Crunchyroll had its early beginnings in 2006 and operated for a while in a gray area, accepting content contributions from fans without proper licensing. Over the years, the platform grew and established itself as a legitimate streaming site by securing legal streaming licenses.
Whether you're from Japan or Western countries, the love for anime is the constant driving force to Crunchyroll's popularity. Despite its early attempts to provide free streaming to anime fans, the company eventually decided to introduce a premium membership tier that required payment.
In 2022, the company introduced its three subscription tiers. Fan tier provides basic ad-free access for $7.99 per month. Mega Fan offers offline viewing for $11.99 per month and the Ultimate Fan tier with additional perks costs $15.99 per month.
With the increasing prices of subscriptions to streaming sites, here are some pros and cons that you should consider before signing up for Crunchyroll:
Extensive Anime Collection
Crunchyroll is known for holding the largest collections of anime from popular titles to indie ones. Anime fans often struggle to find the right platform to watch their favorite shows due to licensing issues but Crunchyroll is legally licensed to broadcast them.
Aside from anime, the platform also offers manga and Asian drama series. This means that the subscription is not only limited to anime but also to other types of entertainment.
The site also releases the episodes as soon as they are released in Japan. Fans who are familiar with its local language can watch the simulcast without any difficulty.
Ad-free and Offline Viewing
All of the subscription tier offers an ad-free viewing experience. Streaming platforms commonly use ads to generate revenue and maintain their services. Some fans might find ads annoying, making a subscription a perfect solution for it.
Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan tiers offer offline viewing to their subscribers. Fans can download the episodes and watch them at their convenience anywhere they go.
Multiple Language Options
Most of the shows on Crunchyroll offer subtitles in various languages. This makes it easier for international fans to enjoy the show despite the difference in language.
In addition, some shows offer dubbing to cater to fans who prefer to watch without needing to read the subtitles. The majority of it is in English language but some shows find the initiative to add more languages.
Increasing Cost of Streaming
The increasing costs of streaming services are becoming a problem for several users. It is quite common for companies to announce price hikes every year to adjust their services.
Crunchyroll recently increased its subscription prices after a few years. Given that other platforms also stream popular anime titles like Netflix and Disney+, some users might opt for a one-time payment instead of adding another expense.
Region Restrictions on Content
Despite its wide availability to most countries, some content might not be available in specific regions due to licensing restrictions.
Make sure to check the availability of your favorite shows before subscribing to avoid any hassle.
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