar, $7.99 Fan, $11.99 Mega Fan,

03:47$15.99 Ultimate Fan, with $7.99 being the suggested price for ad-free access to the entire anime catalog.

03:56Meanwhile, a standard Netflix subscription costs around $15 to $18 per month, depending on the country,

04:03Amazon Prime $14, which includes many extra benefits, and Disney Plus $8, with ads. In this context, Crunchyroll

04:11is relatively inexpensive for anime fans. An analysis by Cable TV highlights that for $7.99 per month,

04:18you get ad-free access to Crunchyroll's entire anime catalog, offering the best value for fans compared to other

04:24services, such as Hulu. In addition, Crunchyroll allows shared accounts on the Mega Fan Plan for

04:30streams, without penalizing users as Netflix does. However, some monetary aspects bother loyal users.

04:36For example, the free, ad-supported, version limits video quality and delays new episodes compared to the

04:42paid plan. Crunchyroll was also criticized for raising prices in certain countries. A report on Reddit

04:482024 mentions increases in the Mega Fan Plan in Latin America from $379 to $439 local currency per month.

04:57Another point, not all content, such as movies or specials, is included in all plans. In summary,

05:03Crunchyroll's price is usually competitive for pure anime, but compared to Netflix or Prime,

05:08it compensates for its smaller overall offering with a lower cost and specialized focus.

05:13When it comes to dubbing, Crunchyroll has historically focused on subtitle versions.

05:18For years, the catalog mainly offered original Japanese voices with subtitles in English,

05:23Spanish, and many more, while dubbing was limited to a few series. In fact, until 2023,

05:28the ADSL Zone website pointed out that the minimum requirement was to find anime with Japanese

05:33voices and English or Spanish subtitles and that Crunchyroll was gradually introducing Spanish dubbing.

05:39This coincides with the strategy announced by the company, Rahul Purini emphasized that localization

05:44has always been key and that Crunchyroll is investing in dubbing to adapt anime to global

05:49audiences. However, many Spanish-speaking users have criticized the scarcity or quality of dubbing

05:54on Crunchyroll. Unlike Netflix or Disney+, which increasingly include anime dubbed into Castilian Spanish

06:01and Latin American Spanish, Crunchyroll has relatively few titles dubbed into European and Latin American

06:07Spanish. This can be a weak point for viewers who prefer to watch dubbed anime. In Spain and Latin America,

06:12Crunchyroll does offer several dubbed premieres, but not all of them and often later than elsewhere.

06:17On the other hand, Crunchyroll does add subtitles in multiple languages almost immediately. It already has

06:23its anime subtitled in Spanish and several dubbed. The official commitment to offering dubbing has not been

06:28enough to satisfy all fans. Many believe that the platform should increase its offering of Spanish voices.

06:33In comparison, platforms such as Netflix tend to dub big hits into several languages at the same time

06:39as international releases. In short, the variety of dubbing on Crunchyroll is less than none of its

06:44competitors, although the company is working on it. Crunchyroll is accessible on a wide range of devices,

06:50smart TVs, Samsung, LG, etc., consoles, PS4 and PS5, Nintendo, Xbox, mobile phones, Android,

06:59web browsers, and streaming boxes, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku. Its app has been praised for its

07:05simplicity and easy navigation. In fact, it received a 5 out of 5 rating for user experience in one review.

07:11In addition, Crunchyroll was a pioneer in offering legal simulcasts and an interface specifically for

07:17anime, including features such as watch lists, recommendations, and popularity polls. However,

07:23in recent years, complaints have arisen from advanced users. Some fans miss features they had before.

07:28For example, Crunchyroll removed the comment sections on episodes, which previously allowed

07:33fan interaction. There is also criticism of the inability to change the playback speed or skip

07:38intros in some apps, something that several pirate sites do offer. There have been reports of buffering

07:43or poor video quality on modest connections. Although Crunchyroll provides basic troubleshooting guides

07:48at its technical support, restart the app, check for updates. In terms of stability, there have been

07:54occasional service outages, although Crunchyroll maintains a status page, status.crunchyroll.com,

08:00where it reports any global interruptions. In general, the platform usually offers streaming up

08:04to 1080p HD, but 4K is still lacking. Ease of payment and availability have also been good points

08:11for Crunchyroll. It allows common methods, cards, PayPal, digital stores, and in many countries even

08:16offers discounts for annual plans. In Spain, for example, a recent promotion reduced the premium

08:22subscription to €1.29 per month, although this was a one-time offer. In summary, the user experience

08:29on Crunchyroll is solid as a dedicated streaming service, but it has lost some unique advantages,

08:34comments, advanced features, and relies heavily on the user's connection quality.

08:38Fluctuating streaming quality, some users note that Crunchyroll aggressively adapts the resolution

08:44to the bandwidth, causing noticeable quality jumps. The app sometimes drops from 1080p to 480p without

08:50warning, especially on variable connections. Frequent buffering, in environments with irregular

08:55connections, Crunchyroll may pause to load more frequently than other platforms. The company

08:59recommends clearing the cache, restarting the router, or using public DNS as a solution, but this is not

09:05always enough to eliminate playback interruptions. No 4K or HDR, Crunchyroll does not currently offer

09:114K video or HDR support for most titles. Other streaming platforms are beginning to include these

09:17levels of visual quality. Limited simultaneous playback, basic plan the free plan only allows

09:22one device at a time, and up to four on higher plans. Netflix offers up to four to five simultaneous

09:28streams on family plans, albeit at a higher cost. Crunchyroll does allow password sharing without penalty,

09:34but native multi-account options are more expensive. Overall, Crunchyroll provides an acceptable

09:39technical experience, but it does not stand out in terms of stability compared to streaming giants.

