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Crunchyroll Review

crunchyroll logo

What is Crunchyroll? 

Crunchyroll is a premium streaming service and a haven for anime fandom. The service caters to a niche audience instead of serving as a full replacement for traditional TV — it has with thousands of popular and obscure anime titles in its catalog. It posts the latest news in the world of anime, curates an impressive collection of manga, and offers hundreds of original games for you to choose from. And if you’re a fan of live-action dramas, you’ll find plenty to enjoy in its catalog. 

Crunchyroll is no stranger to original content — it’s co-produced over 60 series. It has several new series scheduled to drop throughout the year. The service even provides an ad-free experience with its premium plan. However, you’ll need an internet connection to watch since there are no offline viewing features. 

Crunchyroll plans and pricing 

Crunchyroll offers both a free and premium plan. The free plan includes access to limited shows and movies, while the premium opens up its library of manga as well as the Crunchyroll Store, where you’ll receive exclusive discounts.  

By subscribing to Crunchyroll’s premium streaming service, you’ll be able to watch your favorite movies and shows without commercial interruptions. You have the option to pay more at once for an overall reduced rate. Rather than spending $7.99/mo., you can opt to pay $23 for the first three months or $80/yr.

 

Plans FREE Premium
Price Free $7.99/mo.
Number of TV shows and films 1,000+ titles and 30,000+ episodes 1,000+ titles and 30,000+ episodes
Offline downloads No No
Original content Yes Yes
Streaming quality 480p 1080p/720p HD
Live streaming No Yes

 

Crunchyroll supported devices 

Nearly every major device is compatible with the Crunchyroll app. These include casting devices, game consoles, smartphones, and smart TVs. 

  • Amazon Fire TV
  • Android devices
  • Apple TV
  • Google Chromecast 
  • iOS devices
  • PlayStation 3
  • PlayStation 4
  • PlayStation Vita
  • Roku
  • Web browsers
  • Wii U
  • Windows Phone
  • Xbox 360 
  • Xbox One

What to watch on Crunchyroll 

Crunchyroll organizes its content in its main menu by Shows, Manga, News, Games, and Store. Subcategories include Popular, Simulcasts, Updated, Alphabetical, Genres, and Seasons. Upon selecting Genres, we found numerous options, such as:

  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Comedy
  • Drama
  • Historical
  • Idols
  • Isekai
  • Magical Girls
  • Mystery
  • Post-Apocalyptic
  • Romance
  • Sci-Fi
  • Shonen
  • Slice of Life
  • Sports
  • Supernatural

Some of the most popular shows on Crunchyroll consist of titles such as Dragon Ball Super, Naruto Shippuden, and One Piece. There are a few big names missing from the library —  choices like Cowboy Bebop and Yu Yu Hakusho. Also, there are select shows where dubs are only available through Crunchyroll’s premium plan. By subscribing to the premium plan, you’ll avoid advertisements, have the ability to stream in HD, and get access to content as it drops instead of having to wait an extra week. 

Crunchyroll has plans to create original content. Throughout the year, original series will premiere on the service. There are also live-action shows and dramas popular in East Asian countries like China, Japan, and South Korea. There’s a wide range of titles from Mischievous Kiss – Love in Tokyo to Ultra man Ginga.

Crunchyroll categorizes its Dramas into 10 major genres. 

  • Chinese
  • Crime
  • Family
  • Food
  • Historical
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Romance
  • Singaporean
  • Thriller

Crunchyroll is one of the best options out there if you’re interested in watching anime as quickly as possible after it’s released in Japan. In some cases, you can simulcast content within an hour of its initial broadcast. Crunchyroll also includes plenty of mangas to read electronically, like Attack on Titan, Drifting Dragons, Edens Zero, and Final Fantasy Lost Stranger.

Crunchyroll features 

Crunchyroll used to have a three-tier model but dropped it for a dual free and premium system. Unfortunately, you can’t download content to watch offline. To view Crunchyroll content offline, you need a VRV Premium membership — this is a separate service that includes Crunchyroll., 

Compared to competitors like Funimation, Crunchyroll comes with less dubbed content. Yet, those who don’t mind subtitles will find more content with Crunchyroll, including manga, and East Asian shows and movies. There are also hundreds of games you can download to play on both Android and iOS devices.

You can share access to Crunchyroll’s premium service with one other member of your household for simultaneous viewing. So altogether you can stream on up to two screens at the same time. 

To adjust the parental controls of your account, select your Profile and then click Settings. On the next screen, click on Video Preferences under Account Settings. From there, a new page will populate where you can choose to either show or hide mature content. 

The final cut 

Fans of anime will enjoy Crunchyroll’s premium plan. With all of its various content — anime, games, manga, and news — you’ll have access to a ton of niche content. As Crunchyroll develops exclusive programming, the service will become even more attractive —  since it’ll have both popular licensed and original content. If you want to test the premium service before committing to a monthly plan, there’s a free two-week trial you can take advantage of. Just make sure to cancel before your trial period is up so you won’t be charged.

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