Back in August 2021, Funimation owner Sony finalized its acquisition of rival anime streaming platform Crunchyroll for over $1.2 billion, and now the media and tech giant has formally confirmed the merger of the two services. Surprisingly, Sony has opted to forego the Funimation branding, thus transferring all the content to Crunchyroll, which will now become the primary and sole service provider.
The recent merger has become a massive win for the anime community as fans can watch many new anime contents. Both existing and new subscribers of Crunchyroll will now have exclusive access to Funimation's collection and simulcast content. Furthermore, the membership fee will remain the same, enabling fans to fully immerse themselves in a phenomenal anime experience. More than 1600 hours of anime content, over 40,000 episodes, and more than fifty new titles have been added to this anime experience.
However, what does this Funimation and Crunchyroll merger means for both subscribers? More importantly, how will the merging of Crunchyroll and Funimation's streaming content impact fees and expenses for fans? Let's dig deeper into what we have learned about Crunchyroll and Funimation's anime collaboration.
Crunchyroll features a wide selection of new and classic anime, manga, and Japanese dramas. There is a show for every genre, and new episodes are added to the video service the day after they are released in Japan. Crunchyroll also licenses consumer products, home video, television, theatrical, and video game rights.
Funimation is dedicated to bringing the best anime to a worldwide audience. For over 25 years, Funimation has been bringing anime to fans and is leading the way in developing an omnichannel approach when dealing with and entertaining millions of people where they want it best. Whether it's live events, merchandising, e-commerce, theatrical, home entertainment, streaming, or something else.
After Sony purchased Crunchyroll, they said that Crunchyroll and Funimation joining together will allow them to be increasingly closer to the fans and creators who are the lifeblood of the anime community. And that they are eager to welcome everyone with much more excellent anime entertainment that will thrill the entire world with passion. As a result, it was evident from the start that the two streaming platforms aimed to merge and consolidate their content.
The drawback, however, is that big mergers like this often take a longer time to complete. Eventually, Crunchyroll formally confirmed on March 1, 2022, that all content available in Funimation is now under Crunchyroll's supervision. Similarly, the European subsidiaries of Funimation like VRV and Wakanim will also be moving to Crunchyroll, granting Crunchyroll easy access to the world's massive anime library.
Additionally, Crunchyroll also comes up with a list of new series that are regularly updated. Several popular series such as Wonder Egg Priority, Sk8 the Infinity, Samurai Champloo, Nichijou, Log Horizon, and Mushoku Tensei are already uploaded. Aside from the new series, Crunchyroll is also releasing English-dubbed adaptations of titles that were exclusively available in Japanese. Having this kind of feature seems like Christmas for anime enthusiasts!
Those fans who are anxious that a merger would contribute to higher subscription rates will have to worry less. Crunchyroll's three premium subscription options will remain unchanged in pricing. Funimation content will be included in all plans, irrespective of the level. The Fan subscription, which costs $7.99, gives you unlimited ad-free access to the new extended library on one device. It will also cover English-language digital manga.
Users can also switch to the Mega Fan plan for $9.99, which includes watching on four devices, offline viewing, entry to Crunchyroll Expo events, and a $15 off voucher for purchases over $100 in the Crunchyroll store (this discount ticket is only available every 3months). If you want something grander, the Ultimate Fan plan, which costs $14.99, features everything from the previous options, including an annual swag bag and access to exclusive Hime Nendoroid figures.
Price: Crunchyroll's monthly pricing starts at $7.99.
Content: Crunchyroll will feature nearly 2000 titles.
How Many Devices at Once: Crunchyroll's Pro Plan only permits users one stream at a time. Crunchyroll offers a $9.99 Mega Fan subscription with four consecutive streams and a $14.99 Ultimate Fan plan with six simultaneous streams.
Offline Viewing: The $9.99 plan from Crunchyroll includes the capacity to download episodes for offline viewing.
Video Quality: 1080p and 720p HD
With the inclusion of Funimation titles like Initial D, Cowboy Bebop, SK8 the Infinity, Wonder Egg Priority, and Horimiya, Crunchyroll now possesses a much broader selection of titles. Crunchyroll also includes beloved shows such as Naruto, Bleach, Jujutsu Kaisen, JoJo's Bizzare Adventure, My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, Haikyu!, Hunter x Hunter, and KonoSuba. What's more, Crunchyroll will also increase the number of dubbed titles available, as this was one of Funimation's strongholds.
Crunchyroll has published an explanation on their website to address any concerns Wakanim and Funimation subscribers might have. One of the most crucial inquiries sent is, "What is the best course of action at this time?" The best solution is to move to Crunchyroll to avoid cutting off access to your favorite shows. Even if you are not a fan, this is a fantastic opportunity to access all anime movies and series available in its vast library.
Due to this massive change, Crunchyroll is giving VRV, Wakanim, and Funimation subscribers 60 days of Crunchyroll for free. The site announced that it would begin delivering emails to all Funimation subscribers with instructions on how to redeem this offer. Whether you like Crunchyroll or not, this is the best deal for someone wanting to experience a new anime streaming service.
Customers generally find acquisitions and mergers to be complex and perplexing. The Crunchyroll and Funimation partnership, on the other hand, appears to be a favorable development. Before, anime viewers had to pick between paying for various memberships (which can be costly) or sticking to one platform and sacrificing seeing specific films.
Besides that, Funimation subscribers have been disappointed for years by the company's poor user interface, and some have complained that their English Dubs are unsatisfactory. Having Funimation's series available on Crunchyroll's user-friendly streaming service is a definite advantage!
Furthermore, as stated earlier, Crunchyroll is not raising its fees and is offering new users 60-day free trials. How can adding more titles to a streaming service without boosting the price make you unhappy? The features of Crunchyroll appear to have changed as well, including modifications to its audio settings and closed-captioning system.
While you won't be able to access your Funimation account through Crunchyroll, this is all part of the process. Soon, you won't have to because everything will be integrated into a single Crunchyroll platform. If you have any more queries about your temporarily separated accounts, you can always contact Crunchyroll or Funimation support to check whether or not they are still operational.
Overall, the migration of Funimation content to Crunchyroll with the other content available on the site has always been an anime lover’s dream. While this is a significant change, it is also an excellent opportunity to have all your favorite shows and movies in one spot. The best aspect about Crunchyroll is that you may use it for free or subscribe to have access to spectacular premium features. And now is a perfect time to learn the distinctions between the two.