Anime fans across the globe were dealt a blow on April 2nd, 2024, as Funimation, a prominent anime streaming service, closed its virtual doors.
The shutdown comes in the wake of Sony’s $1.175 billion acquisition of Crunchyroll in August 2021 and the company’s subsequent decision to merge the two platforms’ anime libraries.
The process of transferring titles from Funimation to Crunchyroll, which kicked off in March 2022, has been ongoing.
However, as of the website’s closure, a whopping 192 anime series have yet to find a new streaming home. Among these “homeless” titles are fan favorites like Gurren Lagann, Galaxy Angel, Astro Boy, Black Butler, Aria the Animation, and The Slayers.
Anime enthusiasts have taken to social media to express their frustration with the handling of the content transfer.
Twitter user @BigOnAnime brought attention to the issue, noting, “In less than 24 hours, 192 things will no longer be legally streamable as they weren’t transferred from @Funimation to @Crunchyroll. The list was at 184 titles, it actually expanded to 192 in the last week.”
In less than 24 hours, 192 things will no longer be legally streamable as they weren't transferred from @Funimation to @Crunchyroll. The list was at 184 titles, it actually expanded to 192 in the last week.https://t.co/G3jMaTnk9H
— BigOnAnime (Now also on BSky) (@BigOnAnime) April 1, 2024
Anime fans continue to win & are being put first
While the affected titles can still be purchased through digital stores like iTunes, the high costs make it unrealistic for fans to own digital copies of every series they want to watch. This situation has led some fans to consider turning to piracy to access their beloved shows.
User @woahitsjuanito shared their disappointment on Twitter, stating, “Much as I love Crunchyroll (I’ve got a sub and all!), it’s really embarrassing how poorly managed the transfer of work from one streamer to the other was. This is also a great case for ‘pirate whatever you want, because no streamer is working in your best interest’.”
The shutdown of Funimation’s website has really hit anime fans hard, leaving them feeling like they’ve been hung out to dry by the very streaming platforms they’ve come to rely on.
As the community tries to figure out what to do next, it’s up to Crunchyroll to step up and show they actually care about their users’ concerns. They need to make sure that all these beloved series don’t just disappear into the void, but remain available for fans to enjoy no matter where they live.
