Your One-Stop Anime Shop: Funimation Library Moves to Crunchyroll

Anime fans have been waiting for this announcement for over a year. Ever since Funimation acquired Crunchyroll at the end of 2020, netizens have been wondering how the merger would happen. Would both sites exist simultaneously? Would one absorb the other? Today, we finally have our answer.

It was announced today that Funimation’s library will move to Crunchyroll, making the streaming service the premiere anime destination. (Likely related, a lot of anime series are leaving Hulu by the end of March.) As of today, there are over 40,000 episodes – both subbed and dubbed – available on Crunchyroll, with more being added daily over the next few weeks. All episodes of any new series on the upcoming spring anime slate will be exclusive to Crunchyroll, though Funimation will add new episodes of any series currently in their library.

The ultimate goal is to consolidate and rebrand in order to solidfy Crunchyroll as the only place for anime. And hopefully, this will help more anime series reach a larger audience, as I know some fans only had one service or the other.

“When we brought Funimation and Crunchyroll together last year, our top priority was to put fans first,” said Colin Decker, CEO of Crunchyroll. “Unifying all of our brands and services under the Crunchyroll brand globally enables us to offer more value than ever before as we combine subs, dubs, simulcasts, library, music, movies, manga—all into one subscription. The new Crunchyroll is the realization of a dream, and we are grateful to the creators of anime and the millions of fans who have joined us in making the community what it is today.”

Anyone who has subscriptions to both services is free to cancel their Funimation subscription at any time, since eventually everything will be on Crunchyroll. Keep in mind that your Funimation watch history won’t be available on Crunchyroll yet, though it sounds like it will at some point.

Fans who only have a Funimation subscription will want to sign up with Crunchyroll ASAP to make sure they don’t miss any of the exciting anime coming this spring! The spring slate is said to be the biggest ever and is due to be announced soon. Funimation subscribers can find more information here.

Fans who only have a Crunchyroll subscription don’t have to worry. By the end of March, about 80% of Funimation’s existing library will have migrated over. And, as previously stated, all new titles will be available only on Crunchyroll. 

Crunchyroll’s subscription prices won’t change, which is good for both new and existing customers, and even better for those of us who had both services. Crunchyroll tiers are $7.99/month, Fan; $9.99/month, Mega Fan; and $14.99/month, Ultimate Fan.

The Crunchyroll app is available on over 15 platforms, including all gaming consoles.

Most people will likely consider this good news. I certainly do! I pay for both services, so this will save me some money. (Especially because I have an annual Funimation subscription, which is due to renew next month.) However, while I prefer Crunchyroll’s website, Funimation has the better app on my Fire TV, and that’s where I watch the bulk of my anime. The Crunchyroll app has gotten better, but it’s still not as smooth an experience as Funimation’s.

UPDATE 3/1/22: Over the next few days, qualified subscribers of Funimation, VRV, and Wakanim will receive an email with a link to redeem 60 days of Crunchyroll Premium for free.

Author: Jamie Sugah

Jamie has a BA in English with a focus in creative writing from The Ohio State University. She self-published her first novel, The Perils of Long Hair on a Windy Day, which is available through Amazon. She is currently an archivist and lives in New York City with her demon ninja vampire cat. She covers television, books, movies, anime, and conventions in the NYC area.

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