Many people may think that Anime and manga are for children as the animation style can be cute and doesn’t hold the same weight as a live-action drama series.
This is where you may be wrong, as the success of Crunchyroll, an anime streaming service, proves how popular Anime is with audiences.
Crunchyroll is currently the most extensive anime-only streaming service out there while still being the most significant anime service for fans of the art style.
This doesn’t mean everyone knows what Crunchyroll is and how it gained success.
I bet most Crunchyroll users don’t know how this niche streaming service became relevant in today’s streaming market sector.
To find out how Crunchyroll became a success, read this article below.
How Did Anime Enter The Mainstream Market
One of the first significant anime films to gain success in the Western world was 1988’s Akira.
However, you can argue that TV shows such as Voltron, Transformers, and Dragon Ball also extensively exposed Western culture to Anime.
The 1990s was when Anime gained its mainstream success in the U.S. market, as the term “anime” became a household word for fans of Japanese animation.
Shows like Pokemon became extremely popular with by inundating fans with content from shows, to games, and even collectible cards.
Since the introduction of anime to Western society, you can see a definite shift in how the public views and understands the art behind anime creations as more fans enjoy the stories and shows that anime studios create.
Another reason Anime grew in popularity was the surge of Japanese media from video games such as Final Fantasy, Mortal Kombat, and other classics.
Cartoon Network also began to air anime shows such as Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon during time slots when children would be home after school, meaning that kids would watch these shows.
You can say there are many reasons why Anime became popular in Western media, but as streaming has become the norm, a dedicated anime streaming service was necessary.
What is Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll, is an anime-only streaming service. It may not be as large as Netflix, Hulu/Disney+, or other popular streaming platforms but it certainly is popular.
This niche platform is near and dear to many of its users. This streaming platform has over 100 million registered users, with five million of them being paid subscriptions.
There is a difference between users and paid user experience, though, as you can watch anime shows on this platform for free. While you will get ad breaks for most, some shows are not free at all.
Currently, you can get the paid version of Crunchyroll for around $8 per month, which gives you access to new episodes and many shows to enjoy.
You also get a free 14-day trial period where you can cancel your subscription if you do not enjoy the platform.
How Has Crunchyroll Found Success in Streaming
It comes as no surprise for many that Crunchyroll has had success due to its niche as a streamer exclusive for an anime-only market.
Many streaming platforms have multiple different art/filming styles for users to enjoy, not Crunchyroll.
Crunchyroll’s success in today’s oversaturated streaming environment shows how much fans of the service enjoy using it.
This is because, before sites like Crunchyroll, many anime fans had to resort to illegally obtaining anime shows and movies by illegally downloading them or watching them on a bootleg site.
One of Crunchyrolls biggest shows at the moment is “Demon Slayer.”
You can see how influential the site is by the fact that Sony, the parent company of Crunchyroll, and the site itself launched a “Demon Slayer” movie in the U.S. market back on March 2, 2024.
Another reason why Crunchyroll is not losing any steam is because is its free to use access, which is something you can not say about other streaming services.
How Does Crunchyroll Compete Against Other Streaming Services
When you compare Crunchyroll to other streaming services, you will see how quickly you can watch new episodes.
A prime example of how different this streaming service is from others is when the original episodes air in Japan, you can expect a “dubbed” version of the same episode to be on the Crunchyroll site.
This differs from other streaming services as they will wait for the series to complete before adding it to its platform.
A prime example is when Season 5 of the “Seven Deadly Sins” aired.
It took Netflix a couple of months before it came to their streaming service.
The issue is that spoilers from Japan surfaced, which ruined the show for many who were waiting on Netflix.
So, with Crunchyroll, there are no long waits, which put you at risk of missing out or being “spoiled” by big storyline events.
Other Anime Streaming Services
Even though Crunchyroll is the go-to anime streaming service, and for good reason, other platforms do offer anime movies and TV shows for their users.
Streaming sites such as Netflix, Disney+/Hulu, and Hidive offer anime streaming options, but of course, these streaming sites do not compare with Crunchyroll.
There used to be another anime streaming service for fans to use called Funimation. However, when Sony repurchased Crunchyroll in 2022, the company merged both platforms into one.
Sony did this as it made no sense for them to own two rival streaming services.
So, do you think that Crunchyroll can claim they brought anime to mainstream media?
Let us know in the comments below.
Jason Collins is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. You can follow him on X.