09:45Many of the technical issues reported stem from server limitations or Crunchyroll's legacy

09:49infrastructure, which was originally a small independent service. Following its integration with Sony,

09:55the platform has been revamped internally, but it still faces high expectations from fans who expect

10:00top-notch performance. Hiring policy and internal culture, a report, Bloomberg via OtakuUSA, based on

10:07anonymous interviews with employees criticized Crunchyroll's management. They allege that executives

10:11are not anime fans and consider the content childish, so they don't want to hire fans, otakus.

10:17Several former and current employees described a management team that is disconnected from the medium

10:22and focused on expanding the casual audience, not the hardcore one. This narrative would fit with

10:26previous statements by the company about wanting to attract the general public and not just the

10:31otaku niche. Following these allegations, Crunchyroll stated that its business is exceeding financial

10:36expectations and that it is committed to the community, but the controversy has damaged its

10:40image among loyal users. Crunchyroll Awards and Public Voting, the Crunchyroll Anime Awards annual

10:46awards ceremony, have been criticized. In 2025, fans on social media exploded when they saw that solo

10:52leveling won anime of the year, overshadowing other highly acclaimed nominees, such as Friaren and Dan

10:58Dedan. Many called the result ridiculous and accused the event of being more of a popularity contest

11:03than a recognition of artistic quality. Although this controversy is more about image, it affects the

11:08credibility of the awards, it highlights the community's discontent and how Crunchyroll handles,

11:13or doesn't handle, its events. AI-generated subtitles. In July 2025, it was discovered that Crunchyroll had

11:20used subtitles generated by artificial intelligence, specifically ChatGPT, for several premieres. The

11:26results were catastrophic, nonsensical subtitles, incorrect punctuation, and serious errors, which

11:32caused numerous complaints. The reaction was immediate. Crunchyroll withdrew the affected episodes,

11:37e.g. the Yuzuki family's four sons, and a spokesperson publicly admitted that a third-party provider had

11:43violated agreements by using AI for subtitles. This incident outraged many users, as it suggests a lack of

11:49care on Crunchyroll's part regarding the quality of translations, something critical in a multinational

11:54service. Adult Content and Censorship. Another thorny issue has been the censorship of adult material.

12:00Crunchyroll purchased the publisher RightStuff, which distributed anime and manga for adult audiences.

12:06After the acquisition by Sony, an order was given to remove all titles with explicit content,

12:11about 5% of RightStuff's revenue. This damaged the trust of fans who appreciated this more mature

12:16offering. The removal is in line with Sony's policies to avoid controversy, but for many users it means a

12:23reduction in options and a sign that Crunchyroll is avoiding anything that could be considered

12:27controversial in Japan. Labor issues, voice and production conflicts with talent have also been

12:32reported. For example, director and voice actor David Wald publicly accused Crunchyroll of abusive

12:37practices in its productions. Although this is more linked to the associated production company,

12:42Crunchyroll Expo, voice acting contracts, it adds to the negative perception of the brand.

12:47In summary, the controversies surrounding Crunchyroll in 2024-2025 have revolved around

12:53doubts about its commitment to fans, not hiring otakus, questionable decisions, AI subtitles,

12:58censorship of adult content, and management of community events, awards. Each case has undermined

13:04the image of faithful home of anime that the platform used to have. Crunchyroll has clear

13:08strengths that make it attractive to anime lovers, a gigantic catalog claimed to be the largest in

13:13the world, fast releases, simulcasts hours after Japan, and competitive prices for specialized content.

13:19Many users appreciate the ability to legally access thousands of anime episodes updated each season,

13:25something that no other purely anime platform offers on such a large scale. However, the platform also

13:31has obvious weaknesses. Technically, some users report glitches or inferior streaming quality compared to other

13:37large platforms. Its catalog, although extensive, is losing certain key titles to Netflix and Amazon,

13:44reducing reasons to subscribe. In terms of price, Crunchyroll is inexpensive if you are only interested

13:49in anime, but the lack of content outside that niche means that, for more general viewers, other services

13:55are more comprehensive. This becomes even more relevant when you consider that Crunchyroll is not

13:59interested in the otaku audience or people who like anime. It also does not shine in dubbing,

14:04in Spanish or English, compared to competitors that dub their anime extensively. Finally,

14:09alignment with its community is a critical factor. Recent internal and external criticism,

14:14not hiring fans, award controversies, poor quality subtitles, censorship of adult content,

14:20suggests that Crunchyroll may be neglecting the preferences of traditional fans.

14:24As one report states, growth goals seem to be focused more on inflating an impressive business

14:28number than on understanding its user base. Does all this make Crunchyroll the worst platform for

14:33watching anime? Not quite. If you're looking for variety and fast releases, Crunchyroll is still

14:38unbeatable. But if you're looking for extensive dubbing, advanced user features, or trendy exclusive

14:43series, you might prefer Netflix or others. In terms of information, Crunchyroll is a specialized

14:49platform with undeniable strengths, but its recent technical, strategic, and communication

14:54problems explain why several fans have criticized it harshly. I want to end this video with the

14:59following message. Crunchyroll is a decent platform if you don't like anime, since its own executives

15:04are saying that they don't care about anime fans but want a more casual audience. I have thought of

15:08the following message, which may be very exaggerated, but allow me to say it, if Crunchyroll does not go

15:14bankrupt, then anime will go bankrupt. For anime to have a future, Crunchyroll needs to leave it alone,

15:19not censor anime, and give fans what they want.

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